Andy Myers Lodge Fishing /Camp Report
Category: press release
Jul 25th, 2014 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 25th, 2014 at 12:00 AM
As we head into the 4th week of July it becomes mid season and generally everything is in a summer peak pattern. As always there have been some ups and downs in weather patterns but overall through July daytime temps have been avg. 65-80 which is ideal vacationing and fishing weather with enough rains to keep ground and water levels normal. After a slow start with high water and cool spring things have stabilized into a typical and normal transition from spring into mid summer. Water temps are holding in the mid/high 60’s going into low 70’s, not to cold and slowly rising but not to hot allowing for predictable seasonal movements and fishing patterns to develop . Overall fishing has been very good and moving forward into Aug and early Sept everything points towards being even better and more consistent .
When it comes to walleyes the most consistent locational pattern for both numbers and big average size fish is reefs ,humps, and points centered around mid lake basin areas. All basins are producing fish at this time. Key depths vary from 18 to 30′ depending upon section of the lake, type of structure, weather/wave action and forage the walleyes on any particular structure are targeting. Active depths can change from day to day and even structure to structure on any given day so check out all depths before moving on. As far as presentations go don’t get to fancy but do pay attention to details within them. Small seemingly insignificant things can make big differences in productivity. Basically it’s rigging and jigging with the nod defiantly going towards rigging at this point. Lindy rigs and 3 ways. Think finesse and be sure and use floro leaders, experiment with their length from 3′ to as long as 7′ and with size of weights from one quarter to three quarter oz with three eights – one half the standard and also colors of weights, keep your presentation as near vertical as possible, big dace minnows are key and with bigger bait size #2-4 hooks will increase hooking percentage. Color of hooks can make a big diff on some days but red is a good start .Use circle hooks or set hooks as soon as rod bends with octopus or J hooks to minimize deep hooking and mortality of released fish . The guided parties are consistently releasing 80-100 plus fish per day. No problems with finding plenty of eater sized fish 14-18″ but there will be a lot of slot fish 18-23″,over slot trophy fish 23-30″+,and young fish under 15″ that need to be handled and released properly for the future. If walleyes are scattered in pods on larger structures and deeper flats off reefs slow trolling .9-1.3 mph with 2-3 oz bottom bouncers and spinner rigs with crawlers ( #3-5 gold or chart blades with red beads are first choices) and trolling 1.8-2.3 mph with 3 1/2 -5″ stick baits like shallow reef runners, rattling rouges, husky jerks, yozuri’s, etc and 3 way rigs in 2-3 oz are worth a try and cover a lot of ground, fish will tend to be big average size. Once a concentrated school of fish is located go to rigging.
The pm suspended trolling bite is setting up and scheduled to get going in earnest. Look for schools of gulls sitting mid day and thick, balled up schools of bait to be target areas around gilberts stretch, portage bay, around Viking and Deadmans Reef areas in 50-70′ of water . Troll shallow running crank baits in blue/silver, pearl white, green back/silver, chart off in line boards 5 -18′ deep to keep them away from the boat and spooking fish but when approaching evening ,the bite is on, and fish are up and feeding ,baits 5- 10′ down will be most productive for walleyes. Get deeper 18″+ and it will be mostly pike. Warmer ,mild wind or flat days during stable weather conditions make for the best set up and 7 pm to end of legal fishing is the time the walleyes rise up and feed. Cold fronts, dropping water temps, strong winds mixing up the thermocline, etc. will generally slow things up a bit and put the fish rise ceiling at deeper depths 15-24′. Try deep divers or shallow divers or spinner rigs and crawlers with segmented 2-3 colors of lead core or 1-3 oz snap weights. Most bigger pike are now with the walleyes and deeper relating to the humps and suspended nearby. Bigger pike are being caught incidentally by walleye fishermen using large chubs. To specifically target bigger pike do same things only use a 20# floro leader, #1 hooks, and 4-7″ suckers and work same areas as walleyes and a bit deeper. You might be surprised by the biggest walleye you’ve ever caught too.
Muskies are pushing to a summer peak bite and the very best is coming up end of July, Aug/ early Sept. Activity levels have been increasing weekly with lots of fish 45-54″+ moving and being caught. Weeds are approaching peak growth and while earlier a high % of activity was centered around rocks and still is, weeds are now becoming a major part of the mix and developing patterns. Up to now it’s been mostly blades, Grandmas and Topwater but that’s also what most are throwing. Shumway flashers, spankys and cowgirls in sizes 8-10 with 8’s in the thick weeds and 9-10’s over rocks and submerged weeds/edges. Speed is the key trigger and 70%+ at the boat so get your boat side maneuvers up to top form. It’s time coming up to be trying some Jakes, or big games and rubber ripped as a last bait through. Lee choppers, Top Raiders, Pacemakers, and Doc’s have accounted for most top water strikes. Now that weeds are becoming a big part of the picture blades and Topwater will still be go to presentations but big jerks like 10″ Suicks, Big Daddy’s, and Bobbies, Shallow Dawgs and medusa’s ripped over the tops, and buoyant shallow minnow baits like the big Bucher shallow raider, 9″ big game, and believers jerked and worked through the weed tops will trigger big fish even behind the popular double blades as well as spinner baits run deeper through the weeds instead of over the tops. Also remember the fish haven’t seen many single blades in a long time, 6-10 yrs, might be worth a try especially first bait through. If there’s 3 of you in the boat resist being a 3 bait #10 blade boat. Ya they catch fish, but mix it up and overall everyone in the boat will end up catching more fish. Some really big fish have been seen and several lost in the past 10 days / 2 weeks and everything points to good and exciting things to come.
Smallmouth bass have remained surprising shallow for this time of the season and are active in
weed /rock combinations, reed beds, and backs of bays at mid depth ranges in scattered weeds chasing perch and eating molting crayfish. X-raps, jig and grubs, flukes, tubes, spinnerbaits all cover ground fairly quick and will catch active fish. Jigs or a hook and shot with a leech will boat fish when artificials get the nose up. Where you find them there will be good numbers.
Lake trout are in the deeper holes in Portage and Western arm at 50-80′ with 60-65′ a good all round depth most days. Trolling spoons and cisco imitating minnow baits at those depths with downriggers or snap weights have been boating fish. Other options would be soaking dead baits which we discourage because of high mortality near 100%, jigging spoons and sucker tipped jigs, and trolling cow bells with either spoons or cisco/sucker meat strips. When trolling keep speeds under 2 mph for sure with 1.3-1.5 usually being best. When jigging work the whole water column fairly rapidly from bottom to near surface then drop and start over. Trout on eagle have been avg. 6-18# but fish 18-25#+ are caught regularly.
So far the season has been Very busy nearing full capacity each weeks and lots of good times with wonderful guests. For the remainder of the season, Aug is pretty much full but if you are considering a last minute getaway give us a call as there are occasionally changes in the schedule due to cancellations or groups moving to different weeks. Sept and Oct have a few scattered openings and opportunities for a fall trip. Contact us anytime and we’ll do our best to get you into a cozy cabin and many memories of a great Canadian fishing experience. Your Trophy Awaits, so don’t hesitate call 1-888-727-5865 or Cell 1-807-220-1866 or email [email protected]
Tight Lines!!!
Julian
AML