2021 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[james_walleye]

So I figured I'd leave a report. I got up Saturday night. Problem is..... not much of a report other than in 10 years fishing this lake its the worst 2 days fishing ive ever had. I did get 2 16"last evening. But both mornings? Ive never fished so many thick pods of fish that would not go on anything. This afternoon I even tied walleye flies to try on a wolf river rig in the hopes of imitating bugs. Picture enclosed. I'll be up through the weekend so hopefully we get far enough away from the hatches that the bite gets going again. 

[BigVTim]

Same! It’s been terrible for me. I always blame myself but I feel like rumor around the lake is that it isn’t worth fishing for walleyes after June or before September. I hope that’s not the case and it is just me lacking knowledge. 

[james_walleye]

BigV..... how things can change in a day. I fished from 8:15 until 11:45 this morning when I caught walleye #50. Probably the best morning ive ever had on the lake. Lindy rig and half crawler was the method. This morning when you graphed those pods of fish they bit. 

As far as the lake in July and August? Personally August is my favorite month. Typically when you locate fish they bite. Wind blown areas holding perch minnows is what I concentrate on. Quite often it's sand pockets for me. That was the key today as the fish were coughing up perch minnows. Fishing always snaps back into shape when they get off the bugs. Soon the basin will be alive with the trollers. I really like the leadcore bite. Usually the quality of the fish caught is quite good. I'll be fishing walleyes the rest of the week hopefully continuing to report an improved bite.

[chucker1101]

4 hours ago, BigVTim said:

Same! It’s been terrible for me. I always blame myself but I feel like rumor around the lake is that it isn’t worth fishing for walleyes after June or before September. I hope that’s not the case and it is just me lacking knowledge. 

August bite is pretty good.

[delcecchi]

3 hours ago, james_walleye said:

BigV..... how things can change in a day. I fished from 8:15 until 11:45 this morning when I caught walleye #50. Probably the best morning ive ever had on the lake. Lindy rig and half crawler was the method. This morning when you graphed those pods of fish they bit. 

As far as the lake in July and August? Personally August is my favorite month. Typically when you locate fish they bite. Wind blown areas holding perch minnows is what I concentrate on. Quite often it's sand pockets for me. That was the key today as the fish were coughing up perch minnows. Fishing always snaps back into shape when they get off the bugs. Soon the basin will be alive with the trollers. I really like the leadcore bite. Usually the quality of the fish caught is quite good. I'll be fishing walleyes the rest of the week hopefully continuing to report an improved bite.

East end, right?    

[james_walleye]

Yes Del

[StillFishin']

As a guy who is trying to use my depth finder more to find fish, I'd be interested in hearing about the techniques used to find those pods.  Also do you think wind, clouds,etc. has anything to do with getting them going?  Are most pods relating to reefs- on or off, or over open water?  Thanks

 

StillFishin"

 

 

[james_walleye]

Hey still im working structure. Checking reefs and islands anywhere from 15-30 feet in general. I never drop a line until I find decent pods of fish on the graph. I wil typically check wind driven areas or the wind driven side of structure first. 

[james_walleye]

A quick report. I messed around last night for a couple hours. The pods I had fished earlier in the day had dispersed. I checked a few areas that had some fish. I caught 8 on this outing but one was a 29". A couple came rigging crawlers. A couple on bobbers and leeches. A couple came trolling the shoreline later in the evening. 

This morning the pods in those couple spots were completely gone from yesterday morning. I didn't snoop to much but instead decided to try leadcore in an area I've done well on in July in the past. I caught 4 but they were all 15-16". The flat was 17-19 feet. There was not alot of activity yet on the flat yet. Didn't see many fish and just a few clouds of bait. 

[Tlund]

46 minutes ago, james_walleye said:

A quick report. I messed around last night for a couple hours. The pods I had fished earlier in the day had dispersed. I checked a few areas that had some fish. I caught 8 on this outing but one was a 29". A couple came rigging crawlers. A couple on bobbers and leeches. A couple came trolling the shoreline later in the evening. 

This morning the pods in those couple spots were completely gone from yesterday morning. I didn't snoop to much but instead decided to try leadcore in an area I've done well on in July in the past. I caught 4 but they were all 15-16". The flat was 17-19 feet. There was not alot of activity yet on the flat yet. Didn't see many fish and just a few clouds of bait. 

How many feet of line were you letting out trolling 17-19’? And what speed? 

[james_walleye]

Tlund I was going 2-2.2 mph. 85 feet. I only run a 12 foot fluor leader. I was putting the 3rd color just into the water. 

[james_walleye]

Well a final report before I head home today. Fishing was steady the rest of the week.... at times fantastic. The wind was all or nothing. The days the wind blew I caught much nicer fish. Yesterday with the calm I caught alot of fish but almost all in that 10-13" range. Thursday evening with the wind I caught 19 fish and they were almost all 14-17". For the most part I stuck with lindys and crawlers. Depending on structure I fished anywhere from 17-25 feet. I'd highly recommend playing around with hook color and beads. I always put a single bead on and I find it incredible the difference that the color of one stupid bead can make. I did mess around with lead a little more. I had no luck in the deeper basin. I did catch a few nice fish the days the wind blew again on those more shallow flats....17-19 feet. 

[Muskyhunter73]

We did really well for walleyes as well. I share the same as James. If the wind was blowing the 15-20 inchers were biting. If it was calm the shorts were biting. Saw a few muskies but I don’t think they are fully on the rocks yet. The smallies are still in the shallow rocks. I did catch my personal best 40 inch pike Friday morning.

