It seems like forever since I wrote a report for Lake Pepin. In fact, the last report I wrote came way back in April. Most of my time the last three month have been occupied fishing the FLW Walleye Tour. All my other time, which was very little, has been spent wrapped up in my family’s arms. This doesn’t mean I didn’t have time to go fishing but just spent less with customers and more with family.
The last two weeks I have been spending my time on Lake Pepin trying to catch up to the latest program on what is working. What I have found is lots of inconsistency. One day you can go to an area and find clean water and a good bite, and the next day you can go to your spot only to find it muddy and the bite off. The best presentation I can find right now has been pulling cranks. Three- waying bait or cranks have been working on the steep ledges with slower speeds but this time of the year I like covering a lot of ground picking out the most active fish. Here is my oldest boy Austin with one his bass he picked up from shore one day.
With the high water working the top edge of the breaks have been the key in putting fish in my boat. Speeds have been different during the day. As the day and the temps increase trolling speeds have increased also. In the morning I have been trolling about 2 MPH (G.P.S.) and by the end of the day 3.5 MPH. Best cranks for me right now have been the #7 shad rap in either the Blue and Silver or the New Blue Fire tiger. Jen Vander Zee with one of her biggest walleyes ever.
If we ever quit getting all this rain and have the water clear up be careful on the Lake. I think we will finally get that bite we have been waiting for all year. Two weeks ago the water was clearing up and we started to see that bite take shape. If we can get the clarity back the action on the lake will go gangbusters. Laura Bristle with one of her fish she caught on Sunday.
Well I should be around for a while now. So I will have more updated reports from the Lake.
Here are a couple of picture from Devils Lake FLW Tour. These two fish saved my butt on the 3 day at Devils Lake. The biggest one in the picture almost gave me a heart attack. Only becuase the fish was wrapped around a log under the water in plain view for at least a couple of minutes. I tried like crazy to get it out of the log mess. I had never been so anxious trying to get that pig out especially when you can see it down on the bottom just out of arms reach. Needless to say there was a little celebrating in the boat after we got it in.
This was one of my day 1 fish. I had three of them just like it. I was the first one to way in on day 1. I was done fishing by 1 pm. I only only had 1 fish up until 10:30. I made one move and was done in a short time.
Here is one I got while pre-fishing at Devils Lake.
My ol man even came out and pre-fished with me at Devils Lake.
Thanks for the report Bud. Great to see you back in action on the lake.
Very nice looking fish. 
Thanks, Bill
Do you mean that new color they introduced this year called “Hot Steel” ? That color has been killer for me on Metro Lakes
that blue and silver shad rap is that the one they droped? that one was slayer..
Jerrad,
Great report! Congrats on your awesome showing on the FLW Tour this year! You are a great reflection on all of us here at IDA!
Tuck
I can relate to the excitement of fishing in the trees on Devils. I had a muskie wrap me around a tree so fast. I just stood there dumbfounded, how am I going to get this fish??? Needless to say, she shook the hooks and was gone shortly after that. Fishing in those trees is awesome!! I’m still cleaning sticks out of the boat. Great report, good luck in the championship!!!
Good to see you back and still makin us proud!
I see Austin is still growing like a weed! He’ll be giving Dylan some stiff Smallie competition soon.
I’m doin a little Bass Guiding right now…but don’t forget to pencil me in for our annual Turkey Day Walleye outing!
Thanks Tuck,
I had a good year but I couldn’t of done it with out the rest of our team, John Renschen, Rick Nasack, Scott Steil and Steve Delain.There is a lot of experience in tournament fishing with these guys and it helped me a lot.
As for the cranks I mentioned. I think it is the the New Fire Perch. They have a red one and a blue one. Looks like firetiger except with a blue back on it. I have only seen them at Gander Mountain.