Any Myers Lodge August Fishing Report
Category: News Letter
Aug 4th, 2017 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Aug 4th, 2017 at 12:00 AM
Aug 4 2017 mid summer Fishing report
Since last report / update July has come and gone, in a flash it seems. The resort accommodations have been full, happy guests with repeat booking for next season at all time high,guides busy, fish have been cooperating well, and the season is moving on quickly. We are now and have been for several weeks well into the Summer Peak as far as fishing calendars go.
After a relatively below average temperate type of summer / season so far and surface water temps running from 62-68 for the previous 6 -8 weeks an extended spell of hot weather arrived end of July. Water surface temps reached up into the high 70’s even low 80’s. 5-6 days of hot weather and rapidly rising water temps resulted in lots of muskys and some jumbos moving very shallow into weeds and shallow rocks with huge numbers of follows vs hits. What followed and what we are into now is an extended cool front with water temps back down into the low to mid 70’s. Throughout both periods walleye fishing was strong and now with the drop muskys are moving around shallow on rock, weeds, and on the humps much more aggressively.
Walleye fishing is primarily being centered around the humps and reefs in portage bay, nashes bay, and big eagle. Depths of 21-32′ are being targeted. This will hold now through Aug with only the exception of average depths concentrated on possibly slowly creeping deeper. Lindy rigs and minnows have been go to by most and a very consistent presentation. Big minnows are key. If not available use smaller minnows on jigs. Big jumbo leeches and crawlers were very good for a group all last week on rigs with light wire hooks and jigs and could possibly get even better with the warmer water temps. Ripp’n and jigging raps, kalin jerk minnows and jigs while not producing same overall high numbers as live bait have been producing big avg. size fish. Fish of all sizes are being caught including many eating size but also lots of slots and trophy size fish 27-31″ have been reported daily. With the weather, warmer water and stratification the pm suspended trolling bite will undoubtedly kick into gear big time if it already hasn’t. We haven’t heard of anyone else to this point trying it but everything is set in place for it to be.
As the water temps rose numbers of Musky’s made a major movement shallow. Numbers of sightings sky rocketed. 3 guide boats last fri raised over 80 muskies, some jumbos, but….lots of follows vs bites and a lot of the bites were nippers and misses . Where as in prior weeks and cooler than or slowly rising to avg. water temps numbers of follows were down but % of positive engagement or hits out on the cast vs at boat side were way up. We figured with some wind , mixing of the water column etc. things would straighten out and get back to that point. That and the arrival of cooler weather with dropping water temps did just that. This past week 7 – 50 + and numbers of 42-49″ fish were boated. A mix of baits has been working but hard to beat a combo of blades and topwater right now in the weeds and shallow rocks and blades and ripped cranks or jerkbaits, bulldawgs, and medussas or swimming dawgs and posidens over the deeper rocks.
For alternatives to casting trollers have been picking up some good fish pulling divers and blades on short lines and jigging walleye humps with ripp’n dawgs has produced several big fish. All season long even when numbers of fish were being reported moving good shallow numbers of muskies grabbing walleyes at 24-30′ was still high. Every week several 48- 50″+ have been boated by surprised walleye anglers and the wide eyed stories of close encounters are practically daily. All around and moving forward with the cooler weather and days getting shorter now water temps should now stay at optimum levels and fish activity high through Aug. into Sept /Oct and the Fall Trophy Musky Hunt.
Bigger Pike are now being caught regularly by walleye anglers deeper and still some by musky fishermen casting shallower. Some nice 34-43″ fish reported the past few weeks. Bass and trout anglers are down from June – early July with the big emphasis and targets being the excellent and peaking walleye and musky fishing but for those that have the guided 4wd lakes have been the best with several groups boating numbers of trout with a 40″ 25 #er the largest trout. Jigging with leadheads and suckers at 60-80′ did the job. This week another group had 80+ bass 14-19″ on jigs and leeches at 12-18′ on a 4wd trip and 60 bass plus 40+ walleye and several pike on a fly-in the following day.
At this point there are no openings thru Sept. 9, and Oct 7-21 but if you are looking for a last minute trip till then be sure and contact us to see if a cancellation has created a last minute availability. The weeks of Sept 9- Oct 7 ea. have 1-3 accommodations/ guides available for you if you are looking for an early fall trip yet. Oct 21-28 has 1 availability for 2-8 guests. An excellent fall period is being anticipated and looked forward to, if you are thinking of a trip or a second trip of the season it would be great to have you a part of the AML experience and everything will be done to provide you with an exceptional trip and memories. For daily updates www.facebook.com/AndyMyersLodge. Join, like, share!
For more information or to secure your reservation:
ANDY MYERS LODGE, Julian kalka
Steve Herbeck , prop. Emeritus, guest fishing instruction coordinator, staff master guide
