May 8 Fishing Report

Hi Folks.

Well we’ve had a wet start to the fishing season and anglers have been reporting mixed success from around the area. With the walleye spawn past us because of the early spring, it has been a learning experience for many anglers. Lake conditions are more in the line with mid to late May and water temps on the lakes I’ve been on are ranging from 50 to 56 degrees.

My personal experiences have not been half bad. We’ve been catching some very nice walleyes, pike and perch. I have been finding fish scattered throughout weed beds. Much of the weed growth is in very shallow water. On stained lakes I’ve been fishing in 2 to 4 feet and on clearer lakes I’m finding weeds at about 13 feet. Also on these clear lakes, rocks have been productive. When I’m fishing these areas I am concentrating on water depths from 16 to 25 feet.

When I say weeds, we’re not talking thick weed beds – at least not on the lakes I’ve been on. Just some scattered little plants and they’re not up very high, but this is all it’s been taking to attract fish. Jigs-tipped-with minnows have been the bait of choice for walleye and northern. We are finding both species in the same water. Keep your retrieves very slow and back off once a hit is detected for 10 seconds or so before setting the hook. The other thing we have noticed is that fish have been very scattered and the bite has been slow but steady as you pick up a fish here and a fish there and then eventually you’ll hit a small pocket and catch three or four in one spot. If you’re heading out over this next week be sure to have some patience and work your spots thoroughly. If we get some stable weather and a little bit of warming, action should increase dramatically. On some smaller waters that I’ve been on we even found crappies on the spawn beds and they were everywhere – so good things lie ahead for area anglers. Life should only get better and the weather has no where to go but up.

Well, that’s it for now, I’ll keep you posted.

Jeff Winters
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Are you seeing Muskies up shallow spawning?

Hi
Muskies are done on most if not all area waters. They are beginning their post spawn feeds already. My buddy has boated 5 and lost two as of Monday while fishing Walleye and I have boated two and lost one while walleye fishing. It should make for an interesting opener later this month. Jeff

Jeff thanks for the info, I will be heading up shortly after opener and am just trying to figure out what stage they will be at