Lake Vermilion Guides League Experienced, Professional Lake Vermilion Guides Fishing Reports September 1, 2010 Hello everyone, The Walleye action has been better this week. Jigs and minnows have replaced the lindy rigs and crawlers in my boat. I have also started to catch some nice fish trolling out in the open basin areas of Big bay. The water temps have been in the low 70's and with the cooler temps on the way, surface temps should be on the "fall" to the downside of 70 degrees. Cooler water temps should start to send the walleyes into their fall patterns. That can put them into some very predictable fall locations. The Muskie action has been pretty good for me this week. No monsters in the boat however plenty of good action on upper 30's and mid 40's size fish. Bucktails, glittertails and gliders have been the most effective presentations for me and my clients this week. Mainlake islands and points have been active, especially the wind blown areas. Some big local news for all of us Muskies Inc members. The Star of the North chapter (Grand Rapids) defended it's 2009 title, by winning back to back Gill Hamm chapter challenges here on Lake Vermilion last week. The Smallmouth action has been steady with some moments of non-stop action mixed in from time to time. Cranks and soft plastic have been very effective and at times, the topwater action has been hot. Rocks, docks, points, wood, saddle areas and mainlake rocks structures, have all been producing fish at times. There has also been some good action along the deep reedlines early and late in the day. Have a great Holiday weekend everyone. The weather looks like it's going to be very nice from Saturday through Monday. I'm going to miss all of you after Labor day. It will seem pretty empty out there, but I'll try to get used to it. Have a great weekend and please remember to put some back. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service August 25, 2010 Hello everyone, Can Labor day really be just a few days away? It seems like the 2010 fishing season just started a few weeks ago. As unbelievable as it seems, the month of August is winding down and fall is in the air. For the Walleye fishermen on Lake Vermilion, that may be the best news they could get after a very tough summer Walleye season. What typically is one of the best times of the summer for Walleye anglers, the month of August has been a huge disappointment to many. The bite has been erratic and very inconsistent the last couple of weeks. Typical summer locations have been almost void of any activity, at least any consistent activity. Main lake humps and rock piles which are normally very active during the later part of the summer, have been very disappointing. The day time bite has been tough to say the least. The only bright spot has been the late evening action just before sunset. This short window of activity has been fairly consistent the last few weeks. Small cranks or spinners tipped with live bait have been producing during the evening hours. The most consistent presentation has been trolling along the shoreline breaks in 6 to 12 ft of water. There has been some improvement trolling the deeper structure with down riggers, however the schools of baitfish have been very difficult to locate at times. The Muskie action has been steady and at times, multiple fish days have been the norm. The early morning and evening action has been the most consistent, but I have had some very good midday action the last couple of weeks as well. Bucktails, glittertails and gliders, have all been moving fish. The topwater action had slowed a bit, however it has started to improve over the last few days. Main lake points, islands and reefs have been very active for me this week. We are still moving fish off the deep weed edges at times however it's been a little spotty this last week. I had the opportunity to do some Smallmouth bass fishing over the weekend and found it to be very good. We did very well on horizontal presentations over rocks and main lake points. The dock bite required a slower presentation. Jigs and tubes were very effective in pulling some nice Bass out from under the docks. We also had some very exciting topwater action early and late in the day. I would expect the Bass action to be even better as we move into the fall period in the next few weeks. Have a great week everybody and please remember to put some back. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service August 10, 2010 Sorry about being so tardy with this report but have been very busy the past couple of week with clients! The walleye bite has been very hot the past couple of weeks with limits and a few slot fish being caught almost every outing. The walleyes seem to be at almost all of my favorite summer spots and even at a few new discovered spots! Most of my fish are coming out of water that is 17' to 26' deep. with a few exceptions being caught in 8' to 12' depths and a few at 28' to 32' depths. Everything depends upon the spot being fished and the walleyes mood that day. Most of the fish are heavily relating to the edges of reefs and shoreline drop offs. I have been using a bait rig with a #4 hook, a pink or chartreuse bead, a 3/4 oz. sinker, and a 3' to 6' fluorocarbon leader exclusively. Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Gide Service August 9, 2010 Esox Masquinongy has been cooperative for the most part, but as is always the case with muskies, a few slow days have been in the mix as well. I've been working a couple productive patterns for the last month and a slow day is quickly mitigated by some 2 and 3 muskie days. That's the part about chasing muskies that I love - When you amalgamate the right location, bait, tactic, and timing, you solve the puzzle. When a working pattern begins to dissipate, it's time to tweak the location/bait/tactic/timing variable to propagate another working pattern. Blades big and small have worked well. That being said, muskies become conditioned to baits quickly. When they have squadrons of double-10's buzzing by them each day, what does it take to get them to hit one? Some would say attrition. Cast, cast, cast and eventually your number is up, the fish get cranked up, and they hit. Obviously, the more casts you make and the more time you spend on the water, the better your odds of catching a fish, but work that bait just a tad differently than the rest, and you up your odds of triggering that muskie. Speed kills. Run that same bait by 'em faster than they're used to seeing it and sometimes they'll destroy it. The Northland BTS 10 is great for burning, as the blades spin tighter to the shaft than most double 10's, allowing a better ease of retrieve than some baits with blades that have a wider rotation. Subtle variations in the same style of bait will also turn the trick. It seems everyone on the lake is chucking big blades, and with good reason, they catch fish, but don't be afraid to downsize or (yikes) return to an old standby- the single bladed bucktail. The fish aren't seeing as many of these and the less obtrusive vibration can often be sweet music to their lateral lines. Weed edges deep and shallow are prime real estate during the light changes of dawn and dusk. Some rocks are holding muskies and some are pretty barren right now. Ledge rock, slabs, and boulders are holding fish as are the saddle areas between islands. Don't overlook deeper humps and sand bars that top off at 10 to 15 feet. Vermilion has several commodious basins with a liberal sprinkling of these big fish magnets. During the heat of the day, working the slop with short arm spinnerbaits is a productive tactic. A long rod with some backbone like the 8'6" St. Croix Legend Tournament Sling Blade helps in exploding that bait through the weeds. Slow rolling deep humps with a Northland Booty Call spinnerbait will also trigger some fish that aren't similarly affected by the mid day malaise of some shallow fish. This season has brought a lot of boatside hits on circles and 8's. With the greenish tint that parts of the lake are starting to see, a good pair of quality polarized glasses like my Costa Fathoms with amber or vermilion lenses is paramount. Bright and sunny to cloudy and flat, you can't hit 'em if you can't see 'em! With surface water temps running in the mid 70's, fish mortality is always a concern. Keep that muskie in the net in the water, extricate the hooks, take a quick pic if you must, and get her back in the water. Unfortunately, I've seen a few big floaters again recently. It's sad to see a big beautiful fish that didn't make it because of improper handling... Head out and enjoy the beautiful summer weather we're having. Catch a muskie and let it go... Let 'em all go. Have a fun and safe time on the water. Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service July 28, 2010 Hello everyone, The Walleye fishing has continued to improve this week on Vermilion. Lindy rigs tipped with a crawler have been my top producer. Spinners tipped with a crawler or a leech or even a minnow have also been catching some fish. I didn't get the chance to do much trolling this week, but I have been catching a few Walleyes with that presentation as well. Main lake reefs and points have been getting more active each time out. Depths of 18 to 30ft have been the most productive for me this week. The Muskie action as been good at times and tough at times, what else is new. The early morning action has been the best for me however, we are moving fish in the evening as well. Topwaters and blades are my best movers right now, but I did get a couple of fish on cranks this week. Weed lines, island points in the main lake and wind blown rocks have been the most active locations for me this week. They have been looking for something fast moving during the recent heat wave, but that could change after the cold front comes through on Wednesday. The Pike action has really improved lately. I have been catching some good numbers of larger fish in recent days. Fish in the 40 inch range have been almost common place this week. Spinnerbaits on the weed flats and on island saddle areas have been a very effective presentation this week. Wind blown shoreline areas can also be very active as Pike really like the wind and can get very active when it's blowing. Have a great week everybody and please remember to put some back. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service July 26, 2010 The muskies have been moving. The weather has cooperated and the warm water temps have cranked them up in a big way. July last year saw water temps hovering in the 64 to 67 degree range, however this year, we're back to normal summer weather patterns and water temps. In the last ten days, I've had several multiple fish days and most outings have resulted in at least one muskie. Many of my fish are coming off of deep weed edges, with some coming from inside edges as well as in the slop. The weed fish are definitely keying on points and inside turns in the weed lines. Northland BTS 10's have turned the trick most of the time, however some days burning and bulging the smaller BTS 8 has been more effective. Grinding a Booty Call spinnerbait has also gotten a few reluctant followers to eat. Several muskies have fallen for slow moving topwaters and jointed cranks as well. Rockpiles, islands, points, saddles, and deep water humps are all holding muskies. In other words, all the standard summer baits and locations are working right now. One thing I've noticed this season, is the number of fish that are hitting boatside. The best advice I can give is to sweep your rod into at least an L as your bait comes boatside. Several 'skies have been following the bait low and slow and then closed the gap and hit as the bait approached the boat. Keep your eyes open and hang on! At night, it's a good idea to circle or figure-8 after every cast. You may get less casts in overall, but catching one or two fish an evening boatside is a worthwhile trade in my book. Surface water temps are running 73 to 76 degrees. As water temps continue to become more tepid, fish mortality