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Posts: 8
Location: NE/IL | I'll be on LOTW the first week of July up near Wiley Point area. Any suggestions as to what types of structure to be looking at for ski's? I'm betting that with the early warm weather the fish will likely have transitioned to reefs and saddles.....? Suggetions on locations to look for and types of baits?
Last year the same week had numerous fish show them selfs, but could not convert the follows into strikes. Taking one of my good hunting partners, his dad and his 8yr old son on thier first canadian fishing trip and would love to be better are putting fish in the boat....
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Posts: 153
Location: Storm Lake, IA | If you are seeing fish you are in the right spots. Try and pick up the following fish as quick as possible. And always do a good figure eight. LOTW fish are notorious for eating in the 8. LOTW is full of spots and muskies if you are seeing fish you are in the right place. |
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Posts: 999
| If your fishing by wiley pt you need to look no further then the dock during that timeframe.
Edited by Mr Musky 6/13/2012 6:42 AM
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Posts: 2068
| LOTW fish eat in the 8 - you must be proficient at converting fish boat-side. One-tip because it sounds like you are going to concentrate on mostly rocks ... Don't overlook weeds, always big fish using weeds all year on LOTW, but especially first part of July. Its getting harder and harder to find "good" weeds on LOTW. Look at your map and check the backs of west facing bays/cups on the larger islands. I would give weeds, rocks and weed-rock combination equal time early July - Lots of good water near Wiley. Good Luck. |
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Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | All good advice so far, particularly regarding figure 8s. Good boatside techniques will up your number of strikes significantly during a week on LOTW.
One lure I started to use last year for the first time was the 6" SS Shad from smoker tackle. Had fish all over that bait both on shallow rocks and weeds that weren't too thick to twitch it over and through.
Seemed to be a lot o fish following, but not eating overall last summer for a majority of the anglers in our area at least.
Spinner baits like grinders, Ace Tandems and Northland Booty Calls all put big fish on my boat last year during early season; always having some sort of rubber trailer attached.
Good luck. |
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Posts: 331
Location: Stevens Point, Wisconsin | Never be afraid of throwing top water that time of year. From opener on it has been producing better results than bucktails (for me). Top Raider in the bullfrog pattern or the standard size low rider in LOTW chartreuse.
Small buck tails such as dream catcher and mepps marabou will be all you need. Find weedy bays that face west and southwest and if the bays have become choked off fish the shorelines that lead up to the bays. Sand is your friend! If you find sandy bays that are being beaten by the sun, good bet there are fish there!
Last year was the year of the following fish on the woods. Very strange year! Hopefully they will be more in the mood for eating this summer.
Start at spawning bays and work your way out towards the main lake until you contact them. That time of year if you find one fish using an area there should be several more with it.
Like others have said, about 50% of the fish you hook are at boatside. Learn to make good figure 8’s and never give up on fish, especially the ones that flare off 10’ from the boat.
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | some pretty good thoughts on here already....As far as my boat the last few years I have noticed various preferences for sizes of blades. Few years back it was Cowgirls or bust often, last year there was a clear preference for 8's or in some cases even smaller like a marabou...
just as a side note, I too noticed the trend of some fish following last year a little more then some years. I noticed that fish that see you and seemingly dart off don't really dart off, they just back off so you can't see them but they are still watching your bait. I caught quite a few fish by doing DEEP figure 8's on some of these, i'm talking 8.5-9' rods buried all the way down to the reel in the water...If you have long enough rods and your back allows it give it a shot this year on some of those followers |
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Posts: 143
Location: Lake of The Woods | Wiley point hired a bunch of hot girls.....
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Posts: 8
Location: NE/IL | Ryan Marlowe - 6/13/2012 5:46 PM
Wiley point hired a bunch of hot girls.....
All,
This is great advise all. I truly appreciate it. Last year was very frustrating with all the follows.
Any particular insight on the 8s? As a side note, the fish we did boat really slammed the XRap magnums in Hot Steel... they followed it a lot but slammed it as well. I had so many fish follow the Cowgirls and big tandems but wouldn't take it. Also some exciting follows on top water. I'm always throwing the Jackpot or prop bait... not sure I've zeroed in on color but the Jackpot that got followed a lot was green/chart w/ orange highlights... prop baits were black/orange. I picked up a Whopper Plopper to give a go this time.
Keep the advise coming. I'm learning a lot just reading this stuff... and I hope your right - Wiley hired some Hotties! |
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Posts: 331
Location: Stevens Point, Wisconsin | One thing that has been trending up there for me as far as top water..... If you get a big fish to wake up on top water slow it down! Unless they are super hot I have converted most all my big fish by slowing it way down. This will allow them to catch the bait. For some reason the past 4 years up there the big girls are not willing to chase so speeding up the bait once a fish wakes up, has been counter productive! |
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Posts: 78
| I haven't had the chance to fish LOTW for skies yet, but have been all over Ontario and to add to the topwater that Muskytime said is pretty effective. We were fishing a weed bed a few years ago and doing a typical side to side pace with weagles and other S2S topwaters. Nothing was hitting/following. As soon as my friend started working his baits painfully slow he had a strike or follow almost every cast.
Something to keep in mind if you KNOW the fish are there. |
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Lake of the Woods - 1st Week of July Suggestions