2021 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[JerkinLips]

Bassbouncer, only the first 5 fish taken in pictures or can you replace  a smaller fish with a bigger one later?  The 44 lb winner is crazy; 8.8 lb/walleye average.

[bassbouncer]

7 hours ago, JerkinLips said:

Bassbouncer, only the first 5 fish taken in pictures or can you replace  a smaller fish with a bigger one later?  The 44 lb winner is crazy; 8.8 lb/walleye average.

 Catch as many as you can and the 5 largest count. I would say that their weight chart is skewed heavier than normal but it’s the same for everyone. In my opinion a 28” fish weighs 8# and their chart has it weighing over 9#. The winners had (3) 27-3/4, (1) 28-1/2, and a 26-3/4

 

[BigVwalters]

5 over 26"  Wow!  I follow the Chaz Dobias  guide service posts and he guided and pre-fished up there for a couple weeks before the tourney.  5 over 26" is a good day for anyone though.  Good work for the winners.

 

Anyways has anybody been out this week? They still biting on crawlers?   Heading up tomorrow was wondering what I should grab for bait.

[bassbouncer]

6 hours ago, BigVwalters said:

5 over 26"  Wow!  I follow the Chaz Dobias  guide service facebook posts and he guided and pre-fished up there for a couple weeks before the tourney.  5 over 26" is a good day for anyone though.  Good work for the winners.

 

Anyways has anybody been out this week? They still biting on crawlers?   Heading up tomorrow was wondering what I should grab for bait.

I haven’t been out since the tournament but it was 100% leech bite for us. Top 5 used big minnows but both can be hard to find this time of year

[chucker1101]

17 hours ago, bassbouncer said:

I haven’t been out since the tournament but it was 100% leech bite for us. Top 5 used big minnows but both can be hard to find this time of year

 

Leech bite has been solid for me the entire month of July. Caught fish on crawlers too, but the bigger walleyes have all been on leeches.

Edited August 2, 2019 by chucker1101

[delcecchi]

Just heard that the son-in-law of the neighbor hit a musky with his boat.   Sounds like a pretty good sized one.   Presumably it had been released and wasn't feeling well.   More when I hear.

[delcecchi]

36 minutes ago, delcecchi said:

Just heard that the son-in-law of the neighbor hit a musky with his boat.   Sounds like a pretty good sized one.   Presumably it had been released and wasn't feeling well.   More when I hear.

 

51 inches, basically straight off the end of my dock, a few hundred yards.   It is still floating out there off to the south west corner of our little bay.  Yummy roast musky.... 

[Wanderer]

2 hours ago, delcecchi said:

 

51 inches, basically straight off the end of my dock, a few hundred yards.   It is still floating out there off to the south west corner of our little bay.  Yummy roast musky.... 

 

Go get it Del! Let us s know how it turns out! 

[LBerquist]

Just use the belly meat to refill your thermometer. 

[delcecchi]

15 hours ago, Wanderer said:

 

Go get it Del! Let us s know how it turns out! 

It would be unlawful to possess that fish

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, delcecchi said:

It would be unlawful to possess that fish

 

Only until consumed. 

 

That is the one disappointing thing about the extreme length regulations on keeping muskies.  Basically a 100% C&R fish no matter what happens.  Sometimes I think a tag system might be worth thinking about for a 1 per year limit.  For me it’s tough to release any fish that I know isn’t going to make it.  It happens from time to time no matter how careful you try to be.

 

In the end, whether you take it home or leave it float, the lake doesn’t care.  The bugs and crayfish do I suppose.

[delcecchi]

34 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

 

Only until consumed. 

 

That is the one disappointing thing about the extreme length regulations on keeping muskies.  Basically a 100% C&R fish no matter what happens.  Sometimes I think a tag system might be worth thinking about for a 1 per year limit.  For me it’s tough to release any fish that I know isn’t going to make it.  It happens from time to time no matter how careful you try to be.

