This week has been a repeat of last week as far as the weather goes, very little rain and lots of heat. Water surface temps on most lakes in the Ely area are in the low to mid 70’s, but we are looking at acool-down over the next few days with daytime highs in the mid to high 60’s this Friday through next Thursday; over night lows are going to dip as far as the mid 40’s for that same time frame. That drop in heat will likely change-up fish behavior during the next week.
As for the last week, fishing has been steady for most. Walleyes have for the most part been biting on leaches, but minnows have proven to be effective as well, I was catching them on lite pike suckers suspended under a slip bobber set about 10 feet in 18 feet of water. Also working well were marabou swim jigs tippedwithaleach,Keitechpaddletales on a ¼ oz white, pink or blue jig, Rapala Crush City Mooch Minnow and Rapala Crush City The Jerk, both fished on ¼ oz white, pink or blue jigs.
Bass are still holding predominately to the shallows. Rocky or weedy flats are where we have been finding them consistently. Our most successful approach has been top water presentations, whetherthat’sWhopperPloppers, Live Target Frogs or variousHeddonlures like the Crazy Crawler, (nice and loud and obnoxious) or the Zara Spook. The same swim baits used for the walleye can also be used for the bass and will do very well, especially if fished right up again standing vegetation or tight to shoreline structure or outcropping cover. You can also try Whacky rigged worm plastics in that same cover and simply bounce them back from the shallows, allowing the bait to sit momentarily before the next hop.
Pike are very actively hitting large presentationslike largetopwater crank baits such as the new Rapala Claptail 110! (very loud action, absolutely deadly), as well as large Whopper Ploppers. Crankbaits like Jerk Baits, Rip Stops, Rapala’s, large swimbaits on 3/8th oz jigs and large spoons will most likely produce well in shallow, weedy cover.
Crappies are holding steady, suspended about8-12feetinheavycabbage. Casting and retrieving a Beetle Spin or aplainhookandcrappieminnowunder a slip bobber have been my go-to this week. For a variety, try small Twister tails on small 1/8th oz jigs or marabou jigs casted and retrieved through tall vegetation.
