2021 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Still the champs!

Capt.

[tjo]

Decided to try out my rain gear tonight and man did I ever. Got out to the mud flats early afternoon and caught two 15in right away. I was thinking this would be quick. But then the rain started and the wind picked up. Time to head for cover so I headed over to Birch point area. Caught one small one and lost an eater at the boat. Still raining but he wind died down so I headed back to the mud flats. Did not get another bite there so I started working my way in. Hit a few rock piles on the way in but no biters. Marked some fish but couldn't get them to go. All fish caught on chubs with lindy's with red hook, chartruce bead. 32 feet seemed to be the bite zone. Water temp was 58 degrees when I left. Just fried up the catch. Mmmmmm good!

[WallEYES]

Thanks Cliff...I guess it is ok to say now, because they are long gone. We got into them for a few days by accident in bear creek....A lot of fun and better than catching walleyes.

[Ely Lake Expert]

2012 City Auto Glass Walleye Classic results:

1. Casey Sunsdahl & David Schaeffer – 14.56 pds (*New tourney record*)

What was the old record? close enough that the change in slot size made a difference?

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Well we didn't have any from 17-18.. 13.67 was the old record

Capt.

[MarkB]

I haven't gotten out since last Monday due to wind, rain, and grass. The weather looked ok for today and so we went out. Overcast skies, light and variable wind from the NE, 45 degrees when we left the dock at 6:00, and water temps were 56.4 degrees when we started fishing. We started out at the mud in ~38' and my wife got an 18" and a 17" in the first 10 minutes or so. The bite was steady but nothing like it has been. I didn't see many fish on the sonar, but out there, you seldom do. It seemed that the bite was tentative, probably due to the cold front, and we had several fish pick up the minnow and immediately drop it. We eventually picked up 9 additional walleyes 14"-15.5" and 2 jumbos. The armada couldn't maintain it's huge numbers due to the slower bite and as additional boats pulled in, others left. When we left around 9:30, there were 22 boats spread over a fairly large area.

The second place we tried were some steep shoreline breaks adjacent to a small group of islands. We had steady action in 24'-27' of water. Our best walleye in this area was 16". These fish here acted like they really wanted it and if you let them take it too long, they swallowed the minnow. The bottom was mostly gravel down to about 25'. The transition area from gravel to mud didn't seem to produce any better or worse than gravel only or mud only. Fish were easily seen on the sonar in the hard bottom area. This area we had all to ourselves except for the loons and eagles which makes for interesting scenery in between hits.

The third area we tried was the rock reef I reported on last Monday. The 25'-29' area that was so hot on Monday was devoid of life today, or so it seemed. I switched rigs to include a float and tried right on top of the reef in 14'-19' of water. That's where we found them and they were right in the snaggiest stretch of the reef. Snags can get frustrating if you're not catching fish but the bouncers/floats/#6 hooks certainly lessen the frequency of hangups. We managed 5 in this area up to 15.5" before we decided it was time to head in. I believe we got the stragglers at the reef. It was around noon when we got there and I would imagine that had we started there, we may have found some super fishing.

When we left, the water temp was 58.4 degrees. It looks like a warming trend starts next week-end and it won't be long until we switch over to leeches.

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[james_walleye]

Nice running into you today Mark. I had similar results. In 3 seperate ventures to some deep mud with kids, nephews, and brother in law, we put 9 fish in the well along with losing a half dozen at the boat due to the kids insisting on netting the fish. I didn't try any other spots due to how easy the mud is to fish with the kids and that if you stayed at it you could pick a few off. My daughter let go a 19.5" on the last trek about 300. Last evening my daughter and I found a nice stretch of water, 16 feet and scattered rocks among the gravel, where we picked up 5 nice fish in about a half an hour around sunset. I will be taking 3 kids there shortly to see what we can do.

[MarkB]

Same to you Jamie My wife and I got a kick out of the netting job going on out the back of the boat. We concluded that it was probably the only place low enough where the little guy could see over the side. It's always nice to see the little ones helping out Dad.....