 

In the end, whether you take it home or leave it float, the lake doesn’t care.  The bugs and crayfish do I suppose.

Yeah, but seriously what would a guy do with a 35 pound musky?   Fillet it and freeze 25 packages?   

 

Yeah, it seems like a waste but it has to be that way.

[james_walleye]

The first morning of the week offered up plenty of action but mostly 10-12" fish. Did get a couple 14-15" we kept. Lindys and crawlers for us was best. I did stick this 26" fish as well.

[delcecchi]

Who needs walleye....

36 inches on a swim senko

 

[SkunkedAgain]

Is that a northern between your legs or were you just happy to.....

[delcecchi]

1 hour ago, SkunkedAgain said:

Is that a northern between your legs or were you just happy to.....

Yes.  I got 36 inches of swinging pike.

 

 

 

[BigVwalters]

Pretty slow for me last weekend but did manage a few eyes.  Got a couple in the niles bay area in the slot but still made for a good time.  Weather was great besides the rouge thunderstorm we had on Saturday. 

Any body been out this week?

[PSU]

VERY slow for me in the Frazer/Smarts Bay area over the last week using a Lindy and Crawler or leech. Actually been dreadfully slow (for me at least) for the past month....

[james_walleye]

Well I have to head home today. After a blah start the fishing ended up being pretty good. We ran into pretty good numbers of 14-15" fish and loads of 12-13 fish. We had really good luck on sand. Consistently 22-26' of water during the day with half a crawler. Yesterday morning we actually did best on bucktail hair jigs with a half crawler. I also did well running a spinner and crawler over rock bars in 10-13 feet. Not as much for numbers but much nicer fish, as well as bonus smallies and a few 6-7 lb pike. Middle of the week the in evening it was lights out. I started running cranks on a 13-15 feet break line and the fish were loaded..... but wouldn't touch the crank. I went to a spinner that first evening and it was as good a fishing as I've had here. 18 eyes in 45 minutes. Most 14-16" fish. It was also the only time leeches did anything for me. Crawlers worked as well. This bite did tail a bit as the week went on but that also may have resulted from the cold front. 

[Dr. Bombay]

Heading to West End on Taylor Island the end of August.  Anybody have any reports on walleye's or bass, whatever?

 

Thanks,

 

Dr. Bombay

Edited August 12, 2019 by Dr. Bombay

[delcecchi]

6 hours ago, Dr. Bombay said:

Heading to West End on Taylor Island the end of August.  Anybody have any reports on walleye's or bass, whatever?

 

Thanks,

 

Dr. Bombay

Bass been biting.   Northerns as well.  Walleye? No idea.  

[RoosterMan]

Had a great time with the boys fishing over the weekend.  

[james_walleye]

Sweet! That's the one thing I couldn't get going last week at all was a trolling bite. 

[RoosterMan]

James. Truth told it is a story of half truths.  If they wouldn’t go on the plugs. We went back and jig rapped em. 

[james_walleye]

The end of last week I was really liking what I was seeing on the humminbird. Lots of fish and bait in the basin but just couldn't get them to rip.

[CigarGuy]

It would be nice if you guy's would mention what part of the lake you're on when doing the postings.  GPS coordinates would really be great

[delcecchi]

23 hours ago, CigarGuy said:

It would be nice if you guy's would mention what part of the lake you're on when doing the postings.  GPS coordinates would really be great

yeah, what he said.  At least which of the half dozen sections.   Big Bay seems to be quite different than Head-o-lakes

[VermilionGold]

Good bite in the East end this weekend.  No big ones but lots of eater size walleyes coming to the boat.  Even got a bonus chewy, gave my seven year old all he could handle!

 

[Wanderer]

That’s a dandy. 

[Fish Head]

Trolling lead bite seems to be kicking in. Caught a nice limit of 17-19.5 last weekend. 

Edited August 20, 2019 by Fish Head