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Posts: 31
Location: Mapleton Mn | Anybody been doing any good up there? Will prolly head up there next week somtime. Also any body have any info on the water temps? Thanks in advance! |
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Posts: 35
| I had been getting 1-2 fish per outing until late last week. Then fishing slowed and all I could manage was a couple follows. Checking my records from last year, the same thing happened in 2017 during the same time period. Last year I was well on my way to a third consecutive skunking when I switched gears and went into the rushes. Seemed a little early but there they were. Also found them on the sand adjacent to the rushes as well as the closest slop lines to the rushes. Water temperature on my last three outings was 77 degrees. I would expect that to fall by next week given the weather forecast. Good luck out there. |
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Posts: 793
Location: Ames, Iowa | My son and I got back from Leech last Friday. Like Bily said water temps about 75-78 depending where you were, and evening vs morning. The water was the clearest I have seen it in a long time. But also like Bily wrote, very dead. We moved one fish in afternoon fishing with bluebird skies, temps in the 70's. We abandoned the rocks after two days there with zilch. The cabbage in many spots looks exceptional this year. The perch forage chases all baits like we haven't seen in a while. I think that bodes well for perch and walleye. I am surprised that muskies have already moved into the reeds, but I am never surprised to find Leech muskies on beaches. We fished Shingobee Bay, Walker Bay, Battle Point, North Bar, and the Red Rocks, in addition to the first day spent on Wabedo. This was a 5 day trip just to get the boat up there, plus my son can't work for a month after a motorcycle accident, so no better time to go. Before school starts I am going up for 15 days from August 4-19. |
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Posts: 35
| Point of clarification. The reference to the rushes was from last year. The point I was trying to make was that both last year and this year, I was seeing and catching fish during the month of July until about the 20th. In 2017, I went into the rushes about July 25th because I simply wasn't seeing or catching fish anymore. I haven't done that this year but after getting skunked the last three outings, I will be giving them a try next time out, tomorrow weather permitting. I agree with DJ on the perch. Absolutely everywhere and following in lures 10 times their size. One more thing. Every fish I have seen & caught so far this year has been on a topwater despite throwing 10s, Mepps' & Lilly tails. Good luck out there. |
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Posts: 358
| was up for a few hours Sunday and Monday. Water temps in main lake were 72-73. Saw some fish on rocks but not a lot and no big ones. Conditions were not ideal either but that's not unusual. Didn't have time to check weeds / reeds, but if I was going back soon id have a plan to fish lots of stuff before I committed to anything in particular. |
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Posts: 31
Location: Mapleton Mn | Thanks for the info guys! |
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Posts: 95
Location: MN | Any new info to be had? My father in law is up there and I'd be happy to help him if possible. He's not spending all his time with muskies, but if I can help steer him better, it would be cool. He'll check the usual locations, but any tips on what's been working for lures/colors or whether certain types of structure vs others are producing more that'd be great. Can pm if you want as well. |
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Posts: 35
| My blueprint for fishing post-cold front conditions on Leech Lake this time of year is to start out in the slop adjacent to the bulrushes. Let the fish tell you what adjustments to make in your presentation. If nothing is going on in the junk weeds, move out to deeper weeds. Last Wednesday we had similar conditions to this Wednesday. That is: A major cold front had passed through several hours ago. Cloudy skies, with cooling air temperatures and a northwest wind. I started out in the junk weeds adjacent to the rushes last Wednesday evening. Saw one fish but couldn’t get her to go. Moved out to deeper weeds where I caught two, lost a big one, and saw fish on every bar I hit. Everything was on topwater.
Got out again Saturday evening with my daughter. Wind was still blowing out of the north so we did the same thing. Junk weeds didn’t show us anything. Daughter raised a fish on a Globe in some deeper weeds – about 10 FOW. Came back to that fish several times, including moonrise but couldn’t get her to go. Despite throwing small bucktails, slowing down, nudging cover, etc., it was till a topwater that produced the only fish of the evening. A 46” absolutely smoked a Fat Bastard about 10 feet from the boat in deeper weeds.
So, my advice to your father in-law would be to fish the junk close to the rushes. Make adjustments or move to deeper weeds depending on what he sees or doesn’t see. If he still isn’t contacting fish, he could try the rushes although cold fronts don’t typically draw muskies into the rushes until September, but you never know. I’ve seen this fish do some pretty unusual things in post-cold front conditions on Leech Lake. Best of luck to your father in-law.
Edited by David_Bily 8/1/2018 12:08 PM
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Posts: 3507
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
Was out there Sunday....
Hit the rocks... The fish moved up over this past weekend. I fished the bars and humps north of Pelican Island with blades, raised 2 on each end of the same bar. Talked to one other boat before I left that area and they had raised two as well. My time was limited Sunday, but within the time I was out there, I'd say it was pretty darn good for a 3 hour stint.
I had my nephews with me, but the wave action was a tad much for what they have ever been in... So...I needed to fish areas that had less wave action, which I believe took opportunity away.
I worked the deeper and shallower sides of the bars that topped out at 5 feet or so, but the action came on the side that dropped quickly into mid teen depths. The smaller humps that came up out of 8 feet or so all around didn't seem to have anything on them.
Blades were getting the fish up... I had black and silver, but nephew had yellow muskie killer on...
Steve |
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Posts: 95
Location: MN | Thanks guys!! |
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Posts: 358
| Anyone been out and about? Was out a week or so ago with mixed activity. Hoping to get out a bit the next few weeks. |
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Posts: 43
Location: Waite Park, MN | ...was up there Sun/Mon. Didn't move a fish, water was rough to be on the lake. Spent most of my time on rocks. |
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Posts: 386
| cyberfish - 8/31/2018 9:15 PM
...was up there Sun/Mon. Didn't move a fish, water was rough to be on the lake. Spent most of my time on rocks.
Don't beat yourself up. Leech has been a little strange this year. Fish are on the rocks but usually only biting when it's so nasty you shouldn't even be out there. They're starting to move shallow and the reed bite has been relatively good. Keep after em. |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | Don’t over look Walker Bay !! Just sayin !! |
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Posts: 1784
| I assume with the big Tournament coming up all these reports to be true and accurate? |
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Posts: 386
| Brian Hoffies - 9/3/2018 10:30 PM
I assume with the big Tournament coming up all these reports to be true and accurate?
Maybe....maybe not. A lot can happen in a short time span(few days). That, and if you put enough guys on the water, someone is going to catch fish. |
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