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Vermilion Rookie

Mossy19
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Mossy19 Enthusiast

Mossy19

Posted
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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!

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FishinCT Community Regular

FishinCT

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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

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guideman Veteran

guideman

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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"

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Cliff Wagenbach Grand Master

Cliff Wagenbach

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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

 

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FishinCT Community Regular

FishinCT

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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 

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Cliff Wagenbach Grand Master

Cliff Wagenbach

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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

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Mossy19 Enthusiast

Mossy19

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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.

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Cliff Wagenbach Grand Master

Cliff Wagenbach

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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

 

 

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FishinCT Community Regular

FishinCT

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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!

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chucker1101 Community Regular

chucker1101

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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.

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Cliff Wagenbach Grand Master

Cliff Wagenbach

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

Landing will be usable yet though and free!

Cliff

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guideman Veteran

guideman

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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"

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  • 2 weeks later...
SkunkedAgain Grand Master

SkunkedAgain

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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.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Mossy19 Enthusiast

Mossy19

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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.

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Cliff Wagenbach Grand Master

Cliff Wagenbach

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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

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Mossy19 Enthusiast

Mossy19

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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!!

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Cliff Wagenbach Grand Master

Cliff Wagenbach

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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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