Lake Zumbro, A Nice Place To Be

I am unable at the moment to do a regular report with pics as my camera is at home and I’m in Northfield. But I will share what Mike [HOF] and I found while fishing Lake Zumbro this afternoon. We found the water temps to be any where from 59-65 degrees. The fish seemed to prefer the areas with warmer temps. We found both crappies and bluegills in very shallow water in areas with wood. The combination of sunlight, wood, and shallow water with a mud bottom provided fish. Most of the fish were males so with the warmer temps they may be fanning out spawning beds. The spawn is not taking place yet but with high air temps projected for next week it will sure be getting closer to that time. We also found openings to small bays held fish too. The techniques today were Mini Mites under a bobber in shallow areas and again Mini Mites [or should I say Mighty Mites] caught our fish in the openings of bays. Both drifting with, and straight line drifting this lure without a bobber caught fish. When that bite slowed down we trolled Mini Mites in the openings to bays. This plastic bait on a jig has become our ”go to” lure as it plain catches fish and works great with different presentations. Mike was really hot today as it seemed whenever we fished shallow water every place he casted to he had a fish on. It sounds like the weather is going to cooperate this weekend so make sure you get out and catch some fish. I look forward to reading your reports on how you did.
Thanks, Bill

Thanks Bill, You really make a guy want to put off all the honey do list & go fishin, LOL Good Fishin Doug

Great report Bill. All of your reports get me closer to buying that boat. Love2Fish.

A boat is a great thing to have when it comes to fishing. It doesn’t have to be a big fancy boat either to enjoy fishing. Don’t get me wrong as I love all those bells and whistles too but I think the Industry is really hurting itself with all the big fancy rigs because people think they have to have a real big boat to catch fish and if they can’t aford one then they don’t get into fishing. We need to have alot of regular 14-16 ft boats with 10-40 hp motors being made, sold and advertised too in order to get people into fishing. I see Lund and Alumacraft boat companies are making some really nice boats in that range and they keep improving them too. My first boat was about a 20 year old 14 ft boat with bench seats and no motor. Didn’t get a motor til the next year and it was only a 6 hp motor too. Next boat was a bigger, deeper and wider 14 ft boat and after a year I got a 25 hp motor for it as the 6 hp was alittle small for it. The next boat was a 16 ft Lund Rebel with a carpeted floor and pedistal seats and a livewell. Kept that boat for eight years. For fishing small lakes and the river it was a great boat. Now I have a 16 ft 6 inch Lund Mr Pike 16 with some toys and a kicker motor etc on it and I love the boat. It does everything I need it to do. I also have a little 14 ft jon boat with a 9.9 motor on it for playing around in. Guess I can’t pass up all the fun the small boats give you too. lol. What I tell people is to figure out what boat you really want, buy it as they get higher priced every year and keep it.
Thanks, Bill

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Now I have a 16 ft 6 inch Lund Mr Pike 16 with some toys and a kicker motor etc on it and I love the boat. It does everything I need it to do.

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Bill,

Your boat has more electronics than Best Buy.

Seriously, Bill is right on with the smaller boats. I run a 14′ Lund with bench seats and a 15 horse Johnson. Someday, maybe I’ll upgrade a bit, but for now it suits me just fine. I wish we would see smaller boats, especially on waters like the Zumbro. Seriously, who needs a 200+ horsepower motor on a lake that small?

Andy

I’ve always heard that BASS fishermen NEED big boats with big motors to catch fish …..but serisouly, if you’ve never been in a boat that can get you from Fishermans Inn to the dam in 23 seconds, you’ve never lived!!! (Just hang on as you’re going around RattleSnake point…..that can be a sharp turn at those speeds…..Right Brad )

Amen Brotha!! Nothin like it indeed!!

Skipin’ like a rock really gets my blood pumpin’.
Give me a call sometime Jake—–Now I have a second windshield for you to hide behind!!
And the rain drops wont feel like BB’s.

Later, Brad G.

What a great morning on the lake. It was nice and calm. And the fish were in a very cooperative mood. Gills and crappies are still biting. Yes, on mini-mites! They seem to catch everthing from panfish to bass. And one of these.

Spent the early morning out on the lake as well. A multiple species day with plenty of numbers. Crappies ran in the 10-12″ range, and the bluegills were rather average. No bulls showed up today. A few white bass, and plenty of pesty tiny smallmouths, though I did get one that pushed double digits on the ruler. Often times they would hit after my float, with more than one occasion taking it under in their mouth. Had a few carp surface near the boat that made me nearly crap my pants they scared me so bad.
Things got a bit wavey around 10 due to wind and boats so I headed off. Hope to be back on Thursday night if not sooner.
Everything came in on a junebug paddletail with a black jighead along with a chartruese jig/purple tail mini mite.

Andy

I bet that was fun to catch Dan!

Thanks for the reports guys!

Good Fishing,

Mike

This is a northern which will be mounted. Caught today on Lake Zumbro – 16 lb. 10 oz. on a crappie minnow, 4 lb. test line.

Good Fishing,
Mike

Got your heart out of your throat and back down where it belongs? Yes they sure would scare a person having one splash right next to the boat and not expect it. Biggest gill you ever caught, right? Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks, Bill

SEEEEEEE JAKE!!!!! There ARE big northerns in Lake Zumbro.
Thanks, Bill

I also hit the lake Saturday morning and found fish in a variety of locations. Pretty consistent crappie action, but we couldn’t get into a pile of slabs as a good portion of our catch was in the 10-11″ range. Great morning to be on the water until the boat show started around 10am. Junebug paddletails boated all of the fish on Saturday.

Welcome Rugbyguy!
Thanks for the report.

Good Fishing,
Mike

Welcome Rugbyguy. Great to have you with us. Please feel free to share and post all you want.
Thanks, Bill

Was out on Saturday and Sunday evening with some decent success. Saturday we managed to find one school of crappies. Caught about 15 from that spot. Other than that the fish were scattered. We’d catch a few here and a few there. Biggest crappies pushed a pound on the digital scale. We caught two bonus carp that were lots of fun on light tackle. Did get checked by the CO’s. It was nice to see them out. Sunday we found the fish scattered all over. We’d catch 2 or 3 from a spot and then have to move on. Kept a few for a meal. It was a great time to be out both days.

F.S.

Thanks for the report. Won’t be long and I’m sure you will be chasing smallies. Look forward to your reports. Don’t need to mention spots. Just techniques and structure is enough.
Thanks, Bill