Deep water smallies

September's fishing was much like the month of August. Many cold fronts, high winds from all directions and lake getting stirred up. Lake conditions: Water temps 53 to 58 degrees, water clearity 2 to 3 feet. Many days of the month rendered the lake unfishable for smallies......the musky guys loved the"chop". SMB can still be caught off the shallow rock reefs BUT I think many fish are beginning to transisiton to their deep water homes for the winter.

Fished today with noted walleye/musky guide Tim Ajax. Objective was to put our heads together and find deep water fish. Tim's knowledge of the deeper open water paid off. We caught about a dozen smb in 23 to 25 feet of water. Four doubles, couple fish in the 20 inch range and the largest was a 5 ound 4 ounce brownie. In additions several jumbo perch 12 to 13 inchers were kept for the skillet. You could see the fish hanging a couple inches off the bottom on hard bottom on your electronics. What we observed was only an occassional fish ere and there. I think as the water temps continue to fall, larger concentrations of deep fish will be present.

September also marks the end of the 2010 guiding season. I would like to thank all my clients new and old for a great fishing season. I think we were able to create many memories on Mille Lacs.