Frazer Bay - Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[Cliff Wagenbach]

PSU,

The weather change yesterday and last night has gotten the walleyes on a hard bite again!

Marked lots of large schools on the reefs at 4 spots that I checked this morning.

Fished in one spot for 3 hours with my clients from 8:00am to 11:00am and we boated 47 walleyes! Kept their limits of 16 walleyes that were all 14" to 16" fish. Threw back lots of other eater sized fish also.

Hope this is the beginning of the late summer bite!!

Cliff

[Wheres_Walter]

Lindy's and 1/2 crawler, cliff?

[PSU]

Great to hear, thanks!!

[Cliff Wagenbach]

W-W,

Still using 1/2 crawler on a lindy rig.

14' to 16' depths today.

Cliff

[Wheres_Walter]

I fished saturday and sunday mornings.  On both days I caught 3-4 walleye between 6am and 645am, and then nothing for the next two hours.  Several of the fish were 16,17, 18" so i was not complaining.  Lindy's and crawlers and slip bobbers and crawlers, all on reefs at 16-18 FOW.   Didn't matter what else I tried, nor where I tried, nor daytime, nor night.  If I was not fishing from 6-645 in the morning, I would have been skunked.

 

[PSU]

I heard that from a couple other fisherman Walter, thanks...

[Fish Head]

Bright sunny days Sat & Sun... Did they slide a little deeper after 6:45?  Just a thought. 

[BigVwalters]

How's the bite been recently.   Coming up for the weekend and curious at what depths to start at. 

[FishinCT]

Pretty good for me from Monday through Wednesday. Found them from 14-24ft depending on the spot but most fish came from under 20ft. Trust the electronics and motor around til you find a good school. They are hitting pretty well when you find them

[Wheres_Walter]

Sunday and Monday we caught lots of 15-16" fish at 12-14 FOW.  All on Chartruese jigs with half a crawler.   A couple in the high teens and one 21" as well.  

[Cliff Wagenbach]

W-W,

What time of the day was best?

Cliff

[redlabguy]

W-W,

and what kind of bottom, rocks?

Dick

[Wheres_Walter]

30 min before and after sunset, and from 7-9am.     I'm no expert on bottom composition, but I'm pretty sure its rock.  The point i was fishing near extends underwater as a ridge or rock pile, with flats on either side.  Was fishing the flats.  Most fish were close to the rock pile, but not on it.  

 

[FishinCT]

Fished a spot exactly like you talked about when I was up, might be the same spot honestly. Only picked up a few dinks. Amazing the difference a few days can make

[PSU]

Any new walleye updates? Still using 1/2 crawlers on a Lindy?

[VermilionGold]

Only made it out for a few hours over the weekend due to the soggy weather.  Had a lot of success when we did get out, would say the lead core bite is in full swing now.

[delcecchi]

Leadcore is a fall thing? 

[VermilionGold]

Mid August through September is usually as good as it gets for pulling lead.

[Wheres_Walter]

VG- Can you give me a brief 101 level explanation of why you are using leadcore and what you are pulling with it?  Is it simply to get raps a little deeper?  I never use it, but I'm always interested in learning new approaches.

Thanks.

[VermilionGold]

Most spots I'm fishing are 18-22', lead core just allows you to get the shad raps to the bottom.  99% of the time I am fishing on or near the bottom at 2-2.2 mph.  If you see lots of fish on your graph along shoreline breaks or out in the basin, give it a go.  I use shad raps in size 5-7.

Edited August 29, 2017 by VermilionGold

[muskie-mike]

I pulled leadcore for two hours on Friday in Frazer,no fish...maybe I was too deep..24-26 ft...

 

[FishinCT]

I'm interested in the why too. I troll a little bit when I'm there in the fall when they are scattered in front of the cabin and usually do ok but I've never dedicated more than a half hour or so to it. 

Is it effective because the fish are just more scattered that time of year? Because the perch minnows are shad rap size by then? Water temperature warm so pulling at 2+ mph works for more active fish? 

Do you just enjoy doing it or is it the most effective presentation that time of year?

Sorry for so many questions, just like to keep learning about the lake

[OhioVike]

Yes, when fish are scattered,  trolling at 2mph covers more ground than your typical troll speeds. But also, the speed and action of rapala stirs the fishes' instinct and you get a reaction strike.  Seems to make fish that might not be as aggressive, more aggressive and again creates more success.  

[VermilionGold]

Right now there are lots of walleyes out roaming the basin and leadcore is the most effective way to target them.  I enjoy trying to put together a pattern, as each day the best location and lure will most likely change.  Also, I have small children and it is any easy way to get them on fish.  It helps if you can run 3-4 lines, so you can experiment with lure size, color and depth.  Most days you can find a specific color that will out fish the others 5:1.  Once you find the winner you can replicate on the other rods and really dial it in.  Obviously it helps if you have an extensive collection of shad raps, lure collection can be addicting and expensive.

[Wheres_Walter]

Thanks for the insight VG and Ohio.  I have a tackle box full of rapalas that I seem to buy every spring, then never use.  Might need to put them to work!   We tend to close up the place for the season around Labor Day, so I miss out on the fall bite.  But then again, we never knew there was a fall bite until recently,  and I don't need much of an excuse to fish.  

Is there a point in the late summer/early fall where the bite changes from crawlers to minnows again?  It seems like that's the case if you are pulling raps, no?

PS- This site is just the best.   I appreciate all the fishing knowledge I've gained here in the past few years.  I try to contribute when I have something worthwhile to add, and I hope my meager tips have helped one or two pick up a few extra eye's.   

Good luck out there.

Matt

[muskie-mike]

Part of my not getting the fish is I usually fish alone so only One line out...last year I had many 20+ fish outings..will keep trying...

[VermilionGold]

Later in September/October I will put the trolling gear away and switch back to fishing minnows on jig or lindy.  Jigging raps can be deadly that time of year as well.

[bassbouncer]

We have been catching lots of walleyes with leadcore lately. Some in Frazier and some in big bay. Bought one rod a couple weeks ago and now own 4.  Salmo hornets, Berkeley Flickr shad and Flickr minnows, etc. ditto on the color thing. Can make a huge difference 

[Wheres_Walter]

Anyone have a sense of Grouse populations in the Vermilion area this year?  Up? Down?  Average?

[OhioVike]

Really, really bad. I would stay away.  LOL. 

 

Only joking. I don't believe we are at the top of the cycle but no reason to stay away.