|
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Starting the month with sunny, stable weather and water temps up into the mid-high 70s. Weeds are starting to look good in places where they have been good in years past.
Walleyes have been on the rocks and muskies seem to have followed suit. Will there be a good weed bite this year after a very poor one last year?
Let us know how things look where you are fishing this great body of water! We have a big group coming to cast on July 6 and will have people casting regularly the rest of the summer so reports should be more frequent soon.
J-Man |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Water temps 75-80 degrees. Fsh starting to get active. Weather coming is for chances of rain throughout the week and overcast after sunny and HOT. Could be a great week of catching muskies!
Best action this past week for our guests was on small bass sized spinner baits. Black/orange was the ticket. Shorelines with rock, points, weeds nearby have been the best structure. Fish up to 49" landed and several much larger fish spotted.
I got out at 9pm Thursday night for 90 mins and saw 3 fish on rock structure. One nipper at the boat, but it did not result in a hook-up. Using the double 8 bucktail.
Our first big muskie group of the season is rolling in throughout the day. I'm looking forward to regular intel throughout the week.
J-Man |
|
| |
|
Posts: 153
| Hey Justin,
Any updates on the fishing? Always love to read your reports prior to heading to the Woods on the 19th. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Great action the last couple days. Topwaters, gliders and bucktails all produced wild and crazy action. Big fish from 46-52 inches been caught and released. Black/orange topwaters were the ticket in one boat. All three guys rods' rigged with a different black/orange surface lure this morning and they through them all day long yesterday.
Various structures including weedy saddles, weeds around rocks and rocks. Have not heard much from sand/weeds, which is a bit strange but cannot argue with results.
Best news is that there have been multiple fish in lots of spots. This is from various boats in different areas. You can make your week in a couple hours when there are packs of fish roaming around. Still more lookers than biters, but they have to feed sometime.
Headed out this afternoon with Jerry Sondag and Tom Wartman for an afternoon during their stay. Plan is to look at some water Jerry hasn't spent much time in. They were on fish this morning but nothing would eat. Plans could change in a hurry if fish start to snap. Bobbie Bait hot this morning. South facing rock structure with the south wind produced schools of muskies.
Water temps are high. please keep those fish in the water at all times when working on them.
Good luck all!
J-Man |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Justin, where can a guy expect to find a walleye or two for the 30 minutes we'll fish them each day for shore lunch? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Just about any reef/hump will hold walleyes in the summer. Jig vertical or drag a spinner and 1.5 ounce bottom bouncer around .8 to 1.25 MPH. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 59
| Justin,
We will be up there Friday. What is happening up there?
How hot is the water? Are the fish on the rocks? Is the water murky or clear? Any big fish? Any info would be appreciated. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Muskies were pretty active last week through Saturday. Fish were caught/seen on all different structures from rocks to sand/weeds, saddles, complexes, etc. Along with various structures, various baits were working as well. Had action on everything we through from cranks and tails to jerks and gliders. Topwater action was especially good throughout the end of the week as well. Colour hasn't mattered a whole lot, but orange was pretty hot last week for a stretch.
Biggest fish of the week were 46, 49, 49, 52 and 54.25!!! Jerry Sondag landed the monster on Friday and it is one heckuva story. Caught on a Big Mama Lure Co Dirdy B made by Tom Wartman, who also happened to be fishing with Jerry last week during his trip to LOTW. For pictures and details of how this fish ended up being hand-lined, visit out facebook page and check out the photo album.
Action has slowed up a bit to start the week, though we have mostly walleye anglers in camp this week. Action has been best on boulder points and shorelines.
Where there is cabbage, it looks great! Water clarity is very good. Water temps are pushing 82-83 in some areas during the heat of the day. Watched a boat pull a fish into the boat in the net to work on it this week and wait too long to call over to them to get it back in the water thinking they had a plan. They did not and the fish was floating by dinner time that evening. I hate to sound like a broken record, but we all need to take extra caution to limit out of water time during warm water periods.
Good luck to all those throwing baits this week.
J-Man |
|
| |
|
Posts: 59
| Thanks brother!! Great info. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Action has been reasonably good the last few days. No real steady patterns for structure or baits. A little of everything is working. Downsizing a bit is worth doing. Fish have been chasing smaller baits so no need to wear yourself out with the big stuff just yet.
Waiting out some steady rain hoping to get out today. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 93
Location: Des Moines IA | Just returned from LOTW's fished the Barrier Island area hard and found fish on rocks. Specifically by round large boulders with a with a mild slope from shore (smallmouth area's). Saddles and points also held fish. Windy shore lines produced the most fish. What didn't have fish was the sharp rocks with steep banks. Cove's also seemed to be dead ends. Our best lures were double bladed number 10 bucktails in bronze tinsel and orange blades with black hair. 7 inch shallow Cisco Kids also worked well for us.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Week finished up like it started...lots of fish around, but not many takers.
Fish seen in all types of structure, but rocks more often mentioned than anything else. Even had someone report getting a 40" fish in the shallow (2 feet) slop and seeing a bigger fish back in there too.
Good size to the fish seen. When they decide to eat, someone's trip will be made in a short period of time.
