Septenber 6, 2024 "Playing Hide and Go Seek"
The Luscious Sisters, and friends, are back in town and they arrived just in time for an old fashioned, early fall cold front. Winds from the north, cool air temperatures and falling water temperatures. For me, it meant playing a game of hide and seek with fish. Some that had disappeared from their summer haunts, others that were still there, but were hunkered down and difficult to coax into striking.
When I arrived at the landing with my morning crew, the surface temperature was 67 degrees. That’s not terribly cold but represented an 8-degree decline since my last visit, about 10 days ago. It was enough of a change to force fish into an in-active mood. Working the edges of mixed cabbage and coontail using spinners, we could get fish to strike, but not aggressively enough to inhale the hooks. The result was high bait consumption, and low productivity. All the fish, pike, panfish, crappies and walleyes were in the same mood, negative.
During the morning session, I spotted some fish that had moved out of the weeds and were set up along the deeper breakline in 20 to 24 feet of water. Thinking we could finesse them into striking, I re-rigged and passed out the jigging rods. Using ¼ ounce live bait jigs, some tipped with minnows, some with night crawlers we got snubbed again. A few fish picked at the baits, but most were not aggressive enough to inhale our lures.
Our best spot for strikes had been a 12-foot breakline, along the edges of a weed flat. Taking one last swing at that spot before switching crews, the results were somewhat better. Panfish were still sluggish, but the pike were awake, and we did catch enough of them to make life interesting. One of them, pictured here, made it into the livewell, destined to become blackened pike at the evening fish dinner.
The afternoon crew got luckier, in part because of changing to a different lake. At the second one, surface temperatures were warmer, 69.7 degrees in most areas. On this small lake, fish were still located on shallow, weedy flats in water depths of 8 to 12 feet. Sunfish, crappies and northern pike were fairly active, walleyes were not, in fact we only picked up one on this trip.
Trolling spinners was the only presentation we used here, and which fish we caught depended on the live bait we tipped them with. For crappies, medium fatheads were best, for sunfish, ½ night crawlers strung up high on the hooks worked better. Tipping the spinners with leeches worked for sunfish too, but my supply of large size leeches was too precious to use for that project. If I was going back there again, I’d bring some medium size leeches instead.
By the end of our afternoon session, we’d gathered enough fish to feed all 8 of us. Some sunnies, some crappies, and the single walleye were prepared using my shore lunch recipe. I blackened the pike, that’s a popular recipe for folks who prefer not to eat fried foods.
Last Tuesday, I had a trip to Winnibigoshish too. Pictured here, the Benson twins had a rewarding morning on the big lake. On that trip, our results were very similar to the most recent Bowen Lodge report, so I’ll refer you to this link for that for review. >> Lake Winnie Fishing Report August 29, 2024
In a nutshell, we caught some fish in 6 feet of water, others in 12 feet of water, and a couple of them in 16 feet. We caught most of them trolling spinners tipped with fatheads, but there were a few fish caught using jigs and minnows. The jigs worked best in the shallowest water, 1/8-ounce live bait jigs tipped with small golden shiners.
On that trip, there was a strong south wind, so we didn’t move far away from Musky Bay, Duck Pass area in the southeast corner. In that region, there were enough fish to make the trip interesting, but definitely not enough to be called a good bite. Walleyes were widely scattered; depths varied a lot and there were no perch or pike to provide action between the sporadic walleye strikes. It was good enough for us because it allowed us to fish in relatively calm water, but it won’t be my first choice on the next visit.
Today, it appears that the weather will be cool again, but a lot less blustery. It’s dress up day, so calm seas and sunny skies will be perfect for the Luscious Sisters. I’m not so sure that I’ll love it though, but I’ll do the best I can with whatever I have to work with. 
— Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Office Cell Call or Text 218-245-9858 or Email
More Recent Fishing Reports
Grand Rapids 9-06 • Ely MN 9-04 • Brainerd MN 9-04 • L.O.W. 9-04 • Winnie 8-29 • MN DNR Workgroups • Sundin 8-26 • Winnibigoshish 8-24 • Sundin 8-22 • Grand Rapids 8-14 • Brainerd 8-13 • Sternberg 7-18 • Legal Bait Transport 6-1 • MN Record Fish • Barotrauma Study 1-25-24 • Fish Consumption • Forward Sonar • Panfish Workgroup • Follow on Facebook
Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report September 4, 2024
"Walleye anglers are reporting that walleyes are quickly shifting to minnows as water temps begin to drop in Ely area lake. Location continues to be on the shallow side. 10 to 15 feet of water, and at times 5 feet and even less, continue to be reported by anglers. Windy points, windy flats and river mouths. Orange, chartreuse, bubble gum and pink/white 1/4 ounce jigs, tipped with a large minnow, were very effective. Orange, chartreuse, red/white sinner rigs tipped with a crawler were also reported as being effective on walleye. Anglers have also been reporting that leadcore fishing small crankbaits has been very effective. Here anglers have been focusing on large flats in deeper water.
Smallmouth - Smallies continue to shift to sunken islands as temperatures continue to drop. Anglers should expect this to continue until winter. Large minnows have been extremely effective out here. Again, 1/4 or 3/8 ounce jigs, in orange, chartreuse, pink/white and bubble gum, have been very effective. Anglers not able to carry live bait or don't want to use it, topwater, in-line spinners, spinnerbaits and Ned rigs, continue to be effective. These anglers have been focusing around downed timber, large flats with boulders, river mouths and main lake points, in 5 to 15 feet of water.
