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Happy 4th of July week to everyone; be careful lighting off those fireworks while celebrating our freedom and this amazing nation we get to live in; tying fishing knots works best with all ten of your fingers.
Some area lakes are still dealing with the mayfly hatch, so check out the lake you intend to fish before you hit the water and if the hatch is evident, maybe consider moving to a different lake where the hatch is over and the bite will likely be better.
We have had somewhat of a break from the rain and even had some “warmer” daytime temps over the last week and with that, some of the fish have changed up their patterns.
Walleye, for example, have moved deeper, but not too deep. The most common depth range successful fishermen are finding them is in the 15–20-foot range.
Trolling bottom-bouncers with a spinner tipped with a leech or crawler have been the number one tactic producing the most consistent bite.
Look for the usual walleye structure haunts, points with steep drops, sunken islands coming up quickly from the depths and river mouths in the eddies just outside the current.
Other great approaches are a ¼ to 3/8th ounce jig tipped with a leech or realistic action swimbaits like Keitech and Rapala Crush City.
Early morning and late evening hours are still the most productive hours, but if you’re hitting the evening bite, bring the bug-dope.
Bass have moved out a little deeper, 5-10 feet. Top water crankbaits are working quite well. Also working very well are large shiners or sucker minnows under a slip bobber; though, if you’re going this route, consider adding a steel leader because you are likely to get some big northern pike between bass strikes.
Of course, casting spoons and Mepps Spinners are a failsafe standby for both large and smallmouth.
Northern pike, like mentioned in the bass report, are hunting the 5-to-10-foot shallow bays. Look for them in weedy shallows, even up as shallow at 1 foot of water or river moths.
The pike will strike topwater crankbaits, large flashy spoons and large Mepps Bucktails. The largest shiners and sucker minnows hooked just in front of the tail, under large slip bobbers with minimal split shot, allowing that minnow to swim, is another sure strike tactic for big pike.
Lake trout have not changed their pattern since last week, they are deep, 40+ feet. Large white and red tube jigs tipped with frozen smelt bounced off the bottom or dropped and cranked to the top are easy methods to fish them.
You can also try large Dr. Spoons fished the same way, minus the smelt. Troll large, deep-diving Salmos and Rapala’s tied to lead-core line and if you have it, down riggers or planer boards.
The bigger crappie and panfish are in thick weed beds found in 8-10 feet of water. Beetle Spins, Thumper Jigs, slip bobbers with leeches, nightcrawlers and crappie minnows.
Jigging with small Marabou and Fuzz-E-Grub Jigs tipped with the same live bait is another solid tactic for some slab crappie and panfish.
