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coming up tomorrow....any new reports??? Been chomping at the bit all week!!!

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Gonfishin, I will be at the cabin Sunday through Thursday or Friday. I will update through out the week.

In my years fishing the big V I have become more and more of a smallmouth fisherman. I will be on the East side so if you see a guy in black Lund Mr. Pike say hi.

My success on the smallies is mostly Senko, tubes but mepps spinners, top waters, small jointed cranks, and the X-rap. Senkos and tubes get me 70% of the fish. Most days are 25-30 fish days.

I have also seen and got a few monster Musky in the shallow bays by weeds, sand, or islands.

Walleye I have found the usual lindy, jigs, and live bait to be very productive and the bite prior to the mayfly hatch was good. Many 15-19 inch fish and some bigger ones as well. Larger ones seem deeper and Rapala taildance or the deep diving reef runners in big bay.

Pike I am going to try for a bit as I like a big gater here and there and would guess Pike bay with all the weeds should hold fish.

What I really am interested is to find some nice sunfish or crappie to keep my daughter busy. Those have been tough to find on the East end a few in the bay by the casino but now size. I would guess there are some very big sunfish if you can find them on the Big V.

I will update my success during the week. Anyone else up next week let me know always nice to bump into an FMer while on the water.

Pike

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Day one. Well we got up her about 4:00, unloaded, organize, got out for dinner, yada, yada. Decided to just relax and fish the dock a bit with the old bobber crawler presentation. As soon as the cork hit the water it dropped like a stone and I had a 16 inch smallie. This was followed by an hour and half of consistant small mouth action. Most were 15-16 fish with one nice 18 incher mixed in. Total caught was 9 with a couple of missed hooksets. Good start from the dock hopefully when I am out on the water with my 15 pre rigged poles I can produce as well. We shall see.

I plan on a 6:00-10:30 run at some of my favorite haunts.

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I was also up this weekend trolling my rapalas around pike bay. Ended up getting 6 walleyes with only 1 being a keeper at 14" and the next biggest was 12". I dont know where all the big ones went. confused.gif

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Day 2 was simply gorgeous. The morning started with my motor being flooded so I did not get out in the morning as planned. Tossed a Mepps for a bit with a cup of joe and got a 4lb pike from shore. Spent the afternoon checking out a few of the local sites, nice little mini golf with a Minnesota theme. Finally got my boat in and did a 5-8pm run. The small mouth bite was fantastic. I would guess 25-30 fish were boated all in the 14-17 inch class. All were caught on senko or tube. The 17 inch fish really were some footballs. I missed one that could have pushed 20. They always look bigger in the water but after a few of the 17's this one definatly was larger. Would have loved to put the fish on the tape. I repositioned myself and let the tension off for a split second and he/she spit the senko.

Hope day 3 is as productive. Looks like should be a mirror image weater wise. May have to ice down the wrist as those smallies really can give your forearm and wrist a work out.

Anyone else out in the morning on the East side and see a guy in a black lunk Mr. Pike, say hi.

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Mr P

I will be staying at everett bay next week and will be looking for smallies. I will be in a 19' Stratos Red White sfx. I am bringing token musky gear just in case. Any reports on LM Bass. I am guessing slop to start but any where else they like hanging around on the east end?

Fishman40

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Fishman, I am sure you will find smallmouth. Concerning the largemouth I do not think there is a large largemouth population on the East side. Pike bay appears to have some weed growth and there is a chance some may be there.

Today I did my 3 hour morning run and a couple hours in the evening. The bite was again very good. 15-20 fish each run. The other good thing was most were 16 and 17 inch fish. I also got one this morning that was a hair over 19 so my sights are set on a 20 plus fish.

The weather looks like some light rain over night and a bit of a cooling front Thursday. This change to what has been stable weather could impact the strong bite.

Last year I saw a ton of muskies in the bays on the East side and as I reported then I got a 50 inch fish. This year the water in the bays has been clear but I have not spotted one in the shallow sandy bays. Interesting. I do see that the musky guys in the cabin by ours fish them exclusively at night.

Anyway I will report through out the week. Senko's and tubes were again the only baits I used. I really should try some of my spinners, top waters, cranks, etc. The problem is every time I get ready to grab another rig its fish on !!!!

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Sounds like I better do a few extra arm curls before I get up there. Those smallies do pack a punch. Tahnks for the info I will watch for the reports for the rest of the week.

Fishman40

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Fishman, I actually hit a weedy bay this morning and got a 17" largemouth on the East side. That was followed by a smallie in the same spot.

So, that being said you do have a shot at the largies just find the more weedy vs. rocky bays or shoreline.

