Fishing is picking up as the water temperature rises. The walleyes are starting to turn back on after recovering from the spawn. Our cabin customers have been picking up a few walleyes on jig/minnow or leech combo. Most of the walleyes are being caught pitching jigs into 5 feet of water. Concentrate on areas of moving water or wind blown points and drop-offs. Most of the 'eyes have been ranging from 15" to 25" with a few bigger walleyes revealing themselves too!
Brock from the Twin Cities caught and released this 30 inch walleye off of his campsite with a slip bobber and minnow.The smallmouth bass' activity has increased tremendously in the past week. They are even starting to attack topwater baits. Most customers have been catching the smallies in just a little shallower water than the walleyes. Anything from Mepps to X-Raps to Slip Bobbers have been producing 14" to 18" smallies with the biggest I have heard of being around 22" coming on a jig/minnow. Most of the topwater hits have come on floating Rapala and Heddon Torpedos, I even watched a group of smallies attack a bobber sitting on the surface.
Many bass and walleye anglers are also picking up some nice northern pike. The anglers looking for pike have been using Rapalas or Mepps in shallow bays with some really nice results. The biggest pike I heard of was right around 35" inches, caught on a X-Rap.
The lake trout are still sitting surprising shallow. Most are coming from between 8 to 20 feet down. Anglers have been trolling Shad Raps and Minnow Raps over 15 to 30 feet of water on wind blown shorelines. With the lake trout still shallow, the canoe country grand slam (walleye, smallmouth, northern, and laker) ususally rare, is for now, a regular achievement.
Good luck and keep your lines in the water
Van
