Lets Make.

[Surface Tension]

This forum Great Again. 

 

 

Lets get some reports going on the Big lake going.  I know we have lurkers and that can share. 

For those that don't know, you have tools at find patterns, water temps, mudlines, and surface temps.  

Coastwatch for surface water temps.  http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/superior/s1.html

UMD Buoy Data for water temps. http://www.d.umn.edu/buoys/

Modis for mud lines.  https://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/modis.php?region=s&page=1&template=sub&image=a1.19170.1900.LakeSuperior.143.250m.jpg

 

 Hottest tip I can give lately an the temp break has been right on the mud line.   Compare that data on your next trip out. 

 

[LoonASea]

Hit the big pond today ,, Launched from McQuade and found a good 10 degree temp difference  from tea to clean water ,, Fish didn't cooperate like we planned but did go 5 for 7 in 7 hours trolling but that's fishing not catching ,, Great day spent on the water with pals ,,, Good luck to those who dont have 7 day weekends like us retired folks  

[tacklejunkie]

Went out of Duluth and found some cleaner water. Got two right away on a 57 Chevy Jim’s flashback spoon trolled  behind a small Dipsy diver.  After that, absolutely nothing more. Feeling discouraged, I went into the bay  in an attempt to redeem myself and trolled crawler harnesses behind small planer boards and picked up some walleyes.

 

 That’s one of the benefits of living near Lake Superior.. You can troll out on the lake and catch lake trout and salmon and just a boat ride away puts you on some great walleye fishing  without having to trailer your boat again 

[monstermoose78]

Surface Tension let’s give it a go

[Jonny 2 shot]

I do all my trolling from my cabin in Hovland in late July to early August but am very limited with my gear.

I use dipseys and lead core but just had my first two planer boards delivered today!! 

 

Just curious, what is a surface temp you guys target and have you found going with, or against the wind works better for you?

 

Thanks, and ill be sure to share how we do when we go!

 

Jon

[Lunderfull]

I heading up to Grand Maris the week after the 4th and was thinking about trying the big lake. I bought my boat from a guy out of Duluth a few years ago with all the gear but have never even used the down riggers figure it's about time. I admit i have no clue where to go and what to look for. Any info or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Jim Almquist]

It is not so much the temps but a change of temps that creates a break line. Yesterday it was a difference of 56 to 50 degrees. It created a scum line and that where we got our bites on top with plugs. We were chasing Coho's. It was a slow day for us on the water and from the sounds of things it was slow for most. The water was constantly moving east so setting a waypoint did not do much good. The plugs with orange on the bottom got all of the hits. It is not so much wind but on the north shore there is a current going from west to east and sometimes one direction gets all of the hits. To off set this make zig zag to cut across the current instead of straight up or down with it. 

[Wishin4Walleyes]

Was out yesterday out of mcquades. Only managed 1 laker on 2 colors of lead on a blue steel scatter rap. Everything I was marking was belly to the bottom with some pods of fish at 160 fow. Put the boards away and dropped the riggers. Never got hit on the riggers.

[Lunderfull]

So do you zigzag back and forth across the temp line or do you just look at where your marking fish? How big are the plugs you use?

 Thanks guys, if anyone comes up with anything new i would appropriate it. 

[Jim Almquist]

The reason to zig zag is to offset the current that is running from west to the east. So you would troll towards shore and then out to the middle of the lake instead of just trolling east or west following the shore line. This is what you would do to find fish when there is no scum line or temp break.  Walleye size plugs work but the color patterns can be different. Orange bellies seem to work better for Coho and pink colors will get more Lakers. As the waters warm it will be time for spoons and going deeper.

 

 

[Lunderfull]

What water temp do you start using spoons? I have also seen some video where they Jig for them. Is that later in the year?

[Wishin4Walleyes]

Going to give it a go again tomorrow. Any reports from last couple days?

 

Bringing nephews out tomorrow so hope we can find em.

[Wishin4Walleyes]

Ended up going 1 for 5 with 1 small laker. 4 hits were just nipping at baits and were off before we even got the rod in our hands. 3 of the 5 hits came on blue steel scatter rap on board off 100' of mono. Other 2 hits were on pink uv storm shad rap on 3 colors of lead off board. Downriggers never got touched again. Tried riggers at many different depths with spoons and stick baits. Pretty slow out there. Surface temps are getting pretty warm. Wondering as well if need to head further north.

[Jim Almquist]

The water is warming so spoons will come into play real soon. Start with some 2 color and work you way down the water column.

 

My BIL crossed Lake Superior from Knife River to Madeline Island and saw some huge schools of Coho feeding on the surface during there travel to the island.

[Surface Tension]

Thanks for the reports.

Like was mentioned look for the temp breaks especially from Spring till the surface water warms.   Along with the break you get terrestrial bugs blown offshore that forms a slick.

 

  I'm currently rigging a new to me 22' Crestliner Sabre from scratch along with going through the engine and drive.   That's exciting in itself but not as much as being on the water. 

