Fishing harder in windy weather

The weather continues to be a factor affecting fishing in the Ely area. This time it’s the wind that blew boats all over the lake and fish into the shorelines and/or deeper water. Top walleye of the week was a 7 lb. 2 oz. Basswood beauty caught by Dick Brush of Green City, OH on a leech and checked in at Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins.Basswood was also the spot for Doug Booth of Lucasville, OH, with a 6 lb. 10 oz. walleye, also caught on a leech and weighed at Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins.And the third largest walleye came from …you guessed it, Basswood Lake as Doug Padgett came over from Tower and used a minnow to catch a 6 lb. 6 oz. fish, checking it in at Vermilion Fuel and Food.There was a pair of six pounders, one from Kawishiwi River and the other from White Iron Lake.Alan Hofstadler of Ely was fishing from shore on the Kawishiwi with a light northern minnow when he hooked a 27-incher, registering the fish at Spirit of the Wilderness.Jessica Flannigan of Stillwater was using a jumbo leech on White Iron Lake when she caught a 26.5 inch walleye and checked it in at Spirit of the Wilderness.Jerry “Mac” McGinnis of Lucasville, OH used a leech to land a 5 lb. 12 oz. walleye out of Basswood Lake, entering the fish in the Angler at Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins.William Janke of Wayzata was fishing the South Kawishiwi when he landed a 5 lb. 6 oz. 25.5 inch walleye using and orange and green jig and a minnow and checking it in at Spirit of the Wilderness. We had a monster muskie come off the West Two River, this one weighed in at 22 lb. 4 oz. for Joseph Dale of Soudan who registered the fish at Vermilion Fuel and Food. Top northern of the week went to Todd Siebert of Babbitt with a 12 lb. 4 oz. pike caught in Basswood Lake using a spinner. He brought the fish in to Skube’s Bait and Tackle. You can only keep one pike over 36 inches on Basswood, and Todd’s hit the ruler at 37.25 inches.A 10 lb. 2 oz. pike that went 45 inches long was caught in Eagles Nest by Bill Wright of Embarrass and checked in at Vermilion Fuel and Food.Keith Queoff of Milwaukee, WI was staying at Deer Ridge Resort when he landed a 10 lb., 36-inch walleye in Farm Lake using a jig and a minnow. Fall Lake was the spot for Rick Merb of Portsmouth, OH to catch a 10 lb., 35-inch pike on a leech while staying at Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins.Bass are still hitting well, both in the smallmouth and largemouth categories.Biggest smallie was a 20-inch, 4 lb. fish caught in Fall Lake by Travis Storey of Pillager, MN and registered at Spirit of the Wilderness.Jerry McGinnis of Lucasville, OH caught a 4 lb. smallmouth in Basswood using artificial bait. A 4 lb. 8 oz. largemouth that went 21 inches on the ruler was checked in at Spirit of the Wilderness by Kevin Lamb of Elgin, MN who caught the fish in Indiana Lake.Bill Quick of Centerville, OH reeled in a 3 lb. 1 oz largemouth on a Rapala while fishing in Bear Island. The fish was registered at Skube’s Bait and Tackle. In Catch and Release action, Glenn Wiles of Chesterton, IN released a 20.5-inch smallmouth in Farm Lake and entered the contest at Spirit of the Wilderness.Tim Humphrey of Walford, IN caught and released a 19-inch smallie in Farm Lake, entering the catch at Deer Ridge Resort. A 42-inch northern was caught and released in Trout Lake by Lloyd Speed of Seminary, MS, registering the release at Wilderness Outfitters.With water temps still on the cool side and the wind whipping up the water, fishermen had to work hard to fill a stringer. Walleye fishermen report finding fish going after leeches now while it’s a great time to hop on a smaller lake with a kid and fill up a bucket of a sunfish. Good luck!