Cool water temps affect fish

The water is still cold but the fishing is heating up in Ely area lakes.Water temperatures have been reported as low as 61 degrees, nearly 10 degrees colder than the temps we had last year at this time. Ely scuba divers report water temps of 46 degrees at 60 feet down in Burntside Lake.Monster walleyes continue to pound nearly everything thrown at them, from live bait to artificial lures.The top walleye weighed in at 11 lb. 3 oz. and was caught in Lake Vermilion by Tom Poderzay of Soudan and registered at Vermilion Fuel and Food. Son Donny Poderzay followed in dad’s footsteps, landing a 10 lb. 8 oz. walleye in Vermilion and registered the fish at Vermilion Fuel and Food.Carol Kelley of Ely used a Rapala to land a 9 lb. 4 oz. walleye in Eagles Nest #1, weighing the fish in at Skube’s Bait and Tackle.Right behind with an 8 lb. 9 oz. walleye caught in Mitchell Lake was Jerry Koch of Sheffield, IA and checked in at Voyageur North Outfitters.There was also an 8 lb. 3.2 oz. walleye caught on a leech in White Iron Lake by Mark Horwath of Chicago, IL, with the fish registered at Voyageur North Outfitters.We had a 17 lb. 8 oz. northern pike caught on a night crawler by Jack Mattila of Eveleth in Hogsback Lake and brought in to Skube’s Bait and Tackle. Every year we have some lucky anglers who tie into a silver pike in Snowbank Lake and the first one registered this year was a 12 lb. 12 oz. whopper caught by Kevin R. Runbom of Taylor Ridge, IL and checked in at Jackpine Lodge.Smallmouth bass slowed a bit with a 3 lb. 5 oz. smallie registered by Joseph Dole of Soudan, caught in Lake Vermilion and registered at Vermilion Fuel and Food.The big story of the week was the Catch and Release entries. Leading off was a 40.75 inch northern taken in Clearwater Lake with a Daredevil by Dennis Glick of Viroqua, WI, entered at Voyageur North Outfitters.A nice 40 inch pike caught in Burntside Lake by Joe Hollinshead of Ely on a minnow was released and entered at Skube’s Bait and Tackle. Right behind was a 39.5 inch northern caught in White Iron Lake and released by Bill Misch of Plainfield, IL and registered at Skube’s Bait and Tackle.A 39 inch northern pike was caught and released in Sucker Lake on a spinner with a crawler on the hook by Keith Landon of Ames, IA and entered at Spirit of the Wilderness. P.J. Freeman of South Range, WI entered the biggest smallmouth Catch and Release of the season with a 22.5-inch beauty that likely tipped the scales around seven pounds. The release was entered at Spirit of the Wilderness. A 21-inch bass release was recorded at Skube’s Bait by Brian Goe of Westmont, IL. Brian used a leech for bait. Pat Freeman of South Range was also in the hot spot for smallies, releasing a 21-incher caught in White Iron on a leech, entering the Angler contest at Spirit of the Wilderness.The top walleye Catch and Release went to Roger Summers of Ely with a 32-inch walleye caught on a minnow in Burntside Lake. Lee Roebke of White Bear Lake, MN had the catch (and release) of a lifetime with a 31-inch walleye in Moose Lake. Lee was using a jig and a leech and entered the Angler contest at Voyageur North Outfitters.Merlin Schreiber of Plainview, MN entered a 29-inch walleye Catch and Release out of White Iron Lake at the Great Outdoors. Word from the water is to stay out late. Don’t leave for the landing when the sun goes down, wait for the fish to come up on the reefs. Of course you need to have the proper lighting on your boat but as we enter the longest days of the year, it might be worth the wait. Good luck!This Week’s EntriesWght Lake Angler’s Name RegistryNORTHERN PIKE17-8 Hogsback Jack Mattila, Eveleth, MN Skube’s Bait & TackleWALLEYE11-3 Vermilion Tom Poderzay, Soudan, MN Vermilion Fuel & Food10-8 Vermilion Donny Poderzay, Soudan, MN Vermilion Fuel & Food9-4 Eagles Nest 1 Carol Kelley, Ely Skube’s Bait & Tackle8-9 Mitchell Jerry Koch, Sheffield, IA Voyageur North Outfitters8-3.2 White Iron Mark Horwath, Chicago, L Voyageur North Outfitters7-8 Burntside John Pavlik, Coon Rapids, MN Voyageur North Outfitters7-0 Lake 3 Olivia Holdman, Blaine, MN Voyageur North Outfitters6-10 Kawishiwi R. Rick Lammi, Owatona, MN The Great Outdoors4-15 Bear Island Frank Demenge, Cloquet, MN Timber Wolf Lodge4-4 Kawishiwi R. Becky Lammi, Owatona, MN The Great Outdoors3-8 Vermilion John Hasey, Lake Nobogomon, WI Vermilion Fuel and Food2-12 Garden Briley Berning, Marion, IA Voyageur North OutfittersSMALLMOUTH BASS3-5 Vermilion Joseph Dale, Soudan, MN Vermilion Fuel & Food3-0 Vermilion Chris Suihkonon, Tower, MN Vermilion Fuel & FoodSILVER PIKE12-12 Snowbank Kevin R. Runbom, Taylor Ridge, IL Jackpine LodgeCatch and ReleaseSMALLMOUTH BASS22.5" White Iron P.J. Freeman, South Range, WI Spirit of the Wilderness 21" White Iron Brian Goe, Westmont, IL Skube’s Bait & Tackle21" White Iron Pat Freeman, South Range, WI Spirit of the Wilderness 19" West Twin Morris Goilion, Waverly, OH Skube’s Bat & Tackle10" Low Adam Reed, Urbandale, IA Skube’s Bait & Tackle18" Dead R. Ed Handrigan. Ely Skube’s Bait & TackleWALLEYE32" Burntside Roger Summers, Ely Voyageur North Outfitters31" Moose Lee Roebke, White Bear Lake, MN Voyageur North Outfitters29" White Iron Merlin Schreiber, Plainview, MN The Great Outdoors20" Farm PJ Freeman, South Range, WI Spirit of the WildernessNORTHERN PIKE40.75" Clearwater Dennis Glick, Vurginia, MN Voyageur North Outfitters40" Burntside Joe Hollingshead, Ely Skube’s Bait & Tackle39.5" White Iron Bill Misch, Plainfield, IL Skube’s Bait & Tackle39" Sucker Keith Landon, Ames, IA Spirit of the Wilderness36" Sucker Helen Ingvoldstad, Ames, IA Spirit of the WildernessLAKE TROUT43" Mesabi Phillip Meier, Winton, MN Voyageur North Outfitters Section 1 LEADERS WALLEYE10-8 Little Long Kendal Glasmer, DesMoines, IA 32" Skube’s Bait & TackleNORTHERN PIKE25-1 Basswood Robert D. Jablonski Sr., Waukegan, IL Voyageur North OutfittersLAKE TROUT16-4 Burntside Mike Pelto, Ely Voyageur North OutfittersSmallmouth Bass5-6 Burntside Andrew Isle, Ely Skube’s Bait & Tackle