LOTW experts – mid October fishing

To those of you that fish LOTW – what 2 or 3 species are typically peaking in the mid-October time frame? And what is the best way to fish them that time of year? (Depth, lures, etc.)? Thx

We go up to chase walleyes that chase the shiners that run into the rainy river but some of the best fishing for eyes and sauger is right in zippel bay. I am hardly an expert but have done many trips that way. All you need in the lake is a jig with a shiner or fathead. Or any rubber type lures cast away from the boat will get you fish. You can expect to catch smaller sauger, walleyes, and eelpout in the bay all the way to the gap. We typically hit the pine island area in the morning and fish the river after lunch.
You can catch many fish in the lake but if you want quality fish, the river is where its at. You always have a chance at bonus sturgeon in the river fishing for eyes so there is that. Depth don’t matter out there much just watch your graph and find them. Any resorts up there will point you in the right direction as they get daily updates. Another thing to monitor is LOW is a BIG lake and sometimes she won’t let you out, that’s why the river is a nice option.

Thanks eyeguy! That’s good intel for walleye… If it matters, we’ll be on the Canadian side. Besides walleyes – anything else we might target that time of year?

MUSKIES! Both the pike and muskie are chowing heavy during that time period. I’m sure you could clean up on the smallmouths during that time period as well, I just haven’t done a lot of it in October. Plus it’s hard for me to get serious about catching 2-3 pound smallmouths when we get spoiled on the lakes around MN. I’m not saying you cant catch a 4-5 pounder out of LOTW, but that would be equivalent to a 6+ pounder on Mille Lacs.

If I were going, I would be targeting muskies, walleye, and then smallmouth. That time of year muskies love rubber baits (bulldogs, medussas, tubes, paddletails) Crankbaits (shallow raiders, leos, giant flatsticks, Jakes, Grandmas) Jerkbaits ( suicks, reef hawgs, bobby baits, etc.) I definitely see a gravitation away from bucktails that time of year. Slower moving topwaters can still produce fish as well.

As for walleyes you can still catch them however you really want to. Jigging is usually how I end up fishing them. Jig raps, jig and plastic, jig and minnow. I’m sure you can do VERY well trolling leadcore and crankbaits. When I have done it, it’s usually just for an hour or so. I’ll just go back to a school that I saw while musky fishing.

Hope this helps!

Great stuff Pat – thx!

What area will you be fishing on the Canadian side? It sets up as different fisheries, to an extent, depending on where you are. Sabaskong or Whitefish or Oak Island area.

Don’t forget about crappies that time of year either. There are monsters to be had.

Yeah I forgot about the crappies. If you are into that, they are worth going after for sure. I caught a bunch of slabs last October off of a sunken boat up there.

Pat I am headed to NW angle area next week primarily focused on Muskie. That being said a slow day can be saved by a few smallies and crappie. Regarding the latter, do you recommend live bait for crappie or a jig & grub. I usually use artificials but there are a few others along on the trip that need to be entertained
Tx ssm

Scott Manhart wrote:

do you recommend live bait for crappie or a jig & grub.

If your plan is to target crappies for half of the day I would bring minnows along. Most of the time you can get away with artificial just fine, but I hate to not have any bait in the boat when you are counting on catching crappies.