Lake Vermilion Fishing Q&A

[guideman]

Sorry that I missed this in October.  I have been laid up with a bad back since September and wasn't spending much time on the site.  The fall fishing is always excellent for Smallmouth and there is a real shot at a 5 pound fish.

[Reid Saarela]

Hey Guideman, 

I know the time has already passed this year but, what type of stuff do you have to look for to catch smallmouth in the fall. (Late September through all of October). What depth, bottom type, etc. I can catch them all summer long but I have had trouble it the fall. I think people like to fish deep the rock piles, 30+ ft. Is that effective for you?

Thanks!

[guideman]

Hey Reid, sorry it's taken so long for this reply.

Their is a period late in the fall when Smallies come back to the shallows to feed.  Typically it is just late September  or early October, depending on water temps.  Otherwise I concentrate on main lake points or islands that have shallow flats that fall sharply into deeper water.  Slow rolling spinnerbaits, jigging spoons, soft plastics and crankbaits catch most of my fall Smallmouth. 

I hope that helps.

"Ace"

"It's just fishing man"

[guideman]

Spring is less than a month away and I already have my fishing equipment all over the house.  Spring Smallmouth and early season Muskies has my blood boiling already. Spring time Smallmouth are my favorite as the bulk of the fish will be found shallow and easy to catch. Top waters, spinner baits and any number of soft plastic presentations will get you all the action you can stand.  Counting the days until the fishing opener.   

"Ace"

"It's just fishing man"

lakevermilionresorts.com

[BrianF]

Hi Terry, sounds like I'm not alone in my desire to fish open water!  As this has been the 8th warmest winter on record, with the intermediate range climate forecast for a very warm March as well, I'm thinking this will be another unusually early ice out.  Quite possibly a repeat of 2012??  It is forecast to be 56 degrees here in the TC on Saturday, with more 50's on the way.

Remember this...???  See below.  With the season scheduled to open late this year, and ice out that is going to be early, who wouldn't like to see this happen in 2016?  It took a couple of legislators in your area to get the ball rolling.  Maybe they would do so again?

Two Minnesota lawmakers are proposing to move this year's fishing opener a week earlier to avoid clashing with Mother's Day and to take advantage of the unusually warm spring.  The opener currently is set for Saturday, May 12. Mother's Day is May 13. Under the proposal, the season would open May 5.  "Considering the early spring, there's just no reason not to do it,'' said Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook. "Why not give people the opportunity?''  Bakk said Minnesota's resort and tourism industry was hurt by the lack of snow, poor ice conditions and early ice-outs. "Businesses that are dependent on winter tourism had a rough year, and an extra week of the fishing season would give them a big boost," Bakk and Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, said in a joint statement Friday. And, said Bakk: "I'm not the only Minnesotan who is torn between the fishing opener and spending May 12th with my mom. Of course, Moms should be the priority, but this way Minnesotans can have both."  Bakk said he and Dill plan to introduce amendments to bills on the House and Senate floors to change the opener date. "I think there's a very good chance it becomes law,'' Bakk said.

[guideman]

I really doubt that it will ever happen, just to many other interest groups against it.

"Ace"

"It's just fishing man"

fishingminnesota.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BrianF]

Unfortunately, you are probably correct, Terry.  I posted on another forum, whose readership is primarily walleye guys, asking whether the members would support moving the opener on an exception basis this year as was done in 2012.  That idea went over like a lead balloon.  Since when do fishermen NOT want to be able to fish more??  The objections weren't biology based.  The objections were tradition based. I'll never understand that.  As an alternative to moving the walleye 'opener', I sent a note to Tom Bakk this a.m., wondering if he would support an early C&R, artificial-only BASS-only season, but I doubt this will get any traction either.  [insert sad face]  For comparison sake, the idea of an early BASS-only season is consistent with surrounding states:  Iowa - Continuous season, South Dakota - Continuous season, North Dakota - Continuous season, Ontario (Zone 5) - Continuous season, Wisconsin - C&R season beginning 1st Saturday in May.  With the explosion of the bass population across the state in the last 20 years, I can't see how aligning ourselves with surrounding states would hurt anything, but maybe I'm only one who feels this way.

[guideman]

Hey everybody, here we are about to embark on another fishing season. Let me know if there are any questions about early season fishing on Vermilion. It can't get here fast enough for me.

"Ace"

"It's just fishing man"

[Passthru]

Hey Ace.

I would like to hear what you do to go after large pike in early June on Vermilion. We catch a lot of 20 to 30 inchers in the shallow weedy stuff and on points but I would like to more consistently find the larger fish. Thanks for any advice.

Keith

[guideman]

Most of my largest Pike, (Over 15lbs) are caught on large baits. My best producer day in day out, is a 3/4 or 1oz spinner bait. They allow you to fish in heavy cover where many of the big ones live. When fishing points or boulders I will also throw some 6 or 7 inch jerk baits or shallow running minnow style crank baits.  Early season typically means shallow weedy spawning bays, or the first adjacent cover at the mouth of the bay, or some inshore humps or rock piles or islands close to the mouth of the bay.  I rarely troll for them, however that can also be effective in early summer as they start moving to feed on ciscos or whitefish out in the basin.  On bright sunning days I either fish them deep or fish the deeper weeds with swimbaits or big plastics on a jig. Bass style swim jigs with a 4 to 6 inch piece of plastic can also be very effective at times. Buzz baits can also be a gas with the right conditions.  I never use live bait for Pike, so I hope this stuff helps you out this year.

"Ace"

"It's just fishing man"

[Passthru]

Thanks Ace, good stuff.

