July 14, 2020

***Fishing Report***

Walleye - Walleye fishing remains slow for many anglers.  Anglers able to find walleyes are all reporting very similar locations and techniques to catch them.  Sunken islands that top out at 10-15 feet of water have been holding walleyes.  Not all sunken islands, in that depth range, have fish on them, so anglers will keep moving until they locate fish with the depth finder.  Once located they will drift over the fish with a jig and pike sucker or spinner rig tipped with a leech or crawler.  Another technique anglers have been having luck with is trolling shad raps over large flats, during the evenings, in 10-15 feet of water. 

Smallmouth Bass - Smallmouth bass fishing remains consistent for bass angler.  Anglers continue to have good luck fishing topwater early in the mornings.  Zara Spooks and whopper ploppers have been the baits of choice.  Largemouth bass too, have been very active on topwater frogs fished in weedbeds or lily pads. As the sun gets up in the sky, both species slide out a little deeper and become unwilling to hit topwater, so anglers switch to spinnerbaits, beetle spins or wacky worms to keep catching fish.  

Pike - Exceptionally high water temps has pushed even the smaller pike to the weedlines and deeper.  Early morning, when the water temps are at their coolest, has been the best time to be fishing for pike.  Pike have been happily hitting buzzbaits, spoons and large suckers fished under a bobber.  Large weedbeds and river mouths have been the best locations to find pike.

Solid Northwoods summer triumph on an Ely-area lake in the BWCA gateway—a beaming woman stands on the boat deck against blue sky and fluffy clouds, proudly lifting a trophy walleye high. The fish is a stunner: long golden-olive body with fine scales shining, dark mottled saddles, white belly, glassy eyes, spiny dorsal flared, mouth open wide—fresh from the water after a good fight. Calm lake and pine shoreline behind—pure thrill of landing a big walleye in Boundary Waters country.