August 2nd, 2022
***Fishing Report***
Walleye - Walleye angling has slowed for many, as walleyes have been scattered this last week. Anglers, covering ground, have been catching walleyes trolling deep diving shad raps and tail dancers. These anglers have been working weedlines, large flats and over deep water during the evenings. Anglers continue to have luck pulling spinner rigs, tipped with leeches or crawlers. Gold, pink and silver have been popular colors right now. Anglers pulling spinner rigs have been catching walleyes in 6-9 feet of water, in and around scattered cabbage beds.
Smallmouth - Smallies continues to be consistent biters for many anglers with a few reporting catching good numbers of 20+ inch smallies. Whopper ploppers continue to be hot, hot, hot, but effective times is largely early in the morning or cloudy days with a little chop on the water. Shorelines with large flats, down trees and scattered boulders, has been areas to target. Spinnerbaits and soft plastics have also been very effective on smallies when the topwater bite isn’t going.
Crappie - Good crappie reports have been growing as we come into peak bite, for summer crappies. Anglers have been working weedlines with beetle spins and twisters. Best times have been during evenings, but anglers have been reporting catching crappies all day.
This one's a mid-summer slam from around the July 27th, 2022 report—capturin' the smallmouth peak in Ely MN's BWCA waters. A thrilled angler stands in the boat holdin' a hefty smallmouth bass high, its dark bronze back, emerald-green sides, and bold red eyes gleamin' in the sunlight, mouth wide open showin' teeth after a hard fight. The calm lake flows behind with thick pine forests and rocky shores framin' the horizon—pure Northwoods open-water bliss on a sunny day. She's sportin' a red jacket, Arrowhead Outdoors cap, sunnies, and that proud grin while grippin' the fish carefully, rod and boat gear visible for the next cast. This shot nails the July smallie frenzy: post-spawn fish aggressive in shallow bays, rocky points, weedlines, and downed trees, poundin' topwater lures like Whopper Ploppers, Torpedoes, and Pop-R’s—soft plastics via wacky rigging and Ned rigging provin' killers for sight fishin' or castin' to structure. Walleye reports stayed solid that week on deeper sunken islands and humps in 18-28 feet with Lindy rigs or bottom bouncers tipped with crawlers/leeches, evenings shiftin' shallow to flats and weedlines in 8-12 feet on slip bobbers or jigs for low-light bites. Pike were active in weedlines and bays, hittin' spinnerbaits, spoons, or suckers under bobbers for good numbers and sizes. Panfish (crappies/sunnies) schooled on weed edges and drop-offs with small jigs or minnows under bobbers. The image radiates that July peak: warm sun, clear water, explosive smallie bites, and a trophy catch rewardin' the effort. At Arrowhead Outdoors, we were stocked with topwater lures, wacky/Ned rigs, crawlers, leeches, spinnerbaits, and tips nonstop that week—same today for BWCA smallmouth hunters or walleye/pike anglers. Swing by 1810 East Sheridan in Ely for Whopper Ploppers, Torpedoes, Ned heads, live crawlers/leeches, and fresh reports. Subscribe on arrowheadoutdoorselymn.com to stay on the bite—nothin' like smallies explodin' on topwater up here in the Northwoods!