Fishing takes a backseat as we head into the dog days of summer. Fish are there but most are focusing their attention on more summerlike activities. The berry season is in full swing and with a bumper blueberry crop on hand you don’t have to go far to find a sea of blue on the ground. Find any well drained rocky area with good sun exposure and you are sure to find some. The berries began ripening early this year, so we have had an extended picking season. Don’t wait too long though as they are starting, if not already, to fully ripen. If you are gentle enough to leave the green berries on the bush you can always come back for more.
Camping and hiking season are also hitting its peak right now. With the lack of rain in our area it has kept the mosquitoes to a somewhat tolerable level. Unfortunately, the horseflies seem to quite plentiful so don’t forget the bug spray!
Walleyes are scattered as they have transitioned to the edges of reefs in larger numbers. With the mayfly hatch now behind us, they are searching in deeper water for forage and a little more difficult to predict and moving daily. In my opinion, I enjoy a good mayfly hatch. That may contradict with lots of walleye fisherman but when the mayflies are hatching I believe the fish are easier to find. Find the mayflies, find the fish! So, with that being said, when the wind is blowing still work the windblown weed edges and shorelines. On Kab, a lindy and leech or crawler is working well and down towards Namakan minnows seem to be the preferred bait on most days. We were still catching fish quite consistently with a jig and minnow late last week. Being mobile is key looking for active fish. Move until you find fish that are willing to take what you are offering but don’t hesitate to switch up your presentation until something works. Check depths all over the scale from 8’-30’. Give Lost Bay and the mid lake reefs a try as the reports from those areas have been positive.
Same old story for pike and smallmouth bass except start looking for cooler water. They are starting to show up in spring fed bays where the water temps can be quite cooler. Also try trolling the thermocline as that is a good way to get into a trophy pike cruising the cooler water.
Perch are more common now that the reef bite has picked up. If you run into a school while looking for walleyes, stick with them. There are some big perch in Kab and you can’t beat a good perch dinner!
With summer now in full swing, make sure to check with the National Park Service as they have so much to offer when visiting the park! Tours book up fast, so you want to plan accordingly. All the rangers are willing to help you plan your day and as always, you can stop into Gateway General for any information you may need, or any items needed to make your adventure an unforgettable one!
As always, we’ll see you soon!
Jason and Robyn
Gateway General
GUIDE REPORTS
Dominic Ruis
This week’s bite has been fantastic. One of the best weeks of the year so far with limits or near limits of fish every day. The best bite has been mid lake structure 20 to 30 ft leech live bait rigs on Kab and leech or minnow live bait rigs on Namakan. Perch are also now starting to be found on the 20 to 25 foot tops of the humps.
Trent Snyder
Despite the dog days of summer, fishing remains steady some days being better than others. The hot and calmsunny days make it a challenge, but I still have been finding them. Early mornings, late afternoons. Jigs with minnow still my go to but Lindy and leech has been pulling out fish for me as well. 15 to 23 ft and sometimes a bit deeper. Reef and rock piles are doing well. Always fish the wind, I can’t say it enough. Thanks, and good fishing.
Crabby Phil’s Tip of the Week
The past week was so-so with walleyes recovering from feasting on mayflies. I found the bite rebounding slightly towards the end of the week. Little better bite on leeches than crawlers. Time to lengthen the snell to as long as 4’ as fish are a bit off the bottom now. Best depth I could find was 22’-26’. I stayed just off the reefs favoring shoreline structure on windward side. Gravel and rocky bottoms were best. The favored presentation was slip sinker rigs. Nothing fancy but just a plain hook and start to slow up your presentation to under .6 mph.
