FishRapper Archived Fishing Reports Section
August 2014 Fish Reports

Fishing Report August 31, 2014 - Crappie Fishing Border to Border!

It wasn't exactly a surprise, he had already figured out that somebody was keeping his surprise birthday gift under wraps and dragged the information out. But if you ask me, Saturday was still a darn good day to be Andrew Higgns. Especially in light of his answer to Question #1) "What do you want to fish for today?" A) Anything that's biting, Crappies, Sunfish, Walleyes ... I like 'em all.
That was a good answer and it helped make my day almost as easy as any work day can be.
With surface temperatures trending downward and the days getting shorter, early fall patterns are taking hold. For my money, multi-Species fishing never gets any better than it will be for the next couple of weeks. Oh I KNOW, there are going to be some bumps along the trail, but right now, opportunity outweighs disadvantage by a ton.
Crappie patterns continue to be stable and the Crappie locations that I mentioned yesterday remain solid.
On Saturday the surface temperature held at 69 degrees for most of the day, pushing slightly upward during the late afternoon. The skies were mostly cloudy and during the morning, a gentle breeze allowed my boat to drift at a perfect .7 MPH.
Our first visit to the Sunfish hole came too early in the morning. When we arrived on the spot, there were some active Crappies there, but the Bluegills that we'd found a couple of days ago were gone.
I was almost certain that this was a timing related problem. So instead of poking around trying to wait them out, we packed up and headed toward the Crappie hole instead; that was smart.
When we arrived at the inside corner that I mentioned yesterday, the Crappies were stacked up and waiting for us. They were in 20 feet of water at the edge of the sharp breakline and they were ready to eat, so we fed them.
Fishing vertically using 1/16 ounce Lindy Jig tipped with a small minnow did the best work. But some of the fish were taken by using a cut piece of night crawler instead.
During early fall, I like to have some worms down there just in case part of the school consists of Bluegills. When the fish are mixed, worms will catch some of each species, while the minnows are likely to attract only the Crappies.
As usual, I'm up against the clock this morning so here's the condensed version of our afternoon. After we had enough Crappies to satisfy the 3 man limit for my crew, we switched to Walleye fishing. That wasn't fast action, but we managed 7 keepers and 3 slot fish before the wind died and left the lake flat. Jigs and night crawlers were all we used and when I could locate fish, they did bite.
After the lake went flat, our return trip to the Bluegill hole went a lot smoother than the morning trip, for a while.
The sunfish were most active during the time that the sun was threatening to peek out of the clouds and the surface of the lake was calm. Somewhere around 4:30, the clouds got heavy, the breeze picked up and the action slowed way down. I guess the dark water, combined with the overcast skies must of caused Sunfish to turn off. It's likely the reason why it was slow during the early morning too. Anyway, for now, the Bluegills are more active when it's sunny.

Crappie Hole #1: The fish were located in 12 to 16 feet of water on the inside corner where the steep drop off met the tapering shallow flat.	Crappie Hole #2: The fish were located in 24 to 26 feet of water on the inside corner where the steeper drop off met the tapering shallow flat.	Crappie Hole #3: The fish were located in 18 to 22 feet of water on the inside corner where the steeper drop off met the tapering shallow flat.

(8/31) Fish ED from Lake of the Woods; "This week, Fish Ed Host Jon Thelen travels to Lake of the Woods for late summer Walleyes.
Little Joe Spinners have been putting fish in the boat for a long time and this episode proves that they're still working their magic. Tune in for this special, final video of the 2014 open water fishing season. Click >> Lake of the Woods Late Summer Walleye .

Fishing Report August 30, 2014 - Crappie Fishing Border to Border!

You've heard the expression "go with the flow". Well reaching from one end of Minnesota to the other and beyond, the flow is going wild with Crappies!
In my corner of the world, Crappies have been active on every lake I've fished this week; that's a total of 5 lakes, all with A+ test scores.
On Friday, fishing near the Starr Bar and Grill, I tried 3 well known spots and all of them produced Crappies. These fish, like all of the Crappies we've caught this week were holding in classic, late summer locations. This is a solid Gold pattern to watch for no matter where your favorite Crappie Lake is located.
The secret is to locate deeper holes close to shore. These inside corners, steep breaks where deep water comes closest to the shoreline are magnets for early fall Crappies.
The precise water depth isn't the key, that will vary depending on the structure and makeup of your lake. In fact, look below, I snipped out sections of the chart from 3 real spots from three real lakes that we fished this week. The depths were different, but the structures are very similar.
(8/30) From The Iron Range, Greg Clusiau wrote; "Fishing was so good that I found myself going home with a limit of 10 nice slabs during the early afternoon. How nice it was to be back home around 5:00 pm.
A couple days later, I was heading north again to fish with Jeremy Taschuk, also of “the fort.” This was a Friday afternoon, where I’d meet up with the Taschuk family around 3:00 pm and drive up to their cabin on Rainy Lake for the evening walleye bite. Here too, it was a ..." Learn More >> Read Greg Clusiau's Full Report .

Fishing Report August 29, 2014 - Musky/Pike Madness? I AM!

Don't you wish that you had a little birdy that would whisper hot fish strategies into your ear? YOU DO! You have I, your very own Cub Reporter, Staff #003 and guess what?
If you have ever wanted to capture a trophy Pike or Musky, the conditions for this Labor Day weekend could not be more ideal. In fact, I would love to be helping you do it and if I could be, I would be! Except for one small road block...
I will be spending my day today with somebody who simply does not appreciate Toothy Critters. In fact, when I talked to him on the phone last night, he told me that we could fish for anything I wanted to. So I asked; "Northern Pike?” he replied ... hum maybe we could try for Carp instead.
So in spite of my own instinct to participate in a water filled version of some "Bone Collecting", I will have to wear a smile on my face, suck it up and fish for Walleye or Panfish.
So what you can do for me today is to put on your rain suit, break out the heavy artillery and give it your best effort. Then when you capture Mr. Big, send me a picture so that I can live vicariously through your experience!! Doesn’t that sound like a great plan?
On the Grand Rapids area lakes, especially the clear water lakes, Musky have been holding off of the edges of deep weeds near mid lake structures. When they will move into the weeds, they are there to rest, not to feed.
They typically feed over open water where Whitefish, Tulibee and Suckers are plentiful. But during periods of low light, like a rainy day, they eat if they get a chance and even the fish at rest can be more easily tricked into striking. There are two ways you can fish them.
1) Approach the bars quietly, from the deep water and work your way in as you cast toward the structure. This method assures that you won't spook the fish as you move in, but also leaves you vulnerable if a fish follows your lure out toward the deep water. If they don't strike the first time, they are likely to slip away into the deep water and disappear.
2) My favorite way to approach these fish is to slip quietly on top of the bar or shoreline break. Casting from the shallow water toward the deep allows me to drag a following fish up onto the structure. Once they've moved up into shallow territory, they become more like to stay in the area and strike on your follow up casts.
No matter which approach you decide to try, the forecast of calm winds, drizzle and a slight threat of storms could not play into your hands better.
For me, the crew would all be casting different lures until we spotted a pattern. I'd have one rod rigged with a top water bait, another rigged with a buck tail and a third one rigged with a jerk bait. If I was on excellent Pike fishing water, then I'd substitute the big Money Minnow for the surface lure. But Pike love the jerk baits and they will get sassy with a buck tail too, so I'd keep those baits in the mix.
Yesterday, I mentioned on the radio that my timing had been 180 degrees out of phase with the Pike and Musky activity this summer. When I can, they won't and when they will, I can't. In other words, I can't fish for them this weekend because I have the wrong crew(s). That means I think that they are gonna bite and that your odds just went up another 25%. So just the fact that you’re reading this report tells me that you’re burning daylight, you better roust those fishing partners of yours and get out onto that lake!
Well Okay Then, There Ya' Go! Good Luck out there and by the way, did I mention...? :)!!

