2021 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[Janofish]

Chucker, Are you talking the round fireballs of the flat bottom, stand-up version? 6 more days and I will be wetting a line on Vermilion for a week. I am looking forward to exploring the lake for the first time.

[delcecchi]

12hours for 3 follows and 1 strike? Three people? Throwing that big stuff? I guess that is why I am not a serious muskie fisherperson. Too wimpy. me not the muskies.

[chucker1101]

Chucker, Are you talking the round fireballs of the flat bottom, stand-up version? 6 more days and I will be wetting a line on Vermilion for a week. I am looking forward to exploring the lake for the first time.

Talkin' the 3/8 oz., round multi-color Fire Ball. The yellow/orange Sunrise version here:

http://www.northlandtackle.com/Product/product.taf?_function=detail&_ID=74&pc=59

[FishinCT]

Del I believe that is being sane, not wimpy. But what do I know, I'm planning on coming up to try muskies Nov 17- ?? Hopefully no ice by then anyway...

[Fish Head]

12hours for 3 follows and 1 strike? Three people? Throwing that big stuff? I guess that is why I am not a serious muskie fisherperson. Too wimpy. me not the muskies.

It does make for a long day.

FishinCT- Good luck. You’re going to be very close to ice by than. However if the weather cooperates, I might be there too.

[delcecchi]

If it were me I would be trolling trolling trolling...

Of course my shoulders aren't what they used to be. Come to think of it, the rest of me isn't either. But breaking both arms takes a toll.

I can recall being on a deer stand one opening morning east of Askov when it was about 20 below. Now that would be tough fishing. As I recall it was about Nov. 7. The season was only 9 days then.

[Janofish]

Thank you so much. I wish Gander Mt. carried a better selection. I went to two fo them yesterday and neither had them.

[Janofish]

This Sunday afternoon and for the next six days I will be throwing dbl tail bulldawg pounders and other big baits at those beatuful muskies. I can't wait. Sure I'll take a break and try and catch some dinner fish but my expectation is find myself a 50" fish.

[FishinCT]

I would be coming up during the last weekend of deer hunting to fish muskies. Last year I was up that weekend to hunt and Sunday morning was 8 degrees if I remember right. Maybe I'll talk myself out of it before I get there Or maybe I'll get a deer license for those 2 days...or just bring the dog and chase grouse. Tough life being faced with all these choices! If only I could get permission to hunt that big buck on mocc pt....but shhh you didn't hear that from me!

[SkunkedAgain]

Cliff/Mark/Ace/anyone;

Are fatheads the way to go right now in terms of bait, or is it practically any minnow jigged in the right spot?

[MarkB]

Skunked

Any minnow will catch them right now. Chubs are attractive because, this time of year, they are good sized, easy to keep with 47 degree cold water, and are the most inexpensive. Rainbows have always been my favorite. Any time a bait shop has to put a screen over the top of the minnow tank to keep them from jumping out, they're the ones I want.

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Skunked,

Any minnow rigged or jigged in the right place will get walleyes now.

I have been using mostly chubs rather then suckers because I have been getting better hook-ups with them. Rainbows work great also if you can get them.

Cliff

[SkunkedAgain]

That's kind of what I thought but figured it was worth asking the pros! Thanks guys

[PSU]

Wow, best fishing I ever experienced on Vermilion! Rainbows and 40ft

[Hawgeyes]

Hello,

I’m a newbie to HSO, and I have some questions about fishing Vermilion. I fished the west end (Wakemup bay) about 4 weeks ago; it was my first time on Vermilion. I only fished one day, but from sun up to sun down and I didn’t have a lot of luck catching walleyes. I managed to catch perch (no jumbos) at just about every reef and deep hole I tried but only a few scattered walleyes. All the walleyes I caught were small as well, 12”-14”.

I would like to fish Vermilion early next week and am wondering if I would have better luck on the East end of the lake (Big Bay)? Or middle part of the lake? I’m targeting walleyes.

Thank you in advance for any help!

[chucker1101]

Hello,

I’m a newbie to HSO, and I have some questions about fishing Vermilion. I fished the west end (Wakemup bay) about 4 weeks ago; it was my first time on Vermilion. I only fished one day, but from sun up to sun down and I didn’t have a lot of luck catching walleyes. I managed to catch perch (no jumbos) at just about every reef and deep hole I tried but only a few scattered walleyes. All the walleyes I caught were small as well, 12”-14”.

