But First:
When I am guiding, I almost don’t want to see BIG fish but they sure are fun to catch. Heck the 27-28 inch Beast that didn’t bite and just followed our lure was even worth it. Had I been a little slower on the retrieve I think we would have landed that one too.
Boat in 8 feet of water casting both sides on a mud flat. We had a 1/2 day starting at 1 and the fish were ON right away. Quality fish in this area and plenty of willing bitters!
Water Temps!
The need to hold off on launching to give the water a chance to warm has now come and gone and early launches will produce fish. Starting the mornings off at 58-62 degrees is well within the range of active Walleyes. Yesterday we had biting Eyes in 59 degree water and over the weekend we had bigger Walleyes that were hitting in 57 degree water. Maybe we get hung up on water temperatures a little too much but is definitely a factor at times. Once we get further and further into Summer, it will come int play when we talk about target depths more. Early it triggers fish activity and they are getting much more active. Crank baits are getting hit with authority and we love it!
Water Clarity!
We have had a couple of very calm days as compared to a relatively windy Spring. Some areas of the lake, especially back bays on the southern shore are getting some VERY clear water and that is having a very negative effect on the ability to trigger Walleyes to bite. We like a little stain and when you can see 15-20 feet out into the water, it’s usually not good. The bay we were in today had been especially dirty and a week ago visibility was inches, today it was a couple of feet and the fish were aggressive to crank baits. With another calm day on tap for tomorrow, seek out some waters that are still a little stained. If you pull into a spot and the water is gin clear, you might not get the desired results.
Lake Elevation!
As you can see, the rate of rise is leveling off a little bit and if we can avoid any big rains (always thinking of our farmers) we should see that trend continue and I don’t think that we will see a HUGE increase in lake level.
Weed Growth!
WOW!!!!!
When those waters warm a little bit, the weed growth is astounding. Spots we pitched into clean a week ago are full of grass and cabbage now. That pitchable weed edge in most of the areas that we have ventured into is right around the 3.5-4.5 feet of water. Expect that trend to continue and those weeds will get thicker and thicker.
Strong Lures Right Now!
When the back hook looks like that after 20 minutes of pitching, you know you’ve landed some fish. They were on fire to the Bleak while the sun was shining today. Just torching it.
When we got a little shallower and were fouling up with #7 Scatter Raps, the #7 Shallow Runner was doing the trick and Purpledescent was the color for the clouds.
Good Luck out there!
