mayfly hatch Mayfly Hatch

[hunter8]

With the earlier ice out this year has that moved up the mayfly hatch. Were coming up this weekend for a week for our annual trip,

[guideman]

It looks like you could be right on time for a big fly hatch in Big bay and Daisy bay. Pike bay had a big hatch this last weekend.  If you are staying on the west end, the flies won't matter, there aren't any Walleyes anyway. 

"Ace"

Edited June 10, 2015 by guideman

[delcecchi]

It looks like you could be right on time for a big fly hatch in Big bay and Daisy bay. Pike bay had a big hatch this last weekend.  If you are staying on the west end, the flies won't matter, there aren't any Walleyes anyway. 

"Ace"

True dat

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Pike Bay already has had 2 or 3 large hatches!

Seeing a few flies every time out on Big Bay also!

Cliff

[JerkinLips]

Creel survey guy said on Friday that fishing in Pike Bay fell off due to the mayfly hatch.  None of the 4 parties he talked to (including me) had caught a fish as of 8am.  I did catch 7 small walleyes Thursday, but non were bigger than 13".

[MarkB]

We've been seeing mayflies on and off for the past week or so. Nothing major, but we've noticed a few fliers in Daisy Bay, Frasier Bay, and Portage Bay. In a couple areas where we've been fishing, we've noticed clouds of mayflies in the water column and all of the walleyes we've been eating were full Although we've been doing quite well fishing right down through the mayflies with slip bobbers, it's been in areas where we have marked fish. I've caught some of my best fish during mayfly hatches but usually later into July. Speed is critical when fishing for walleyes and it varies with the type of terminal tackle used(lures, live bait, etc). I've had good luck in the past during the hatch by increasing trolling speed up to maybe .6-.8mph as opposed to my usual .4-.6mph. The bait I've had the best luck with is a half crawler on a regular Lindy rig or something similar. Some people like the slow death rig or headlight jigs but I usually stick with my usual rig and increase my speed a bit. Don't give em as much time to think(?) about it

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[PSU]

Saw lot's of them on my graph in Smart's Bay over the weekend and they sure were buzzing Saturday evening!

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Fairly big hatch in parts of Frazer Bay area yesterday!

Cliff

[SkunkedAgain]

My truck hit quite a few of them

[Chiggs]

How long does the Hatch usually last?  We are coming up on the 23rd of June.  Think it will be mostly done by then? 

[SkunkedAgain]

As a side, one of my best days of walleye fishing in terms of quantity right in the thick of a big mayfly hatch about four years ago. There were mayfly floating everywhere on the water, walleye surfacing to eat them, and I was still hauling them in from down below. Sometimes one must just adjust their tactics to the situation....or get lucky.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

The main hatch in Big Bay has not happened yet.

A week or two off yet I think.

The hatch can last as long as two weeks if they do not have a major hatch all at once! Wind and water and air temps. are big factors.

Cliff

 

[DuluthGuy]

The Hatch is in 3 phases - essentially 3 sizes of may flies starting with Med, small, then the large Mayflies.

I have an example of the small hatch here.

Their in Armstrong

 

 

[DuluthGuy]

[Cliff Wagenbach]

The mayfly hatch appears to be over finally!

We caught 30 fish this morning on a sand bar and kept 12. All of the ones that I cleaned had young-of-the-year perch in them!

Good news as the walleyes will become more aggressive now that they have to run their next meal down if they want to eat!

Cliff

[airnuts]

How deep was the bar and what were you using for bait?

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Airnuts,

The bar topped out at around 16 feet. We caught the walleyes on the edges at 19 feet to 28 feet.

1/2 crawler on a plain hook lindy rig with a 4 foot leader.

Cliff

[airnuts]

Thanks!