duluth BWCA to Duluth Area Fishing Reports

[shogun]

crickets? long ways away from there, there is still 2-3 feet of snow-pack on the ground inland. more or less depending on where you go. one week of 50 degree weather would really help, but right now things are keeping pretty cool.

[fishinfey8]

Fish are still biting! Decided to pull my gear out of storage and strap it on the wheeler and search out some island crappies with my neighbor. Well, found some! We kept only enough for a meal, all big ones went back too.

[reinhard1]

you guy's are doing a fine job finding them. nice and plump. good luck.

[Jarrid Houston]

Fishinfey!! Nice job on the selective harvest. Glad you found some nice craps.....And yes you are right good fishing right now....

[Northlander]

Fish are still biting! Decided to pull my gear out of storage and strap it on the wheeler and search out some island crappies with my neighbor. Well, found some! We kept only enough for a meal, all big ones went back too.

Fey e-mail me about Island. I was up there the other day and fished that one shoreline spot by the bridge you told me about but nothing there. Im curious to hear where you found yours.

[jwmiller33]

Does anybody know of any live feed webcams for the Duluth area lakes? I know there are live webcams for just about every other region of the state. The only ones I can find of the duluth area are down the hill by the harbor and boardwalk

[RustySasquatch]

With the late ice out how will walleye opener be affected in the Ely/BWCA area?

[reinhard1]

welcome to HSO Rusty!!!!good luck.

[RustySasquatch]

Thanks!

[RustySasquatch]

Any reports on ice out in this region?

[RustySasquatch]

Looks like ice is out in the Ely area. I would guess it is going to be a slow opener since the ice out was so late. Anyone know what water temp the walleye need in order to spawn?

[jellio]

Late ice out makes for a better opener...IMO. To me the fish are alot easier to find and catch during spawn-pre spawn than after they spawn and dispearse.

[RustySasquatch]

I hope you are right, but I will find out during opener. My buddies are heading up for a boys weekend for memorial weekend and really hope that weekend will be good for fishing.

[FishMaster007]

I also agree late opener usually means good fishing 2009 was an extremely late opener I think ice was still on the lakes on opener went out on Wednesday we went the weekend after opener at least over by ely and slaughtered the pigs/ over twenty from 26-30 inches one of the funnest times, but then again I woke up to snow on the ground on Saturday morning!! Bring opener on going to try a new lake this year hope to see some of you guys up on rainy.

[joedavis]

Going into the BWCA for opener...putting in at Homer, and then going to Vern to Juno to Brule. Pretty easy trip, but I'm taking my 4 and 6 year old boys. I've never fished that early in the BWCA, so I'll take any advice I can get.

Should I even bother with live bait? Minnows are out of the question, but it wouldn't be too hard to bring some crawlers. I figure I'll just bring my jiggin' rod, an assortment of jigs, and some plastics. I'll bring a small assortment of cranks for good measure.

I'd love some advice on plastic selection...size, style, color. Right now I'm planning on some 3" power minnows and ripple shad in various natural colors and chartruese, and some jigging grubs in chartruese and white.

I hope you're right about the late opener being good for fishin'...

[Jarrid Houston]

Might not be a bad idea to have some gulp..

[Surface Tension]

BWCAW Moose Chain.

Sat morning was a bit chilly and the wind was cranking pretty good.

Morning water temps around 49 degrees.

Instead of ducking out of the wind we opted to fish the spots we thought would hold eyes.

Jigs and fathead chubs on a breaking shoreline that flattened out in 14-18' of water. Most fish were held tight to that break, the bite was super light but once hooked the fight was all there.

We managed quite a few eyes right away in the morning in the 14"-19" range, most were released. The bite dwindled as the sun climbed higher.

During the day we goofed around camp and tossed jigs from shore for eyes. No go there as the post spawn eyes had moved out of the area and the pike moved in. A sucker on bottom was just the ticket for them.

Full from an early dinner and our fill sitting around camp catching pike we head back out the evening eye bite.

The wind still blowing but the gusts were not a s bad as they were earlier.

Shadows just stating to appear on the Western shores and water temps at 53, warm water plied up on them all day long.

Starting out in 18' of water, the eye bite was back on. As the sun dropped lower the eyes came on closer and we got them in 7' and less.

This same scenario will hold true for quite a while now.

We usually catch a few in SM Bass while throwing jigs for eyes but none had moved into those areas yet.

[Mr218]

Great opening weekend on Island. That pic was taken about 9AM Saturday. Most 13"-15". Biggest was 18". Threw a lot of fish back. Lots of pike mixed in on Sunday. Most caught shallow and on jigs. Played bumper boats at a couple hot spots, but was well worth it. Shallow jigging for most of our fish.

[RustySasquatch]

Nice work boys. I decided to hit Mille Lacs and ended up getting skunked.

[Jack Stasney]

Hey I think that one is a Perch! Nice fish guys.

[Northlander]

Great opening weekend on Island. That pic was taken about 9AM Saturday. Most 13"-15". Biggest was 18". Threw a lot of fish back. Lots of pike mixed in on Sunday. Most caught shallow and on jigs. Played bumper boats at a couple hot spots, but was well worth it. Shallow jigging for most of our fish.

Does your live well not work? I see all them nice fish are belly up. Good catch by the way. Them are monsters for Island Lake. Like a good friend of mine always says. "Theres no big ones in Island Lake".

[Dave_A]

joedavis,

I'm taking my kids on the Homer, Vern, Juno loop in a couple of weeks. I wonder how you guys did for opener and if the portage from Homer to Vern was really muddy as others have said. I plan on bringing some leeches, an assortment of plastics like you mentioned, Mepps spinners and rapalas.

How was the fishing on Homer? Did you get into the smallies?

How about Whack and Vern? Hammerhandles?

Did you try the river that heads west from the south end of Vern?

Hope you and the boys had a great time.

[reinhard1]

talked to my brother this morning and he was up the north shore on the arrowhead river and caught a 16in. coaster [brookie] and realeased it. caught it on a two inch piece of black yarn he tied on a hook. also caught 2 18 inch walleys there. good luck.

[live4chrome]

hey guys,

motor problems have left me without a boat for two weeks or so. I was hoping to jump in on a boat going out on superior one of these days. Will throw down for gas money obviously. I do a good amount of trolling out there and could bring a few rods/ spoon box if thats an issue. Willing to trade tips/trips out.

-andrew

[jwmiller33]

The smallies are really active! Caught this one that went 18 inches but I would guess right around 5lbs. The stomach was like a football.

[Northlander]

Nice fish and cute shirt Miller. Your ready for the bassmasters now.

[jwmiller33]

haha yuuup.... Just about everything BUT the walleyes were biting this weekend.

[Northlander]

The smallies are snapping on the river and I have reports from trusted guys that a 24"er, 22"er and 21"er were caught last week. I wanted a pic of the 24 but I guess it didnt work out. 24" smallie is a HAWG!

[jwmiller33]

Wow 24 inches is a hog! That has got to be close to 8LBs. The state record smallie in MN is 8LBs! Did he have pics of the other fish? Sounds fishy if the 24 is the only one he doesn't have pics of

How has the walleye bite been out there?

[Northlander]

They werent all caught by the same guy. Ya I told the guy that the 24"er could have been a state record and he seemed bummed he didnt do anything with it.