Fishing Report August 28, 2014 Crappie and Bluegill Action Tides Us Over

There is something about these early fall days that make me look forward to going to work every day.
When Panfish begin moving out of shallow cover and start stacking up along the breaklines for the first time each fall, they are as active as they'll ever get. The trick is to figure out where they "move to" and how long they stay there.
It's not uncommon for a cold front to move fish out of the shallow weeds for a few days making them easy to find. Then, just when you get comfortable with the new pattern, they disappear, back into the shallow cover. But on Wednesday that hadn't happened yet.
Surface temperatures were on the rebound Wednesday, moving back North of the 70 degree mark. But in spite of the warmer, sunnier conditions, Panfish that had moved out of shallow cover after the Monday's cold snap, remained in open water.
But after enjoying great Crappie fishing with Mike and Atcha Nolan on Monday, we already had all of the Crappies that they were allowed. Now needed to target something else; Perch, Pike, Walleye ... we didn't really care what we caught, we just wanted some action.
Heading on to Big Winnie, I had a feeling that we were heading the wrong way at the wrong time. The sunny skies and calm water reminded me of the days that we've struggled out there. But I had to try it because I was remembering the spot where we fished last week; deep weeds on Tamarack Point that was home to a big school of nice Perch. Yes, you guessed it ... gone.
Luckily, I've learned enough to KNOW that beating my head against the wall won't help and that when the sun shines into what has become Winnie's Gin clear water; it's time to make a move.
Moving into the darker water of Cutfoot or Little Cutfoot might help turn up "something else", I thought. It turned out to lead us into a lot more Crappies than we expected. We weren't complaining though, even if we wound up releasing them all, catching them was still a blast.
Maybe we could get some Perch? The best we could do was a handful of keepers as we scrounged around the weed edges.
Sunfish weren't exactly stacked up, at least not the same way that the Crappies were, but we did eventually find some and it was the Sunfish that provided the giggle factor that we'd been looking for.
Choosing the location was a little confusing. Unlike some past experiences, I couldn't really cruise the lake watching my Humminbird for an isolated pack of Bluegills. That's because all of the fish were spread out horizontally along the shallow breaks. Almost every time we stopped to fish, it turned out to be Crappies. In fact, even when I finally did find Bluegills, they were still mixed in among even more Crappies.
In other words, trial and error combined with educated guessing is what actually led to the discovery. Tipping the odds in favor of Sunfish was enhanced by using 1/16 ounce Lindy Jigs tipped with cut pieces of night crawlers. But even the worms attracted a lot of Crappies.
The only real secret we discovered was the Key depth for Sunfish. That ranged between 10 and 12 feet along the edge of the drop into deeper water. They were located on the breakline, but toward the shallow water, not the deep. That could be a good clue for someone who is trying to increase the odds of finding more Bluegills.

Fishing Report August 27, 2014 - Early Fall Transitional Crappies

People ask me all of the time; when is my favorite season to fish? Okay, I finally figured it out, I've got it, IT IS RIGHT NOW!
I can't think of anything more fun than to have everything in the lake moving into their pre-fall feeding period at the same time.
Oh I KNOW! You're saying; Pinch me; it can't really happen, can it?
YES, it can and it is, and it starting right now.
Surface water temperatures responded to Monday's cold front be dropping into the 69 degree range. For fishermen, the ride from here on down to around 58 degrees is a wonderful time of the season. For roughly the next 6 weeks, aggressive feeding patterns will be emerging daily and if one kind of fish isn't biting, another one will. In other words, we've got options! On Tuesday, our options on Bowstring Lake were Crappies and Walleyes. We weren't the only ones out there, so to help save time, here's a fresh report, hot off the press from...
(8/27) Bowstring Lake, Trails End Resort;"Walleye, Perch and Crappie continue to strike. From what we've been seeing, almost everyone on the lake is catching fish.
On Tuesday, one of our friends was on the lake and found that trolling with spinners tipped with night crawlers was a great way to locate fish on the weed edges.
There was a mix of Crappies, Walleyes and some Perch. As usual, there were some Pike mixed in as well, but they were not overbearing.
For anglers who want to get in on the best Walleye action, it's better to explore the weed edges in water depths of 5 to 8 feet until you begin contacting Walleyes. They have been more concentrated than the Crappies, so once you have them pinned down, stay close to the area.
For Crappies, main lake areas where the weeds are located adjacent to slightly deeper water seem to be best. Back bays and shallow weeds on the flats are not producing as well.
Watch your chart for areas where deeper water swings the closest into the shoreline. Even what appear to be subtle changes make a big difference to these schooling fish and during early fall, these inside corners are the first areas to attract staging Crappies.
If you want to forget about mixed bag style fishing and isolate only Crappies, then use the spinners to find them, but switch to small jigs to concentrate on catching them.
On Tuesday, a 1/16 ounce, chartreuse green Lindy Whatsit Jig was tearing the Crappies up. The best way to fish these jigs is to cast them into the weeds, let them fall and then retrieve them while you repeatedly pop the rod tip. Giving these jigs a tight hop-pop-hop action gets the fish's attention and produces plenty of strikes.
With Labor Day weekend on its way, this could be a great last minute fishing opportunity for you and we still have some room available. Get in touch with us to see what we have open for the weekend. >> Geiger's Trails End Reosrt .

August 26, 2014 - Cutfoot Sioux Can Make Your Day! "On Lake Winnibigoshish, whitecaps can sometimes lead to a change of plan; like it did yesterday for our guests Mike and Atcha Nolan. Planning their fishing trip around catching Walleyes and maybe, if they'd get lucky, a trophy Musky for the wall, their fishing guide had ideas about fishing on the big lake. Nobody can change the weather though, and knowing that rolling out on to the big water would be out of the question, Cutfoot Sioux would be expected to ... read >> Lake Winnie Fishing Report

(8/26) From The Iron Range, Greg Clusiau wrote; "I glanced over to see him gently taking all slack out of the fishing line and setting the hook with ease. Another pot-bellied bluegill made it’s way to the surface where it was admired for a few seconds before being released.
Panfish are a way of life for Peterson who has successfully fished for them all the way from Minnesota to Louisiana and back. Liend and I would be enjoying another day on the water with the panfish master who invited us down to ..." Learn More >> Read Greg Clusiau's Full Report .
(8/26) I sent out an insiders email about some last minute, open fishing dates on Sunday morning. All 4 of the available dates are now filled.
Thank you very much for reading and thank you for your support! I really do appreciate it more than I can ever say! OH and by the way ... !!
A video that was recently produced by the Wisconsin Manufacturers Commerce honors Mercury Marine for their 2013 Manufacturer of the Year Award. The intersting perspective speaks to the growth of the company and sheds light on changes in their philosophy about engine design and performance over the past 75 years. It's well worth taking 5 minutes to watch the video >> Mercury Marine 75 Years

(8/25) From The Grand Rapids Area Jeff Sundin says; "Spinner fishing our way to a cooler full of Panfish works great during the warm water period of late summer. During mid-summer, when the weather is stable and surface temperatures hit their peak, the metabolism of these "warm water fish" is running so fast that they feed almost constantly. This is the time of the season when Panfish, Bass and even Walleye have the largest strike zone of the summer.
Bass fishermen talk about "the strike zone" more than most other anglers. But the concept is not unique to Bass or Bass fishing. It's simply a term that describes how far a fish will move to ..." read >> Grand Rapids Area Fishing Report
(8/25) From Bowstring Lake, Trails End Resort;"Walleye, Perch and Crappie continue to strike. From what we've been seeing, fishing is generally better for anglers who don't follow the crowds.
There's already been so much said about finding Crappies on the rock pile that we believe it's been picked over by now. Foqr anglers who want to get in on the best action, it's better to explore the weed edges in water depths of 5 to 9 feet. Main lake areas where the weeds are located adjacent to the deeper water seem to be best. Back bays and shallow weeds on the flats are not producing as well.
For all of you facebook fans, be sure to check out our recent video >> Bowstring Lake Fishing" >> Geiger's Trails End Reosrt .
(8/25) From Lake of the Woods, Mike Kinsela, Border View Lodge; "We just wrapped up our “Pay it Forward” 2014 weekend, and there was a great time had by all! Thank you, to all who have or are serving, for all that you do! Friendships were made and fish were caught; what a great weekend!
We are still doing some bait fishing with spinners; although, the down rigging has started to pick up so many of us have switched to that. We have been north of Garden Island and fishing over by Archies as well.
The beginning of this week shows that the winds are going to be strong, so we will be fishing south using spinners just outside the Light House Gap.
The week ahead looks great with temperatures in the mid 70’s. Rain in the forecast but not until next Sunday; hopefully the weather stays as predicted!" - 1-800-776-3474 Border View Lodge .

