2021 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[gim]

17 hours ago, Fish Head said:

Just to be cystal clear on this so we all know... culling is leagal as long as you don't have your limit yet. Once you reach your limit, you can no longer trade fish. This is true on all inland lakes other than Mile Lacs.  Also it is legal to continue catch and release after you have a limit. 

It didn't used to be like that until this year.  It was updated for 2021.  Previously, for many years, culling was illegal on most inland waters unless the lake had special regs or you were in a tournament that had permission to do it.

 

I am heavily in favor against this because the rule applies to any route of "holding fish."  You can drop them in a bucket, put them on a stringer, or hold them in a livewell and start culling.  If you're using a modern aerated livewell, its probably fine but the rule doesn't indicate this so now you have people attempting to release either partially or fully dead fish.  The subject now comes down to ethics, and we all know how that goes.

Edited May 26, 2021 by gimruis

[mdogdaddy]

So aside from culling, any fish reports?

[CigarGuy]

Had a fun night off the dock. Reeling in a walleye and a muskie grabbed the walleye. Figured it would break off so, I thought I'd try filming it. I landed the 20.5" walleye. The video is all pixelated when I tried sending it to my kids, hopefully this will work. Ok, I need help, it won't let me upload video. This is just one of the pictures I took. Need to figure out how to add the darn video.

Edited May 27, 2021 by CigarGuy

[CigarGuy]

Took me about 3 hours of screwing around, but I got it

 

[jkrash]

Cool, you should of netted both

[CigarGuy]

2 minutes ago, jkrash said:

Cool, you should of netted both

I thought of that after watching the video and seeing my net at my feet. I was too busy trying to film it for y'all

[SkunkedAgain]

Great video. I loved how the musky let go and calmly swam under your dock to wait for the next one! I wonder what that walleye was thinking while hooked in the mouth and with a giant muskie clamped around his body...

 

My first ever muskie was the same way. I was fishing White Bear Lake, got a LM bass in some cattails and then a muskie grabbed it near the boat. I quickly tried to net them but the weight of both snapped my metal net handle. Seeing the hoop in the water, I grabbed it and pulled in the musky. The bass was nowhere to be found. I quickly measured her at a few inches past my 36" ruler and set it back in the lake. She gave me a tail splash and was gone.

 

I bet that you'll remember this catch for quite a while. Too bad it was a slot walleye.

Edited May 27, 2021 by SkunkedAgain

[Fish Head]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I love when that happens. 

[gim]

That is a large walleye for a muskie to grab.  How big do you estimate the muskie to be, 50+ inches?  My Father had a muskie of epic proportions grab a 26 inch walleye once on Mille Lacs years ago.  You know it has to be really big if its considering a meal like that.  Makes a guy wonder if we should be tossing 20 inch lures for muskies...

Edited May 28, 2021 by gimruis

[BigVTim]

Gimruis- On the other side of the coin, last year we were Musky fishing in Head-o-lakes Bay and caught a fat, nice 26" walleye who hit a massive pounder bulldog about the same length. Ended up 'boat flipping' it like a bass with a 9' extra heavy rod. You just never know! I think sometimes people fish with too little size baits.

[gim]

31 minutes ago, BigVTim said:

I think sometimes people fish with too little size baits.

 

Ya, that's ridiculous on the bulldawg walleye.  The size of some of the muskie lures out there boggles my mind sometimes.

[Bbobber]

That's awesome Bill. No more dangling your feet in the water while fishing. Your neighbor 2 docks down caught a 48" musky on a perch that he was reeling in on opening weekend. Could it be the same fish,are muskies territorial?

[CigarGuy]

1 hour ago, Bbobber said:

 Could it be the same fish,are muskies territorial?

I was wondering the same thing. I didn't know Warren's kid was reeling in a fish when he caught it. Are you coming up this weekend? I left your minnow bucket at the top of your steps, I gave you one that doesn't need a zip tie

[CigarGuy]

13 hours ago, gimruis said:

That is a large walleye for a muskie to grab.  How big do you estimate the muskie to be, 50+ inches?  My Father had a muskie of epic proportions grab a 26 inch walleye once on Mille Lacs years ago.  You know it has to be really big if its considering a meal like that.  Makes a guy wonder if we should be tossing 20 inch lures for muskies...

Based on the size of the walleye, I'm guessing 45+.

[CigarGuy]

13 hours ago, gimruis said:

That is a large walleye for a muskie to grab.  How big do you estimate the muskie to be, 50+ inches?  My Father had a muskie of epic proportions grab a 26 inch walleye once on Mille Lacs years ago.  You know it has to be really big if its considering a meal like that.  Makes a guy wonder if we should be tossing 20 inch lures for muskies...