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[james_walleye]

Ya that was exactly it Mark. Ill tell ya what, those kids can fish. I love it. One thing I discovered kind of by accident out there for anyone else with kids is that fireline our suffix works great for lindy rigging. It allows them to feel the bite much better, or in a lot of cases you can see the bite on there rod tip. And also if they don't, or if they can't really set the hook, (you all know how that goes) when they start reeling the no stretch line basically sinks the hook in. The kids lost less fish than the adults did.

[Cherokee Ref]

Cudos to MarkB. His are the most comprehensive fishing reports I read on any fishing forum on the net. Most just tease and brag about how many they are catching, but don't add any of the particulars. Mark (and his wife) give you everything but GPS coordinates. If there is some award to be given for this type of report and sharing of info, Mark dererves it. Keep it up as I live vicariously through all of you who get to spend so much time on the most beautiful body of water I have ever fished. I'll see it again in September!

[MarkB]

I used to do exactly the same thing Ref! Every chance I got, I checked the forum for a new post letting me know what was happening. It drove me crazy not being here . I made up my mind, when my wife and I decided to live here full time, that I would post as much factual and entertaining information as I could possibly share without becoming too redundant. I like to post pictures, especially of big walleyes, but I can't seem to find them yet this year! 23" is still the best so far, but, hopefully that will all change soon.

Cherokee Ref, I appreciate the nice comments, and, rest assured, I will continue to post all the information I can to make your upcoming fishing trip a success. If you just pay close attention to what Cliff, Casey, and others tell you in their posts, then all you will need is a good sonar/gps unit and a navionics chip, and you won't even need their GPS coordinates .

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[fishingdad]

I have to 2nd that about your reports Mark B. I think the Vermilion forum as a whole is the most informative one anywhere. Great people, Great reports, & Great fishing to all of you. We will be up 1st week of August. Keep the reports coming (It helps us poor fools that live for the 1 or 2 times a year we can get there) How is the water level as compared to normal?

[Captain Acorn]

I was up to Vermilion the past two weekends and both were sucessful. Did good fishing 20 to 15 ft over memorial weekend using lindy rigs 6 ft snell red hook and red bead. I had rainbows left over from last weekend and the walleyes were loving them. The only problem was I ran out about noon on Saturday and no store that I could find had any from virginia to ely. I had to switch to chubs and didnt get much biting on them with a lindy. i switched over to jigging with them and it worked well. Orange and chartruse jig heads along rock points were working good for me boated 15 on saturday in about 5 hrs using this method. Also the size was a little bigger jigging for the most part. I noticed a couple of flys hatching on saturday and last night. My depth finder seemed to show a steady line on it about 10 ft down on saturday and closer to about 5 ft yesterday. I was wondering if it was possible that it was the main mayfly hatch already? I dont know much about it so if someone could inlighten me that would fantastic. Im thinking about heading back up this weekend but not if they have been feeding on flies all week. Good Luck out there and if your heading up there I would pick up some rainbows before you go

[FishinCT]

I'm right there with the other guys as a lurker since I will have nothing to post until September. It almost helps me get better at fishing without fishing if that makes sense. When I do finally make it to the lake I have so much more confidence in what I'm doing. Did fairly well last September using this info and from the sounds of it this year will be no different!

Lake by day, VC by night in September! Unless it's too windy then I'll be chasing grouse with the pup

[MarkB]

Water temps where we were fishing in Big Bay today were running 58.4 degrees at ~12:30 when we left for home. Mayflies require warmer water to enter the adult stage, usually mid-60's. The "old" mayfly "hatch" timeline was around July 4. In my journal I noted on June 25 last year that mayflies were "coming good now"(water temp 58.5 degrees early and 62.7 by noon). On July 2, "huge hatch today, wall to wall"(water temp 68.7 degrees). On July 9, "very few maylies today". June 24, 2010, "lots of mayflies"(water temp 71 degrees). They'll come earlier in the shallower bays that warm faster but the "big hatch" should happen the last week of June thru the first week of July.

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Like mark said they generally start in like pike bay and bystrom bay for example and then deeper and deeper mud as the days go on and water warms up. The west end generally has a later hatch then the east end by a week. My opinion is that the bug hatches can make for awsome fishing if you are where the fish are gorging. The end of the hatch is typically the slow down. I will continue to make excuses as I see fit.