(8/24) From the Marcell Area, Frontier Sports, Paul Larson said; "Fishing slowed down dramatically last weekend. What with the rain showers, thunder storms and the cold front that ensued, all taken together, this made for tough fishing conditions. Water temperatures dived down to 72 degrees, when the week before it was 79 degrees. Sunday was a bust but on Monday, with a lot of effort, I was able to take a few 12 inch Crappies and a few Walleye in the 16 inch range out for breakfast. Most of these fish were suspended over depths of 15 to twenty feet off the deep weed edges and hit the small LIVE TARGET crank bait I was trolling. As one might expect, the thunder storms on Sunday produced a plethora of Rock Bass. One was just short of 1.5 pounds, so no state record yet, but I still think the area lakes are capable of producing a fish larger than the record. Besides, I recently learned the world record is only 3 pounds and I believe that with steel will and determination, it can be done! Both Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass continue to beat up on LIVE TARGET frogs and Scum frogs, these two lures still being the hot ticket. Large Sunfish are now being caught in several of the better pan fish lakes in the area and Pike continue to smash swim baits and cranks along the weed edges and they can also be found suspended over deeper water ten to fifteen feet down. They seemingly have become more aggressive with the cooler water temperatures. The Bait and Tackle departments are fully stocked and the staff can help you select the right lure or bait for whatever species you are going to fish for as well as area lake information. Be sure to drop by on your way out to the lake! Thunder storms and more rain is in the forecast for this weekend but it’s all a part of this thing we call fishing and I’ll be out there anyway and hopefully you will be too!"
Frontier Sports features a complete and fully stocked Sporting Goods department and Bait Shop, Gas, Grocery, Deli and Gift Shop. Frontier Sports is an authorized LIVE TARGET and SAVAGE GEAR dealer. Frontier Sports 219-832-3901 or Email .

Fishing Report August 23, 2014 - Grand Rapids Area Fishing Report

"The mixed bag spinner bite isn't over yet, not by a long shot. But on the weed lines, there are some subtle reminders that jigging for Panfish is beginning to heat up and will soon become the better system.
Over the past three days, I've been spending my fishing time in the Grand Rapids area. Pokegama, Wabana, Trout Lake; the pattern has been the same on all of them. Find the fish by trolling the weeds with spinners, wait until you catch a good one, mark the spot and then switch to vertical fishing with small jigs.
This system was particularly useful for us on Thursday when covering water was the key to finding the fish. When I say covering water, I really mean covering water, a lot of water. After trolling the weed edges for well over a mile, I was just about to give up the search and switch to "Plan-C" when we finally stumbled into the ..." >> Grand Rapids Fishing Report .
(8/23) On Lake Winnibigoshish, Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort says; "This week, northern fishing rules the day.  It is traditionally a week that we have mostly pike fishermen.  Most of them were fishing with sucker minnows.  Some cast big baits, as well.  They struggled early in the week, trying all of their "normal" spots.  True to form, they kept moving and found the best areas.  They ended the week with their normal bang.  Several fish 32-36" were caught.  Most of them were released to fight another day.  The fish they are taking home are in the 24-28" range.  Jim Woodard from Dakota, MN caught a beautiful 36" northern today.
Not much to report on the perch and walleye front, as everyone was fishing for pike.  We will have more to report next week, as we have more diverse fishermen.  But the fishing was good for Northerns.  I look for good fishing to continue in the coming weeks.  Our Labor Day special starts tomorrow.  Our fall special begins on Labor Day.  Check our availability and give us a call.  Fall fishing is some of the best of the year." >> Four Seasons Resort .

Fishing Report August 21, 2014 - Anglers Still Going North For Walleye Action

Upper Red Lake continues to be the "easy bite" for Walleye purists and if you're the type of fisherman who likes to catch Walleyes but doesn't like messing around with Panfish and Perch, then keeping the big lake on your radar screen is a good idea.
Typically, Walleye migrations lead most of the fish across the reservation boundary during mid-summer. That usually leaves slim pickin's on the 40,000 acres of public territory that lies within the 120,000 acre Upper Red Lake. It doesn’t mean that the lake is ever empty of Walleye, but populations become slim enough at least to keep most of the "day trippers" away.
Because of the unusually high water and cooler temperatures, this year is different. Good water flow from the rivers, good baitfish supplies and favorable weather have encouraged many more Walleyes to remain in the public portion of the lake.
Many of the fishing guides from the greater Itasca region have been using Red as their go to lake for most of the mid-summer. The strategy has been working too and most customers are leaving the lake with their 4 Walleyes each.
Trolling presentations continue to be most popular and depending on your fishing style, you may choose to fish with crankbaits, spinners or even high speed rip-jigging.
Key fishing depths are 4 to 7 feet along the main shoreline breaks, don’t rule out the isolated rock piles and rock bars either. These spots not only hold Walleye that often go un-noticed by the crowds, but offer a chance at some Crappies and Pike too.
(8/21) Upper Red Lake continues to be the "easy bite" for Walleye purists and if you're the type of fisherman who likes to catch Walleyes but doesn't like messing around with Panfish and Perch, then keeping the big lake on your radar screen is a good idea.
Typically, Walleye migrations lead most of the fish across the reservation boundary during mid-summer. That usually leaves ... read >> Upper Red Lake Fishing Report

August 21, 2014 - Lake Winnie Walleye Pike and Perch On The Move "On Lake Winnibigoshish, Walleye action has been picking up, especially if you fish the evening prime time period. It's been that way all summer and that explains why some of our guests continue to catch fish while others are scratching their heads. Perch and Pike are on the prowl too, but many of our guests wouldn't probably expect to find them in their current locations. After a day of casting, one of our local guides found them on ... read >> Lake Winnie Fishing Report

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(8/21) From Lake Winnibigoshish, John Seekon, The Pines Resort Added; "Walleye fishing has been a tale of two lakes. In cutfoot look for walleyes in 12 to 16 feet, and on winnie, the best depth has been 16 to 20 feet. The water clarity this year is playing a large part on fish locations on the bright sunny august days." Email The Pines Resort .
(8/21) From Bowstring Lake, Darv Oehlke, Bowstring Shores Resort says; "Crappies are going great on a minnow and jig down at the rock pile in 4 to 6 feet of water. Walleyes are in that 7 to 10 feet on the weed edge. Spinner and a crawler or leech. perch are being caught along with the walleyes." - Darv Oehlke, Bowstring Shores Resort. 218-832-3101 .
(8/21) From Lake of the Woods, Sportsman's Lodge; "There have been reports of successful fishing excursions in a variety of areas around the lake. If you are wanting to bait fish, head to about the 15’-20’ range, find some rocky reefs and points and the walleye will find you. Hammered gold spinners tipped with a leech or a crawler are still the lure of choice. The northern part of the lake around Garden Island or Little Oak seems to be producing the best chances of reeling in those walleyes. The controlled depth fishing has been successful as well. Walleyes are being found at any depth but the main target area is deep in the mud or in the rocks. Wally divers or shad raps are producing the best chances of reeling in those walleyes. The weather looks like it will be a mixed bag of partly sunny to partly cloudy skies, chances of rain and temps ranging from the mid-60’s to the high 70’s.
Come on up this weekend $79 Lodge Room Special. Labor Day Stay 3 nights and get the 4th night free in lodge rooms and cabins. " - EMAIL Sportsman's Lodge .

Fishing Report August 20, 2014 - Pokegama Mixed Bag Action Bite Still An Option

A trip to Grand Rapids' Pokegama Lake turned out to be a lucky idea in more ways than one yesterday.
I was lucky first because my crew was more interested in action than the pursuit of Mr. Big. That helped settle my nerves about trying to fish for lunkers in the aftermath of the Walleye tournament that was held on the lake last weekend. Anytime you put that much pressure on a lake with a relatively small number of really good spots, it's bound to cause a slowdown. So naturally, I was happy that I didn't have to try and find the handful of fish that weren't already caught during the past week.
I was lucky too in that the water temperatures, now ranging from 72 to 74 degrees remained warm enough to keep the action bite going, but not at the same fast pace of a week or so ago. In fact, in some ways the cooler water temperatures may have actually improved the quality of our fishing.
That's because as the temperature drops, Sunfish and small size Largemouth Bass become less aggressive. That leaves more time for Walleye and Pike to find and attack the lures.
Think of it this way, you're in a crowded room trying to talk with friends but the kids are a always interrupting, it's hard to focus because of all the distractions. Finally, the little ones all go outside to play and the room gets quieter, now you can enjoy a nice adult conversation.
Without all of the little fish constantly attacking our baits and distracting us, we were able to enjoy a little improvement in our Walleye and Pike action.
Our presentation was simple; we spent the entire day fishing the weed lines using spinners tipped with night crawlers. The best speed was a bit slower than usual; holding at 1.0 to 1.1 MPH was more productive than my typical trolling speed of 1.2 to 1.3 MPH.
The best depth depends on what kind of fish you want to target. Shallower weeds in depths of 12 to 14 feet contained the most Panfish and Bass. But moving out to 18 feet of water allowed us to target Walleyes. The move into deeper water also resulted in dramatically reducing the action factor. As a compromise, I wiggled up and down the breakline between 12 and 20 feet. That way, whenever we needed a little pick me up, the Sunfish and Bass could pitch in to help.
At the end of the day, we'd kept a dozen of the better Sunfish, a half dozen small Walleyes and 4 eating size Pike. As we gathered those, we released lots of Bass, smaller Sunfish and Pike along the way.
It's a pretty good way to keep busy, and with school starting up soon, I could suggest one last trip out on to the lake with your kids before you miss the chance.

