Cool weather good for crappies

Following what seemed like a monsoon season in the Ely area, fishing was picking up again after nearly four days of rain.But even though the weather slowed the action, crappie fishermen reported good action in area lakes. The top four crappies of the week were all caught in different lakes. Minnows were the preferred bait of choice.Top crappie of the week went to Joan Kramer of Elkton, MD with a 1 lb. 8 oz., 14.5-inch panfish caught on a minnow in White Iron Lake. The fish was registered at Skube’s Bait and Tackle.Another 1 lb. 8 oz. crappie, this one going 14 inches on the ruler was entered at Silver Rapids Lodge by Steve Pietsch of Arizona City, AZ. A minnow was the bait.Fall Lake produced a 1 lb. 5 oz. crappie for Ronald Marolt of Winton. He brought his 13.5-inch catch into The Great Outdoors to enter the contest. Casey Sunsdahl of Soudan used a leech to catch a 1 lb. 4 oz. crappie in Lake Vermilion, entering the catch at Vermilion Fuel and Food. The biggest smallmouth to come in weighed 4 lbs. and measured 21.5 inches on the ruler for John Otto of Janesville, WI, caught in Wood Lake off the Fernberg. The entry came in to Skube’s Bait and Tackle. Lori Bantels of Lombard, IL caught a 19-inch smallie in White Iron Lake on a minnow and registered the fish at Spirit of the Wilderness.A nearly-identical fish caught in Fall Lake was entered by Patrick Lee of Rushford, MN at Voyageur North Outfitters.The northern pike action slowed considerably with a 7 pounder that hit a leech and a spinner coming out of Newfound Lake on the Moose Lake chain. The entry came from Ryan Schuring of Elgin, IL and was made at Skube’s Bait and Tackle. A Rapala did the trick for Chris Tollefson of Cambridge, MN, who was fishing on Lake One. The pike entry came in at Voyageur North Outfitters.The biggest walleye of the week weighed in at 9 lbs. and was caught by 12 year-old Cassie Aleckson of Becker, MN in Bear Island Lake using a Lindy Rig with a leech. Timber Wolf Lodge took down the registration info.A 7 lb. 12 oz. walleye was caught by seven year-old Evan Lee Karow on a two-foot rod (his first fish ever). The fish reportedly came out Secret Lake off the Moose Lake Road. Voyageur North took the entry.We had a nice rainbow trout entered as well, a 3-pounder caught within the Ely city limits in Miners Lake by Jerod Gheen and Matt Maternowsky. Wilderness Outfitters was the entry station. Catch and Release showed some real nice fish being put back for the rest of us to reel in someday.A 30.5 inch walleye caught in Mitchell Lake on a minnow was entered by Peter Carroll of Iowa City, IA at Voyageur North Outfitters.A monster 23-inch smallmouth bass hit a jig head on the end of the line of Tammy Schultz’s fishing pole in Good Lake. The entry came into Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins. A 19-inch smallie was released by Sharon Kitzmann of Pittsville, WI. She caught the fish in Gabriel Lake on a crawler and reported the release at Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins. With the weather turning nice again last week, look for the fishing action to pick up as well. Don’t be afraid to do some slow trolling, whether you’re going after crappies or walleyes.Lindy Rigs or Bottom Bouncers with a four to six foot long line with a hook and a leech trailing behind have been a deadly weapon of late. Fishing after dark has also been good with guys reporting success by trolling Rapalas behind the boat. Just make sure you know where you’re going or the bottom of the lake will catch you.Get out on the water and good luck!