Drift or troll at 1 – 1.25 mph with a 2 – 3 ounce weight or bottom bouncer, a 2 hook crawler harness and a juicy crawler.  This presentation covers water, puts your offering in front of numbers of fish and a combo of the flash, vibration and scent of the crawler are hard to pass by for a walleye or sauger.

Trolling crankbaits is catching a lot of fish as well.  With so many walleyes spread out over the miles and miles of mud over Big Traverse Bay, covering water is a good strategy.  Strategically placing your lure in front of thousands of walleyes is effective.  The chess game is what speed, what shape, what wobble, rattle or no rattle, in front of them or above them.

Common crankbait colors are gold, blue / chrome, firetiger, pink UV firetiger, chartreuse and orange.

Anchoring up over schools of walleyes and saugers jigging with a frozen emerald shiner is still catching fish.  Often, anchoring or spot locking with a jig around rocks or structure works well.  When there are walleyes concentrated over mud, jigging can be effective there as well.

On the Rainy River…  The slow summer flow of water on the Rainy River continues is great for fishing.  A variety of species are being caught on the river.

Sturgeon anglers are reporting good summer fishing.  Set up in a hole of the river or the sloping bank from the hole to a flat and soak some crawlers or frozen emerald shiners (or both).

A flat no roll sinker, sturgeon rig (18 inches of 60 lb test with a circle hook) with a glob of crawlers or combo of crawlers and shiners are catching fish.  Evenings have been especially good.  Many enjoy the peace and relaxation of the river in the summer.

Walleye anglers are trolling spinners / crawlers or crankbaits upstream covering water.  If you find a school of walleyes, anchoring or spot locking with a jig and minnow will be effective.

Smallmouth bass can be found near the rocky areas, current breaks, bridges with associated rip rap are all go to areas.

Up at the NW Angle…  Walleye fishing continues to be consistent.  Some fish are on structure.  Points, sunken islands, saddles, and neck down areas with current are just a few ideas.  With 14,552 islands, there is a lot of structure!

Other fish are sliding out to mud flats.  Here, pulling spinners and crawlers to cover water works well.  Lots of ways to get it done.

A mixed bag is common in the northern portion of the lake.  In addition to walleyes and saugers, perch, crappies, pike, bass and even muskies are consistently caught while targeting walleyes.

Lodging, full service fishing packages, small boat guide trips, and charter trips are available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.