Good morning from the Quiet Lakes, thunder is rolling as I type this and it looks like we are in for some solid thunderstorms this morning. It looks like we have chances of rain tomorrow and Monday as well, then it settles down. Air temps look to be pleasant in the 70s all week, which, combined with any rain we get should keep water temps in check. From what I am hearing water temps are still around the mid 70s on most lakes. Water levels are down on most lakes, and the Quiet Lakes around here are down, probably close to 18″. Overall fishing has not been great, and it’s hard to tell if the storms today will help or hurt.
Musky–The musky bite has slowed down (at least on our boards) with only one fish put up on the board in the last 10 days. That fish, and a few others were seen on small bass sized crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Fish were still related to weeds, but not very active.
Northern Pike–You know fishing is tough when pike slow down, and that appears to be the case right now. A few anglers saw some small pike, mostly on spinnerbaits. Small bucktails and spinners are great choices right now for pike, and they too are related to weeds.
Walleye–Walleye have also been a tough bite lately, and I have heard almost zero reports on a walleye bite. If I had to choose a style to fish for walleye right now, it would be using crawler harnesses slow trolled with bottom bouncers on deeper rocks. Lindy rigs or jigs tipped with crawlers would be other solid choices. I would look for fish anywhere from 12-20 FOW.
LMB–The largemouth bite has been pretty good yet, and anglers are seeing fish on topwater baits, spinnerbaits, and plastics right now. Look for bass around lily pads and emergent vegetation.
SMB–Smallies have been active as well, and anglers are catching them on a wide range of baits as well. Everything from top waters to jigs and plastics are catching smallies right now. Anglers are finding smallies on weed or rock edges adjacent to deeper water.
Crappie/Bluegill/Perch–The panfish bite has been up and down this past week, some days fish were all over and easy to catch, and other days they had disappeared from where they were. Nightcrawlers have been the ticket for bluegill and perch, while minnows have been great for crappie. Gulp! and other plastics have also worked for panfish this past week. Simply rigged under a float or cast out and retrieved through weed beds are the spots to find panfish right now.
That is all I have for this week’s report. Sort of a stagnant bite right now, hopefully these storms will fire the fish up a little bit. Have a great weekend, stay dry and we will talk soon!
Greg