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Posts: 25
Location: Union Grove, WI | I will be heading up to Minaki in less than 2 weeks, anybody been up there this year yet? How has the fishing been? This will be my fourth year going so I know the area fairly well. Just looking for a report. Thanks! |
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Posts: 633
Location: S.W. WI | I was up first week in July. A little slower than an average year. Water was lower than I expected -being from Wisconsin and everything has been way high all year. Had some tough weather but found fish and a few days they were actually active. Water was 68-70 degrees then. I would assume your timing will be better than my early July trip. Current flow was fairly low, maybe normal. Forest fire in N. Ontario added a little something extra when I had a NE wind a few days. Woke up one morning and I thought the town was on fire.
Edited by Rudedog 7/16/2019 5:50 AM
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Posts: 25
Location: Union Grove, WI | Thanks for the info. Last year when I was up there the fires were bad as well. Nothing too close, but helicopters running all day everyday when we were there dropping supplies and getting water. We chose a week later than the last few years hoping for maybe a little warmer and stable water temps. Last year we had a cold front come through and made fishing a bit tougher. Hoping it's better than last year. |
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Location: Canada | Last year was tough. Hoping this year will be better. |
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Posts: 425
Location: MN | Was up there July 2-8, about 5.5 days total fishing. It was pretty tough for me - saw mostly dinks, maybe 10 in the 40-45 range, and zero for sure over 45. Caught 2 small ones (40.5, 37), lost 2 small ones. Fish generally seemed off - lazy follows and couldn't really get them to engage at all boatside. All bites were on slower pull-pause retrieve (dussa and triple d). Didn't notice any location pattern, saw fish on all types of structure and various depths - they were where expected, just small and inactive.
Probably had bad timing, they should be hungry and going when you get up there. |
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Posts: 59
| It's definitely been a grind up here. I actually feel like the past few years have been a grind. Area fishes kinda small and been getting hit really hard this year I feel like. |
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Posts: 25
Location: Union Grove, WI | Do you think anything has changed versus years ago? This is only my fourth year there and I do not have any musky fishing experience before that except for other people I know who have been going there for years. I feel like it has been a grind the past few years for the whole group cause from the sounds of it, it used to be better, as in more bigger fish. I've seen a couple pretty decent ones but nothing I would consider a giant. |
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Posts: 59
| I've been fishing the system for 10 year's and I fish with a gentleman that's been fishing it for 25 years. And yes I feel like it's becoming more difficult to fish. And he thinks the same thing. Still giants here but I believe the fishing pressure is catching up to it. Look at a map of the area, pretty easy to see the prime spots that most guys would fish. And they get fished hard. |
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Posts: 2312
Location: SE, WI. | KingT - 7/19/2019 2:55 PM
I've been fishing the system for 10 year's and I fish with a gentleman that's been fishing it for 25 years. And yes I feel like it's becoming more difficult to fish. And he thinks the same thing. Still giants here but I believe the fishing pressure is catching up to it. Look at a map of the area, pretty easy to see the prime spots that most guys would fish. And they get fished hard.
THE TIMES THEY R A CHANGING!!!
Nothing will ever stay the same. You simply can’t keep doing what you did in the past and expect the same results.
Especially with the fishing pressure today and the internet INFO. The fish should still be there. Unless much mishandling taking place. Versatility is the key,and a change of fishing presentations NEED to be exploited.
Fished Minaki from 93-99, then, once after that. Normally caught 12-20 fish a trip. Just never thought the System held enough good spots for the # of musky anglers. Most musky pressure was from Gunn, North, where rarely did musky anglers head back up river towards Kenora. Many good river spots, and some beasts that direction.
Last time I fished Minaki with the Mrs, we boated 27 fish in 9 days. Many of those fish were 43-51”. Really had to change our fishing tactics, and timing. Tons of musky fishers fishing the same spots over and over.
LOTW is experiencing the same thing right now. Many struggling to catch fish with the heavy fishing pressure. Several musky schools, and group outings are taking its toll on the system. Being versatile, zigging, when everybody’s Zagging is key!
Maybe start thinking outside the Box...and create your own patterns.....many times it pays dividends.
JD |
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Posts: 25
Location: Union Grove, WI | Thanks for the great info! That's kind of what I've been thinking, trying some different spots along with different lure presentations. I have some ideas...  |
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Winnipeg River/Minaki