I would like to fish Vermilion early next week and am wondering if I would have better luck on the East end of the lake (Big Bay)? Or middle part of the lake? I’m targeting walleyes.

Thank you in advance for any help!

Well, if it were me, i'd fish Big Bay on the East End. The walleye fishing has been more consistent on the East end over the last several years, and just about everybody i talk to is catching decent-size fish on the East End right now.

That's not to say there aren't spots on the West end, but if you're new to the lake, and want to catch fish, there's probably no better formula than minnows in deep holes on the East end in October.

[MarkB]

What a perfect day for fall walleyes! Totally overcast, light NE breeze perfect for drifting, and hungry fish . The air temperature stayed cool today and we didn't get out until 10:30. Today, it seemed there were walleye fishermen everywhere. They must have gotten the memo because every boat I saw was fishing adjacent to a deep water hole. I started on the east end of the east end and worked my way west trying 3 different spots as I went. Our first spot produced 9 walleyes with only one fish >14"(16"). Spot #2 wasn't exactly where I wanted to fish because there was a boat already sitting on my waypoint. We didn't do any good there and didn't stay long. Spot#3 was a bonanza ! We caught lots of walleyes and jumbos with walleyes mostly 15"+ and 6 from 16"-19.5". Today we caught walleyes in water that was 21'-41' with the majority coming from 21'-27'. We are still missing quite a few fish but the bite has definitely improved over the past 4 or 5 days. It still seems certain "spots" produce the smallish 10"-13" with only an occasional bigger fish. I will be very interested to see the results of this years netting by the DNR. The next 3 days are supposed to be quite nice and I would expect added enthusiasm as the season draws to a close. One thing lacking from October fishing this year is a big northern. We usually catch a really nice(35"+)northern during the fall while fishing the deep holes for walleyes. Then again, we're not done yet . Today, water temps were 46-47 degrees everywhere we fished.

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[Scupper]

Thank you Mark. Great report.

Scott

[MarkB]

Scott:

I always appreciate your courteous reply .

I figured as long as I intended on replying to Scott, I may as well tell you all about today! It started out with pea soup fog well into late morning. We stayed in until 10:45 waiting for it to dissipate and when it didn't, we decided to ease out close to home and stay close to an island for safety purposes . We never went anywhere else. There seem to be just as many walleyes close to home as more distant areas we have been fishing. Today, however, we couldn't get away from the dinks. We posted big numbers quantity-wise but lacked in total 15"+ fish caught. Slot fish were mixed in with the 12"ers but were definitely the exception to the rule. Jumbos were in with the walleyes and that brings me to the most exciting part of our day.

We were catching enough fish, especially my wife, that, I told her "if it's a bigger walleye or Jumbo tell me and I'll net it, otherwise, just lift it into the boat. About 1:00 o'clock, I hear "I've got a hit". Shortly, she says" oh dear! it's a nice jumbo, you better net it!". So, I get up and go for the net. When I lean over the boat to net the fish, she says" it took off under the boat and now I think I'm snagged" Immediately, I sprang into "thief musky mode" and, from past experiences, knew enough to take the rod. For the next 10 minutes or so, this fish swam around with her perch in it's mouth. I became convinced it had swallowed it and for whatever reason the 10# fluorocarbon leader was holding. So, I slipped into "let's net it and take a picture mode". I had my wife get out our BIG net and I began to ease her to the surface. She came up a ways then would tow the boat around for a bit then I would raise her and so on. Finally, I got her up far enough to SEE HER! Everyone is familier with the saying "never take a knife to a gun fight". Never have I seen the true meaning of that statement more vividly displayed! BIG net! Are you kidding me! She had a tail the size of a dust pan! I didn't have her, she had me! I have bloviated about muskies on this forum on a few occasions, always about their incredible size and power. This fish, is the one the musky boys are looking for!!! She was long, really long, but the one distinguishing feature to me was her thickness top to bottom! I mean this fish was like the one that I saw a fisherman holding in a local news article a few years back. Totally and completely unreal BIG! I got her to within long net distance of the boat and maybe a foot down. Then, she let go! The perch still had some life and I was able to tease her back up a couple of times before she sank out of sight. I cannot imagine having a fish like that hooked while fishing for them. It would be the Holy Grail of musky hunters. How big do I "think" she was? I have caught a 48" and a second within 15 minutes of the first that was bigger but not measured. I and my wife believe this fish was easily mid-50's and, based on the thickness of the girth, I'd hate to show my lack of knowledge by even guessing what a monster like that might weigh. If someone told me 50#, I'd say no way, she was bigger than that! I do know this: my wife and I have had 3 separate experiences this year with muskies grabbing a hooked fish. All 3 were in 20+' of water adjacent to reefs that top out at ~10'. If I were going to go after one, which I'm not, I would use the closest thing I could buy to a 10" crippled perch or walleye and troll the edges of those reefs until I ran outta gas!!

