The shoals? Whaleback?

[rambler]

Last year my friend Andrew and I had a couple of nice outings near the Ford R. and South as far as 7 or 8 miles. We learned on this website to watch for South and SE winds to fish those areas and it paid off. There has been a lot less activity on this site this year but I was hoping for some advice on what conditions it might take to have the most productive fishing out on the Minneapolis Shoals or Whaleback or any of those. Would SW winds be best? North? Just hoping for some advice and thoughts on those areas as it would be fun to get offshore a bit if conditions are right.
Thanks,
Lloyd

[DooFighter]

If you're talking about walleye, best conditions would be dark. And, of course, wind and waves that you can tolerate and fish in darkness.

[rambler]

I wonder if it counts that I have been in the dark most of my life Gary? Yup, it is Walleyes I am talking about.
Is there a better wind direction that turns fish on in these areas?

[DooFighter]

Then you should feel right at home :)

Not that I know of. I don't have much experience fishing the shoals, though. I do know there can be some serious current out there.

[rambler]

Got out to the Shoals last night. It was a bit of a rough ride 11 miles from the Escanaba launch. Cruised around looking for fish and baitballs with my Humminbird 997. Did not see as much activity as I would have liked but it was too rough to go anywhere else for that night. Pulled crankbaits with a small piece of crawler on the front hook. Caught a 24 inch fish on a purple Rapala diving plug and a 18 inch fish on a purple Reef Runner. My only two bites. Tried lots of different things but there were just not a lot of fish out there that I could locate. Fished until after 1 a.m. so saw a nice Moon rise and worked at getting straight with the world. Fishing therapy I guess.
Nice fish fry tonight. Yup!..........We ate them both. A hot oil release..........MMMMMMMMMMMMM.