Fishing Report

Good morning from the Quiet Lakes,  we hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday!! It does appear we have decent chances of rain Sunday through Tuesday and then we see temps climb and stabilize into the 80s from mid week on.  Overnight temps look to also stay warm which should really help the bite.  Fishing has been very hit or miss, with many anglers struggling to find any consistent pattern to stay on fish.  Water temps are still hovering right around the 70 degree mark.

Musky–The musky bite has been fair to decent I would say, small bucktails still seem to be getting it done.  Fish are still holding on shallow weeds/structure.  As temps warm up the top water bite that is starting should really pick up.  

Northern pike–No change on the pike report, they are still eating anything and everything that is thrown their direction.  Small baits, large baits, and live bait have all been catching pike.  Anglers should target pike in shallow weeds and any shoreline shallow structure.

Walleye–The walleye bite has been tough to say the least.  The midday bite has been better than the evening bite, and personally I think that is directly related to the lower water temps we have for the time of year.  Fish still seem to be shallow and relating to weeds than you would typically see right now.  As temps warm up and the lakes warm up fish should start to push deeper and be found on typical summer structure (rocks, deep sandy points).  There have been some unconventional catches of walleye the past week on musky baits so don’t be afraid to throw bigger jerk baits, or crankbaits right now. If you prefer live bait, leeches seem to be the top choice.

LMB–The largemouth bite has probably been the best bite so far this year, with anglers doing well on everything from crawlers, to spinnerbaits, to topwater frogs getting it done.  Look for fish in and around shallow weeds, lily pads, and reeds.  

SMB–I honestly don’t have a lot on a smallmouth bite right now.  It seems some anglers are catching them on live bait while fishing for other species.  Anglers targeting them are doing ok on Ned rig style baits and other jigs and plastics.  Smallies should be holding on deeper structure off of rocks and deep weed lines.

Crappie–Crappie action has been sporadic at best with no consistency to a bite.  A few fish here and there has been the norm from spot to spot from what I am hearing.  Minnows seem to be the best bait to use and cribs and other structures seem to be holding some fish.  On lakes with more of a weed bite, anglers should look for crappie in the 6-10 FOW range and use the same presentations.

Bluegill/Perch–Anglers have been doing some of the best catching of panfish right off of the docks as of late.  Fish are in shallow and pretty active.  Nightcrawlers under a float seem to be the ticket to decent gills and perch lately.  Look for fish in and around docks, and shorelines.

Fishing has still been tough and probably will be until these water temps come up a few degrees.  Have a great weekend and we will talk soon.

Greg

Good morning from the Quiet Lakes, the holiday week looks to bring a mixed bag of weather with good chances of rain on Tuesday and Friday and temps anywhere from the upper 60s to upper 70s. The lakes are still taking their sweet time to warm up and the cool nights we have been having do not help that. Most of what I am hearing and seeing have the lakes still right around the 70 degree mark and the fishing has been reflective of cool water. It seems the fish aren’t really sure where they are supposed to be right now.

Musky–The musky bite has been decent, but anglers have to take advantage of bite windows. Small bucktails are the #1 lure on our board, but I have heard of a lot of follows on those baits and not a lot of hookups. Anglers should throw back to following fish with baits that pull/pause such as suicks or glide baits. A few small topwater baits have made the board as well so that could indicate fish are moving shallow and transitioning to a more mid summer pattern.

Northern pike–Pike have been the most consistent eaters so far this year (which should surprise no one!) and are being caught on everything from crawlers under a float to spinnerbaits to bucktails. Anglers will likely find pike in and around weedy bays and big weed beds anywhere in the lake.

Walleye–The walleye bite has been tricky lately and the daytime bite seems to be better than the evening/dusk bite that many are used to for walleye. Walleye have still been in those areas where shallow weeds and rocky bottoms meet. Live bait such as leeches or minnows jigged on that structure are producing the most fish. As the water warms up walleye should push deep and the bottom bouncing/trolling bite should start to take off.

LMB–Largemouth have been somewhat predictable but haven’t been active on a topwater bite just yet. Fish are still suspended in and around weed beds and plastic worms, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits have been working.

SMB–Smallies have been active on most of the same spots as anglers are seeing walleye. They too have not pushed out into deep water and I think it’s a direct reflection of the water staying cool. Look for smallies on those bottom transitions from weed to rock and jig with plastics or live bait.

Crappie–Crappie have been elusive to say the least this spring. Even seasoned anglers are having trouble finding a consistent pattern for crappie so far this year. Anglers should try for crappie in weed beds around 6-10 FOW or around cribs/timber that is in that range. Baits such as beetle spins should work as well as live bait such as crappie minnows.

Bluegill/Perch–Anglers have done well off of docks with crawlers for bluegill and perch have been found out on deep weed lines. Again, there has been no consistency in the bite so anglers should start shallow and work their way to deeper water in search of panfish.

Have a great 4th of July everyone!

Greg