Active areas?

[Fathead]

Hello everyone,

I have not been out on the lake since the Wacker tourney. I am thinking about hitting the water on Thursday and Friday this week. It sounds like the bite is hitting its peak from the reports I have heard both here and from friends (its odd to say peak since fishing seems to be at normal peak levels since the opener).

My question is this, Where are you finding your most active fish right now (general areas, not necessarily specific)? I typically move to gravel and mud this time of year, but I have had friends who were out this past Saturday, slamming fish in closer inland locations. They were using livebait rigs and leeches (again, something I tend not to use much of after Memorial day).

What presentations seem to be working the best? I understand that you may be catching them on just about everything, but I am looking for your "magic bullet" presentations. The last time I was out on the water, I ran a #7 minnow color rap, tipped with a crawler, behind a 3-way and boated 30 fish with this presentation. Traditionally I am a spinner/crawler guy in June, but the last few times I was out, this approach did not produce the usual eye-popping results as in past years. Obviously, this was a week and a half ago, and things may have changed since then.

I am just trying to get a feel of where things are currently, so I can increase my chances of boating more fish the next time out (probably an objective that most of you have as well).

[Long Gray Line]

We were out late last week and found lots of fish on gravel from 22 - 27 feet of water in the middle of the afternoon. It was overcast with winds from calm to 15mph (storms rolling by, no lightening but we got a little wet). It was a really mixed bag, most of the fish were 20" to 25" but we did get our 10% in the slot. All we did was slow drift/troll Lindy's with about 6' snells and a big leech. The smaller fish took them slow, give 'em line and count to 10, alright 5, it just seemed like 10. The over-the-slotters slammed them and hooked themselves.

[Guest]

which gravel area were you on??

[Guest]

I was fishing the gravel in the south central part of the lake. There was plenty of action with both slip sinkers / bait and also pulling spinners with a crawler. From what I was able to observe from surrounding boats , the leeches were outfishing crawlers.
A friend was out on the mid lake mud on Sunday afternoon and did as well as we were on the gravel before he left the area.
I also heard from another friend who was fishing fairly close to shore on the first break and was pulling fish there also.
Its an amazing bite.
Dino

[Fathead]

Legendelite,

Thats where I am headed first thing tomorrow morning. I plan on hitting the water at 4:30am. I will start at one of my favorites and move on down the list if things are slow. I will most likely try running 3ways and cranks while my partner will run spinners and crawlers. If we locate larger active groups that are concentrated, then we may go to the livebait rigs. I am still looking for my first big fish (28+) of the season. Last year at this time I had 3 in boat by now. It has sort of been frustrating for me this year because we have pre-fished and fished so many tournaments, and by doing so, we have been concentrating on locating groups of smaller fish. The next two days are for fun, no more small fish!

[geebee]

Being kind of new to the state and walleye fishing in general, I had never even caught a walleye over 20". Well Monday I took home a 30"! Caught on a 3 way with a leech about 1 mile offshore from Castaways. I'm usually a catch and release guy, but this one's going on my wall.

[DUCKJ]

WAS OUT YESTERDAY ON GARISON REEF. ALL BY MYSELF DO TO THE 4FT ROOLERS COMEING FROM THE EAST. I POUNDED THEM, ONLY HAD 1 DOZ LEACHES AND COUGHT 20 PLUS FISH IN 1 1/2 HRS.
HAPPY HUNTING
DUCK

[legendelite]

Mud Flats are going right now. Boated around 75 in just one day. We were using 6' Lindy Rig w/jumbo leech.

Hook color...one day red was hot, a few days later chart and/or orange were hot. Work that mystical 'edge' of the mud flats. Not many were caught 'on top'.

I tried a crawler rig w/spinner, but had better results with the leech snell.

Good Luck!

[Guest]

Well this is going to sound like a very old question. I am going to take my wife up to the lake tonight for the evening bite. We will be driving up 169. Can anyone give me a good spot or two to try the evening bite. I know no one wants to give away their HOT SPOT but give a guy a litle help that does not fish the lake. I have a copy of the Walleye whiffer lake map. Any help given on the south west side would be great.

[Long Gray Line]

Rocky, we were on 4 Mile, Sloppy Joes and the 25' area around Banana Reef. I don't mind telling anyone where we were cuz right now it doesn't seem to matter where you go or what you try!!!

[legendelite]

ranger,

I don't fish the evening/night until the fall. For me it's early morning until I run out of bait...ha.

If I were going up for the evening/night bite, I would head out to Shermans Flat and hook on a lighted slip bobber and leech, possibly a glow hook and drop anchor on "The Finger" then the "The Cut".

Hopefully, someone will give you more information on the evening/night bite...