A group of 6 of us took our annual Labor Day trek to Sunset Lodge on Oak Island. We fished Friday thru Monday, mostly in Canadian waters. Here’s our report for various species:
Walleye —
Walleyes remain in their Fall transition from reefs to points. Many of our fish came off points, but an equal number were caught in areas of current breaks and holes. Jig and minnow was the best presentation, with color preferences changing daily and based on location/water clarity. Hot colors were chartreuse, black/chart, plain lead, blue/white, pink, and gold. Best depth was 16-22 feet. Also tried some trolling with cranks, but only a few fish came to the boat. Largest walleye for the trip was only 23 in, but we had good numbers overall.
Crappie —
These fish also remain in their Fall transition. We never found large, aggressive schools, but did manage some nice keepers every day. Jig (light) and minnow was the best presentation, with color preferences changing daily and based on location/water clarity. Hot colors were black/chart, white/pink, and blue/white. Best depth was 22-28 feet. Largest crappie for the trip was 14 in, with many others in the 10-13 in range.
Musky —
My boat partner and I targeted muskies daily, but didn’t have any luck. Last year we saw 20+ fish and boated 3, but this year we didn’t even have 1 follow. 
We tried top water, casting (buck tails, spinnerbaits, jerk baits, plastic, cranks), and trolling (with shallow and deep cranks) rock structures, current breaks and saddles. Nothing to show for our efforts this year.
Smallmouth Bass —
You can find many of the Smallies on the reefs. We caught several nice ones while trying the reefs for walleye. Largest fish was 19 in.
Perch —
We didn’t target Perch, but caught many while fishing for walleye/crappie. Lots of small ones, but about 20 nice keepers over the weekend. Largest perch was about 13 in.
Pike —
Again, we didn’t target Pike, but caught a few while fishing for walleye/crappie. Largest pike was 36 in.
Overall, we had good fishing for the weekend. We had to keep moving to find the fish, but we usually found one “hot spot” each day. Unfortunately, gas prices are high, so moving around a lot wasn’t great for the wallet. Weather was mostly sunny / partly cloudy each day with winds varying from 10-25 mph.
If you’re looking for some good fishing with a chance to catch many species, the NW Angle area is a good option. 