I was fortunate to be able to spend June 28th thru July 4th guiding on the big pond. While weather conditions changed from day to day, the same techniques caught fish. I started each day pulling spinners over the mid lake mud flats first looking to see if the fish were cruising the top, bottom or edges. For the most part most of our fish came on the top edge of the flats. Calmer days may boat control easy, while windy days like July 1st made things a little more difficult. The best color spinners for us were small hammered gold tipped with a crawler. Leeches on a silver spinner also caught fish, especially the eaters. We were pulling 6-7′ snells on a 1oz bottom bouncer.
When we would mark good concentrations of fish, but were unable to get them to bite, we would put down the spinners and pick up the lindy rigs. A leech or a crawler with air blown into it on 10′ snells was just what these were waiting for. We would just hover on these fish and soon enough you would fell the slightest pick up. A red hook and glow bead seemed to get those couple extra bites as well.
Come mid day we would put the bait back in the cooler and take out the trolling gear. We trolled #11 Rapala Deep Tail Dancers on our long lines and Deep Thunderstick Jrs on lead core to get our fish. The best depths were 20-26′ down over 33-35′ of water. 2.0 mph with the T8 and we were set.
The 4th was a real fun day on the water. I was able to get 6 guys and 3 boys from the San Antonio area out for some good old walleye fishing. These guys knew their stuff from thr red fish and other salt water fish they chase. The boys were some of the nicest young gentlemen I have had in my boat. They were more than willing to listen to any help I could give tham and they fished hard the whole day. A big thanks go out to Scott Peters and Jim Carpenter for helping me out with this trip!
This will be my last report for a while from Mille Lacs. Its time to start taking advantage of the bass bite going on in the metro as well as the salmon bite on Lake Michigan. More on that tommorrow!
Our first eater of the day.
Another.
Big fish from the 4th.
Greg came in from California for some walleye action.
another
Last one. This fish was missing part of its gill plate.
Good report Mike. We caught a fish just like that last one trolling on the 4th. What are the chances we caught the same fish? Stranger things have happened.
Great Report Mike!
It sounds like you had a great week of fishing! Lately, I have also downsized my crankbaits. What worked better for you – Deep Tail Dancers or Jr. Deep Thundersticks?
It was a fun time. All clients went away happy.
The thundersticks on leadcore have caught more all year for my boat when we are trolling.
That first pic is sweet..
And you did not call me
Great report Mike
Man that many days on the pond would be fun.
Great report Mike and yes, it looks like some happy guide clients there. Keep pounding those big fish Mike.