Fishing Report August 18, 2014 - Cass Lake, We Finally Get There and Guess What?"

We get to share the lake with a cold front!
It never fails, I've been hearing glowing second hand reports about the reliable Walleye fishing on Cass Lake for a couple of weeks now.
I've already mentioned it in these reports a couple of times recently. But unless I've been there myself, or talked first hand with someone who's been doing the fishing, I don't like to read too much into rumors.
Well from what I could see on Sunday, I would say that the reports are probably true. In fact, the action on Sunday morning started out really fast for us and it looked like we were set for a bang up day. The problem was that as the day wore on and the cold front settled in, it became harder and harder to turn their heads with our offerings.
When we arrived at the landing, the surface temperature was 74.5 degrees and that was the high reading for the day. By the time we left the lake, drizzle and cold air temperatures had forced the temperature down to 73 degrees. I know that doesn't sound too dramatic, but even if it didn't shut down the action completely, it didn't encourage aggressive feeding either.
The scenario played out repeatedly; in spite of seeing lots of fish on the Humminbird, the best we could do at most spots was to "cherry pick" a fish or two out of a school. It's possible that I didn't have the magic bait, maybe we didn't get the speed just right or maybe they just didn't love me. But we did try a variety of presentations and none of them really got the fish fired up.
Of the presentations we used, there were two that did perform fairly well; Lindy rigging with Night Crawlers or with Large Creek Chubs did allow us to put some fish in the boat.
The places where I saw the most fish were mid lake humps. Some of the points along larger main lake bars were holding fish too, but these were mostly singles or very small packs.
The key depths ranged from 18 to 22 feet and holding position in 20 feet of water was about the best for me.
I will definitely go back because I believe that the number of fish that I saw was way above average. They weren't just located in a couple of key areas either; there were schools of fish holding on a variety of spots all over the lake. In my opinion, I just happened to hit one of those days, a Zinger that could tempt an angler to leave with the wrong impression.
In fact, in spite of what sounds like a gloomy report, our scorecard still wasn't that bad. We ended up with 7 keepers, we caught 8 or 9 little ones that we tossed back and hooked another half dozen good fish that we lost on their way to the boat. There are a lot of days during mid-summer that don't wind up much better than that. So even though I wish that we'd done better, I'll still give Cass Lake my personal thumbs up rating.
(8/18) From The Iron Range, Greg Clusiau wrote; "Having grown up with professional angler Terry Wickstrom, who originally hails from the Hibbing/Grand Rapids area, it’s always a special time when we get together for some time on the water.
Actually, it’s a good time getting together with him for most anything but fishing is what we do best and every time Wickstrom hears the phrase “grew up together” he counters by saying “we didn’t grow up, we just got older.” I think he’s right.
Having been on the air with his popular fishing shows “Mt. States Fishing” and “Angling Adventures” for over 900 consecutive weeks, he has turned..." Learn More >> Read Greg Clusiau's Full Report .
(8/18) From Lake of the Woods, Mike Kinsela, Border View Lodge; "Jig and a minnow or drifting with spinners has been the best approach this past week. Leeches have been doing well and according to our bait guy they are now hard to get. We are still mostly fishing the north side of the lake although there were some days spent closer to home about 6 miles out of the Light House Gap on the big bay and doing well.
Fresh Walleye can’t be beat and nothing is better than a Lake of the Woods shore lunch, we have been doing them all summer, although now the docks on Garden Island are becoming a problem. As the water level drops the docks are a little too high and dry, hopefully they will be corrected for this week.
We are really excited for the upcoming event Thursday, Friday and Saturday! Many new friendships to be made and great entertainment will provide some lasting memories!
The week ahead looks great with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the 50’s." - 1-800-776-3474 Border View Lodge .

Fishing Report August 17, 2014 - A visit to "the Lake of One Good Fish"

Each year, members of the Sand Lake Association who attend their annual meeting become eligible to win a prize. When some of the folks at last year's meeting told Marge Hoecherl that she had won a good prize she replied; "Oh yeah? What's so great about going fishing with some guy named Jeff?"
Yesterday I delivered Marge her prize, me, whether she liked it or not! Whew, luckily, it turned out to be a good day on the lake and I was spared a trip to the hot seat!
When I rolled around the point to pick up Marge and her daughter-in-law Angie, they were already standing on the dock waiting. After the introductions, we had a little chat about the fishing styles and conditions on the lake, got rigged up and headed for the lakes mid-section.
The Surface temperature on Sand Lake was an even 75 degrees and there was already a cool breeze from the North/Northeast. It was overcast and muggy, but it was a lot better than the forecast of calm and sunny.
That was good news for me because I already knew that Marge was skeptical about this fishing trip. She's been on the lake for 40 years now and she wasn't too sure that there was much that I could tell her about her "home water". In other words, I needed every lucky break that I could get. Optimistic about the wind, I hoped that it would be enough to help fire up the Walleyes and save me from the hot seat.
If you've been following recent reports, then you already know that I've been fishing Sand several times this summer and that the weedline/rock pattern has been holding up well for me. Saturday was no exception, we spent the morning popping into one spot after another, checking for small, but active schools of fish.
After hooking a fish here and a fish there, I finally arrived at the right place, one spot that produced an above average number of fish. As has been the case this year, most of the fish are running small, too small, but this time the small fish were good because they allowed us plenty of opportunity to practice the jig/worm presentation.
The trick is to catch a lot of fish, enough fish to allow the crew to pick and choose which ones qualify for a trip to home, the frying pan. As a reward for her mornings work, Marge’s frying pan will be receiving 9 Walleyes and a couple of nice Perch.
We used the same presentation I talked about a few days ago, a 1/16 ounce jig tipped with a night crawler. In fact, this is the same system I've used for most of my trips on Sand Lake this summer.
Night Crawlers rigged on a small jig head are perfect finesse baits to fish in and around the weed patches and rock piles. They settle lightly and help avoid getting snagged on the bottom.
When we get a pick up, we feed line to the fish just like we do when using Lindy Rigs. This presentation is really reliable for weedline fish and when needed, we can get these baits down to 20 feet or deeper, with no problems at all.
There's something about the presentation that I forgot mention the other day; it requires light gear and light line. The brand name of the rod isn't all that important, but the action and weight is. I use a 6-1/2 to 7 foot rod, light weight with a fast or moderate action. If the rod is rated for 4 to 8 pound test line, it's perfect! I use 4 pound test on these rigs and I will guarantee you that you'll catch more fish if you scale down to lighter line.
I'm bringing this up because yesterday, all three of us were using my rods, equipped with my line. But I remember a time, a couple of years ago when under the same circumstances, one of the crew was stubborn about using his own gear. It's important because the system wouldn't work for him until he switched to using my equipment.
Learn more about that, click to read >> Sand Lake Fishing Report June 27, 2012 .
By the time our morning trip had passed, my new friend Marge was a little more smuley and a little less skeptical about what she called "The lake of one good fish" That's good, I like that!
(8/17) From Bowstring Lake, After a long period of calm, sunny weather that sent the fish into a funk, Erin at Trails End Resort appreciated a little breeze too. Yesterday she said; "All I can say is that we FINALLY have a bit of water turning over.
Walleye are still in 8-10 ft and catchable. The Crapies are hitting like mad! Spinners and a minnow are their choice of lunch right now."
From here on out, the late summer and early fall fishing will only get better on Bowstring Lake and we'd love to have you come and join us here at >> Geiger's Trails End Reosrt .