Highlight of the week would be a fish just over 52" caught on a topwater bait made by Joel Wick. Great fish with some girth to it as well! Another fish right at 50" caught as well.
Cold front coming through now with a chilly night behind us and temps in the high 60s forecasted today. I don't think it will hurt the action much with the shallow bays being in the low 80s in terms of water temp.
Bucktails starting to get more action after being a little less so the week before.
We have a lot of muskie anglers in camp this week so should get some good information on what is happening out there.
My boat is in the shop so not sure if/when I will get out, but may have to commandeer a vessel if the fish start to go.
Good luck this week.
J-Man |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Got out last night and fish were active. Saw fish on 7 of 9 spots fished, one of the no-shows was searching for some boulders of a shoreline that we never did find so can't blame the spot for that one.
Saw 1 fish each on two sand beaches with weeds and the rest were rock structures. Multiple fish seen on 4 of the rock spots.
Of the 12 fish seen, 9 came up after double 8 bucktails, 2 from a spinner bait, 1 topwater. The 5 fish that hit were all mid to upper 30s...landed 3, I think 1 fish that hit and didn't hook up came right back and hit again. The 4 biggies we saw only showed themselves one time each. Went back for 3 of them but it was a no-go.
Cooler air temps bring water temps down a bit. Several big fish caught this week by guests and customers (51.5, 50, 49.5, 49, 46, 46) and it's only Monday. Blades have been the most reported tool the last few days. Not many colour comments though I did hear the "fire" colour mentioned a few times. My hot colour last night was hammered gold blades and multi coloured tinsel skirt.
Front moving through now with colder temps and high winds will make conditions less than ideal the next couple days. |
|
| |
|
Location: Not far enough north! | Hey Justin,
Just curious as to what the water temps actually are in that area of the lake? Looks like the forecast is for cooler temps. Will be up in that area in a couple weeks.
Thanks,
Rick |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Will talk to some guests to see what they were yesterday and are this morning. Mid 70s last time I was out so they were coming down some. It has been much cooler the last couple days. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Water temps reported at 73ish during the day July 22 and 70ish at the dock the morning of July 23. |
|
| |
|
Location: Not far enough north! | Thanks Justin,
Sounds good. Hope the fish activity gets better and not slower with the cool down. Either way I'd rather have low 70's when I come up.
Keep us posted... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Week is ending with severe cold front and wind. NE wind yesterday, NE and then N later today. Air temps 64 degrees so it feels like fall. Even through that, fish have been coming out to play. Water temps were 73ish yesterday and will drop a bit. Shallow rocks have been better. Early morning bite has been effective..more so than the evening for one boat fishing both. Double 10s and topwaters have produced big fish this week.
Another giant this morning..52" for the early risers in camp. Congrats to Matt on his first in the 50" class. That fish hit a double 10. Got a 41 and 47 in my boat for my cousin's first two muskies ever in crappy conditions yesterday (Thursday) evening. Both those fish hit topwaters hard. Need a couple days of warmer, stable weather to get the coming week off to a good start.
Good luck all! Keep us posted.
J-Man
Edited by MyliesPlace(Justin) 7/26/2013 5:55 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 93
| Thanks for the report Justin,we will see you in the morning
Todd |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Good fish activity for most anglers. A few fish in the weeds/slop, but more fish relating to rock. A little of everything is producing action in terms of lures. Big fish moved on glide baits, bucktails and topwater this week. Have not talked to the angler yet, but have it from one of the other members of their crew that a 53 was landed last night.
Average size of fish seen/caught has been excellent with more fish in the 4 foot range than have seen/heard of in a short period for awhile.
Weather has been stable, but not overly warm since the massive cold front blew through. Saw water temps from 69 to 75 on Sunday evening when I dumped a big one after totally screwing up leading the fish to the net for my rookie net guy. Completely my fault and I have been kicking my own butt every since and probably will think about that one forever.
No real pattern on colour of lures. Just get out there and throw something.
Good luck this week.
J-Man |
|
| |
|
Posts: 151
Location: Chippewa Falls, WI | Thanks for the report Justin, cold front or not we'll be up there Saturday ready to go!
Aaron |
|
| |
|
Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | July ended with a bang despite cooler conditions that held through the week after the severe cold front. Wind was a factor and made life difficult for most anglers.
Average size of fish seen and caught was excellent with several big girls caught and released. 46.5, 47, 47, 47, 47.5, 48, 49.5, 50, 50, 50 and a massive 53.5 x 24 summer beast were some of the highlights of the week. Several other big fish spotted or hooked and lost. That is just the fish I can remember and was told about. There was a lot of action I don't have all the data about yet too. Great week for big fish!
Crank baits, bucktails and topwaters were the ticket. Regular reports of fish being caught on the calm side of wind blown points. Rock structure much more productive than weeds, but still hearing of the off biggie caught in the weeds.
Water temps in the low 70s. Water clarity is better than it's ever been this time of year.
Thanks to all those sharing structure and bait information. It all helps us get on and stay on fish.
See you on the August thread.
J-Man
Edited by MyliesPlace(Justin) 8/3/2013 12:16 PM
|
|
| |