Based on the size of the walleye, I'm guessing 45+.

[jkrash]

Big Fish eat little fish and sometimes other things, I caught a 28" walleye a few years ago on a 10" surface lure while fishing for muskie, I thought for sure it was a big bass until I hoisted into the boat.

Here's a picture of a 18.5" walleye I caught ice fishing, it puked out an 11" muskie. I thought that was pretty cool to.

 

[Hookmaster]

I read once that the optimum size a fish should eat is 1/5 it's weight. So a 20 pound nort of musky should eat a 4 pound fish.

[Wanderer]

Thanks for the video!  It’s pretty cool when stuff like that happens except when you’re in a tournament!   We lost a few bass on Tonka to muskies.

 

Chucking muskie baits is kinda fun just cuz IF something hits besides a muskie it’s usually pretty nice.  21 and 22 inches.

 

 

 

[Wanderer]

19 hours ago, Bbobber said:

That's awesome Bill. No more dangling your feet in the water while fishing. Your neighbor 2 docks down caught a 48" musky on a perch that he was reeling in on opening weekend. Could it be the same fish,are muskies territorial?

Yeah, they’re pretty territorial.  It could’ve easily been the same one. 

[Brianf.]

Muskies will eat very large food items, yes.  However, they’ll also eat mayfly-sized stuff when given the opportunity.  This one ate a tiny 1/16 oz maribou jig on 6lb line on Thursday morning while bass fishing.  Watched her eat it and then just hung on for the ride.  Love me some musky slime!  ha

[JerkinLips]

On 5/26/2021 at 11:58 PM, CigarGuy said:

Reeling in a walleye and a muskie grabbed the walleye. Figured it would break off so, I thought I'd try filming it. I landed the 20.5" walleye.

Now I know why I didn't catch any walleyes this weekend; the muskies are eating them all (just kidding).  Only fished for 2 hours only with crawlers, and no elecronics due to boat/motor issues.

 

If the musky had chomped off an inch or two of its tail, you could have kept it then.

[delcecchi]

I had it happen with a smallie out by center island a few years back.    

 

I don't throw that big stuff.   Too much like work...

[BigVTim]

Gave it my all this weekend! Deep holes, points, flats, shallow weeds, deep weeds, with all kinds of presentations. 4 walleye and a pike. Ugh. Anyone have the magic approach?

[Shulsebus]

Hey guys we will be up for our annual trip June 5 - 12.  Just seeing what’s been getting hit on. I would think Lindy rigging is always good. Curious if the bobber bite is still going strong? Not looking for spots. It’s our tenth year in a row so we know a few. There is seven of us so if you see a group of lunatics it’s probably us. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Definitely thinking about bobber fishing humps as it gets dark. Targeting walleye but will throw for some musky and bass. I know for sure we will be trying in the water!

[Brianf.]

5 hours ago, BigVTim said:

Gave it my all this weekend! Deep holes, points, flats, shallow weeds, deep weeds, with all kinds of presentations. 4 walleye and a pike. Ugh. Anyone have the magic approach?

BVT, you’re locational choices were sound.  I can tell you from experience running Livescope on the lake over the last 12 straight days that there were tons of walleyes on most every spot on which we stopped.  Those walleyes were following, following, following.  We’d get 15-20 follows for every strike.  Amazing to watch in real time - and quite frustrating to boot.  I don’t think the problem was you. 

[adrenalinejunky]

We got lucky and found a huge school of hungry walleyes off a point Saturday and did really well. Lindys leech 17-21ft in the rocks was tough to not get snagged but well worth it! Wouldn’t touch a bobber combo or a jig. They were still stacked up there this morning but pretty tight lipped.  Blanked out in most all other areas we tried. 

[gim]

On 5/29/2021 at 6:37 AM, jkrash said:

it puked out an 11" muskie

 

Based on the photo, its impossible to tell if that is a muskie or pike.  In fact, statistically its probably a pike since they are far more common.

[delcecchi]

On 5/31/2021 at 1:10 PM, BigVTim said:

Gave it my all this weekend! Deep holes, points, flats, shallow weeds, deep weeds, with all kinds of presentations. 4 walleye and a pike. Ugh. Anyone have the magic approach?

Looking at the tourney results, you weren't the only ones having a tough time.

[Derrick DeBaere]

Heading up to vermilion this weekend any advice with the heat to catch some Walleye's or crappies?  We will be on the west side of the lake.  Thanks Derrick

Edited June 3, 2021 by Derrick DeBaere

[mbeyer]

We got surveyed last night by DNR.  We were near Moccasin Point with no walleye in the basket. He said “ I wouldn’t bother going east or south of here, the reports continue to get worse. Bigger fish can be caught over there, but few eaters.”