Pike - Large pike continue to show up in anglers catches this last week. Anglers have mainly been finding pike patrolling weedlines in 10 to 15 feet of water with large sucker minnows, fished under a bobber, large spoons and spinnerbaits. Pike have also begun to stage at river mouths, looking for minnows to dump out of the rivers as water temps continue to drop.
Stream Trout - Rainbow trout fishing continues to be consistent on many Ely area stream trout lakes. Slip bobber and a night crawler, floating 5 to 15 feet under the surface has been very effective. Small spoons, in-line spinners and jig/twister have been very effective also. Anglers fishing from a boat continue to troll cowbells with small crankbaits for easy limits of trout.
Panfish - Crappies continue to be found hanging out just outside of weedbeds during the day, but during the evening hours, crappies quickly slide into weedbeds in search of food. Anglers targeting crappies continue to use small beetle spins, jig/twister and crappie minnows under a bobber. Sunfish continue to be found in shallow weedbeds and around downed trees. Small angleworms or wax worms, fished under a bobber remains very effective.
Lake Trout - Lake trout reports continue to be few and far between this last week. The few anglers targeting lakers have been trolling with down riggers and large trolling spoons in 40 to 60 feet of water with mixed success." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358
Wired2Fish September 4, 2024 "Lithium Marine Battery Review in Lund Alaskan Tiller"
"In this detailed walk-through, Ryan DeChaine showcases the power and efficiency of lithium marine batteries, specifically in a Lund 1675 Alaskan tiller boat. DeChaine explains how they provide exceptional power and longevity in a compact size, making them ideal for various marine applications. DeChaine’s setup is a case in point. This Lund Alaskan is a do-all utility boat rigged with three power-hungry fish finders and boat control equipment. With limited in-deck storage, DeChaine was able to outfit the setup with just two lightweight and energy-dense batteries for extended runtime.
LITHIUM BATTERIES: POWER AND EFFICIENCY: Lithium batteries, particularly the lithium iron phosphate type, are known for their high energy density and long lifespan. DeChaine starts by discussing the benefits of using a Millertech 12V 190 amp-hour dual-purpose battery, which powers both deep-cycle applications like fish finders and trolling motors, as well as marine starting applications. This battery’s compact size and lightweight nature make it ..." View Video to Learn More >> Lithium Marine Battery Review in Lund Alaskan Tiller
Brainerd MN Area Fishing Report September 4, 2024
"Fall definitely feels like it’s right around the corner in the brainerd lakes area. In the mornings water temps are 70 to 72 degrees. Cooler mornings and a good breeze helped the walleye bite in the region.
Staying off of larger bodies of water for the holiday weekend my clients were open to some smaller lakes for multi-species action. Bobbers in the sparse weeds on the edges of flats produced both bass on walleyes with night crawlers.
The fish were set up more on longer flats compared to sharp drop-offs and points. Working 14 to 16 feet of water and moving around after the active fish were caught kept us busy in the morning. Once action died down for mid day covering ground with spinners in the same depth rage and type of structure didn’t produce as many fish but the size of the fish increased greatly. Both worms and minnows worked equally but the minnows helped keep the annoying sunfish from stealing bait while working this depth range.
As the evening progressed bobbers once again came into play working over the same areas and slowing down keying in on the areas we previously caught walleyes. As the temperatures continue to drop minnows will come more into play and plastics will soon rotate back in as we work jigs shallow for aggressive fish.
Good luck and tight lines this week" — Joe Billiar, Crooked Hat Guide Service
Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism September 4, 2024
"The walleye and sauger bite remains hot across the south end of Lake of the Woods, with anglers enjoying consistent action. Good numbers of walleyes along the south shore with some big schools and some big fish. The bite has been excellent and is really shaping up nicely for the fall jig bite both on the lake and in the Rainy River. As the days progress, fish are still holding in the deeper mud, with 28 to 32 feet of water being the sweet spot this week.
Jigging has really picked up in recent days. Jig colors that are producing well include gold, orange, chartreuse, and pink. Spinners and trolling crankbaits continue to yield good results, offering multiple effective strategies for anglers targeting walleyes and saugers.
For those pulling spinners, a two-hook crawler harness with spinner blades in gold, pink, orange, glow red, or glow white has been successful. Adjust your weights to 2 to 3 ounces to match the depth and breezy conditions. Trolling crankbaits remains a strong option for covering water, especially with walleyes spread across the mud flats in Big Traverse Bay. Areas with structure, such as rock reefs, or fish adjacent to these spots, are also holding fish.
On the Rainy River, a variety of species continue to be caught on the Rainy River. The presence of decent current is still drawing extra fish into the river, and there have been positive reports from anglers targeting walleyes and sturgeon alike.
Sturgeon fishing remains productive, with anglers anchoring up and using a combination of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners. The key is patience, let the bait soak and wait for that big bite.
Walleye anglers are also having success on the river, with some nice-sized fish reported. There are already signs of emerald shiners in the river, which typically draw in walleyes. Jigging, trolling spinners with crawlers, or trolling crankbaits are all working well and will continue to be effective as the fall run approaches.
Up at the Northwest Angle, walleye fishing remains excellent. Fish are being found on the structure as well as on the flats. As always, different forage in various areas influences where these predators are focused. The deep mud east and northeast of Little Oak Island holds numbers of walleyes with mixed in perch. Good fishing around Four Blocks, and north of Garden Island as well, continuing to produce solid walleye catches.
Spinners with crawlers and trolling crankbaits are ideal for covering water and locating active fish in these areas. Anglers are finding success in 15 to 32 feet of water. The cooler temperatures, with some days dipping into the 40s, are beginning to slowly lower water temperatures, which will only increase the walleye bite as we move deeper into August." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH
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