Fishing Report 6-26-11

Despite the crazy weather changes fishing in the Eagle River and Three Lakes area has remained excellent. But with that said, these weather changes have also forced us to vary our approach, strategy and presentations too. Water temperatures range from 65 on deep clear lakes to almost 75 degrees on shallow stained lakes. Weed growth everywhere is beginning to reach its peak and the mayfly hatch is in full swing. Winds have been out of the east for a while but recently the rain and cloud cover has lifted and the wind has switched and blowing from the south.

Just for the record, the old saying, "Wind from the east...fishing the least" is a bunch of bull$&*$ !!! We have had some of our best fishing action on cold east wind days even when the surface temps dropped 3-4 degrees overnight.

Muskie action has been great and when they are on we are still having many 3 to 5 muskie days. All the usual muskie presentations have been working well. Bucktails, crankbaits, pull-baits and especially bull dawgs have been taking fish. The trick is choosing the lure type that fits the specific cover you are fishing and the fish activity level. Lately with the blue sky conditions I have shifted to fishing suspended even more with good results.

Pike action in the weeds has been great. Some of those monsters we were catching in May have slipped off to the depths but there are still some good size pike hanging around. Small spinners and jigs tipped with minnows have been the best way to catch them. Look for pockets in the weed cover and pay special attention to edges and inside turns.

Walleye action has been good even with the mayfly hatch in full swing but as the hatch intensifies you will need to change your presentation method to "match the hatch" and catch more fish. The 1/16th oz jig and minnow combo has been working well. Fishing very "slow" has been helpful in triggering strikes and try not to set the hook too early as sometimes the walleyes will just grab the minnow end of the rig. You will catch all species mixed in with the walleyes, especially perch which have been biting very well.

Smallmouth bass action has been good too. Fish have been holding in depths of less than 10 feet and sight fishing has been successful in taking some fish. Using a texas rigged crawfish imitation setup has been working well.

Good luck and fish hard!

Chas Martin
http://www.muskymastery.com