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Long Lake Report 7-21-07 to 7-28-07


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We just returned from our annual week at a resort on Long Lake, and I wanted to share the results so that others may benefit from our experience. We have always fished the lake for walleye using live bait rigs such as crawler harnesses, spinners, etc. trolling the weedlines usually with poor results. Maybe 3 walleyes for the week. After last year's 0 fish week I wanted to try long-line, open water crank bait trolling this year. Boy what a week we had!!!!! grin.gif

The first 2 nights we (my son Justin who's 15, and my daughter's boy friend Brian, and I) started out with the usual live bait rigs using leaches, and crawlers in 20' to 25' of water. Only 1 15" walleye to show for. Monday evening I had enough of the pan fish stealing the leaches, so I suggested we switch to the crankbaits.

For the next 4 evenings we would start at around 8pm., one guy using a deep running tail dancer, one guy using a mid-depth (10' to 15') Frenzy, or shad rap, and one guy using a floating, surface crank 5' to 10'. We would troll at 2.6 mph. over 100+ fow s-turning our way over the suspended fish. We would usually get 2 eating size fish 15" or so each night which made for some nice snacks!!! On Monday night after I dropped the 2 boys off, I caught a 25" walleye in 13' of water using a #11 floating crank.

The best though was this past Friday night, 7-27-07, a magical night, and the best night so far in our in our walleye angling experiences!!!! We started out working the point with the Purple Martin houses trying to just hit the edge of the weedline with our cranks. The first pass produced a 15" walleye, the second pass my son had one just up to the boat when it dove, surfaced, and spit the crank. We then cruised the open water and caught 2 more eaters, and lost a few. Around 11pm, I wanted to check out the shallows, so we then started in the 13' to 15' range of depth. I switched to a #11 floating rap, ran the line back 150' and the fun began!! Over the next 2.5 hours I caught 7 walleyes from 21" to 28", the 28" being my largest walleye so far, my son caught 2 fish 23", and 24", and Brian caught his largest walleye ever at 23". All of these were caught, and released as quickly as we could to get them back in the water. Between the 3 of us we caught 20 walleyes that night!

Here are the conditions of the evening:

Moon about 20 degrees above the horizon 3 days from full

Water temp 77* F.

Wind calm

Speed 2.4 to 2.6 mph

Depth 11' to 15'

Our thanks to Muskybug over there at Northern Bait for his advice. I'm glad I have that tall stern light! Just kidding, enjoy the rest of your summer up there. I'll maybe look you up next year for a musky trip to Mantrap!

Here's a photo of the 28" walleye. I hope this post works. by the way, this fish let out a huge belch, and threw up all over the console, and my camera bag!!!

[image]2346441200065808502TLHmLl_th.jpg[/image]

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Hey Midex, thats sweet that the open water thing worked for ya. It was really nice to meet you at the shop and then see you again on the water both times. thanks for the update and congrats again on an amazing week. Jonah

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MB or Midex, I'll be on the north end of Long Lake next weekend the 11th. I'm used to the night trolling of crankbaits in August. Were you trolling your shallowrunners just on top of the weed beds in 11 FOW or were you fishing just along the weedline? Last year I did all right fishing the north end of the lake off the two points east and west points. I never really caught any other walleyes in any other place. I'm supposing that I'll try and concentrate on trolling cranks after dusk but I have a 3 mo old and well, we'll just see how much fishing I actually get in. Any other advice you can share? I'd just like a couple of eaters, not that I wouldn't like to catch a 30" walleye, but larger that 18 will be CPR. Where is the purple house? I'll primarily be on the North End of the lake, I'm not terribly comfortable going to the south end late at night. My boats too old, and its a long walk back.

Also, MB, where is the baitshop you work at? Are you going to be there next weekend? Thanks in advance.

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hey trigger, the martin houses he is refering to are bird houses on the point east of edgewood and spruce hill. the bait shop is on the south end of Main Street in Park Rapids. if you are on 71 you want to turn at the blue H for hospitol sign and we are just south of the four way stop. if you are coming in headed north on 71 from like the Big J&B foods store we have a banner type sign on west side of 71, its hanging on a fence in some ones yard. you can also stop at most gas stations in town and they will help you find us. Jonah

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Thanks for the info. I'll be staying at the Timberlane resort. Is the open water in front of the resort any good for night trolling. I've fished the points and had some success. I'm not sure what will work next week. I've had nights on lakes in August where the fish will bite extremely well and the following night there will be nothing. Are the martin houses on the north end? I know that there is a campsite just to the south of the east point, I fished that pretty hard last year with minimal success. We caught all our walleyes using crawlers and spinner rigs. It seemed to work OK for August. I never really fished much after dark, but I have on other lakes and had descent success trolling bars. Unfortunately, Long doesn't have the big flat bars I'm used to.