Fishing Report August 16, 2014 - Lindy Rigging For Northern Pike

If you read yesterday's Lake Winnie Fishing Report, then you may recall that I said; "We were all too stubborn about trying to find the fish shallow because that's the way we like to catch them.
Luckily, I do know that there are times when going deep is the answer and in spite of our reluctance to do it, we did and it worked."
Well on Friday, we still started our morning by casting. But after an hour of seeing nothing but little guys, were smarter and didn't dig in as stubbornly as before. That was a good idea because the
The lake that we were fishing could not be more dis-similar to Winnibigoshish, where we fished the day before. This one is a small lake with numerous bays, rocky points and shallow inlets. The lake is named after an Arachnid and it reminds me of a miniature version of Lake of the Woods' Canadian side.
In spite of the differences, the deep water pattern for Lindy Rigging Northern Pike worked just as well here as it did on the big pond on Thursday.
Our best spot was one where we had already casted and come up empty handed. It was the Humminbird that revealed the presence of fish under the boat and led to our decision to try it deeper.
The Lindy Rigs, 1/2 ounce No Snagg sinkers and 6 to 8 inch Creek Chubs turned the fish on instantly. I don't think it even took a minute to catch the first Pike and there were several more to follow.
The fish were holding on a shoreline related point anywhere from 12 to 18 feet of water. The presence of rocks on the deep point and weeds on the shallow side of the point seemed to be a key factor.
Later, I tried a couple of spots that contained rocks but not shallow weeds and they did not produce fish. Our best spot was the one the featured the mixed cover. If I'd had more time, I'm sure that I would have located more spots. You know the saying though; "Time flies when ..."

Fishing Report August 15, 2014 - Go Deep For Northern Pike on Winnie

On Lake Winnibigoshish, we did everything we could do to try and drum up some shallow water Pike action on Thursday. Recent reports about improved fishing for the toothy critters lured me into to trying too hard to find a spot where we could catch Pike by casting. I should have known better, I do know better, we were just being stubborn.
We were all too stubborn about trying to find the fish shallow because that's the way we like to catch them. Watching a nice size Pike inhale a big plug at the side of the boat is really exciting and once you've done it, you want to do it some more. The problem is that Pike are Pike and 95% of the time, high sunny skies and mid-day casting do not work well together.
Luckily, I do know that there are times when going deep is the answer and in spite of our reluctance to do it, we did and it worked.
The presentation was simple, we straddled the sharp break along the edge of Lake Winnie's Bena Bar using Lindy Rigs, 1/2 ounce No Snagg sinkers and 6 to 8 inch Creek Chubs.
Key depths were from 22 to 24 feet and the Pike were distributed randomly along the edge. We fished a stretch of about a 1/4 mile and only made two passes, but that was enough to add 6 Pike to the larder. If we'd played our cards right, we may have caught a half dozen more, but there are always some that get away.
Looking back on the day, I wish that I'd given in to my instinct sooner. I think if we'd spent the entire day Rigging and Jigging the bars, our action would have been good. Maybe it wouldn't have been thrilling or explosive, but it would have been solid and reliable.
By the way, the reports about good Pike fishing in the shallow water are real. The problem for me is that they are coming from expert fishermen who are on the lake during the evening when Pike are more active.
If you're like me and prefer the action of casting for them, then try to plan your attack for the evening.
That reminds me that generally speaking, all summer long, Lake Winnie has provided much more reliable fishing during the evening hours than during the day. I know, most folks have always known her to provide a reliable daytime bite, but this year the water is really clear, there is no sign of any summer kill and the lake is full of food. All of the advantages go to the fish; it is really just that simple.
(8/15) From The Marcell Area, Frontier Sports, Paul Larson said; "Last weekend and right on through the week……………fishing was and has been very good indeed. Even though the full moon last Sunday was obscured by clouds and some rain, the Crappie and Walleye bite was sensational. The area lakes have been putting out substantial numbers of both species. Trolling for Crappie with small diving crankbaits has been very productive. Bass fishing with top water lures like the LIVE TARGET Frog has been equally as good. I like throwing the smaller sized frog in the deeper crappie weeds. Watching a Smallmouth attack the frog, coming straight up through the weeds like a missile, water and weeds flying everywhere, is very, exciting. Most of the fish in this environment are quite large and with all the commotion, it can be difficult to hook them, but man it sure is fun! I’ve also had reports of some good catches of large sunfish this week as well. Pike have been aggressive and big fish are been taken using large crankbaits like the LIVE TARGET Rainbow Smelt and Yellow Perch. Pike anglers are having good success using Sucker minnows and big spinners as well. This weekend promises to be a duplicate of last weekend so get out there and catch some fish. The Bait and Tackle departments are fully stocked and the staff can help you select the right lure or bait for whatever species you are going to fish for as well as area lake information. Be sure to drop by on your way out to the lake!" Frontier Sports features a complete and fully stocked Sporting Goods department and Bait Shop, Gas, Grocery, Deli and Gift Shop. Frontier Sports is an authorized LIVE TARGET and SAVAGE GEAR dealer. Frontier Sports 219-832-3901 or Email .

Fishing Report August 14, 2014 - Leech Lake Northeast Fishing ...

… Wasn’t too encouraging on Wednesday. Weed patterns that typically produce reliable results during late summer, were not up to par this time.
It wouldn't be completely fair to base the report on this one day snapshot, especially in light of the reports that I got from some of the campers who I met in the fish cleaning station. They said that during last week's period of hot, muggy weather, the fishing was fairly good. In their opinion, the cold front that blew through the area on Sunday is what dampened the action.
I have my own opinions about what happens during the Full Moon of August and I'm not so sure that this event is entirely weather related. The period that occurs a few days prior to the August Full Moon and during a similar time frame before the Full Moon of September often coincide with an uptick in fishing.
I call them "false starts", a week when everything in the lake appears to be green for go. Just when you think the fishing is going to be good and reliable, it falls flat on its face for a while. The good news is that time passes quickly and these dead spells are typically followed by another period of really great fishing.
On Leech Lake, we also caught an un-lucky break in that the skies were Blue, the Sun was high and the water was calm. Not exactly a circumstance that brings out the best in these waters.
As usual though, there were a few highlights. We did manage to bring in enough fish for a good shore lunch and there were a couple of slot fish to release as well. Add to that the sighting of what may have been the largest Musky I've seen in recent years, and we'll all have something to talk about for a good long time.
The fish that were caught on Leech Lake yesterday, fell for spinners tipped with night crawlers. Cabbage weeds, the heavier the better, in water depths of 8 to 10 feet were prime locations.
For today, another battle against sunshine is forcing us to roll out early in the hope of catching some larger Pike before they lay low during the mid-day sun. If it works, you will be the first to know.
(8/14) Gus' Place Resort, Ball Club Lake; "Water level remains high & stable with the surface temp in the low 70s. Customers are reporting fair to good catches for Walleye, Northern and Perch.
Walleye are both shallow & deep to 30 feet, crawlers and leeches rigged with spinners or jigged are working best. The Walleye fishermen are saying that the key is to slow down, .5 mph (thats point 5) for best results. Use just enough speed to turn the spinner blade, .......thats it.
The biggest Perch are hold up in the flooded, high water shoreline, 6 to 8 feet and the best way to get them out is with slip bobbers.
Northerns are aggressive along the drop offs 8-18 feet. Artificial baits will work well for the northern, but the biggest fish fall for Creek Chubs or Sucker minnows called, "light northern" at the bait shop. Drift these baits with spinners and about 1/4oz. Slip sinker.
There is still several weeks of great fishing left this summer, so get out there." - Gus Sheker, Gus' Place Resort .

Fishing Report August 13, 2014 - Camp Hastings Family Fishing Adventures With Added Personality!

