July 5th, 2022
***Fishing Report***
Walleye - Walleye fishing was surprisingly good, considering may flies continue to hatch on many area lakes. Best fishing seems to be shallow, in 10 feet of water or less. Shallow flats with scattered weeds, wind blown shorelines and areas around current, has been the best areas to fish. Live bait rigs like spinner rigs and lindy rigs tipped with a crawler or leech has been the way to go. Reports of people catching walleye right off their docks with a slip bobber and leech continue to come in.
Bass - Topwater fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing has been excellent this last week. Whopper ploppers and pop-r’s have been outstanding. Anglers should target shorelines with down trees, points or large shallow flats. Smallies love boulders on these flats and largemouth love weeds and lily pads. Soft plastics like sinko’s, fished wacky has also been extremely effective.
Panfish - Crappie and sunfish fishing was excellent with crappies working weedlines during the evening hours and sunfish just starting to get off their beds. Crappies have been hitting beetle spins, jig/twister or a simple minnow under a bobber. Sunnies are found in weedbeds and around down trees. Here small jigs tipped with wax worms or angleworms has been very hard to beat.
Lake trout - Finally water temps have begun to concentrate lakers and good lake trout reports are finally coming in, from area lakes. Angler have been catching lakers trolling shallow diving minnow baits, behind 5 colors of leadcore, over deep water. Best colors has been solid white or blood nose. Anglers fishing from a canoe has been catching trout jigging heavy spoon or bucktails over deep water.
Stream trout - Rainbows have been active this last week. Anglers have been catching them trolling small rapalas or small Salmo hornets, over deep water. Anglers fishing from shore have been having luck catching trout floating crawler off the bottom or casting small spoons.
This one's a summer stunner from around the July 5th, 2022 report—capturin' the peak smallmouth action in Ely MN's BWCA waters. A happy angler stands in the boat holdin' a massive smallmouth bass high, its dark bronze back, emerald-green flanks, and bold red eyes gleamin' in the sunlight, mouth agape with water drippin' after a epic battle. The calm river or lake stretches behind her under a bright sky, thick pine forests and rocky shores framin' the distant horizon—pure Northwoods open-water paradise on a perfect sunny day. She's sportin' an Arrowhead Outdoors t-shirt (proud to see it!), camo cap, sunnies, shorts, and that big smile while grippin' the fish carefully, rod and boat gear visible for the next cast. This shot embodies the mid-summer smallie frenzy: post-spawn fish aggressive and feedin' heavy in shallow bays, rocky points, and downed trees, crushin' 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 stayed reliable 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 too 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 heat: 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!