Capt.

[MarkB]

"I will continue to make excuses as I see fit."

Capt.

Currently, I'm going with the wind and rain excuse. I mean, this is getting ridiculous! I poured 3.5" out last Friday, an inch out Sunday morning, .5" out last night, and I have .5" in there right now! The Pike River is, once again, going wall to wall over the spillway. My little dock is now up to the frame and I put on the plastic ties this morning. Yesterday, after the morning drizzle, I tried for ~20 minutes in a 25-30MPH steady blow to get the boat in the lift without causing major damage to anything. An hour later, it was totally calm BEFORE the evening deluge began again Right now, looking out the window, my windmill is spinning nine O from the west and I can only imagine what Cliff must have went through this morning

Tommorrow, sunny skies, 5mph north wind, and 50 degree for a high! Well yippee.....

I believe the lingering cold front system has finally affected the walleyes, at least for me. I'm actually having to work for fish Yesterday, my wife and I caught 9, biggest 16.5", 6 of them total dinks! I think maybe the powers that be are punishing us all for the massacre that took place on the mud flats! We got 5 dinks on the flats and the rest here and there in 17'-19' of water. Things will get better!

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[chucker1101]

Started seeing Mayflies around the dock at the cabin last weekend (south side, Pine Island). Not the huge swarms, but more than 50 of 'em at mid day. I'm thinkin' the big swarm is going to be a bit early this year.

[Birch PT Mike]

Mark, I'm glad I was not the only one with the plague yesterday. One 20" ,one 15" and multiple little guys. Watched Cliff's boat nail a bunch in one spot, but that's just what he does all the time. Glad I wasn't out there today. Better tomorrow. Mike

[MarkB]

Cliff said he fished in the wind and rain Sunday! Anyone who fished in Sunday's wind and rain may have eaten one too many false morels at one time or another Yesterday I ended up west of him about a mile. There is a buoy missing on the SE corner of Nyberg Island. The water is up but not enough to NOT need that buoy. The musky guys probably have it GPS'd but I'll bet the houseboat renters don't I used to have the number to call

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[chucker1101]

Missing buoys call: Vermilion Barging at 666-5512

[shamrock7]

There was also one out of position behind Pine. Bubba was headed out and also knew about the Nyberg marker.

[shamrock7]

[email protected] is the email for those needing to report marker concerns

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Mark,

The number to call for missing buoys is 218-666-5512.

Thought I missed seeing that one! I will call it in tonight!

Very tough fishing out there the past 3 or 4 days! Had to move a lot for most of our fish each day. Caught only 1 or 2 at each spot except at the spot where Mike saw me and they were in an area about the size of my boat!

Nasty out there again today! Fished Frazer Bay mostly to get some relief from the West wind.

We boated only 9 walleyes all day but they were dandy s! 5 keepers that were from 16-1/2" to 17-7/8" and 3 slot fish ranging from 18-1/2" to 25"!

Used lindys with minnows and leeches. Both worked equally well.

12' to 29' of water.

Cliff

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Dave and I went out this AM for a few hours.. Cold as %!£$ !! We boated about a doz with most fish coming on jigs and plastics ., 7-22ft

Capt.

[Captain Acorn]

what kind of plastics were you using if you dont mind me asking?

[james_walleye]

Casey have u tried paddletails? The 225s in particular?

[Casey Sunsdahl]

I like fluke style.. I stay away from Berkeley products.. Great marketing but terrible action. 3 and 4 inch.. The big ones shined the other morning. Mayflies are starting in pike bay. Fish like to eat mayflies

Capt.

[Captain Acorn]

if the flies are hatching in pike bay how long before they usually hatch in the main parts of the lake. I think Im heading up there next weekend and would rather avoid the tail end of the hatch if possible.

Thanks

[guideman]

On my way out the door for some Smallmouth bass. Just thought I'd chime in about the bug hatches. Fear not the rising bugs, it's puts everything on the bite. You just have to know what to do during a bug hatch.

"Ace"