Justin Gaudry
09-25-2009, 10:26 AM
The fishing has been a little slower than we normally see for this time of the year, with the warm weather having changed the patterns and seemingly keeping the crappie bite from turning on.
Crappie reports have been variable in terms of location and depths. One day's report was that you couldn't get a crappie in OB if you weren't on top of a tree bed. More recently, the bite has been better in the afternoon, but you have to work your way around the Elbow, picking up 5-6 in one little area before they disperse and you have to get on them again. Miles Bay has produced a better bite on average so far, but they have been moving around the water column there as well. Shallower a week or so ago and now a bit deeper again. The most productive presentation has been pickerel/crappie jigs with minnows.
Walleyes have been a little scattered, but biting in good numbers. Size has been a little on the small side, but bigger fish have been found in somewhat deeper water at times. Trolling cranks around reefs has still been effective for some with this late summer weather. I did hear a report from one group that caught several fish over 21" in 11 feet of water yesterday. Heavier jiugs in the deeper water, a bit lighter if fishing shallower. You need to get on the bottom fairly vertically so you can feel it on a consistent basis.
The muskie action was some of the best of the year through last weekend, but has slowed up a bit this week. A buddy that has been out fishing regularly told me that he has not seen a fish (northern or muskie) in the weeds in a couple of days. He did catch 48 and 41 inch females on rock reefs on consecutive days. He did not get any follows off the rocks, but the two fish he caught were quite aggressive and ate out on the cast. Bucktails were the ticket on both of those nice fish and I would expect the bucktail bite to continue to be good for awhile, but don't hesitate to mix it up if the fish aren't responding. Grinding cranks into the rocky points and rock shelves has been a fairly good way to provoke strikes at this time of the year in the past.
Northerns have been a little harder to find if they have left the weeds. There were a couple of nice northerns caught while casting for muskies, which is often the case when the muskies are relating to rock structure. The biggest northerns of the year are typically caught by muskie anglers.
Smallmouth Bass haven't moved to their typically reliable fall rock areas yet. One group reported a noticeably tougher weekend of smallie jigging when they normally get into them at this time of year. They may still be on the shorelines in a summer pattern as well with this warm weather.
The weather looks to be turning next week to more normal fall temps with wind and some rain. I guess we all knew we couldn't hold on to this late summer stretch of sunshine and heat for much longer, but it was nice while it lasted.
I'm counting the days until I can troll and may pull my boat out of the water because I wont be out much for at least a couple of weeks again. Bummer!
Crappie reports have been variable in terms of location and depths. One day's report was that you couldn't get a crappie in OB if you weren't on top of a tree bed. More recently, the bite has been better in the afternoon, but you have to work your way around the Elbow, picking up 5-6 in one little area before they disperse and you have to get on them again. Miles Bay has produced a better bite on average so far, but they have been moving around the water column there as well. Shallower a week or so ago and now a bit deeper again. The most productive presentation has been pickerel/crappie jigs with minnows.
Walleyes have been a little scattered, but biting in good numbers. Size has been a little on the small side, but bigger fish have been found in somewhat deeper water at times. Trolling cranks around reefs has still been effective for some with this late summer weather. I did hear a report from one group that caught several fish over 21" in 11 feet of water yesterday. Heavier jiugs in the deeper water, a bit lighter if fishing shallower. You need to get on the bottom fairly vertically so you can feel it on a consistent basis.
The muskie action was some of the best of the year through last weekend, but has slowed up a bit this week. A buddy that has been out fishing regularly told me that he has not seen a fish (northern or muskie) in the weeds in a couple of days. He did catch 48 and 41 inch females on rock reefs on consecutive days. He did not get any follows off the rocks, but the two fish he caught were quite aggressive and ate out on the cast. Bucktails were the ticket on both of those nice fish and I would expect the bucktail bite to continue to be good for awhile, but don't hesitate to mix it up if the fish aren't responding. Grinding cranks into the rocky points and rock shelves has been a fairly good way to provoke strikes at this time of the year in the past.
Northerns have been a little harder to find if they have left the weeds. There were a couple of nice northerns caught while casting for muskies, which is often the case when the muskies are relating to rock structure. The biggest northerns of the year are typically caught by muskie anglers.
Smallmouth Bass haven't moved to their typically reliable fall rock areas yet. One group reported a noticeably tougher weekend of smallie jigging when they normally get into them at this time of year. They may still be on the shorelines in a summer pattern as well with this warm weather.
The weather looks to be turning next week to more normal fall temps with wind and some rain. I guess we all knew we couldn't hold on to this late summer stretch of sunshine and heat for much longer, but it was nice while it lasted.
I'm counting the days until I can troll and may pull my boat out of the water because I wont be out much for at least a couple of weeks again. Bummer!