Pepin bite?

Hi all,
I am hearing and reading varied reports. Anyone have any recent info on the Pepin Bite? Thanks a ton as usual!!

Keep the rods bendin’!!

Jim W

The longline crank trolling bite I belive you’re refering to is not going on the lake yet. Soon, but not yet. Some good fish being caught at the very north end of the lake, a spot on the spot deal, but not in big numbers.

I pre-fished the trolling bite on Friday, water temps were 51 – 52 degrees.

So far I have only fished from the Hay Creek area up to the dam. I will be out this weekend and it is time to branch out and start looking downriver. Does anyone have any recommendations on where to begin? Is it too early to check out the Maiden Rocks flats with cranks? How ’bout up a little further toward the head of the lake? Has anyone used the launch up around Frontenac? I know I have asked a lot of questions, but as I get more familiarized with this fishery, I promise to contribute back to the forum as well. Thanks to all for the jump start!

I took my wife to Lake City for a few hours saturday pretty much knowing the bite wouldnt be there but i thought i’d try anyway. We did catch a few 14″ eyes along the Marina. I tried down farther south yet and couldnt get any walleyes or smallies going.

Jim, I did some trolling at the head of the lake prefishing for the tournament this weekend and there were a few big fish down there but not many. Most of the real big fish seem to be on there way back down river in the deep water.

We ended up handlining most of the weekend to pull our bigger fish. The current was tough. With this warm weather I would bet the trolling bite you are looking for should turn on real quick.

If I was going out today I would bring the 3-ways with a lot of weight and floating raps. Send me an email if you are going out.

Who said I was just interested in the trolling bite?LOL

Thanks for the info people, keep it coming!!

Jim W

Jim:
I also prefished on Thurs and Friday. Started at the head of the lake, bay city flats. Not too much for size, but numbers were ok. Spend some time at the dam, the bite was good there also. Spent most of the time 3 weighin’ with cranks and live bait. Did also manage to pitch some jigs in a few other spots, bigger fish was the result, but not for tournament day!
I did manage to land one that was 7.70#’s , so overall it wasnt too bad!
Good luck!

Fished Lake city sat. took home 5 fish over 15″ Biggest was 20.5″ a few smaller ones. Fished sun. 2 small ones, one 16.5″ And had one get off that had the pole bent WAY OVER, but thats the way it goes sometimes. Got to windy didn’t stay long. Fished Mon. 10–12 under 15″ none big enough to take home. But it sure beats working

Lifes to short to fish with dead minnows Jim

Snuck out with Dustin for a couple hours last night around 5 PM to do some poking around on the lake. Headed down towards the Rush R. and did some pitching to the rocks. Ringworms and bucktails, blue black core for the plastics and blue/white for the hair, seemed to be the ticket. First fish taped 26″, where were you sweet lady this weekend (lol), followed by a pair of 21″ fish and a handful of short fish.

Dustin’s guiding today so more info should be available prior to the weekend. Water temps were 56′ and the water clarity was real good with little floating debris to trouble a guy. Fish came from rock shorelines with flooded willows present in the water.

James,

Were these fish tight to the bank or off a little ways? Any depth being better than others?

Up real shallow. 2′ – 5′ feet or so. The skies wre real overcast and it was later in the day so I’m sure that had a little to do with them being up so tight on a flat calm day.

Hey James im in a crappie tourney saturday so i’ll be on pepin sunday. Im planning on pitching the rip rap for eyes and smallies around Maple Springs up to the willow point. Is this a waste of time in your opinion? Is it too early yet for the fish too be in this area?

I’ve not fished that area yet this season but I do rememeber seeing a pst fro ma visitor from this last weekend stating he pitched around a ringworm and caught some smaller walleye and bass in the maple springs area.

So, sounds like there’s a few fish to be had!

Went out for a couple hours tonight with Staffer Tom Gursky who is in town fishing from Michigan. Fishing was good again tonight out on the lake in the same general area. Had to bounce around to find fish but when we did, we found a good pod. Took a 27″, 25.5 and 3 more over 20″ before we had to run back to the resort before it got dark. Kelly green and lime green hair jigs worked the best tonight. Throw it right at the shoreline or flooded willows and work it back out to about 6 – 8 feet of water. The fish are still biting real light but they’re fighting like devils once you hook them up! I had the 27″ up to the net about a half dozen times and she would peel drag and dart back to the bottom displaying some incredible endurance and power. Such fun. I was impressed and Tom said out loud he thought for sure I had stuck a 10 Lb fish before he got it in the net. They may not be pre-spawn fat but they’ve got spunk!