The morning run was again a success. Out for 2.5 hours and 25 smallies. All again on Senko and tube. Most were 16" fish with a few 17. I definatly may have to ice down before the evening run smile.gif

The bite has been great and the scenery gorgeous. The other benifit has been absolutly no wind for the last 4 days. That is great as on the East side a good wind can make fishing and boat control a challange

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Mr. Pike..more updates please...Ilike the part about the mepps..thats the only one I use for the big guys..(Im sure you remember the musky fiasco last year with the pic I posted with the musky in the net)are you still using the same color mepps...Im still keeping my faith in the gold blade ones..Ill be up Saturday on the west end..update when I get back..heard the weather is suppose to be great next week.. grin.gif

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Sue, the only Mepps I tossed was a number 3 aguila with silver blade and number 3 with orange. These produced pike but no smallies. I did not toss my musky rig at all this trip.

Went out last night for what is most likely the final run. The bite was a little slower. I managed 10 in about hour and half.

The trip was a great success and the weather gorgeous. Looks like the weather pattern will again be stable for anyone coming up next week so I would imagine a hot bit to continue for the smallmouth and walleye.

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Okay. Now I'm convinced that I'll be going smallmouth fishing on Vermilion saturday. Thanks for your honest reports Mr.Pike.

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Im convinced on the idea that the bite will be good for those pikes and muskys..I use #4 Aglia mepps..it better not fail me now..thanks for the updates mr pike grin.gif

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I was up for a week over the 4th, first time back since opener. It was about a week after the big mayfly hatch and I had very little luck at all for any species. Actually, it was the worst fishing I have ever seen on Vermilion. I didn't catch a single walleye in 5 days, and only a few small smallmouths. Only the panfish and rock bass were active. Hopefully it picks up by next weekend when I plan on heading back to the cabin again. It sounds like things have finally turned the corner though.

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Mr. P

Great report and awesomes pictures. I only hope I to have half of the luck that you reported I will be at EverettBay Tuesday morning. I don't know if I will be able to update till I get back as I don't know what kind of internet connection I will have access to.

Thanks for all the info.

Fishman40

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Fishman, enjoy I am postive if you target smallies you will have great success. I also know a few walleye spots if you are looking to target eyes.

For reference the top picture was a 19" and 17" smallie. The livewell pictures were just for fun. I loaded up the well one day like a tournement guy. All fish were released. The last fish I just wanted to represent the different colorartion you will see in the smallies. Most are the darker fish but many this trip had the lighter colorarion.

Pike

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We fished today and slammed the smallies. Caught 10 pike too...all on buzzbaits. Every cabbage patch held a northern and BOY did they want the buzzer. (booyah- green, white and yellow with trailer hook). Not really any size to the pike. 1 was 10 lbs. another around 10 lbs got off at the boat. Seen some good size ones miss, though.

My 9 year old kid caught a pig. It measured around 19" but I'll bet it weighs more than a 20. Really round and FAT.

All bass caught on senkos. Caught them non-stop until the evening.

vermil003.jpg

Mr.Pike. One day will have to put our brains together!

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Add another filthy pig to the list. BOY did the bass start hitting after the sun came out today!

ver2012.jpg

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I am going to be up there this saturday. which end of the lake are you catch those nice smallies? Are they on the rock bars or in the weeds....i will have 5 yung kids going with me. they would have a ball with the smallies and pike.

thanks

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any log, tree in the water, rock pile.

Senko green pumpkin black flake.

Me and my son fished a hazard buoy at 7pm last night and caught 9 Bass in 10 minutes. Lost about 6.

Ive noticed that the more crayfish in the lake the fatter the bass are getting.

I only fish the tower end. Moccasin point is where I leave from.

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Sled, excellent reports. Good to see the hot bite is still going for the smallies. I agree with your assessement I am seeing many more of the 17-20" fish.

Great picture of your young Twins fan with a pig smallie.

I will probly get to the big V a few more times this year but the Mississippi and St. Croix also can put out some nice fish to keep me entertained. Once fall comes I focus a bit more on the eyes but I don't think I can ever get tired of those smallies. What a great battle on light line.

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The muskies were pretty tight lipped today.

If for some odd reason anyone should find a small, red cooler lid floating out on the lake would you let me know. I flipped the handle the wrong way and never noticed it fly off frown.gif

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sled thanks for the info...hopefully i can get my son

on a few nice smallies..theres nothing better than watching

your children having fun fishing! tks again

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The muskies weren't too tight lipped. I had one eat a smallmouth I was in the process of landing last evening. Stayed connected for three runs holding on to the bass then let go. Bass was in bad shape. About a 13 inch bass. Bood sized musky.

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Didn't find the cooler lid and I even backtracked your exit route. No skis for me either, never even saw one. Tons of muskie anglers out, even after dark and some with only minimual lights.

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Thanks for looking! Sorry to hear your luck was about as good as mine.

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