Walleye

 
The bite remains very strong on Vermilion. Fish are very hungry and will be caught using a variety of tactics. Snap jigging Northland fireball jigs with chubs, Jigging Raps, and rattle baits have become staples in my boat. Each provides its own set of advantages, therefore I like to keep one rod rigged with each in my boat at all times. Heavy Northland Fireballs with big minnows provide a natural presentation to put right on top of fish. Jigging Raps make for quick and easy fishing when the bite is really hot and also allow one to use the bow mount and cover some water with its slick profile. Rattle baits can be used both as a vertical and casting applications. These baits are so versatile and can be used to cover plenty of water and bring fish in from a ways, but also as a finesse presentation of used correctly. Fish will be found in 25-40ft range on windblown sand and rock. My favorite places to key in on however, have been windblown neckdown areas of 16-24ft of hard bottom with a muddy substrate nearby. These areas seem to hold an abundance of bait that attract larger walleye, smaller eater-sized fish, jumbo perch, and big smallmouth all in the same area.

Musky

 
I have heard mixed reports the last couple of weeks. The fish are out there, put your time in and you will be rewarded. The waters temps just aren’t there yet to enduce pre-spawn staging from whitefish to make pelagic fish targetable.

Bass

 
Smallmouth have fishing has been great; I have gotten into large concentrations of toads when when targeting walleye. Most of my fish are being found in the 11-20ft range on big rock right on the edge of a hard sand bottom. Use your side imaging to find and key on on BIG boulder fields. Most fish well be suspending a few feet over the top and are easily seen on a graph. Drop-shotting a crosstail shad or any baitfish imitation has been best.

Crappie

 
If green cabbage beds are located fish can be found relating to them still in that 6-10ft range. The water still is not cool enough to brown the vegetation and push a lot of west end crappie deep. Reports on the dark water fishery of the east end show the contrary of fish being found using the middle of water column in that 20-30ft range.

Jarek Wujkowski
Rodsbent Guide Service