A plethora of multi-species opportunities are currently available on Vermilion with fish staged in predictable summertime patterns. It is very important to key in on major feeding windows, such as low-light periods and pressure changes, now more than ever.
 
 

Walleye

 
The most accurate no-nonsense way of describing the status of the walleye fishing is day-to-day. One day they will be on fire and the next will be painfully long in between bites. The one thing that remains consistent is the fact that getting out early will pay off day after day. Feeding windows are short, and when they are on make the most of it. Paying attention to the details is crucial! Stay on top of the fish at all times, even a minuet change of 20 yards can make all the difference in boating fish in key periods and getting skunked. Bait rigging, speed, bait presentation are all things to really keep and eye out for and to iron out the details as you go. Bug hatches are on the flux, so mornings are, for the most part, more productive. Lindy rigging crawlers and leeches on sand/rock transitional areas of 16-22ft has been producing. The deeper water bite should start to pick up here soon. There are a lot of fingerling walleye in certain areas of the system; graphing skills are a must so one is not spending hours on the water on top of the wrong year class. Occasionally I like to drop a bobber down, snap jig live bait or Jigging Rapalas on fish that are in a null mood.
 
 

Bass

 
I have heard reports of larger bass holding on deeper man-made structure such as your permanent docks. Personally, I have been finding larger bass on primary structure such as fingers and points with large isolated boulders. 12-17ft is kind of the range I key in on, however there will be fish shallower as well. Slip bobber fishing withe leeches or rigging suckers will catch fish. As far as artificials go creature and crayfish type plastics on a jig or 3.5” tubes are mainstays.
 
 

Muskie

 
With the full moon period upon us, moon rise and moon set are key times to be on the water. After dark topwater action has had plenty of blow-ups for me in my boat. Secondary structure adjacent to deeper water has personally seen most fish moving. I cannot stress enough the importance of good figure eight on every cast though. #8 double and triple blades are go-to’s when the wind picks up.
 

Jarek Wujkowski
Rodsbent Guide Service
info@rodsbent.com
(715)-892-7048