Water temp was 55.5′ degrees and the water levels are dropping.

Here are some of the fish James and I got into on Wayne’s wonderful hair jigs!

Here’s another Irish walleye from Pepin on 4/30

Nice fish James and Tom!
I love that kind of bite on hair.
Any smallies showing up yet down there on your hair jigs while fishing for eyes? I would think they will start showing up soon?

Ha! I was just headed here to post about the smallie bite I found last night! I went out for just a couple hours, long enough to get some fish stink on my hands and the wind in my hair and found the bass waiting for me in the same areas I’d been hitting only walleye the days before.

For the first hour it was all bass, whites and smallies, right up shallow along the rocks. Stay on the upstream sides of the points to target the current swept rocks and gravel. The backsides are producing sheephead galore.

Small hair jigs and super doos, junebug and catalpa took the most fish, work real well. No super huge smallies, all legals but none likely taped past 17.5″.

As the sun got a bit lower I switched locations a bit, moved out a bit deeper and made longer casts to the same area but patiently allowed the jig to swim deep. Tha twas the deal as the walleye just never did get right up on the rocks yesterday evening. 6 ‘ – 10’ seemed to be the deal and a handful of fish got “exercised” prior to release. Largest fish stretched 24.5″ with another 22″ fish to send me on my way back to the resort.

The water is dropping quickly and the fish are moving around lickety-split as a result. Temps were 56.5 degrees and clarity was excellent given the season. No real problem with floating degris but don’t drop your guard completely as there’s been a few stumps past the resort yet this AM.

Get out and ’em!

The smallies down on Pool 5 are rocking also. I will have a new report with the monster smallies once the bass tournament is done this weekend. Most of the smallies we have been getting have been coming off of hair jigs, superdoo’s and flukes. We have also been finding lots of walleyes in the 17-23″ range while on the hunt for the smallies. My brother Dylan is in the tournament this weekend on Pools 4 and 5 so I will post a report once the weekend is over.

i was in daniels hardware on thursday afternoon in winona and talked to a few guys that were getting into some good smallmouth back in moesmans. said they were catchin them on hair jigs as well as big twisters. They caught them off of some rocky structures back there.

Jarrad:

You are still around!!! I was wondering how bad our day put you in a funk? Glad to hear you are still catching fish down there!!!LOL LOL LOL!!!

Mark

Yes I am still around. I have been on good fish. Finding time to get on the computer is another thing. With the passing of our grandfather we have been spending lots of family time together just finally getting back in the mood. I didn’t realize how important he was to me. I will have a report up at the end of the weekend.

Jarrad you know he’s watching you fish all the time. You know he’s so proud of you. I thank my grandpa everytime I’m out. People think I’m a little strange when I catch a good fish and look up and say ]
Been there done that, I know what you are feeling.

Lifes to short to fish with dead minnows! Jim

My Dad shared his love for the water with me and haven’t been the same since. He didn’t fish much but always had a boat and lots of smaller fishing motors around. He was more of a boater than a fisherman. Guess he didn’t like to watch a bobber much, which was the way most people liked to fish back then. He liked to ”operate” a boat which explains why I like to troll so much [operate a boat and fish at the same time]. He is in poor health and they say he will be leaving this earth soon [84 years old] and yes I will miss him. Would give anything to take him out in my boat but thats not possible. Apart of him, and my Granpa too as he had boats and motors too, will live in me and my children too as I have passed that on to my kids. Nate is the fishing addict of the four kids, but the rest love to be out in a boat like Dad and Grandpa did. What I’m trying to say I guess is that he will always be with you, he will always watch over you, and by the time you arrive at where he is you know he will have all the fishing hot spots in heaven found and waiting for you. You aren’t alone my friend. You never will be alone. You also have many friends here, that because of a gift he shared with you, you will be sharing with many others. Take care my friend. Thanks, Bill

Everytime I pass through 3rd cut I think of my grandpa. I wish I had been into fishing as much as I am now when he was alive. He used to row his boat over to 3rd cut from colville and jig his home made deer hair jigs. Now everytime I pass through I think of him. We will go there alot in tournaments to see if grandpa will give us some luck, but apparantly he is against tournaments because we never seem to catch anything. He may not have directly taught me too fish, but he taught my father who taught me and I thank him for it everyday.