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Posted

I will heading up to Ely at the beginning of October.  Have a friend that lives there and another is going to meet us over there.  We are planning to make a trip down to Vermilion one of the days.  None of us has fished it.  So some general questions:  1. What is the best access to put in?  (I have a big boat 18.5 with a 200hp and coming from the Ely way). 2. Technique? Jig & minnow? Cranks?  3. Depth to find eyes at this time of year? Smallies?

Any general information you can help us out will be appreciated.  Don't need specific spots just general help.  Thanks!

Posted

Best time of year to come up. I'll be leaving at beginning of October but wish I could stay longer. I'll let the more knowledgeable handle most of this but the biggest thing I've learned the last few years is don't be afraid to use the big minnows. 4-6 inch pike suckers and the walleyes will smack them hard

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

Hey Mossy,

October is the best Walleye fishing of the season on Vermilion. I use a jig/minnow combo for most of my Walleyes however trolling cranks can also be very effective. Your best boat landing options coming from Ely are McKinley park or Hoodoo point.They both have plenty of parking and are close to some excellent Walleye locations. Look for points and rock structures that fall sharply into deeper water. Even as deep as 40ft, don't be afraid to fish deep, especially post turnover. I use 3/8oz fireball jigs and large chubs and Pike suckers. (3 to 5 inches). I like multi colored jigs with green, chart, pink or blue on them. Firetiger is my fave, but that's just me, you can do well on other colors but a mix bag will catch them day in day out.

Have a good time.

"Ace" ;) 

"It's just fishing man"

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

I agree with Ace on all of his options!

I also use a plain hook lindy rig with pike suckers or larger creek chubs a lot for my fishing in October.

Fish the tops of the deeper rock mid lake reefs with short lindys, (18"), baited with a large sucker for BIG smallies and also a few big walleyes. Slip bobbers also work well on these reefs baited with the same large minnows.

Cliff

 

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

Cliff do you ever use a circle hook on your lindys with the big minnows? I've only used them on catfish in the big river. Let them chow it down good and still not gut hook anything 

Posted

I tried the circle hooks but did not like them.

I never could get away from setting the hook and missed a lot of good bites!

Cliff

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

Thanks to all of you for the help!!!  Couple more questions:  Is McKinley Park a state Park that I have to buy a Permit to use it??  Are there any options on the lake to eat at where you can pull up to the dock and grab a bite?  Are the smallies mixed in with the eyes?  I am a largemouth bass fisherman and have NEVER caught a smallie.  I would like to hook into a few.

Posted

McKinley Park is owned by the Township of Soudan. There is a landing fee if you do not camp there and a camping fee if you camp there.

HooDoo Point landing is a public landing. No charge there for landing but a camping fee if you plan to camp there.

Not sure if there are any on the water restaurants open in October, but probably the Landing on the West end and the Vermilion Club on the East end of the lake will still be open.

The Smallies will be mixed in with walleyes if you fish the tops of the rocky reefs.

Cliff

 

 

Posted

What's up with Bayview these days?

Or there is that casino..

Posted

Wondered if bayview is open that late in the year too. They have good food and easiest access from big bay. 

Mossy, just continue to check this forum as you are preparing to head up there. There will be people giving current reports. I will be posting frequenty in late September early October. I'm not the walleye guru so if I'm catching them you will too!

Posted
22 hours ago, Mossy19 said:

Thanks to all of you for the help!!!  Couple more questions:  Is McKinley Park a state Park that I have to buy a Permit to use it??  Are there any options on the lake to eat at where you can pull up to the dock and grab a bite?  Are the smallies mixed in with the eyes?  I am a largemouth bass fisherman and have NEVER caught a smallie.  I would like to hook into a few.

McKinley park campground closes on Oct 1 - don't know if that affects the launch availability or not. Probably best to call or contact first.

Posted

Docks will probably be pulled at McKinley right after they close.

Landing will be usable yet though and free!

Cliff

Posted

You can find Smallmouth back in the shallows after the water temps reach the high 50's again. They won't be there for more than a week or two however the action can be very good. Spinnerbaits can be very effective at this time of year as water temps cool. Square billed cranks, swim baits and soft plastics on a jig are also effective for these shallow water fish. Minnow baits that resemble cisco's are also a good option in the fall. Any color spinnerbait as long as it's white. ;) 

"Ace" ;) 

"It's just fishing man"

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

The public launch at The Landing on the west end stays open until the ice sets in, but they do pull the dock sometimes around the end of October / beginning of November.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Well I am getting excited for the trip!!!  Sounds like the fish are biting!!!  When does the Y-store open in the morning?  Is Vermilion an early morning bite, or can you catch them after 7 a.m. when the sun is up?  I talked with my buddies and since none of us know the lake, we will just watch the DI and graph and start fish the rock piles.  We are planning to use the Hodoo Point landing and just fish and have a good time.  I will report when I return home.

