August 9th, 2022
***Fishing Report***
Walleye - Trolling bite has been very consistent for walleye anglers. Most anglers have been trolling in 15-18 feet of water with shad raps. During evening hours, on lakes with ciscos, walleye suspend to chase ciscos. Here anglers are fishing with tail dancers in 20-30ft down, over 30-60 feet of water. For anglers who don’t like trolling there has been reports of spinner rigs working. Best report have been when anglers are tipping it with leeches. These anglers are finding walleyes in 15-25 feet of water, around sunken islands, mouths of bays and main lake points. Hammered gold, silver, pink and blue have been top colors.
Smallmouth - Smallmouth bass fishing remains very consistent everywhere in the Ely area. Whopper ploppers continue to be hot, hot, hot. Anglers are working shorelines, shallow flats and around downed trees. Soft plastics, spinnerbaits and in-line spinners have also been very effective in the same areas.
Stream Trout - Rainbows have continue to be active on many area lakes. Anglers have been trolling cowbells with a small crankbait trailing behind, about 20 feet down. Shoreline anglers have been having good luck fishing a night crawler 10-15 feet under a bobber, during the evening hours.
Panfish - Panfish anglers continue to find active sunnies and crappies working weedlines. Small beetle spins have been very popular, along with waxies and crawlers, for panfish. Crappie have been more active during the evening hours on the same weedlines sunfish are being found during the day.
This one's peak summer smallmouth action from around the August 9th, 2022 report—nailin' the ongoing smallie bite in Ely MN's BWCA waters. A happy angler stands in the boat holdin' a stout smallmouth bass high, its dark bronze back, emerald-green sides, and bold red eyes shinin' in the sunlight, mouth wide open showin' teeth after a hard fight. The calm lake stretches behind under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds, thick pine forests and rocky shores framin' the horizon—pure Northwoods open-water paradise on a sunny day. He's sportin' a cap, blue long-sleeve shirt, orange pants, sunnies, and that big grin while grippin' the fish carefully, with a young helper smilin' in the background and rod rigged nearby for more casts. This shot captures the mid-August smallie dominance: aggressive fish feedin' heavy 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 remained 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 August heat: warm sun, clear water, explosive smallie bites, and a quality catch rewardin' the cast with family or friends. 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!