Walleye and Bass Fishing Remains Excellent
Walleye fishing is ttruly superb with good numbers of large fishing being caught and released. Bottom bouncers are clearly edging jigs...at least for size. Jigs are taking good numbers with live bait
combinations edging plastics in depths that can range as shallow as 12 feet although average productive depths are between 18 and 30 feet. Larger fish are often shallower and even those that cast crankbaits to shallow reefs and humps are doing well. Water temps are warm with averages around 77.5 degrees during daylight hours. The movement of larger rusty crayfish on large boulders seem
to be the key to attracting larger eyes. The weed walleye bite has disappeared although a few are still taken in the evening.
Smallmouth are surprising and even though mid-July fish usually move deeper bass are still available in shallow boulders. Crayfish are the prey choice and currently are ranging very shallow. Crayfish patterned crankbaits and plastics are top choices although topwaters are taking fish during morning and evening hours. Yesterday a Witch Bay boat reported upwards of 50 bronzebacks taken on the previously mentioned lures. Choose broken boulder shorelines, reefs and humps in close proximity to shorelines and, as expected, morning and evening hours are topnotch.
Larger pike are getting scarce as water temps are moving adult fish deeper. Choose steep breaklines and work deep-diving crankbaits or slow-roll heavy spinnerbaits in the three-quarter to one-ounce sizes.
Despite the warm water temperatures which should trigger summer muskie patterns success has been slow. Quality fish are being seen but few are striking. Early morning and evening hours are
best and these fish should start striking. Fish have been seen on blades, topwaters, crankbaits ( S.S. Shads, Cranes, Grandmas, etc.) and jerkbaits, especially Suicks. Boulder points and underwater
points...and saddles are key. Smaller baits are recommended over the larger lures.
Russ Warye
