Lakes Area Fishing Update

[copterjohn]

Just returned to Iowa from a week of solid fishing the lakes area, and surviving the damaging windstorm last Sunday night.

Sallie: Largemouth started hot and heavy with fish in the rushes, docks and pads. As the week progressed, the fish moved out deeper into the cabbage and the bite slowed considerably.

Highlight was a 26" walleye ripped from deep in the cabbage using musky lures. Pike bite was typical Sallie with numerous fish between 29-32 inches. No muskies this trip.

Melissa: Good for small walleye, largemouth and pike. Majority of fish coming off the center bar which extends from the Pelican river inlet. All decent fish coming from 21-22 fow. Largest slimer was 36 inches and largemouth was 19.5"

Franklin: We normally do very well here, but fished on a high wind day with whitecaps and only small pike and occasional bass. Could not locate the crappies.

Another boat in our party fished Island for smallies and did well.

Planning a quick three day trip over the July 4th period, so will report anything worthwhile.

[PikeKing]

Copterjohn, Good post. I was searching through old posts about sallie and melissa and saw some of your reports from last year, very informative. I have a question for you or anyone else that knows the lakes well. I stay at my uncles cabin on ottertail twice a year but my cousin and i like to check out some other lakes to do some casting and trolling for big pike, but there are few lakes around the area that have that trophy potential. I heard of the regulations on sallie and melissa last year so at the end of august we are going to head up and try one of the lakes. My question is if you had to pick one which one would it be? Does one have more trophy potential than the other? How about "fishy areas", cabbage, reeds, wild rice etc.? I appreciate any advice you guys could give.

[DEADhead]

I'd pick Sallie. There's some big pike in there. I'd look for those fish cruising the cabbage beds or bullrush edges for young of the year forage. With this warm weather you may want to hit the morning bite, when the fish will be the most active. If you wait until dusk, though, there's a good chance you'll catch a few walleyes too. Your bound to connect with a few brutes out there.

[copterjohn]

I would say Sallie is the most likely big fish lake. It is much more of a casting lake, as trolling the weedbeds is more challenging with the humps and irregularities (unless you are solo in the boat). Melissa is much easier to troll and you will catch more fish. You can count on 29-32 inches on Melissa, while on Sallie, we take fish around 36 inches on a regular basis, and occasional bonus Muskies. In fact, the last two July 4th weekends we have taken Muskies in excess of 42". Certainly not as good as Big Detroit, but even on the 4th, almost no boat traffic. I like the cabbage, inside edge in the am, and outide later. If you want to contact me offline, I can better explain where to fish either lake. Been doing so for more than two decades. [email protected]

[PikeKing]

Thank you guys, appreciate the info. Copterjohn im on my way out right now but ill shoot you an email tomorrow. Thanks again!