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96trigger,

We stayed at Cedar Shores which is just around the east point from where you are staying. The area where we have had the best walleye action is just south of Cedar Shores along the east shoreline. That area is a large weed covered flat with very deep water about 1000' off shore. We caught our big walleyes in 13' of water using a #11 floating Rapalla trolled just above the weeds at about 2.5 mph. They really hammered the gold ones with the black backs, and silver belly, also the same lure in silver/black. It was great because they would absolutley crush the lure!!!

Try the open water west of that area as well using shad raps, or frenzys. We caught a fair amount of eating size walleyes, 15 to 16" using those. Just troll using wide s-turns at again 2.5 mph or so starting around 8pm and you'll get a few. Have fun, and let us know how you did!!

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Midex, thanks for the info. Last year I fished from east to west point usually turning around at Cedar Shores resort. I never fished south of the resort. But I believe that I know where you are talking about. There are a few houses south of the resort but mostly its wooded lake valley correct?

I've only been out once when the fishing was as good as you had it. The big ones would just smash the shallow raps, it was awesome. Its great that you had fun and were able to get some kids involved. When the big walleyes are biting like that, you can hook them for life. Thanks for the information. I don't have a speedo on my boat but I'll try different speeds. I'll let you know how I do. Hopefully my little one will cooperate and let me get out and do some night fishing. What you guys ran in to on Friday isn't always a recurring thing, you kow how walleyes can be finicky, but I'm glad that you had fun fishing.

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Trigger,

You are correct. We call that area "the bowl". This year the best area was from about 500' or so south of Cedar Shores to roughly where the shoreline starts to curve back to the southwest. There is a maroon colored awning over a boat lift maybe 1/4 mile south of Cedar Shores. I saw lots of suspended fish over the deep water (100+) just west of that awning. They come in & feed up in the shallows, try after 10pm or so in that area.

If you go straight across the lakle from that awning you'll see a bunch of round Martin bird houses in the sand right next to the water. There is a good point that goes out to the deep water there. The weeds seem to be around 18' of water. Drag some deeper running cranks right over the point at a slight angle about 150' from shore you should get a few there also.

If you want, send me an e-mail at [email protected] with your phone # and I can call you Thursday, or Friday & give youe some more info.

When you get up there find muskybug at Northern, and he'll set you up too!

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Quote:

I'll be staying at the Timberlane resort


96Trigger, I'll also be staying at Timberlane from the 11th to the 18th. Our best luck as been after dark on the road between the points. We've also had luck at night on the east shoreline just south of Cedar Shores resort. I'm more of a live bait guy, and usually fish with leeches and lindy rigs. Hopefully leeches will still be available. I'll be sure to look for you, and we can compare notes. I'd really like to find some fish during daylight, but my past performance has not been a very good indicator. Good luck!

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We will still have leeches at Northern Bait, like midex said stop by the shop and i will do my best to help you out and point you in the right direction. Also if you guys are new to lakes and have maps bring them in and i will mark them up with my favorite spots. JOnah

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Walleye, I'm sure I'll run into you up there. I have an Alumacraft 16SS Lunker, its old, but gets the job done and is fairly trusty. I have had my best luck in August at night trolling cranks. However, last year, we caught a half dozen eyes, all were on trolling crawler harnesses and bottome bouncers. I focused mainly on the two points the east and west side of the lake just above Cedar Shores.

Jonah, I'll try and stop in on Saturday or Sunday, what times will you be there and do they sell maps? I have a map of long lake but I'm not sure where I put the darn thing. I'll have to look. Midex did a nice job sending us in the right direction. I'll see if I can't find my map.

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I'm back, and I struck out. I never got one walleye. The sunnies were just too powerfull out there. I tried everything from lindy rigging, to trolling cranks at night. Fished many different depths. I do know of other people that got a few walleyes, but they were hard to come by. Still a good long weekend. We caught some nice bass and enjoyed the area. Jonah, it was nice talking to you. I never made it south of the Martin houses. Next year, I won't have a two month old (I hope). So maybe I'll be able to fish a little more often. I really only got out for a couple of hours in the morning, usually until 9:00 A.M. and then couldn't seem to get back out until almost 10:00 P.M. The people that were catching the eyes seemed to get them in the late afternoon, early evening. Hope to be back up next year for Memorial Day Wknd. Thanks again Jonah.

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trigger you have learned that Long is very unpredicatable. They fish have to much structure to hide in. It is a tought lake to fish and just when you might think you learned something about it it will completly change and not do the same thing again. My family has had a cabin on the lake for years and it frustrates me to no end every year.

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