Fishing News - 5/24/00
Big Winds Blast the Woods
Well, balmy would be nice about now. We have been hit with rain, cold, and winds for the last three days, and frankly nice weather would be a welcome change.
However, the good news is that the fishing has been fairly decent even though we have been somewhat confined to Witch Bay because of the big winds.
Walleyes are biting light, but have been taken on bouncers and spinners in about 21 feet. They are just grabbing on to the bait and swimming along. If you set the hook to early, they are gone and you have half a crawler. So patience and feel are paramount here. Hammered copper blades seem to be the ticket today.
There has also been a shallow bite, but it has been somewhat inconsistent and only lasting for brief periods. If you are there at the right time, the score can mount up quickly. Pitching light jigs and crawlers up to points, especially those that have a mud line from the wave action, have been good. Jigs in 1/16th ounce size and unpainted have worked well.
Mike McDonald of Jeffferson, Wisconsin has also had some good success with slip bobbers up shallow. Always worth a try for proven spots, but terribly slow for use as a search tool.
Crawlers have been vastly superior to leeches during the past week. For what reason, I do not have a clue.
Northern pike have been shallow and aggressive hitting everything from crank baits to jigs and plastics. They are scattered. Areas that have rocks with some weeds near by have been very good. Some nice 30 inch range pike have been caught and released. Lots of fun.
Smallmouth bass are still active and shallow. Boulders around islands and shorelines are the key. However, there is some action going on in the areas that they will use for beds later on as well. In line spinners, stick baits, and jigs/plastics combos have all worked well. Nice size fish have been caught and released. Shallow and rocks equal smallies.
The forecast is for an improvement in both temperature and less winds. The change will be welcome. I am anxious to get out to the main lake and see whats going on. Hopefully, tomorrow will be the day. All in all fishing has been quite good in spite of the weather.