[Wakemupwalleye]

7 hours ago, james_walleye said:

Well a final report before I head home today. Fishing was steady the rest of the week.... at times fantastic. The wind was all or nothing. The days the wind blew I caught much nicer fish. Yesterday with the calm I caught alot of fish but almost all in that 10-13" range. Thursday evening with the wind I caught 19 fish and they were almost all 14-17". For the most part I stuck with lindys and crawlers. Depending on structure I fished anywhere from 17-25 feet. I'd highly recommend playing around with hook color and beads. I always put a single bead on and I find it incredible the difference that the color of one stupid bead can make. I did mess around with lead a little more. I had no luck in the deeper basin. I did catch a few nice fish the days the wind blew again on those more shallow flats....17-19 feet. 

 

[Wakemupwalleye]

What color hook are using? I had some luck with red hook and yellow glow bead. When bite was slow I tried Mustad slow death hook and got a couple nice fish. 

[Wakemupwalleye]

James are you fishing East end? I have a place on Wakemup and fish mostly west end. Realize the west end is a tougher bite but just easier to stay on that end.  Looking for some spots to target on the East end to get some eaters.  

[Trump 2020]

Hey guys, I''ll be on Vermilion east end for the first time ever fri-sat.

Wondering if anyone tried any jigging raps on those reef fish? Also, Muskyhunter, if you were targeting pike when you caught that beast, where were you finding them and what was working for the big gators? Congrats by the way on that PB!

Take care all! Thanks for the help!

[delcecchi]

Went out this afternoon and picked up 3 nords in about an hour and a half.  26 inches more or less.  Kept one released others.  

tinsel tail spinner bait in pockets of weeds, not bays of slop.    On the west gotta eat what is around.

[james_walleye]

Yes wakemup in east end.... big bay area. This week orange hook small chartreuse bead was clicking. But I've had luck st times with red.... orange.... pink and glow beads to. 

 

Trump I forgot to mention that. I did catch some fish on jigging raps. The one evening in particular the fish were a little tough and I busted one out and caught 6 in about 30 minutes. 

[Muskyhunter73]

2 hours ago, Trump 2020 said:

Hey guys, I''ll be on Vermilion east end for the first time ever fri-sat.

Wondering if anyone tried any jigging raps on those reef fish? Also, Muskyhunter, if you were targeting pike when you caught that beast, where were you finding them and what was working for the big gators? Congrats by the way on that PB!

Take care all! Thanks for the help!

I was fishing muskies. I caught that one on the calm side of an island. I was using a black bucktail. I was actually shocked it was a northern when I saw it. We caught a some walleyes slip bobber rig in 23 feet off a hump that comes up shallow. Everything we caught lindy rigging was orange hook green glow bead.

[Trump 2020]

One more question guys. I hear there is a cabbage/spinner walleye pattern.. Anyone been doing any of that? Is there decent cabbage in the big bay area or is that just a west end pattern?

 

[delcecchi]

Someone must have caught a musky or at least seen one in front of our cabin.  Several boats have been pounding it more persistently than normal the last few days.

 

And what's this about cabbage and spinners?

[Trump 2020]

Delcecchi-

I hear that guys pull spinners/crawlers over the cabbage weeds on the west end (same pattern as Winnie, Leech, Gull, etc...) Wondering if anyone has been doing that lately and if there is also good cabbage on the east end or if that is only a west end pattern..?

[delcecchi]

I asked because I am on west end and didn't know that and hadn't seen it.   But I mostly do head o lakes and wakemup.   Not aware of any non-slop cabbage beds long enough to pull spinners over.   Most are scattered pockets.   Maybe in Niles bay?  South shore of wakemup?   

 

And perch/gills will destroy crawlers in a few minutes, in my experience.   

Edited July 19, 2020 by delcecchi

[Pat McGraw]

Trump 2020 On west end there is an island between Jacobson Point (Little Sweden Rd) and Raps road. There is a well defined cabbage bed along the Raps Road shoreline. I have had success pulling spinners over the cabbage there.

[BrianF]

I’ve seen East end walleyes - lots of them and big ones - using shallow cabbage at mid-day on bright sunny days.  We’re talking 3’ of water.  It’s definitely a thing at times.  

[side_laker]

Heading up tomorrow for the day. Wondering what the walleyes want to eat. Leeches crawlers or minnows. As of right now I am thinking bring all three for options. 

[delcecchi]

3 hours ago, Pat McGraw said:

Trump 2020 On west end there is an island between Jacobson Point (Little Sweden Rd) and Raps road. There is a well defined cabbage bed along the Raps Road shoreline. I have had success pulling spinners over the cabbage there.

Thanks, I will give that a try.  

[Muskyhunter73]

3 hours ago, BrianF said:

I’ve seen East end walleyes - lots of them and big ones - using shallow cabbage at mid-day on bright sunny days.  We’re talking 3’ of water.  It’s definitely a thing at times.  

My dad caught a 15 inch walleye in 3 feet of water in the Stuntz bay cabbage on a Muskie bait. 

[Muskyhunter73]

2 hours ago, side_laker said:

Heading up tomorrow for the day. Wondering what the walleyes want to eat. Leeches crawlers or minnows. As of right now I am thinking bring all three for options. 

Leeches and crawlers this time of year but minnows might work since they are eating perch minnows right now.