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Lake Vermilion 2017 open water fishing reports and related information.


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We had a good bite today using large creek chubs on lindys.

Fished in 22' to 29' of water.

Boated 19 fish in 6 hours. Nothing big but decent eater sized fish.

Cliff

 

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Good luck ( limit of nice eaters) this morning trolling a spinner with chub behind a 1 oz bottom bouncer. About 1 mph in 23-26 row, flats near structure. Not my favorite way to fish but you can cover a lot of water and it's been working.

RLG

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23' to 28 feet seems to be the best depth this week!

We boasted 24 and kept 12 very nice ones today using larger creek chubs on Lindys at that same depth.

A friend was using spinners and 1/2 crawler today and got his limit of nice keepers at that depth also.

Cliff

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At the Y-Store. They are calling them Rainbows but they are mostly creek chubs and a mix of other good bait minnows!

Cliff

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We did OK yesterday from noon to 4:00pm using bait rigs with minnows and also by snap-jigging 1/2 oz. fire tiger colored jigs with a minnow in 18' to 20' depths, mud/sand bottom.

Looks like the jigging bite may be starting on the East end!

Cliff

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Thanks for the report Cliff. I'm headed up Wednesday for a combo smallmouth/walleye trip. How is the bass bite? Are they headed to deeper points and humps or are some fish on shoreline structure and docks?

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Some of the best walleye action is going on now, big bass have been found on some of the deeper humps and gradual sand/gravel drop offs.

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4 hours ago, snagger said:

What is considered a deep hump for bass right now? 15'-20'?

Any where from 12' to 30' humps.

Bass and a few walleyes setting up on top and sides of these humps.

Cliff

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We did well today from 1-4pm on an underwater point. Finally found some fish in a semi-sheltered area. Last few days have been tough to control the small light boat with all the wind. Most caught on pink jigs in 21-30ft. 

Cliff I did try the circle hook lindy today with the big minnow and nailed the first bite I had. Next 2 bites grabbed it hard but dropped it. Work in progress!

Edited by FishinCT
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I was up for a long weekend this past weekend. For us the only thing that was working leadcore with cranks 18-24fow looks of eaters but not one over 18" couldn't get the digging raps rigs or jog and minnow to go but I'm sure it's not far off caught about half of mine on cranks when I was turning and didn't seem to matter weather the pole was on the inside or outside 2.2 2.4 was our speed flicker shads and deep runner raps #5 and 7. Cliff what style and size of hook do u use for your minnow rigs? Any beads used? 

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Captain Acorn,

I use Gamagatu  octopus hooks. Size 4 for crawlers and size 2 for minnows. Red, black, chartreuse, and pink , mostly red and black.

I use orange and green glow soft beads at times. (Worked today!)

Cliff

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Any bass reports?  Have the walleyes been moving in shallow at night?  South wind I am guessing their is fish on the south side of pine? 24-32 feet sounds like right in front of the cabin.  Any in crawlers or have they transitioned to minnows.  Did well in 18 feet last weekend.  No matter what cannot wait for 3 solid days of fishing!!!

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Did well this morning on big bay with gold spinners. 24-26 feet off the edge of a reef. Decided since they were biting we'd try the west end to see if we could catch some big fish. Put up a big zero out there. Guess they behave a bit different from end to end. 

On a small reef out west had a guy pull up on us, throw a marker right on the fish and camp out right there. Kind of tough to fish spinners when someone does that. What is the etiquette on this lake when someone does that? Just fish where you want even if you run right up on them or in between them and the marker? I see the thousand dollar  depthfinder in the back of the boat, just mark a waypoint and keep the marker in the boat man. Really grinds my gears.

Whoops...sorry for the rant :blush:  Never had that happen on the east end though 

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Walleyes still biting on lead core. Most success in 20ft of water, 90 ft of lead, silver #4 deep diving shad raps mostly (although perch also putting a few in the boat.) I have tried jigging raps ernestly but only getting a few small walleyes on those. I haven't live bait rigging yet.

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Fished Saturday morning and trolled my way a half dozen eyes including a fat 26” plus two giant smallmouth.  Went back out Saturday evening put the trolling rods down and went Jig rappin.  Caught another 6-7 fish including another nice 26+ that popped off as I fumbled to grab the net as it wallowed around next to the boat. Tricky bite for me.  Still managed my limit of nice 16” fish.  Fishing mainly rock transitions and rock structure in 16-22’ fow.   I will be back in two weeks for my final hurrah before heading west to the mountains. 

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I am still fishing mostly lindys with minnows but getting a few on jig/minnows also.

We boated 13 walleyes and 7 jumbo perch this morning. Largest walleye was 21" .

Most came out of 24' to 38' depths, close to rocks.

Cliff

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Didn't catch a ton of fish this weekend but the ones we got were beauties. Just a bunch 15-17 inch fish with a 25" mixed in there. Last 2 days have been tough after the storm Sunday night. Marking tons of fish still and getting a good amount of bites on both spinners and lindys but most are biting short and tough to hook on the big minnows. Don't really want to throw on a stinger hook but that might be the way to go. Maybe should try pulling some cranks too.

Looks like the rest of the week should be stable weather and good fishing!

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8 hours ago, FishinCT said:

Didn't catch a ton of fish this weekend but the ones we got were beauties. Just a bunch 15-17 inch fish with a 25" mixed in there. Last 2 days have been tough after the storm Sunday night. Marking tons of fish still and getting a good amount of bites on both spinners and lindys but most are biting short and tough to hook on the big minnows. Don't really want to throw on a stinger hook but that might be the way to go. Maybe should try pulling some cranks too.

Looks like the rest of the week should be stable weather and good fishing!

Thanks FishinCT. I'm looking forward to arriving Friday morning. 

I'd welcome any updates on bait so I know what to pick up at the Y. I think rainbows was the most recent advice.

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I have been using chubs, pike suckers, and crawlers as bait. lindys and jigs.

Cliff

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Night and day difference since yesterday. Started with my gold spinner and got 4 hits in 2 passes through a short reef. Only caught a 23" and the rest bit short even with the stinger hook. Switched over to the lindy and slowed it down a bit and that's all it took. Had my 4 and threw a handful of small ones back in the next couple hours. 

Came back in and had them for lunch, then took my yearly muskie trip this evening to remind myself why I don't fish for them. Back aches and never catch anything :grin:

Fishing should be excellent by the weekend. There are some reefs out there that are absolutely loaded with fish. I've had 3 or 4 different boats pull up on one particular reef with me, make 1 or 2 passes and leave. They have to be seeing all the fish down there, but don't catch anything in one pass so they leave. I just don't get it. Trust the electronics and try a couple different methods. They will bite something!

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Was up this last weekend and the bite was pretty darn good lots of fish on cranks w leadcore &jig n minnows not great size biggest was just over 20 but caught plenty seemed to do better on the flats then on the rock piles this weekend really tried to make jigging raps work but just wasn't happening this weekend. Was keeping the jig very still not jigging it at all 

Josh

 

 

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I thought the bite was pretty good las weekend. I had the opposite experience as Capt Acorn. I had very little bite pulling lead, but I was marking fish so I slowed way down with minnows.  Fishing alone Friday afternoon I had a limit of 16.5-19.5, and threw back a 15 and a 23. Also lost 3-4 big ones near the boat and caught about a dozen smallies up to 19.5.

Saturday I went out for about 20 minutes and caught 2 walleyes 16 & 26.5. I think that's my biggest on Big V this year, although my son had a 28 on opener.

Headed up again Thursday eve. I should find a chance to sneak out once or twice. :)

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