Vermilion - Stained or Clear?

[bonefish]

I'm getting started in Muskie fishing so I'm in the mid stages of bait acquisition (not that a musky fisherman ever leaves the acquisition stage) Several times I've been debating over sizes and colors and I've been asked "what type of water are you fishing - stained or clear?" Just curious how each of you would answer this. I fish both the east and the west ends and it seems like every bay is a little different. What are your thouhgts?

[Cliff Wagenbach]

You are right. Each bay is a little different as far as water clarity. If the bay has a stream or creek running into it, it is usually more stained.

I think that the West end is less stained then the East end as a general rule, except for Big Bay, which is fairly clear.

Cliff

[SkunkedAgain]

Of course there are spots like Black Bay on the west end. Sticking your arm into that water is like reaching into a glass of Coca-cola.

Because of the lake's size and twisting-turning nature, you should prepare to fish both clear and stained water. Vermilion seems to be more stained in the bays and clearer in the open areas.

I think that I just copied exactly what Cliff wrote

[TomWehler]

Bonefish

One other thing to remember when loading up some bait is what the fish are eating.

Keep it simple.

Cliff mentions it time an again ...year in year out...find food...find fish...

I to follow this rule a long, long time.

Fish + Food + Location + Presentaion...= BINGO!

Now this has a curve left or right of a line you or Mother nature makes up...but for the most part it is right on.

Also that this can be different from west to east...heck from one bay to next. 25 miles can make a diff?

Food can be Frogs, Muskrats, Cisco / Whitefish / Tullies, Sunfish, Bullheads, Chubs, Crappies, Perch..maybe walleye or two...like that.

Early season can be young ducks, loons, snakes, martins, caryfish odd lost hound, dangling finger off a dock or big fat chicken running from me as I plan to have him for dinner...

....whole mess of food things to think about just a lil bit for time of year your thumping.

Or...just grab 12 of your proven best an go at it.

That works time an again too.

Muskie fish no exception here to me...well mostly.

They are killers an have to eat...not to picky most days.

But one other lil thing to think about.

Most important thing is to have fun an enjoy it all.

Yup...that is best.

Tommy

[bonefish]

Man, I love to read your posts Tom! So If I've got my shopping list right - free range chartreuse chickens or wild orange muskrats in the west end. And slow black labs, small children, and fingers with BBQ sauce in the East end. Perfect. Look out Rollie and Helens here I come

[mbeyer]

In the 20 yrs I've been visiting the east end of the lake, I've seen a significant change in water clarity. It is much more clear than years ago. I've noticed this change in the last two or three years. I see rocks I've never seen, spawning fish I didn't see, etc.

[TomWehler]

Your shopping list is in good shape Bonefish....

I'm just me...hope you all get something out of my ramblings an some smiles too.

I aim to please.

[Steve Foss]

Speculation 1: East end water clarity is better because of the improvements made some years ago in Tower's sewer water treatment and it's taken this long for the lake to show recovery?

Speculation 2: East end water clarity is better because of the removal of weeds by rusty crayfish? Does No. 2 even make sense, biologically?

I don't have near as many years on Vermilion as the majority of people posting here, but last year I was fishing smallies in June on the east side and I could see them in seven feet of water. The few years before that, that wasn't the case.

[Finnish Flash]

My theroy is this:

Drought conditions = less runoff = better water clairity

My observations in the months of September and October when we received a good amount of rain that the water was much more stained, due to runoff from peat bogs, rivers, etc.

But I'm no biologist/hydrologist either.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Steve,

The sewer improvrments in Tower/Soudan were certainly a good thing and much needed, but I do not think that really affected the water clarity. It certainly may have had a affect on weed development though!

Lack of fertilizer plus the rustys has eliminated most of the weed development on the East End! Not really a good thing as far as I can reason!

Loss of weeds means loss of habitat and spawning areas for many on the lakes inhabitants such as minnows,perch,bugs, panfish,pike, just to name a few. All of these critters are food for larger fish!

During years of low water the lake seems to get darker because of lack of fresh water comming into the lake. But excessive runoff can also cause the water to turn darker because most of the runoff in the East End comes thru peat bogs which is what gives the water that coffee color.

Just my thoughts on the water clarity fluctuations we see during the year.

Cliff

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Cliff. It's always more complicated than it sounds, isn't it?

[delcecchi]

The sewer improvements along with the better septics could be reducing the nutrients going into the lake and reducing the algae bloom.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

That certainly could be a factor!

Cliff

[Steve Foss]

I think you're right, Del, but of course the more development swells and the more people put in lawns right down to the lake, the more fertilizers that run off into the lake.

I hope some zoning regs or other type of regulation prevents too much of that, otherwise it'll be two steps forward and three steps back.

Just my .02.

[delcecchi]

Do people really fertilize lawns on Vermilion? I don't, and I don't know anyone else that does either. Now maybe some of those fancy places that are going up around the lake might be a different story, but many of them don't have much in the way of lawns.

The suggestion that zoning or some other government regulation is the way to go for a lake in St. Louis county is hard to swallow. Only supporters of the commissioners get to have lawns?

[Steve Foss]

del, it is the fancy places I was talking about, and I know some of them have listened to the DNR and not put lawns down to the lake, leaving a much needed buffer zone.

I hear you on the problems with zoning. Probably causes more problems than it solves.

[delcecchi]

I thought the township land use plans were good, but it isn't clear how they are holding up in practice.