[tacklejunkie]

Picked up 4 for 7 out by the Lester using Micheal Jackson and Kevorkian spoons with deeper divers and one on a lead ball.

 

The surface temp is definitely warming and a lot of fish were marked at the 60 to 90 feet range over 110 feet of water

 

 Marked a good number of fish  closer to Duluth near the bottom but no takers 

 

 Going to head up and spend the day in Silver Bay next week so I’ll drag my board along and fish for some salmon 

Edited July 12, 2019 by tacklejunkie

[Wishin4Walleyes]

Good morning on the lake after a couple slow outings. Went out of two harbors. Ended up going 5 for 7 with 4 Lakers and a coho. 5 bites came on 5-6 colors of lead and 2 on rigger down 35'. Ran Dodgers and spoons. Not a bad day considering I was solo and only had 2 lines out.

[tacklejunkie]

Well, went out yesterday am and just two. Trolled from Lester to Duluth.

 

 

[Jonny 2 shot]

Hey all!

 

I was up the north shore near Hovland, MN over the weekend and did not do so well! Trolled for 2 1/2 days and only 1 laker to show for it.. Tried near shore for a while and out to 800 FOW.  Got one in 50 FOW on watermelon spoon with 120' of leadcore out.

 

Storms came through both Thur and Fri nights and I think really killed my chances?  From memory, a guy wants to find 51-56 degree water temps, but we had very cold.. Only found 41-48 degree with occasional 50.  yesterday there was a stiff wind coming from the SW that made me think warm water would push in but got out for a few hours after it died down and could not find warmer than 46 degrees..  Interesting side note, trolling out to 800 FOW we came across a loon way out in 450 FOW?  We kept cruising because water temp was 44 degrees but it made me think the loon knows something we dont? Do you guys ever see that and should we have stuck with the loon for a while?

 

Anyway, going back up with friends/family this thursday-sunday for the Grand Marais Fishermans Picnic and i'm wondering what you guys would do to get on a couple fish?  do you see the wind/weather favorable for warm water to move in?

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Jon

[Wishin4Walleyes]

I didnt fair much better out of twin points on Saturday. Went 1 for 4 with a small king boated and a nice laker lost at the back of the boat. 2 short strikes outside of those 2. Laker came on long lined mono with a rap and king came on a spoon on 4 colors of lead. I think I really screwed up and was fishing below the fish for far too long. With those cool surface temps they were definitely back up high in the water column and I was running 7  colors, 8 colors and riggers at 40 and 50 ft. Lesson learned to cover more of the water column when the surface temps drop like they did.

[yaggie]

Wife and I went out of Twin Points sunday. Went 3 for 5. All cohos. All but one was on downriggers 44 to 50 ft over 225 ft of water. One miss was on a three color but she didn"t like it when she saw the boat. All on spoons. Wasted two much time with FF on one rigger

[Surface Tension]

 Got the Sabre on the water Sunday out of Two Harbors. The boat ran and fished well.  A little more rigging and I'll call it good for now.   Marked very few fish on the sounder and what we did catch was scattered.  Went 5 for 5 with 3 Cohos and 2 Lake Trout. 

Jim's Flashbacks in Green w/orange ladderback spoons were hot.  Cohos came off dipsys set at 2 and 45' of line out.  One LT on 3 color of lead core and 1 LT on full color lead core.  Downriggers-Zilch. 

 

 

Don't have any after pictures but here is a before.

[tacklejunkie]

Everything is near bottom.

 

Trolled Lester to Duluth at around 75-80 feet of water and picked up 2 lakers and an angry king.  Everything on deep diving dipseys and spoons. 

 

Water is pretty clear on the west end near Duluth. Anybody know what those who are trolling closer to shore along PP fishing for? Seems they are a little shallow to be catching any trout this time of year. 

[tacklejunkie]

 Went out yesterday evening and caught nothing 

[chaffmj]

4 hours ago, tacklejunkie said:

 Went out yesterday evening and caught nothing 

 

At least you were out on a lake! More than I can say for myself.

[LoonASea]

Surface Tension,,, That will make a nice craft for Isle Royale ,,,, I hope to be up there in 3 weeks 

 

[tacklejunkie]

Very cold water has come into the Duluth area. My fish finder had temps in the upper 40’s. I thought, “ this can’t be right” until I stuck my hand in the lake and the water bit me. Did go 3/3 with spoons and dipseys then the wind picked up so I quit.

 

May hit Island next week

[leech~~]

Dang, the water temp in the lake I was in last weekend up in the Brainerd area was 79 degrees!  

[delcecchi]

Vermilion is in low 70's

[Surface Tension]

  Saturday we hit the South Shore in 30-60' for water.  Multiple hits and releases off the boards, dipseys, and downriggers but no hookups. Went something like 1 for 10 with a nice 29" walleye taken off a pink Husky Jerk and 3 oz of lead on board line.  Marked quite a few fish throughout that depth.