Post June 2011 Trip Reports Here

[Justin Gaudry]

Thanks to all those posting May reports. It's great to have as many people contributing as possible.

June started off with some tough fishing conditions, but looks to be a great month with lots of anglers and muskie season opening soon.

Post your reports. What worked? What didn't? What went right? What went horribly wrong!?!?

Good luck on the water.

[JSONDAG]

Hey Justin, we kicked off here... Kinda lackluster! Got a couple but looking forward to hittin' the woods! How's things looking weather and water wise? May come up for opening week.

Later, Jerry

[Justin Gaudry]

Hey Jerry,

14 day trend showing temps coming up a bit this weekend and then average (around 70). Water temps got to 64 in the warm sun on Monday, but dropped back to 59 the next morning with a cool night. Rain and N/NE winds yesterday and today won't help the water temps much.

Weed growth seems behind according to a few guys out in the shallow bays casting for northerns and looking for shallow spawning crappies.

If the temp trends hold, we might have some good stable weather leading up to opener.

Keep me posted on your plans. We'll have to try to sneak out sometime this summer. I need to put an order in with you for another custom Sondag Special DCG...My original met an early end when it got hooked to another bait I pulled out of the box quick to hook up for a throwback on a fish last August. I heard the splash and figured it was a lure, but I didnt know which one it was until I went to grab the "sure-thing" lure a bit later. AHHHHHHHHHHH. I'm down to my spare now so thought I should try and secure a back-up now that it got moved to primary status.

[jabsis]

Hey Justin -

When will the fishing be really good for us "non-fishing" types?

Love reading your comments.

take care.

[Justin Gaudry]

Hey Jabsis,

Thanks for joining the forum and taking the time to read and post on the board. The question about the best time of the year to catch fish is one I get asked often often. I wish there was an easy answer, but there just isn't. The biggest factor in determining a "hot-bite" will always be reasonably stable weather patterns. Unfortunately, that's impossible to predict of course, but there are different times of the year that the fishing is often considering better than others for different reasons. Fishing can be dynamite at any time during the season when there is stable weather for 3-4 days in a row and more. Severe changes in weather from cold fronts bringing high winds (with multiple changes in direction), as well as temperature and air pressure changes are the only things that can really slow down the bite in a big way.

Some like the early parts of the season so that walleyes will typically be along shorelines, points and sandbars. This can be a good time to fish because there can be less snags when fishing sand, gravel, etc.

Mid/late summer walleyes (early/mid July through into mid August) are normally using rock structure. This can sometimes be harder for beginners and "non-fisherperson" types because jigs and spinners can get hung up more often in the rocks. This can be a frustrating situation for someone until they get the feel for the bottom and how to avoid hang-ups when possible to do so.

It's hard to beat Lake of the Woods walleye fishing when they are using mid-lake rocks (reefs, humps, etc) because you can pick virtually any spot on the map that shows a reef or hump and expect to find some fish there. In the last many years, walleyes have been found in different parts of these structures so you have to work an area to find the "sweet spot." When I was a kid, I remember my Grandpa tri-angulating a high tree, bald rock over yonder and an eagle's nest to try and find the shallow spot of a reef. Once we found it and marked it, we'd just work around the shallow spot and start to pick up fish. It seems more likely now, that the fish will be off the sides using the slopes and breaklines anywhere between the top of the reef (shallow) and the deeper water around it.

The most important thing for someone new to the area is to spend a day or two with an expereienced walleye angler or guide and learn both how to work an area and how to to get feel for the bottom. Constant contact with bottom is essential to having great walleye fishing when jigging or dragging spinners.

[projones2010]

Coming up to chase the eyes this weekend! Can't wait! Just something to pass the time till musky season! Was at the cabin memorial weekend chasing 'em around in miles bay. Haven't seen that much boat action in years! Used worm harnessese on rock shores in 12 to 18 feet. Hammered silver lindy rigs with red beads was knockin em dead. Hope for more of the same this coming weekend.

JSONDAG - as in Jerry from DL area??? We've never met but I know Setty and Kelsey B. from the DL Z. Setty showed me a pic of him on his celly holding a monster 52" that he caught with you (if this is the right Sondag...). Anyway, my name's Tony and I bounce at the DL Z on occassion. Say hi if you see me. Would love any tips on how to find one like Setty's cell phone pic!!!

[Nic Satre]

Well here's what I got.
Windy, Windy, Windy, Wet, Cold!
Started working the typical early June spots for walleyes and crappies the first few days with less than typical results. We caught fewer than normal walleyes (but nicer average size) and no crappies to be seen. The water was still very cold and seemed to be delaying the the crappies from moving shallow. The middle of our trip was more productive once we got
on a pattern. We found walleyes and numbers of them, trolling spinners, deep off the rocks. They were all full of bugs, (not mayflies) so we stuck with that pattern for walleyes the rest of the trip. I tried a couple hours every morning for crappies, but they just weren't where they were supposed to be. I spent a few afternoons fishing bass and did very well on both numbers and size,(I had one day where we pulled 14 bass over 17" of of one point). That's no BS. On the last day I got tired of playing cribbage and waiting for the wind to die down, so I bundled up and went out to battle the wind. I thought Iwould try to get to one of the few calm spots on the lake. We pullled up into a little protected bay and noticed the screen wall crawling with suspended fish. I thought "crappies? couldn't be,this is a July spot?" Well, that's what they were. Big fat females! Boated twenty in an hour and kept ten. All but one had eggs, so they must have been just holding there. For how windy, wet, and cold it was it could have been worse. Heading back up in the middle of July maybe the water will warm up a bit.