**Fishing Report***
Walleye – This last week proved to be very challenging for all anglers, as extremely high winds blew hard for days and kept many off the water. Water temps dropped quickly from the low 70’s to low 60’s. Interestingly this has triggered a full on big minnow bite on some lakes in the area while others seemed less effected and leeches are still raining supreme. Anglers have been having great luck with big minnows, catching walleyes out on main lake humps in 15-20 feet of water. Many of these anglers have been reporting that they are marking fish as deep as 25, but not catching those fish. Out here anglers have been working jigs and lindy rigs, up and down the edges of the humps, until the connect with walleyes. Anglers catching walleyes with leeches and crawlers are reporting that they are fishing shallow in 6-12 feet of water off weedlines or main lake points. Here spinner rigs or jigs have been very effective. Gold, blue and white were the hot colors this last week.
Smallmouth – Smallmouth Bass have begun to put on the feed bag. Anglers have been catching some real pigs out on top of sunken islands with sucker minnows. Anglers have reported seeing them spit out ciscos as they were bringing them up. Anglers are also catching lots of bass near shore in 10 feet of water or less, with tube, senko rigs and crawfish looking crankbaits.
Pike – Pike fishing has been getting better and better as water temps drop to a temperatures big pike like and return to shallow water. Anglers have been catching big pike on large spinners, spoons, and suicks. Large suckers fished under a bobber is also very effective, but supplies of big suckers has been limited, so finding them maybe more challenging then finding a big pike to hit one. Anglers should focus on weedbeds and large rocky main lake points for big gators.
Stream Trout – Stream trout fishing has been getting better and better as water temps fall and trout move shallow back in reach of most anglers. Small spinners, jig and twisters, small spoons and a simple worm fished under a bobber has been very effective on trout this last week. Early morning hours and during the evening has been the best time to fish for trout.
Panfish – Panfish fishing has slowed this last week as water temps dropped quickly. Fishing under a bobber was the most effective way to catch panfish as they were largely unwilling to chase down fast moving baits. Crappie minnows, small crawlers or wax worms fished under a bobber were very effective this last week. Panfish are still largely being located in weedbeds, but more and more anglers are reporting that crappies are beginning to pull out of the weedbeds and relate more to deeper water.
