Excellent Walleye Fishing Continues....

Walleye fishing is recovering nicely from a cold front that moved through early in the week. Fish are on a variety of structures in depths that range from 14 feet to 30 feet. They are marking well on electronics and are responding to jigging with live bait as well as plastics - grubs, Gulp minnows and leeches and 4-inch curl-tail worms. What is intriguing is the variety of depths and cover/structure including an evening weedline bite (shallower than the previously mentioned 14 feet), humps, submerged shoreline points, inside turns and island shoreline drop-offs. Trolling crankbaits on weedline edges has also been productive.

Water temps that dropped to the mid-60's have moved back to the 70 degree range. As expected, the early morning and evening bites are strong while afternoon results slow down.

Northern pike are using deep weedline edges as well as mid-lake humps. In-line spinners, crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps are excellent and probably out-performing the "usual" spinnerbaits. Bass are decent and are hitting a variety of jig/plastic combinations, crankbaits (Shadraps are always superb) and in-lines in the Mepps/Blue Fox traditions.

Muskies are slow and are demonstrating a lack of activity by following slow and deep behind lures. They will improve once we see stable and warming water temps...and this behavior is typical of "early season" fish. As Dick Wilkening noted in an earlier report weed growth is different this year, despite the early warmth and early ice out. Some areas of traditional cabbage are void of weeds while "new" ones are showing good growth this season. With water temperatures warming growth will continue and perhaps like last summer, we will see weeds developing throughout the summer.

Russ Warye