For the Hastings family, fishing in the Grand Rapids area is not new news. They've had a family cabin in the area for a long time, a long time. In fact, frequent readers of this report have seen pictures of them for many years without realizing who they were.
For me, Tuesday was a historic day because stepping into the boat for the first time was 6 year old Owen Cheatham. Owen represents the 4th generation of the Hastings clan to fish with me.
If that's not enough to make it historic, then add this factoid; Tuesday was the very first time in 25 years that we actually spent the whole day fishing on their own lake, where they could be near their own cabin. That made it handy for all of the crew's comings and goings, but it also set the stage for another historic event, soon to come.
Thanks to a little persistence and a lot of good luck, the crew and I gathered what will be the first ever Camp Hastings fish fry, with fish caught entirely within the shores of their own lake. Oh I know, they've eaten plenty of fish before. But after all of this time, this will be the first day that the whole clan will sit down to eat a meal of fish that came from their own lake; that's kind of fun.
Don't be disappointed by the simplicity of our presentation, my old stand-by 1/16 ounce jig tipped with a night crawler might sound like kids’ stuff; but believe me, will deliver adult size results.
We spent the entire day moving from point to point and bar to bar. We fished the weed edges and breaklines in water depths of 16 to 24 feet while we wiggled the worms over the weed tops and along the edges of rocky breaklines.
When you fish this way, there will be moments when you think it's silly. Small Sunfish, Perch and Rock Bass might drive you crazy at times. But if you stick with it, there will be moments of greatness!
The reason for using the small jigs is that they deliver the night crawler into cover like weeds and rocks without getting snagged up all of the time. The less time you spend getting UN-Stuck, the more often you'll be reeling in fish.
The trick is to fish the set up like a cross between a jig and a Lindy Rig. While you're wiggling the worm through the cover, stop moving your rod every time you feel any sensation of weight on the rod tip. If it's a fish, they will make a move and when they do, open your bail and begin feeding out line as if you were fishing with a Lindy Rig.
After a few trys, you'll get the feel of which fish to ignore and which ones to take seriously. Perch and Sunfish will pick at the worm, Walleyes and larger Bass will feel heavy and move much more slowly, they will almost feel like weeds, but they will move.
This is one of the classic multi-species presentations and before our day was through, we'd caught Largemouth, Smallmouth, Sunfish, Rock Bass, Perch and Walleyes.
It was a very entertaining and I dare say the end result will also be very M... M... M... Delicious too! !!
(8/13) On Lake Winnibigoshish, Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort says; "The walleye fishing has definitely improved. Fish are being caught by all methods. Trolling, rigging, jigging, spinners, lindys, crankbaits, etc. Fish are shallow and deep. Flats and drop-offs. Weeds and rocks. You get the picture. Choose your favorite method of fishing walleyes and go for it. Don't expect a limit every time you go out, but you should be able to get enough for a meal.
Northern fishing has been in full swing. I think the average size is smaller than last year. The numbers are still strong. Trolling and casting artificial baits have been far outfishing live bait. Pictured is a 10+ pound fish I caught this morning on a Suick. The fish have been very active during the day.
Perch fishing has been steady. Minnows on any type of rig has been good. The fish have been coming out of shallow water and deeper water. Wherever there are crayfish, there are perch.
Fall fishing should be very good. We have our Labor Day special coming up, as well as our fall discounted rates on the cabins.
One quick note for those who are coming up. We are out of leeches and will not be getting any more. If you want to fish with leeches, you should pick them up on the way up to the resort." >> Four Seasons Resort .

Fishing Report August 12, 2014 - Casting For Northern Pike, it's only a problem if they're not there.

Sometimes, giving an honest answer to a simple question isn't as simple as it sounds. You know, questions like; "Why is it so complicated to go out and catch some decent Northern Pike by casting right now?
The simple answer is that it's not hard at all, that is not if the fish are located where you can reach them. The problem is that's not where most of them are located right now, especially larger than average size fish.
By nature, Northern Pike are unsuited for the warm water environment of late summer. Warm water temperatures send their metabolism racing, causing a condition known as "Warm Water Stress". When forced to live in such an environment, they can simply shut down and quit feeding or if they have the choice, they will head for open water.
As long as they have access to deep, cool water with an adequate supply of Oxygen, they will be good to go. The same deep water provides sanctuary for plenty of tasty critters and the Pike can feed to their hearts content.
Oxygen is the key to late summer Pike location. During a typical season, most lakes develop a thermocline; layers of water that are separated by a temperature barrier. Water located below the thermocline, becomes depleted of Oxygen and fish are forced to move into territory where they can breathe, even if the temperatures are less desirable. Sometimes that forces fish like Ciscoes and Suckers into dangerously warm territory and we see fish floating dead on the surface, evidence of a summer kill.
Ironically, the years when we have a significant summer kill are usually the best time to pursue Pike and Musky because if they want to eat, they are forced to follow their food source into the shallow weed cover. That makes reaching them with a casting rod much easier and when it happens, fishing for them is a blast!
This year though, there's cool water and plenty of it. Signs of any summer kill have been non-existent and luscious, green weeds are lonesome places for Pike fishermen.
You're saying okay, so where are they and why is fishing for them so tricky? Well I'll try to tell you, but for now I've run myself up against the clock this morning. I will pick up where I left off on Wednesday morning.

Fishing Report August 11, 2014 - Cutfoot Sioux Geography Quiz

NO! I'm not going to make you take a test about where all of the fishing spots are located on Cutfoot. Its the other way around, it was I who had to take the quiz on Sunday. My grade? You know; passing.
It all started when I showed up at Bowens to meet my new customer Bob Slager and his brother John. After we chatted about our goals for the day, it was clear to me that almost any kind of fish was going to be fair game. Add the forecast of thunderstorms likely and it seemed like a good case for staying right in Cutfoot and drumming up whatever kind of fish we could locate.
At the dock, surface water was 76 degrees and remained uniform throughout most of the territory on Big Cutfoot. In Little Cutfoot though, the surface temperatures were warmer, 80 degrees.
Weed growth on Big Cutfoot is very thick and heavy. The high water levels and cool temperatures that persisted this summer have resulted in unusually good water clarity. The weeds have responded to the improved lighting conditions by growing tall and fast. Water levels have fallen now and the tall plants have nowhere else to go, the matts of heavy vegetation are laying right on the surface.
For the fish, it means that there is a lot of extra sanctuary in the lake. With all of the extra hiding places, the population of small fish could likely have great survival this season. For fishermen, it means that fishing the weed edges is going to be extra tricky this fall.
Our fishing action on Sunday wasn't really too bad. We tried a variety of presentations and by the time we finished, the cooler contained 8 keeper Walleyes, a dozen Crappies, a handful of Bluegills and a couple of Pike.
Walleye in the protected slot accounted for another 4 or 5 fish and did I mention the hundred or more small Perch?
Trolling with spinners & Night Crawlers helped us locate fish, but the little Perch were tearing the crawlers apart. A better presentation for Walleye was my old reliable, 1/16 Lindy Jig tipped with a night crawler, the best color was Green/Black.
The Perch were still a problem, but the more subtle presentation allowed us to fly under the radar of some of them, allowing the Walleyes more time to find the bait.
For John, Lindy Rigging with medium size Creek Chubs was a better solution. The larger bait intimidated the small Perch, but attracted the attention of the Walleye.
Crappies were a little elusive, but we found some; one active school in particular. The Crappies were located on a weedline adjacent to a fast break. Apparently these fish do not like the flats right now because whenever we tried casting into weed pockets on the flats, we came up with nothing. Although the water would be considered shallow, 5 to 7 feet, it is the sharper, steeper drops that hold the lion’s share of the fish.
For Crappie, the same 1/16 ounce Lindy Jigs tipped with 2 inch action tails was the best presentation.
No matter where we fished, it was the element of surprise that allowed us to get as many fish as we did; that's why I called it a geography quiz. Making frequent moves and "cherry picking" the few active fish was the whole secret. One pass was good, sometimes a second would yield another fish or two. After that, lingering in the area trying to catch the well fed, fickle fish was a waste of time.
The good news is that when you find fish, they do bite. There are lots of spots holding fish too, in fact, after an entire day of jumping from spot to spot; there were only two locations where we didn't drum up any action.
When you think about it, only 2 bad selections out of 20 or more aren’t too bad. You could call it a solid, passing grade and another course credit issued from the University of SSU!
(8/11) From Lake of the Woods, Mike Kinsela, Border View Lodge; "It has been so great to see summer finally arrive as we wrap up another beautiful week! Fishing has been great even though the fish seem more scattered this year compared to past years. We have been catching nice eater fish and having fun catching and releasing some nice slot fish. We are still fishing mostly north up around Garden Island however, we have been just outside the gap a few times recently and done well.
Each day is different right now as to how we are fishing! We are doing some spinner fishing and some down rigging. We have had some good days this past week doing both!
The forecast for this week looks to be very similar to last week with lots of sunshine! Temperatures in the high 70’s to low 80’s, low winds and no rain until next Saturday forecasted as of now! Another perfect week ahead! Pack your sunscreen!" - 1-800-776-3474 Border View Lodge .

Fishing Report August 10, 2014 - Fired Up By The Full Moon?

I wish that I had better timing! Overcast skies, threatening thunderstorms, full moon ... You Know what's gonna happen today. Somebody is going to catch Mr. Big!
I wish that it was gonna be my crew, but I'll be fishing for eating fish today. So if you happen to be one of the lucky ones who has a Musky Rod in your hand and you happen to hook Mr. Big, then be sure to send me a picture!
(8/10) From The Grand Rapids Area, 1000 Lakes Sports, Grant Prokop said; "Full moon muskies are on the prowl! On Saturday evening we threw bucktails, jerk baits and top waters. We had fish chasing all of them!
We had a couple of fish try to eat, but we didn't get hooks in. The Muskies are active right now, you just have to get the right bait in their face. Good luck on the water today".

August 10, 2014 - Thompson - Horgen Win Walleye Tornament "We probably did the worst of all the fishermen that we saw. Lots of fish coming in, just not in our boat" said Hogren. The good news was that although they may not have caught as many as the other anglers, they caught the right ones. A total of 5 fish, weighing 23.8 pounds combined with their day 1 weight of 27.41 pounds to push the team into first place. Lindy Rigging with large Creek Chubs was their presentation and they found fish in water depths of ... >> Lake Winnie Fishing Report

Fishing Report August 9, 2014 - Who Ever Said It Would Be Easy?

