Fishing News - 6/7/00
Lake of the Woods Fishing Report
Witch Bay Camp
By Phil Rolfe
With nice weather and steadily warming water temperatures, fishing action has been very good. Currently, the surface temperatures are indicating 60 degrees and inching upwards.
Walleyes have been caught on a variety of presentations. Casting crankbaits into shallow sand, wind blown bays has been productive. The fellows from St. Croix Rods, Rich Belanger and Mike Thorsen got some good action on suspending Shad Raps in silver and black. Working the bait slowly, pausing often seems to work best.
Next, there has been some good success pitching light jigs (1/16th ounce) tipped with either leeches or crawlers into boulders on wind blown points and inside turns has produced some good sized fish. Working the jig back slowly seems to work best. The fish will state their preference for either crawlers or leeches; so try both.
Vertical jigging near mainshoreline humps is holding well. Using 1/8th or ¼ ounce jigs tipped with the above live baits or using minnows is beginning to produce. Boat control is paramount, mark the fish on the sonar and fish as vertically as possible for best results. Boat control is the presentation.
I have been having good success on bottom bouncing with spinners and crawlers in the 25' range, fishing the walleyes in their home. Working round rock mainlake and island shorelines is producing good numbers with some good size. Today we had 6 over 20" (released) in my boat along with many good sized fish in the 18-19" range. This seems to be the ticket for good numbers as well as size. Covering water fast is critical. Determining the hot depth for the day is the first consideration. Start shallow, nine or ten feet and quickly moving out to deep water is a good way to determine a starting depth. Fish the depth you mark fish.
The first three weeks of walleye season has been above average and I am sure going to get better. Many groups have stated that this is the best fishing they have seen in years. I agree.
Northern pike have been everywhere, mostly shallow and biting everything.
