How is the Early July Fishing at Witch Bay?

[Ed Petro]

Hi RLW,

I was up at Witch Bay Camp last week and can report:

Water level: Very high, up about three feet, and is at record highs
Water Temps: Variable, Average about 68, with higest recorded on my sonar 71.6

Walleye: excellent. Walleyes taking bottom bouncers, lindy rigs, Mid Sized crank baits, jigs fished vertically. Better than average sizes seen with several fish reported 28-30 inches.
Mid lake humps are starting to produce decent numbers, as well as points associated with flats. Depths vary 16-30 feet.

Bass: Excellent, bass have moved up onto the flodded shorlines and are taking finesse jigs and plastics, as well as small craw pattern crank baits. Top water preentations spotty and will only improve as water temps hold steady.

Perch, Good, numbers or large perch (13")
are being caught while vertical jigging for walleyes.

Pike: Fair, smaller pike are found in weeds and some showing up on rocky points.

Musies: Poor, high waters and variable water temps have effected muskie fishing. Several slow non agressive follows frustrated angles last week. Retun to these sames areas later seldom repeat a follow. Mant anglers have reported Muskies taking their walleys and there was a 48 inch muskie boated that inhalled a 15 inch walleye as it came o surface.

[rlw]

Hi Ed,

Thank you for the information, I have just returned from Witch Bay Camp. I could have used your tutelage when I battled a musky a few days ago. I lost a 48"-plus musky; I battled her for 5 minutes or more. I got her to the side of the boat before she dove under the boat and ran into the weeds. Nothing broke but all I got back was 2 straightened hooks and a wounded ego. I was casting for northern and smallmouth with a St. Croix 7 foot medium action spinning rod and a Shimano Symetre 2500 reel. I did not have much of a chance; the musky ran at will---I will have to invest in better gear to play in the big league.