Smallmouth:
Not much has changed from last weeks report. The bellies on these fish are looking like they are eating baseballs and now is the time to start getting up here to chase your PB smallie. The fish are now getting into their fall patterns and the bite is continuing to get better. The bass are being found in the deeper rocks and still around shallow flats, anywhere from 8-20 feet of water.
The launch boats have been having success with slip bobbers with leeches and crawlers over rocky areas. Setting your bait depth to be closer to the bottom has been helpful in catching them as well. A variety of lure choices have proven to be successful still like swim-baits, stick baits, drop shots, and ned rigs.
Pike/Muskies: The bite has been a little slower for musky but we’ve been seeing a lot of movement with close follows but just not getting them to commit. The pike have been steady all over the lake. Since trolling season is upon us, most have been using crankbaits or jerkbaits and trolling the weed lines in anywhere from 8 -16 feet of water. As the water temps continue to drop, it will soon be time to start trolling bigger, heavier rubber baits (or casting) near dropoffs and out on the flats. A good tip when trolling the flats is to use baits that resemble tulibees or jumbo perch.