Good morning, an excellent weather weekend on tap for the holiday weekend! Potential rain on Monday, but today and Sunday look great. Fishing overall has been pretty good with the musky action heating up a bit. Water temps should start creeping up to where a good topwater bite should start happening for both largemouth and musky.
Musky–The musky bite has been picking up a bit over the last week and with more consistent weather in the next week should continue to get better. Although good numbers of fish are being caught most of them are still on the smallest musky sized baits or larger bass baits. In line spinners and bigger spinner baits are getting the job done as well as smaller musky crank baits worked over mid lake humps and points. Focus still more on structure vs open water basins at this point in the season as musky are still feeding on the bluegill/crappie/perch and other bait fish still relating to weeds/structure.
Northern Pike–The pike bite has been good as they are eating anything and everything pretty much anywhere in the lake. Spinner baits, crank baits, spoons and crappie/walleye set ups are all catching northern. A great way to get kids into a little bit bigger fish is to tie on a smaller leader to a bass rod/reel set up and cast spinner baits in and around weeds. The leader will prevent bite offs and you can get a lot of action from pike that way.
Walleye–The walleye bite has slowed down a bit with some fish moving deeper and or burying themselves in the thick stuff. Slip bobbers with leeches are still a good choice around deep weeds, while basin fish will be hitting on lindy rigs or crawler/leech harnesses while trolling or drifting.
Largemouth bass–Largemouth action has been pretty consistent all year so far with good numbers and good sizes of fish being caught. Most fish have been caught with night crawlers underneath bobbers, however the topwater bite should start to pick up as emergent weeds are hitting the surface and the water temps heat up. Working frogs over lily pads and over emergent weed beds is a great way to target big bass. Plastic worms and drop shot/ned rigs work great for bass relating more to deep structure as well.
Smallmouth bass–Lots of smallies being caught on slip bobber set ups with leeches on deep weed edges and deep structure. Ned rigs/drop shots will work well on deep rocky breaks and main lake structure as well.
Crappie–Crappie are starting to move deeper towards the basins of the lakes. Deep weed edges is a good place to start and if you find schools on your electronics out in basins fish there. Crappie minnows on slip bobbers out deep or small hair jigs or small jigs/plastics such as tattle tails, cubbies and crappie scrubs will all catch fish.
Bluegill–Bluegills will be off their beds now and moving a little bit deeper into the weeds to hide from predators. Leaf worms and nightcrawlers still work well and fishing off of the docks will always produce fish. If you want to target bigger gills though try the inside weed edge on bigger weed beds or fish cribs in deeper water.
Perch–Lots of perch still being caught while crappie fishing from what I hear and a majority of those fish coming on crappie minnows under bobbers. Perch are mostly relating in and around shallow weeds/weed beds.
Happy 4th everyone and tight lines if you are out fishing!
Greg