Fishing Report 9-3-09

A recent cold-front, which brought cool weather and rainy conditions over the last weekend, has left us with the typical post-frontal, blue-bird sky fishing conditions that we all dread! Fishing under these conditions has been difficult but you can always find the right tool in the tackle box to get the job done. Water surface temps have dropped slightly, with temps ranging from 63 in the morning to 68 in the afternoon. I have generally found that the afternoon bite is much stronger during the early fall period as the water temps rise throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

With less than ideal fishing conditions I have had to cover less ground and instead focus on triggering strikes. Although post-frontal fishing can be frustrating, especially if you planned a trip up North long in advance, it can also be very rewarding when you find success. We have been catching muskies either shallow or deep. For skinny water applications, try a shallow running crankbait tossed around the thickest patches of weed cover you can find. These fish have been holding tight to cover and if you can get your lures to actually “hit” the structure, whether it be weeds, rocks logs or whatever, you will find that most strikes come right after contact is made. For those of you who are not familiar with this style of fishing, don’t get frustrated! It takes time and practice to learn how to work different lures close to cover without getting snagged constantly and it can be a very fun method of fishing when things get tough. Make sure to use heavy caliber line and leaders for thick cover fishing as your terminal tackle and line will come into contact with all types of underwater debris that can fray and harm tackle. If you do not find any muskie activity shallow try the deep bite. Fishing for suspended muskies can often be the best way to catch them during difficult fishing conditions. I have many theories about why this is and so does everyone else!! Locate the deepest holes in your lake systems and do whatever you need to do to make sure you cover the water effectively. One general rule I use for this style of fishing is: “don’t fish below the fish!” Most of the bait and predator fish I see suspended on my locator is usually in the 10-20 foot column in the water, so work your lures accordingly.

Northern pike have been in their usual weedy hideouts but some anglers are recording good catches of better sized fish by trolling – where it is legal. Spinners and small, shallow running cranks have been consistently catching these aggressive fish. For both SM and LM bass nothing much as changed yet. I am still using mostly jig related presentations to catch these fish. SLOW and LOW has been the key to success, as you can often leave your lure sitting on the bottom of the lake using slight twitches of the rod to trigger strikes. You can also throw those crankbaits in the weeds for the LM bass if the jigs are not working or if you are catching smaller size fish. Sometimes the big hawg bass are just relaxing in a weed-lazy boy and it takes repeated tries to access these locations without snagging constantly. Weedless jigs are a good idea for walleye success if the weed edge bite is tough and as always, use the lightest jig you can get away with – sometimes lighter than the traditional 1/16 oz.

Good luck and fish hard!

Chas Martin
www.muskymastery.com