Long story short, the saga of Kristin Hastings' search for Mr. Big is to be continued, again.
For the two of us, the story is becoming a little too familiar; Blue skies, bright sunshine and calm seas combined to infect Lake Winnie Musky and Pike with a case of Nappytimeitus.
The search for toothy critters is never easy when we get one of these bluebird days, but I know that there's always a chance, even when the odds are stacked against us.
Early in our search, there were two follows, one big one, probably a Musky and another more questionable one. The fish were both lethargic, following behind her lure more as a courtesy sighting, than as an attempt to strike the bait.
On the schedule, a shore lunch for 5 provided incentive to at least catch some eating size Pike. Luckily we bagged 3 of them, enough for a 50/50 combo platter of fried and Blackened Northern Pike.
After lunch, an assessment of the weather; it was time to do something a little more action oriented. We stowed the Musky gear and drove east toward the "Walleye hole" where things went a little better.
At the landing, surface temperatures hovered just below 80 degrees. As we moved around the lake, they ranged from 77.5 to 80.5 degrees.
The old reliable, Lindy Spinner tipped with 1/2 night crawler helped us boat Walleyes, Northern Pike and Perch. Most of the fish were small, but there were moments of greatness and we did manage to get a head start on the 2014 Camp Hastings family fish fry.
We didn't have time to explore many spots, but for what it's worth, the Walleye locations that we tried on this afternoon were strictly along the weedline. Depth ranged from 9 to 11 feet and unless our spinners were tickling the weeds, we did not get bit.
So for I and the Princess of the Close Call, the hunt for Mr. Big will just have to wait a few more days. But we're not giving up, we'll keep trying and one of these days we're going to catch that monster, one of these days Mr. Big, one of these days.
(8/8) From The Marcell Area, Frontier Sports, Paul Larson said; "Warm stable weather patterns and higher water temperatures have really stirred up the fish in the Edge of the Wilderness area lakes.
Reports of limits of good sized Crappie and Sunfish were quite common this week. Northern Pike have been on a tear lately and should continue to do so with the ideal conditions forecast to last for a good while longer.
The water temperature reached 78 degrees on the lake I usually fish. The Pike have started to suspend out in the main lake adjacent to structure mostly in 20 to 50 feet of water. Trolling large crankbaits and swimbaits and varying the speed, (often as high as 5 mph), was the ticket last weekend. I caught and released a 14lb and an 8 pounder late Sunday afternoon. I lost one Pike that was much larger. The fish had the heavy trolling rod severely bent and was pulling so hard, I couldn’t get the rod out of the rod holder in time to set the hook and it got off. It seems really big fish are very good at doing that.
The Crappie bite is very good right now and trolling small crankbaits for them has produced a lot of 12 to 14 inch fish. Smallmouth bass have been very aggressive, with jerkbaits and soft plastics getting the nod here.
What with the nice weather and cooperative fish, this weekend would be a great time to get out and enjoy the excellent fishing to be had in the lakes in this area.
The tackle and bait departments are fully stocked with everything you need to have a great weekend on the water and be sure to drop by on your way to the lake!"
Frontier Sports features a complete and fully stocked Sporting Goods department and Bait Shop, Gas, Grocery, Deli and Gift Shop. Frontier Sports is an authorized LIVE TARGET and SAVAGE GEAR dealer. Frontier Sports 219-832-3901 or Email .

Fishing Report August 7, 2014 - Warm Water Walleye Action or Mixed Bag Monsters?
Hmm..., for me, that's a no-brainer. When given a choice between finding eaters or monsters, I'll take the monster every time. Luckily, I'm going to get a chance on Friday and it looks like conditions could be stacking up in our favor.
Surface water temperatures continued to rise on Wednesday, crossing the 80 degree mark on my Humminbird for the first time this season.
With warm water, a stable weather pattern and a full moon all set to culminate this weekend, I will be astounded if we don't begin hearing reports of some really good Musky, Pike and Bass fishing.
For me, the chance to prove my theory is coming on Friday. Fishing with one of my all-time favorite lunker hunters is on the schedule and with any luck at all, 2014 is going to be our championship year.
For today though, back to the search for eating fish and without doubt, we'll be burning along the weed edges using the spinners and crawlers again.
Scrolling through the reports from the past week will give you plenty of information about the fine points of presentation, location and the like. Here a few notes about our fishing trip on Wednesday. Click here >> More Recent Fishing Reports
The warm water on Bowstring Lake, now very thick and very dark in color, made spotting the weeds difficult and that made accurate steering of the boat more complicated. But when I was able to keep us on track, the fish were still fairly cooperative.
There's been a fair amount of fishing pressure up there this week and that showed up in the size structure of the fish that we caught yesterday. There was no shortage of fish in the 10 to 13 inch range, in fact we probably caught 50 of them. Many of the larger fish have been weeded out though, especially near the most popular fishing areas. We were trying to get fish that were over 14 inches and doing that resulted in a total bag of 10 fish. We did release one 21 inch Walleye, but that was the out-layer. Of the fish we kept, the size ranged between 14 and 17 inches, perfect eaters, but no trophies.
I did figure out one way to isolate some of the better size fish on Wednesday. I added a whole night crawler to the larger profile Li'l Guy. The larger lure gives bigger fish something to get excited about and reduces the number of small fish that strike. Using this bait did cause a slowdown of strikes from smaller fish, but when I caught one, it was typically a larger specimen.
Boat traffic was fairly high on Wednesday, so if you're headed that way, be prepared for the inevitable slow-down that's bound to strike sometime soon. Exploring for fresh territory will be a good strategy over the upcoming weekend.

Fishing Report August 6, 2014 - Stable Weather Encourages Warm Water Walleye Action!

Pea Soup Green; that's one of my favorite colors! That's especially true when it's the color on the surface of a lake and there's hungry Walleyes lying underneath it.
My great friends Craig and Jan Narowetz have been fishing with me almost since the very beginning of my career, nearly 30 years.
On Tuesday, Craig's request was a simple one; "We're getting tired of eating Tilapia and we just want to bring home some Walleye fillets".
Knowing that we'd be fishing under clear skies and calm winds, the choices were easy. Round Lake, Bowstring Lake, Splithand Lake ... any shallow water lake where a warm, sunny day encourages a heavy Algae bloom.
When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Unpleasant as it may appear to us, that carpet of Green provides the fish with shade, so much shade that at times, they don't know whether it's day or night.
When we arrived at the lake, conditions were just what I hoped for. The surface temperature was 74 degrees, the sun was shining over the calm water and there was already a fresh layer of Algae floating on the surface. All systems appeared to be "Green for Go!"
The fishing was pretty simple, it wasn't a slam dunk, because I didn't find the fish until after we'd made a couple of moves, but once we did, they were fairly cooperative.
Trolling ... you guessed it, spinners tipped with 1/2 night crawlers was our presentation and it worked well. The best speed was a little faster than usual, 1.3 to 1.4 MPH and there was a noticable improvement in the action by using the OptiMax instead of the MinnKota. I know, it doesn't make sense, but I've seen this before and sometimes, there's something that they like about the rumble of the outboard. It's worth trying and sooner or later, you'll see that it does provide an added boost to your system.
There was something special about the way Jan was fishing, even though she was using the identical color, shape and size spinner, she was single handedly getting about 2/3 of the catch.
I'm not sure how to figure some of these things out, but it proves that sooner or later, every fishing style works and that varying your presentation should always be encouraged. What I do know; it was a good morning to be Jan!
The fish were noticeably segregated, if we fished too close to the weeds, there was an instant uptick in Northern Pike action. The secret to catching Walleyes was to align the boat with the weedline, but to hold position on the clean, outer edges. It was easy to spot the fish on the Humminbird in 8 to 9 feet of water.
By lunch time, we had 9 Walleyes and ate 3 of them. After lunch, we picked up 8 more and if we'd stayed longer, probably would have finished off our limit by catching 1 more keeper. So in other words, the fishing was steady, but not wild and wooly.
So the next time someone asks if you want soup with your shore lunch, say YES, Pea Soup. Oh and by the way, Tilapia sales are down!
(8/6) From The Iron Range, Greg Clusiau wrote; "As a teenager we’d gather on the shores of Red Lake over near Calumet and fish into the night for them. As I recall, we caught plenty of them and they were of pretty decent size. I may have to go back there and give it a whirl. Maybe it’s still good?
Later on and in my twenties, we’d set up camp at the Little Bear Lake public access and fish into the night, catching oodles of ..." Learn More >> Read Greg Clusiau's Full Report .

