8/16/10 Fishing report

[John Carlson]

Largemouth and Smallies are shallow and tight to cover and hitting well, We have been getting them on 3" or 4" tubes rigged weedless and skipping them into the overhanging brush and trees on the shorelines. Senkos wacky rigged on a weedless hook have been working great as well. With all the rain that we have had the water temps are still in the mid 70's and most fish are shallow. We have been getting some walleye action now the first and last hour of light. We have been using leechs on a ISG weedless slowfall jig fishing 2 to 6 fow around shoreline cover. We are also getting some bonus gills and some big smallies. They are hitting light and you need a good rod like the Tooth Tamer Walleye series rods that I use. Bluegill action is still steady with peak times also being early and late in the day. We are still seeing the gills in shallow water around any shoreline cover. It's been a great year for Catfish, I think the high water has them moving more, the Cats bait of choice seem to be a gob of crawlers. Some fishermen are getting cats on walleye and northern suckers also.
Good luck on the water...

[Cjack]

John, any advice on the Musky fishing on long lake? Been trying a bit over the last few weeks without any luck. Water temps were warm. Advice? Current reports?

[John Carlson]

Usually I like to fish Long this time of year in the evening and at night with surface baits like Dreamcatcher Whiplash, Topper Stopper style baits, Top Raiders or large black and orange tandem bucktails. This year a lot of our fish are comming on a proto-type of a lure that I will be comming out with next spring called the Heckler. It's a prop bait thats weighted so it just floats and has a great popping sound. I would really key on the late bite because of the boat traffic that Long sees on the hot summer days. If I do have to fish Long in the daylight I back off the shoreline and throw Mag Dawgs and slow roll D10's and large spinnerbaits. I key on current, wind, and cribs. Bright colors usually work well (Chart, Yellow, Orange).

[sfreeman]

Hey John,

I didn't realize you were working at Ross's last tuesday when I stopped in for Crappie Minnows. I would have chatted more. Anyway, had good luck on the River near Crowley for Smallies. Then did decent on Crappie. All in all, a good time up there. The water levels are crazy though. Each day I was up from 8/17-8/20 there was rain and just a little less of the dock sticking out of water.