Posted

The Y Store is open by at least 6:00am.

The fish usually bite all day on Vermilion especially in the fall!

Hoo-Doo is a good landing!

Cliff

Posted

Well I wish I had good news about my 1st trip on Vermilion.  We fished it Friday 10-6 from 8-6:30p.m and only caught 2 walleyes.  We tried jigging, lindy rigging, trolling cranks, anywhere from 12'to 40'.  Both walleyes were keepers (17' & 15') but they both came early in the day.  Fish were not stacked up.  Caught one in 31' and the other in 12'.  Tried rocks, flats, no success.  Water temps were 56-58.  That's the way fishing goes I guess.  We were around other boats and didn't see them catching anything either.  I wish I could tell you where we were on lake, but the best I can tell you is Raspberry Island and Birch Island.  We did go to the Vermilion Club for lunch and beer.  Good food and reasonable prices.  Thank you all who help us out on tips and areas, but it wasn't in our cards that day.  OH well!  I will be back for another trip up there, hopefully sooner than later.  Well the boat goes to storage as I am now chasing waterfowl and deer the next couple of months.  Have a good rest of the open water season up there!!

Posted

Mossy,

Sorry that your fishing was not very good!

Raspberry and Big Birch have not been very good areas the past couple of weeks! Should have looked a little farther West by Ely Island!

Cliff

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Kettle
      I mean to catch pike you just need a shiny object...
    • leech~~
      Just another "Words matter"   Voting on school levy. This was posted on the School "education district" building door.  We had a nice cold walk all the way around the building! The arrow was added, after we educated them! 😒
    • Wanderer
      Nope!  But it’s more funner!
    • smurfy
      I don't need no livescope to catch fish....🤔🤪  It's all in how ya wiggle the worm!😜 Just sayin  🤣
    • Kettle
      Obviously this is more of a hot topic due to forward facing sonar. With that being said, I know people who have pulled crappies out of basins 40+ deep since the fl-8 and zercom flashers came out. That's over 30 years ago. I do think there's a push to ban these in MN and I could see them doing it here. They'll have to pay my livescope from my cold dead hands 😆 on days I can't catch a walleye jigging or rigging it's nice to turn it on and throw corks at individual fish
    • Kettle
      It wasn't just you, I was fishing west of you about an hour on Monday. Fished 8am-4pm, no fish, two keeper walleye and one small one from 4pm-630pm. Marked a lot of fish, they would come up to a jig and swim away. They were skittish to the dead stick too
    • leech~~
      I wonder like divers, if we let them decompress every 10' for 1/2hr. If that would help?  🤔  It would slow the bite down a bit!  🤭
    • carlsonmn
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    • SkunkedAgain
      If you fished with me more often, you'd never have to make this statement...   38" of ice - love it. I'm really going to have to dig around for my auger extension. I don't think that I've needed it in over a decade.   Too bad nobody has a locomotive chugging across the ice to do some logging, like the good old days.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Resorts and outfitters on some parts of the lake have ice roads extending over 16 miles staying on nice schools of walleyes and saugers.  Many fish houses are over deep mud.  Some are on structure.  It is always fishing of course, but overall, February has been very productive for most anglers.   Extensions are being used on ice augers as the ice continues to thicken.  The thick ice this year will be good for the extended ice fishing season Lake of the Woods enjoys with fish houses out through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14th and a pike season that never closes. Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with a good number of jumbo perch in the mix this year.  Some big eelpout are also showing up.  Anglers are reporting plenty of fish for fresh fish frys and usually extra fish to bring home.   The one-two punch of a jigging line and deadstick is the way to go.  On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.     Lures with a light have been working well in the stained water.  Please remember, in MN, lures with a light or water activated light can be used as long as the battery is mercury free and the hook is attached directly to the lure and not as a dropper line.     On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    Some days, mornings are better, other days, it's the afternoons.  There is no distinct pattern, they could come through at any time. On the Rainy River...  The start of the day and end of the day have been best for those targeting walleyes on the river. A jig and minnow or a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Some big sturgeon being iced by ice anglers targeting them.  It is a catch-and-release sturgeon season currently.   Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing has been strong in the islands area of Lake of the Woods. Resorts continue to move their fish houses around, staying on the best schools of walleyes.     Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch with an occasional pike or tullibee as well.     Big crappies are still being caught just over the border.  Fish houses are available, check with a NW Angle resort for info on crappie fishing.   Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.    
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