WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
July 12, 2006

So with the fourth of July behind us, one is starting to think about those Fall bites, maybe the night bite of Mille Lacs or that jig and shiner bite on Winnie. For me, it is time to change up the presentation and let the fish chase us down. Covering water at higher speeds will make for some of the best action on many of the local waters.

Summer. Heat. Bugs. What a week its been. As the Summer heat hit us square between the eyes this week, fishing could be looked upon in a similar way as far as how the fish are acting with presentations. As the heat slow us down, it has actually put some giddie-up in the fish, making them a chasing predetor at this point of the Summer.

With the water temperatures on many of the local lakes hitting the upper 70's, the fish are certainly willing to chase those meals more and more as it is like they want to move quickly through the water to cool themselves down. That is probably not the case, but it sure seems that it might be the case.

Recently we have found the best action on many of the lakes including Winnie, Pokegama, Sugar, and Bowstring using spinners and crankbaits. Even when using Lindy rigs, the fish want the bait moving much quicker.

It seems that the speed is a critical part of the presentation. When running spinners, we have been using 6-8 foot leads on either three ways or bottom bouncers. The desired speed last week ranged from .8 to 1.5 MPH.

When running spinners in deep water areas, try to key in on three different areas of the structure. First, make a pass or two over the top or the shallowest piece of the structure, then the next pass or so, try to work the first break of the structure, then move to the deepest part of the structure. By working the hump or bar in specific sections, it will allow you to come into contact with all the fish in each area. If one tries to work all parts of the structure in the same pass, your presentation will likely stay clear of the strike zone most of the time.

Try to change colors of the spinners if the fish are not wanting what you are showing them, and also change the bait regularly as one pass they might like the crawler, then the next pass it might be a leech. Keeping bait fresh will also helps in the success of spinner fishing. Don't allow the crawler or leech to strecth out much, as this is usually a bait that those walleyes will pass up.

As for the crankbaits, we have not only looked at many of the fish that are suspending off the mid-lake humps or bars, but working the fish that are holding on the structure. Speed again has played an important role in the amount of hooks we are seeing daily. The speed can range from 2.0 to 4.0 MPH. Typically the most productive speed is around that 2.5 MPH. Crankbait fishing is one that will make for a great time when done properly, but one should really look into buying the trolling crankbait book as the details to trolling are more important and critical than all other presentations. One can find the book of trolling at Bens Bait, this book will almost put the fish in the boat for you.

So the heat may have slowed you down, but it has made the fish more active and if you're heading out soon, keep that bait moving quickly. You will be surprised at how fast one can go and those walleyes still trigger on your bait.

Sean Colter
member of the NMLOG's
www.seancolter.com