Good Fishing,

MarkB

My wife's best of the day.

This is the dream size if you plan on keeping a few to eat. This fish is 17.9999", legal and, I would argue, way too big for eating purposes. When my wife and I eat walleye, and we do quite often, we eat them the same day as caught and only keep 3-4 14"-16" fish. 8 fillets off 4-16" fish is way more than we need for a meal.

[MarkB]

Yesterday, quantity trumped quality. Today, not as many fish but way bigger average!

Good Fishing,

MarkB

This one is my best for the day.

[redlabguy]

Mark,

You're livin' the dream. Envy starts to describe how I feel. Those are nice fat fish, not to mention a great muskie story! I appreciate and agree with your fish size/keep to eat philosophy.

We had to leave the lake way too early again. I retired last year, too, but then got talked into a part time deal. Take my advice, when you retire, retire. I spent a beautiful afternoon listening to the Vikes and raking leaves. We are blessed with 7 old oaks- 48 of those dam bags and I'm not done yet. Keep on fishing and keep on letting us know what we're missing.

RLG

[harley2011]

Went out this morning and the fishing was fantastic! But a lot of walleyes in the 11 inch range. You cant pick your size! (the smaller ones are harder to catch). Managed to get a couple of 14 inchers. We left @ noon and thats when the bite ended...most of the fish were in 27 FOW. Water temp was 47.

[StillFishin']

Keep the fishing reports coming for us that can not partake in the real fishing.

Is any one using up their left over crawlers and leaches and are they working for any spices.

[Scupper]

Quote:

She had a tail the size of a dust pan!

Now that's a description I've never heard, but it sure does fit...

Thank you and your Wife for allowing myself and others to cyber fish with you.

Scott

[jkrash]

Here's a picture of replica and dust pan, the real thing is still swimmining around, estimated at 53lbs. Marks discription might not be to far off.

[bturck]

Great post Mark. That must have been one heckuva good time with that Muskie towing you around. Some awful nice eye pics as well. have you ever thought of writing for a living, or hobbie? You certainly have the ability to transcend the distance between writer and reader and its easy to feel that the reader is right alongside of you in the boat. Hope you find some more good fish to write about....

[BartmanMN]

lol, nice pic for reference. Man it would have been cool if Mark landed it.

[Hawgeyes]

Made it back to Vermilion on Monday for my second time ever on the Lake. Nice day even though it was a bit windy.

I caught a number of walleyes however nothing in the slot; most of the fish were 12”-15”. I never got into what I would consider solid action. It was a couple here a couple there and I had to really work for the bites.

Contemplating another outing, however it looks like it going to be colder later this week and this weekend. Will the cold weather make fishing more difficult or will the walleyes be putting on the feed bag?

Mark B. – thanks for the great post and nice pictures, definitely jealous of the slot fish your landing.

[MarkB]

Gentlemen:

Thank you for the nice remarks. It's always satisfying knowing members and guests enjoy the posts .

Hawgeye:

The only thing that's going to slow down the soft water bite now is hard water. Fish every chance you get. I keep accurate records of all aspects of my wife's and my fishing outings. Speaking only in averages, slot fish or larger make up ~20% of the total catch. We have days where that percentage goes way up, BUT, we also have days where no slot fish are caught, hence the average. If you find biters, stick with them and if you're catching only small fish, move off aways either deeper OR shallower to try to locate the bigger fish. If you start catching a nice average 15"-17" walleye, rest assured the big ones are with them .

RLG:

You can't retire from raking leaves and, in my yard, Basswood and Birch are the culprits. So, I've been raking for the past 2 days. The day before that, however, my wife and I went way east and fished a deep flat. We found the walleyes from 35'-41'. Of the 18 boated, included were 2-19", 18",17.5",3-16+" with the balance mostly 11"-14". The bigger walleyes were congregated in 35" in the proximity of a 20" hump. The rest were scattered over the area. I have found something about rainbows that I don't like: they have a tendency to lack the size uniformity that other minnows have. I tend to use all the big ones and then have nothing but smaller ones at some point. It messes with my mind .

Good Fishing,

MarkB

[james_walleye]

I wonder if the great bite this year will carry over to hardwater?