LOTW Report

[rockpt]

Returned Sunday night from an eight day trip to Miles Bay area. Weather was mild and sunny with temps in mid 70s until last Friday night when a cold front came through and high on Sat. was only 62. Little or no bloom in Miles Bay and points west although there was some bloom in the water between Morson and Dawson Island. Smaller eyes between 12"-14" could be found on the edges of most mid-lake humps from 18'-35'. Our biggest was 26" caught at the Ballfield, thanks Eastwind. Spent two afternoons targeting muskies and had about 6 follows with fish in low to mid 40" range. Had one doing the figure 8 dance at the side of the boat for awhile until he struck but lipped off. Did manage to get a 30" muskie with a 10" Suick off the dock one evening after dinner and buried one of the treble hooks in the back of my hand releasing him...that was fun. Did not see any evidence of native netting and the walleye population certainly appears robust, although our average size was a little low. Another great summer trip and now looking forward to going back in 8 weeks for the fall crappie and walleye run and some muskie trolling. I think I'll bump up the Oct. LOTW thread from last year and see if I can get some guys excited about the fall fishing.

[John G]

Thanks, you responded mto my earlier posting and I appreciate your report.
John G

[PJM]

rockpt


I was up there also and will be going back in October. What weekend are you going and where are you staying. I have talked to Eastwind a few times this summer and last year I met him in the Obobakon lake in October. Yes it was tough getting your boat though and I was a 20 foot boat and the fishing was good. I think it might be better because there was not as much pressure on the lake because people probably did not think they could get in. What I find interesting is how shallow we catch fish on those rock piles. The only fish we caught in deep water were rock bass and saugers. When I got to LOTW the middle of last week the resort had no minnows and being we did not get on the lakes until 2:30 or so all we has were night crawlers. We pulled spinners with bottom bouncers off the south tip of Garden Island. At about 3:45 the fish turned on we caught some nice walleyes but the saugers were bigger. We caught one sauger that was 21in which surprised me and several in the 17in range. We caught them in about 29 feet on water and the walleyes were shallower. Fishing with spinners off the tip is tricky but if you understand the structure you can get some nice fish. Rockpt, I like reading your posts and maybe I will see you in October. I run a blue 2025 Lund with a Yamaha and a single console with a T-8 kicker..

[rockpt]

PJM, We'll be at Grassy Narrows from Oct. 8-17. When will you be up and where do you stay? If the same time I'll look for you in the crappie spots. We'll be in a camp boat with a white dog who supervises the fishing. Sounds like you did well off of Garden last week...I didn't try there but I did notice a boat off of Garden while I was fishing muskies on the east side of Horseshoe. I think Eastwind is heading up tomorrow for his second summer trip and I think he'll be up again the second weekend in Oct. Maybe we'll have a Walleye Central rendevous in Obabikon or at Thompson Creek.

[FOOTDOC 1]

Guys, thanks for the interesting information. I am curious, when you pull spinners around Garden, are you on the long, southwest shore or on the long northeast shore. I would imagine it depends on where the wind is from. My son and I are going to Obabikon Bay camp this weekend for 4 days and found Garden and Horseshoe last year. We did great with jigs/crawlers on the very north border of HorseShoe and the west edge of SmokeHouse. When you pull these spinners, are you using bottom bouncers and dragging bottom or are you using snap weights suspended? Just curious and again thanks.

[PJM]

FOOTDOC 1

I call it the south tip but if you look at a compass it would be the southeast tip. Come straight at the tip until you get in to like 14 feet or so then fish fish it west or southwest to east to northeast. There is all kinds of structure changes. What I do is cross over it and what will happen you will start in 35 feet and go up to 14 or 18 or where ever you are getting bites and then it will drop off into 35 feet. The deeper water is where the Saugers are. I am using a 2 1/2 to 3 oz bottom bouncer with a 3 to 3 1/2 foot spinner rig, any longer it will get hung up in the rocks. Just keep touching bottom bouncer and keep it up like 12in off the bottom or so. With the heavy bottom bouncer you want to keep you line just about straight up and down with maybe a little angle in deeper water. The farther out it goes the more likely you will get hung up. Watch you depth finder, adjust your line all the time so you are not dragging when you get up shallow. Also southwest of there a 1/2 mile ther is a reef the comes up into 3 feet and that holds fish also using a jig and minnow. There is a rock there so be carefull. The best bite seem to be between 2:30 and 4;00p, but that was last week. I hope this helps

[PJM]

rockpt


I will be up there Oct 7th thu 10th and staying at Buena Vista with a large group of friends and the white dog kind of rings a bell. If you have fished those crappie areas I know you have seen my boat. What channel are you on up there?

[Matches]

Question on crappie limit on LOW. I know years ago I believe it was 10 a day in your boat per person, and you could bring back 15 (assuming you stayed 2 or more days). I could be wrong, but is it simply 15 per person now?

[Jazzy]

Crappie Limits are as follows:

Sport License: 15/day and a total of 15 in possesion (to take home)
Conservation License: 10/day and a total of 10 in possession.

[rockpt]

PJM, I'm on 68, and handle is rockpt. This Oct. will be the white dog Stella's 12th trip to LOTW and she barks and sings when her people catch a crappie or walleye, so you may have seen her. Let's arrange a Walleye Central get-together with Eastwind (I've run across him the last two Octobers) and have a shorelunch. I'll bring everything we need except for the fish (everyone brings their own) and we can put faces to internet names. I know of a couple great shore lunch spots in Miles Bay. Let me know if you're in.