Is there something wrong with the lake vermilion fishery

[Esox_Magnum]

My biggest walleye came on a 9" long jerkbait, fish just hammered it. Funny part was it was a walleye pattern... Yes muskies will hit in very shllow water, the 51 that won the camp tourney last year was 3' off shore on a shallow point. I saw her the afternoon before in about 5' of water but she didn't like my offerings....So far this year all my eyes have been on a 8" muskie crank riping it for muskie....

[delcecchi]

And thanks for the mention of the hump. I looked at the map again and see that you were talking about a different island.

I will be giving that area a try. To return the favor, in past years we have seen muskies along the SW corner of Ormonds Island, for what that is worth.

[Esox_Magnum]

I have fished that a few times, personaly haven't seen anything there yet but know it holds fish...are the weeds up good behinde the island this year? The little one in the corner, not sure if it has a name or not....Theres also a nice hump out from Woody's cove I see the same walley boat out there every year, big black lund with a Varado.

[trolloni]

SSSHHHHH!!!!easy there !id prefer to hear ,by that island with the rocks on it !

[delcecchi]

SSSHHHHH!!!!easy there !id prefer to hear ,by that island with the rocks on it !

Island with rocks? That narrows it right down.

I didn't go on the shore side of the little island, but in general the weed growth is pretty good this year. Water temps have been in the low to mid 70's for several weeks. Best swimming in years.

Today while trolling a #18 rap on the rocks to the north of taylor's island I saw 3 guys in a ranger, all throwing bucktails. They got something, although I wasn't close enough to see if it was musky or northern. Looked to be a 40 or there abouts. Hit black with hot pink blade. One would think a fish would have better fashion sense.

Anyway, they took a quick picture and released it. This was about 1:30 or so this afternoon. Water temp 74 degrees.

I guess I will keep an eye on Woody's also. Fished there a few times and didn't get anything, but was more off the end of the reef.

[Fish Head]

Chucker, good to hear that you're doing well this year. Everyone I talk to seems say how poor it is. Good job.

[Steve Foss]

Today . . . I saw 3 guys in a ranger, all throwing bucktails. They got something, although I wasn't close enough to see if it was musky or northern. Looked to be a 40 or there abouts. Hit black with hot pink blade. One would think a fish would have better fashion sense.

That's just funny right there.

My wife's cleaning service uses Navy blue and pink as her colors. She calls it mmmmmBINK!

[Esox_Magnum]

Muskies like pink.....

[chucker1101]

[goblueM]

Muskies like pink.....

shhhhhhh

[delcecchi]

Sure, you can see a hot pink blade from a long ways away. They held the fish up for a quick picture. If you can tell the difference between a musky and a northern at like 100 or 150 feet you have better eyes than I do.

[muskie-mike]

Not only is the walleye fishing poor,so is the sunfish bite in Frazer,Greenwood area. Can't seem to find hardly any sunfish and the few I find are the size of a potato chip. Used to have many spots to catch them up to 10 inches long. Is it because of the rusty crayfish eating eggs and weeds?? Also what is it that I see everywhere on my graph, looks like fish near the bottom all over the place but can't catch any..

[mcmsek]

It is easy to tell something is wrong with the fishery when a walleye tournament in May with locals and semi pros fishing and only a small percentage of boats can boat 6 walleyes over 12 inches in 8 hours in the typical prime time for Lake Vermilion in the past. We cant keep making up excuses on weather, warm spring, cold spring, etc! The cormorants need to go.

[Capt. H (Ret.)]

I too think there is something going on with the lake. Although I have only fished the lake the last four years (during the month of June)fishing results have seemed to decline every year since the first one. I am not the type of person that fishes to fill the freezer. As a matter of fact I don't belive we have kept a fish to eat (by choice) in the last two years. I also realize that I am not real experienced with the lake and the areas to fish but what has worked in the past doesn't seem to work as well as it did.

I am thinking about a fall trip to try for the smallies. This June I observed some guys that caught a huge limit of smallies and kept them to eat. I really don't have much of a problem with this but there were some big girls in the bunch and I hate to see that.

All that being said I love to come to the lake. It's a week away from the office for my wife and I and we love the scenery and the north woods!!!!

Good Luck fishing!!!!

Mike

[Silver Scale]

Not only is the walleye fishing poor,so is the sunfish bite in Frazer,Greenwood area. Can't seem to find hardly any sunfish and the few I find are the size of a potato chip. Used to have many spots to catch them up to 10 inches long. Is it because of the rusty crayfish eating eggs and weeds?? Also what is it that I see everywhere on my graph, looks like fish near the bottom all over the place but can't catch any..

With the rusties taking out the weeds in Greenwood the panfish population will decline in a hurry due to lack of habitat. Used to be lots of bluegills in Armstrong bay and even North of Pine Island but once the rusties wiped out the veg you can't find a bluegill there anywhere. If you want panfish you need to go west of Niles Bay. Stuff your seeing on the graph could be rusties.

[Silver Scale]

It is easy to tell something is wrong with the fishery when a walleye tournament in May with locals and semi pros fishing and only a small percentage of boats can boat 6 walleyes over 12 inches in 8 hours in the typical prime time for Lake Vermilion in the past. We cant keep making up excuses on weather, warm spring, cold spring, etc! The cormorants need to go.

Anyone know what the cormorant count is this year compared to last year?

[muskie-mike]

You may be right on the rusties showing up on the graph cause they were tearing up my crawlers on a Lindy rig..The East arm of Greenwood still has plenty of weeds but few sunfish. I was told the rusties haven't invaded there yet is because they would have to cross mud to get there and they don't like to do that..

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Anyone know what the cormorant count is this year compared to last year?

[Silver Scale]

10-15% increase in cormorants in one year is not good.

[Steve Foss]

So what was the actual count/estimate?

[Uncle Boney]

Tell me more about these Rusties. Sounds like they can not be stopped? I fish on the west end, could they be moving there faster than some are thinking and worsening the already funky west end fishing?

If I am slow fishing a worm or leech, would they try to eat it right off the hook? Was I feeling a slow biting walleye or a crayfish trying to steal my bait?

[delcecchi]

Tell me more about these Rusties. Sounds like they can not be stopped? I fish on the west end, could they be moving there faster than some are thinking and worsening the already funky west end fishing?

If I am slow fishing a worm or leech, would they try to eat it right off the hook? Was I feeling a slow biting walleye or a crayfish trying to steal my bait?

If I recall correctly, they are in Niles Bay and heading west. Little tiny covered wagons hitched to sucker minnows.... eeeh haw.

[Silver Scale]

Tell me more about these Rusties. Sounds like they can not be stopped? I fish on the west end, could they be moving there faster than some are thinking and worsening the already funky west end fishing?

If I am slow fishing a worm or leech, would they try to eat it right off the hook? Was I feeling a slow biting walleye or a crayfish trying to steal my bait?

Like all exotic species there is no stopping them. Just a matter of time before they start to hit the weeds in the sand on the west end. They love crawlers, leeches and minnows dragged on the bottom. Like rubber stuff too. Upside is they are a very abundant food source for everything.

[Steve Foss]

Upside is they are a very abundant food source for everything.

And while I really despise exotic species (to the point that I don't even like it when fish not native to a body of water are stocked there), at least the fish like to eat the rusties. It's not that way with all exotics (spiny water flea, for example).