Fishing Report August 5, 2014 - Showdown at Worm Pail Point!

I headed for the nearest weed line that I could think of and started trolling in about 13 feet of water. It was roughly 15 seconds before the first fish came in, a Smallmouth Bass that Glenn caught.
From then on, our fishing was typical of the reports you've been reading lately. Trolling at 1.1 to 1.3 MPH, we were catching everything from 4 inch long Perch up to some nice size Bass. There were peaks and valleys, but overall, gathering enough fish for our mixed bag shore lunch was ... >> Read Grand Rapids Fishing Report
(8/5) From Lake of the Woods, Mike Kinsela, Border View Lodge; "Fishing has been great with another week full of big fish. We have had many leave here for mounting and have still been coming in with a great amount of eater fish as well. It has been picking up more on the down rigging. However, we are still doing some jigging and spinner fishing. The weather has been great the last few days. We hope it stays dry and warm for the week ahead!
We are fishing from Garden to Little Oak mostly right now and having success! We have had luck down rigging in deeper water 34 to 36 feet.
The forecast for this week looks absolutely perfect upper 70’s to low 80’s all week with lots of sunshine! Very low winds and no rain until next Saturday forecasted as of now! What a great looking week! Pack your sunscreen!" - 1-800-776-3474 Border View Lodge .

Fishing Report August 4, 2014 - Lake Winnibigoshish Mid-Summer Action Bite!

August 4, 2014 - Lake Winnibigoshish Mid-Summer Action Bite! Walleye fishing on the flats, a familiar late summer pattern has been producing fish this week. Gigantic flats featuring water depths of 14 to 16 feet lay adjacent to virtually all of the steep breaklines of the lake's bars. At times, it's concentrating on the steep breaks that become the key to finding Walleyes. But when these fish disappear from the breakline, there are only two ways that they can go. When they're hungry, they head for the ... >> Lake Winnie Fishing Report

(8/4) From Bowstring Lake, Trails End Resort;"The Pike are hitting fast and furious! The walleye are coming out of the lake on a regular basis. I think the cold snap sent them hiding for a bit. You can find good eaters on the North End. Perch are found around the rock piles along with Rock Bass and some Walleye. Crappies are being found around the NW corner of the lake. Hunting season is right around the corner, book now for a Fall discount!" >> Geiger's Trails End Reosrt .
(8/4) Fish ED; "This week, Fish Ed Host Jon Thelen travels to the Grand Rapids area in search of big walleyes.
In this episode, Thelen shows you exactly how and where to Lindy Rig for walleyes during the summer. His tips and technique work everywhere walleyes swim, and he shows you a few tricks that will increase your catch. Click here for >> Fish Ed "Mid-Lake Lindy Rigging For Big Walleyes" .

Fishing Report August 3, 2014 - Mesmerized By A Beautiful Day in Grand Rapids!

Fishing on Pokegama Lake this Saturday may just have to go into the books as my easiest day of the summer. Not that fishing with my friend Pete Raquet has ever been hard; but once his wife Bonnie finally agreed to visit Grand Rapids for a long awaited "Redneck Fishing Re-Match", the schedule was made even easier than usual.
Bright and early at the dock, somewhere around 10:00, the surface temperature read 77 degrees. The sun was already high in the sky and the lake was mirror finish smooth; perfect for ... read >> Grand Rapids Fishing Report

Fishing Report August 2, 2014 - Banking on the Mixed Bag Bite

With a goal of fishing a short day, cooking shore lunch and then heading for the barn early; I'm counting on the mixed bag action bite to hold up for another day.
As you've been reading, the stable weather and warm water temperatures have really set the deep weed beds on fire in clear water lakes lately. So with another calm, warm day in the forecast, that sounds like a good plan to bank on.
Instead of re-writing the whole scenario right now, I am packing my spinners, Li'l Guys and a couple of hundred night crawlers. We're going to spend the lions share of our time trolling the weeds today and I believe that there won't be much difference from the pattern that this recent report spells out. Learn more by clicking >> Mid-Summer Mixed Bag Fishing

August 2, 2014 - Lake Winnibigoshish Mid-Summer Action Bite! Surface temperatures are pegged in the high 70 degree range, weed growth has peaked and active weedline fish are providing our guests with good fishing action. Walleye fishing patterns on the big lake are beginning to favor the fishermen more than the fish. Most of the insect hatches have run their course and as that abundant food source dries up, Walleyes are showing up in areas that are easier to reach. Key locations like ... >> Read Lake Winnie Fishing Report

Fishing Report August 1, 2014 - Warm Water = Hot Fishing!

For anglers of every ilk, there's no sweeter news than a weather forecast that includes extended periods of warm, stable weather. Take away the variables caused by constantly changing weather patterns and you get a lot more time to focus on the fish.
In the Itasca area, we're currently enjoying the first string of warm, stable summer weather that's occurred in well over a month and the fishing reports reflect the good news.
Surface temperatures throughout the area are steadily climbing toward what will likely be their peak for this summer. Depending on the lake you visit, you can expect to find surfaces temps ranging from 77 - 80 degrees, perhaps even warmer during mid-day on darker waters.
For me, the best news of all is that weedline fishing patterns are well established and producing solid results.
Clear water lakes with well-developed weed flats are producing mixed bag fishing for Bass, Sunfish, Crappie, Walleye and Pike. Lakes like Pokegama, Trout, Wabana and others have deep weed edges and on these lakes, key depths range from 10 to 16 feet of water.
Trolling spinners tipped with 1/2 night crawlers will produce consistent action. The mix of fish that you catch will depend on the lake, but it's likely to be an interesting hodge-podge of species.
On shallower, darker waters like Bowstring, Round, Split Hand and others that have shallower weed lines, key depths are 5 to 9 feet of water. The mix of fish is likely to include more Walleyes on these lakes and the Perch, Pike and Crappie will show up in your bag as well.
(8/1) Lakemaster SmartStrike: 2014 Map Cards - Conduct searches for the best fishing locations in your lake with the new Humminbird® SmartStrike™ - map card now available in 9 editions that parallel the LakeMaster card coverage.
The intuitive, fish-finding power of smartstrike takes you straight to the action by showing you where the fish are biting at any given moment. This powerful software program contained on the SmartStrike map card allows anglers to utilize Humminbird LakeMaster® High-Definition map data* and extensive search algorithms to pattern and locate fish like never before.
Based on search parameters like fish species, season, time of day, and temperature, the SmartStrike engine searches depth ranges, type of structure, proximity, and more to quickly reveal and highlight the results on the lake map. learn more >> Lakemaster SmartStrike: 2014 Map Cards .
(8/1) On Lake Winnibigoshish, Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort says; "The walleye fishing has definitely picked up this week. Jigs and minnows on the flats, as well as trolling shad raps in the same areas. The percentage of keepers over slot fish has improved considerably.
The perch continue to be the most reliable bite going. The fish have been more spotty on the flat off of the birdhouses. But Sugar Point, Raven's Point, and other areas with the same type of structure have picked up the slack. Minnows on jigs, spinners, and rigs will all work. Just keep moving until you find the larger perch.
Northern fishing is still the same. I thought it would be steadily improving, but it seems to have flattened out. The weeds are still a little stunted for this time of year, probably due to the high water, lack of sun, and lack of calm days. I boated a 33" fish on my trusty storm colored Suick. Most of the fish coming in are still in the under 30" range.
The flats between Center Bar and Raven's Point will continue to attract fish as the young of the year perch start to roam that area, that will bring the walleyes right along with them. The fall bite is looking very promising. Check our availability and give us a call. Our fall discount starts on Labor Day and lasts until we close for the winter." >> Four Seasons Resort .
(8/1) From Lake of the Woods, Sportsman's Lodge; "Controlled depth fishing in shallow rocks has been the best approach right now using blue and silver or orange and gold Shad Raps. Wally Divers are getting the job done as well. Drifting with spinners is still producing fair. Find your way to the 16’-25’ depth, tip your hammered gold spinners with minnows or leeches. Weather forecast looks awesome!" - EMAIL Sportsman's Lodge .
(8/1) On Cass Lake, Cub Reporter, Staff #004 texted; "Reports of good Musky fishing are coming in frequently over here. The Walleye action is fairly reliable too.
There was an image of Kevin Greenburg, Winnebago IL presenting his freshly caught 48-1/2 inch Musky. Sorry, the photo turned out to be too dark to use in today's report. But Congratulations Kevin, that's a fine catch!"