2021 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[MN BassFisher]

I casted off the dock at Midnight for an hour with no luck. Saturday morning and afternoon on the east side was tough for us! We tried many different locations, depths and changed tactics/baits quite a bit but only mustered up 1 16" eye, a few small ones and a Perch. We went out at 7pm and focused our efforts in shallow and got our 2 man limit in about an hour which felt good after the hours we put in prior to that. Sunday morning we went out for a few hours and just casted shorelines, we picked up 1 walleye, 1 smallie and my PB Pike.

[chucker1101]

That is a pig - congrats on a PB! How long?

[PSU]

We fished the Frazer/Smarts Bay area pretty hard very early Saturday and Sunday and just a touch this morning. Overall, I felt the fishing was pretty slow compared to other years. Did manage a nice 17, 19 (off the dock later in the evening), and 19 1/12 in the area. Also a few 20 pluses which are always fun. We fished long hours and many trips moving though for the smaller haul.

 

Absolutely gorgeous weekend though and so nice for the cabin to be open! 

[MN BassFisher]

On 5/13/2019 at 9:38 AM, chucker1101 said:

That is a pig - congrats on a PB! How long?

It was 38". 

[SkunkedAgain]

On 5/10/2019 at 10:00 PM, CigarGuy said:

Got into a few tonight! Probably released around 8 that were boarder line  Water temp was 51.8. skunked, was that you spinning donuts in your boat

 

Yup, my daughter either wants to go fast or do "loopty loops" in the big boat. It's tough on a weekend like that to find a spot away from fishermen.

[SkunkedAgain]

7 hours ago, MN BassFisher said:

It was 38". 

Congrats on the 38" pike. That blows my PB out of the water. How was the fight?

[SkunkedAgain]

Without the guys up as usual, I went to bed Friday night without a drop of beer. Therefore I woke up at 5am and caught the morning bite. I picked up an eater in the channel leading out of Black Bay. Then I pitched a few minnows from my dock before breakfast catch a nice bass. Back out for the twilight bite, I picked up a beauty slot walleye but it shook my barbless hook as I reached for the net. Oh well, she's swimming again.

[208ProV]

Anyone been fishing since Sunday? 

Hoping the bite has picked up a bit!

[bassbouncer]

6 minutes ago, 208ProV said:

Anyone been fishing since Sunday? 

Hoping the bite has picked up a bit!

Not yet. Just as poor as it was over the weekend 

[Pat McGraw]

Definitely picked up a bit Monday evening in Frazer.  

[RoosterMan]

Good start to the Season!   Very nice average size on the fish we caught.  Good luck. 

[PSU]

I agree Rooster! We didn't catch many, but the 17, 19, and 19 1/4 were fun! Also, a number of low 20's and a 25 1/2!

[Wheres_Walter]

Pat-

 

I'm headed up tonight for our "opening" weekend.  I'm on Frazer bay too.  Do you care to share what presentation you were using?  Jigs?  Lindys?  Minnows?   Any tips on depth to target?

 

I'll share what works for us this weekend.....assuming something works.

 

I'm freaking pumped to get back on the V!

 

Matt

[RoosterMan]

We fished jigs and Minnie’s. We had a very consistent bite under 10’ fow. We had 3 fish in the slot as well.  We also caught fish deep but the bigger fish were all shallower. 

[redlabguy]

I’ve been fishing 2-3 hours a day (between cabin projects) since Sunday. I’m fishing Frazer Bay. I find fish deep near drop offs but I’m catching 5 small ones per keeper. Minnow on a rig, 29-32 fow.

RLG

 

ps- envious of some nice reports. My best so far is 17”. 

[Wheres_Walter]

Last night got 3 in the 18” category.  Chartreuse jig and minnow.  8-10 fow.  This morning same presentation, but only connected at 30 fow +\-   Smaller fish.  

[Pat McGraw]

24 - 30' adjacent to spawning areas (wind swept rubble) in daytime: A few using lindy with minnow, sometimes a pounded spinner blade as well.

14-30' jigging with fireball and minnow in same area also worked.

Of course the old slip bobber with a #6 and a minnow in 3-11' in the evening worked best.

[MN BassFisher]

On 5/14/2019 at 8:45 PM, SkunkedAgain said:

Congrats on the 38" pike. That blows my PB out of the water. How was the fight?

Mine as well! My previous PB was 33". I just posted the video in the main Forum section.

Edited May 18, 2019 by MN BassFisher

[JerkinLips]

Fished Vermilion Wednesday-Friday and had mixed results.  Only fish I caught in the mornings (8-11am) was a 13" perch, and the 24" northern and 21" walleye pictured on Friday morning.  Did find a decent evening bite from 8-10pm although most eyes were quite small (11-13").  I did catch a few eaters for a meal.  Fishing in 15 FOW with a plain red hook.  Was moving very slow and the fish were biting very gently.

[Wheres_Walter]

switched to a lindy with a white Bead and plain hook and that out performed jigs 2 to 1.  In the  Morning best depth was 24 fow.  Evening 6-10 fow.  Chubs and rainbows.  No big fish but plenty of 12-16”.  Just devoured a delicious shore lunch.  Life is good. 

[bassbouncer]

I fished in today’s tournament and the bite was pretty tough. Lindy rig with minnow was the only thing we caught anything on. 

[mulefarm]

What was the winning weight?

[208ProV]

I believe it was 12.51.???  They had a 9#er and only 3 other fish.  

[PSU]

When and where will they post the results?

[james_walleye]

I saw the results posted on the city auto glass facebook page. Low results compared to the past couple years

[bassbouncer]

14 hours ago, mulefarm said:

What was the winning weight?

12.51. We had 7.09 10th place

[bassbouncer]

Just now, bassbouncer said:

12.51. We had 7.09 10th place

 

[Raven77]

Must have been a tough day of fishing with a couple hundred good fishermen catching only an handful of fish over 5#.

 

I'm puzzled by the fish weighing 5.15# and and 5.81#.  Seems too heavy for a 20" fish and too light for a 26" fish.  The chart I use suggests a 20" walleye weighs 3.12# and a 26" walleye weighs 7.18#.  Of course there is huge variation around this prediction chart.  Wonder if these were these long skinny fish or short chunky fish?

 

Thanks for posting the results bb and congrats on 10th place.

[JerkinLips]

I'm sure that the 5.15 pound walleye was a skinny 26" fish.  The regulations book lists a 20" at 2.7 pounds and a 26" at 6.2 pounds.

[208ProV]

I was the one with the 26-1/2" fish yesterday that weighed 5.15 #s. Was a skinny spawned out walleye!  Catch her again in 2/3 weeks and she will be 6/7 lbs for sure!