 

[Shep7]

Last year there was talk of an invasive species boating/trailering law where anyone trailering a boat in, into, or through MN would have to acquire a special permit.  We didn't make it up there last year, but will be coming this year.  Did this law ever come to fruition?  If so, how would I come about getting the required permit?

Thanks

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Shep7,

That rule was shot down!!

You will have to make sure that you read up in the general laws about what has to be done though.

#1 rule is that you have to have your boat drain plug pulled at all times while trailering your boat in Minnesota!

All live wells and bait wells also must be drained while trailering.

If you leave the lake with live bait you will have to drain all lake water off of them and replace it with tap or bottled water.

Check outside  boat and trailer for weeds. Remove any that you find hanging on either.

That covers most of the crucial stuff I think.

Cliff

 

[Shep7]

Thanks Cliff,

I do remember the rules about the plug and livewells, and checking for any vegetation when pulling out of the water.

Take care.

[going4it]

Any tips on smallmouth action for next week? Fished vermillion 1 other time for 1/2 a day and didn't even get a bite. My nephew wants to catch a smallie in the worst way and begged me when we are at the cabin if we can please go to a lake and catch some. Any info would be appreciated. I believe last time we hit pike bay, but the mayfly hatch just finished up so I don't think that did us any favors. 

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Should be able to really do well.. I like bobber and jig and a worm or leech. I would post a picture of a 19.5 largemouth from today but I would probably get harassed. Good luck! 

[guideman]

Why would you get harassed for catching a Big Smallie?

Even Walleye guides catch them once in a while.

"Ace"

"It's just fishing man"

[RoosterMan]

I realize this is probably a bad question. Oh well here goes.  How big of a boat could the trout lake portage handle?  Second can a guy only run his 9.9 up there and be legal if he has a larger motor on the boat?  

[Walleye Guy]

I have done that Trout Lake portage many times and the trailers used on the portage are generally designed for boats in the 14 to maybe 17 foot range.  We have taken some pretty full 16 ft. boats across the portage without any issues.  My understanding is that you cannot have a motor larger than 25HP on your boat and go into Trout lake.  That being said I have seen many boats that had both a 25 HP and a smaller kicker like a 7.5 or 9.9 HP on Trout.  Both motors are used going across Vermilion and the second motor acts as an insurance policy on Trout.  Both motors are not run at the same time on Trout. 

 

 

 

[Tominator692]

28 3/4" this AM.  Son boated a 21 1/4" and 18" as well. The fireworks have started early. 

[redlabguy]

It was a good day. Once again our slots out numbered keepers, though. Can't complain. My wife once again pulled in the fish. Two keepers, a 20 and a 25". I managed a 23". All in two hours. 1/2 crawler, just hooked 1/4" through the nose, bottom bouncers in 22-26' on a rocky bank. Sorry about the sideways photo.

RLG

[delcecchi]

Ok, I have a question.  Is this a thing for musky fishermen to troll or float around casting out over deep water way away from any structure, seemingly in random locations?  Mostly in the evening but also during the day.  When did it catch on?

This weekend, out on headolakes, bunches of people out over 40 feet in the middle of nothing, flat lining, running boards, or casting. Last year a few,  this year  dozens.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Muskies are everywhere! So are the walleyes.

With the many bug hatches happening at this time of the year Tullibees and other small fish are out over the deeper mud flats eating these bugs,in turn musky and walleyes are out there also targeting them.

Lead core line or down rigging is the best way to target these walleyes. Casting into the schools of surfacing Tullibees for musky in the evenings gives you a good chance of hooking up with one of them.

Cliff

[delcecchi]

This was folks spread out over deep water, not in schools of tulibee that I could see.   Weird to see boats out in the middle throwing that big stuff in 40 feet of water.  

[delcecchi]

If I were to take a ride and look for walleye on Niles bay, any suggestions on where to start?  Doesn't seem to be a lot of humps and stuff.  

I am told there are walleye there.  So, points, shoreline breaks?

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Dell,

If that end is like the East end, look for sand bars that top out at 17' to 20' and slope into deeper water.

1/2 crawler on a plain hook lindy rig.

Sounds like they are also hitting leeches under a bobber in sand/rock breaks and reefs.

Cliff

[delcecchi]

Thanks, Cliff.  I have leeches. So, that's what I will be using.   Too late to get more bait.   Might be tomorrow, due to weather.  Being a good way from home with thunder in the forecast not my favorite. 

 

[CigarGuy]

8 hours ago, delcecchi said:

If I were to take a ride and look for walleye on Niles bay, any suggestions on where to start?  Doesn't seem to be a lot of humps and stuff.  

I am told there are walleye there.  So, points, shoreline breaks?

Del, I went down there last wknd.  Fished in front of a big estate-had a indian on a horse and a moose silhouette along the front of the shoreline.  Marked a lot along the break line, but no bites.  Went across and fished along the 3 white buoys-only small perch. Was pulling 3-ways with lindys, spinners, crawler and leaches.   Next night did some lead coring out in front of porcupine island, marked a ton of fish, but again nothing-I sux on this lake walleye fishing!     

[delcecchi]

Thanks for the information, even if it was negative.

[FishinCT]

Looking at a new depthfinder after I finally convinced my dad that our 2001 model year garmin isn't cutting it. 

Looking at the lowrance hds 7 gen 2 touch. Wondering if anyone has any experience with that specific model. Also looking at the humminbirds but it just doesn't appear to be as crisp of a sonar reading with that. Obviously the lakemaster chip would be great but I'm much more concerned about seeing fish on the bottom. 

This is really the only lake it will be used on so basically just wondering if there is a marked difference between the two brands in regards to how they perform on lake vermilion specifically. 

Thanks for any feedback!