becomes a real issue. I always use the analogy - Run around the block 3 times, then have someone hold your head under the water. How long can you hold your breath? It's the same principle with a muskie that's just battled hard. Keep that fish out of the water too long and its dead. It may swim away, but it's a dead fish swimming... When you land a muskie, KEEP IT IN THE NET, IN THE WATER! Extricate the hooks from the fish in the net. If you feel the need to measure the muskie, do it with a floating stick in the water. If you want to take a picture, ready the camera, THEN take the fish out of the net, hold it securely (no fingers in the gills), and snap a couple quick pics. There's no reason for that fish to be out of the water any longer than 30 seconds! Summer brings out the people on Vermilion. With the beautiful weather, comes increased boating traffic. Back when I started fishing muskies, it was rare to see another boat more than an hour into darkness. We had the night bite to ourselves. These days it's a different story, with boats running around all night. Keep your eyes open and don't be staring at your gps. Make sure to use bow and stern running lights! The other night, I was almost t-boned by a boat just after dark. I had both lights on and heard the boat approaching. As it got closer, I flicked my headlamp on and off, when this didn't deter him from his collision course, I let out a yell at the top of my lungs. Only then did he pull back the throttle, a couple seconds from impact. That was way too close! We're enjoying a real summer again this year and the muskies are cooperating. Vermilion has been a fun place to be of late, and I'm looking for the good fishing to continue. Have a fun and safe time on the water. Catch a piggy and let it go, let all the muskies go! Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service July 21, 2010 Hello everyone, The Walleye fishing has been much improved over the last week or two. I had the opportunity to spend more time on them this week and it has paid off for me. We were able to catch them on a couple of different presentations and in a number of different locations. Lindy rigs tipped with crawlers and leeches and even a few minnows were effective for us. I was also able to catch a number of fish trolling crank baits along the breaks and out in open water, around some large mainlake structures. Most of this action has come in Big bay on the east end, I have not been on the west side in a number of days. The Muskie action has been very good for me for a few weeks now and with the full moon on it's way I expect that to continue. Water temps are in the mid 70's and the forecast is for warm midday temps and sun for the weekend. Topwaters have been stone killers for me and I see no reason for that to change anytime soon. Bucktails and gliders have also been very effective in moving fish. The deep weed edge, rocks and boulders, midlake reefs and island points and boulder flats in the main lake have all been very active. The Smallmouth bass action has also picked up as off late. The topwater action has been very good early and late in the day. Most of my fish have been coming on soft plastics like tubes and senco style baits. They are also hitting on cranks and spinnerbaits when the time is right. Rocks, docks, points, inshore rockpiles, island saddle areas and large mainlake rock structures have all been very active for me the last week or so. Have a great week everybody and please remember to put some back. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service July 14, 2010 Hello everyone, The Walleye action seems to be picking up for some this week. I haven't spent much time fishing for them the last couple of weeks however I did get a nice 25 inch fish yesterday. Mainlake reefs and rockpiles are beginning to get some action during the day and the evening bite has been much better. We caught fish yesterday on a jig and leech in 16 to 22ft of water, on a mainlake point with lots of boulders near the transition zone. I have been spending most of my time chasing Muskies the last two weeks and that action has been much better than the Walleyes have. Water temps have climbed into the upper 70's over most of the lake and the fish have been responding to the warm water with a much higher activity level. My clients and I have boated 9 fish in the last few days ranging in size from 51 to 41 inches. Spinner baits, blades, topwaters and gliders have all caught fish for me this week and last. All of this activity has been during the daylight hours up until the sunset. I haven't had to fish at night to get action. Deep weed edges, reeds and wind blown shorelines have been very active on the east end. I have seen fish out on the rocks in Big bay, however most of them have just been followers. All of our fish were taken in relatively shallow water ranging from 3 to 8ft. Late evening and early morning have been good, however there has also been some excellent mid day action at times. Watch for those prime time periods. around the moon rise and set, fish the wind and don't be afraid to throw a bait in the slop. Have a great weekend everybody and please, always remember to put some back. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service July 7, 2010 The walleye bite on Vermilion is slowly starting to turn around and go into a more stable summer bite. Most of the May fly hatch is now over with only a few small hatches showing up in the mornings on the main lake. The young-of-the-year perch appear to have had a banner year hatch though! The water column is full of them now! That is not always a bad thing I believe because the walleyes have to become more aggressive in order to catch them which translates into a better bite for us fishermen! I have been doing quite well this week with my clients with most days producing limits or very close to that. The number one presentation is still the plain hook bait rig with a 5 foot leader. Bait this with one half of a night crawler hooked either right in the end or hooked "wacky worm" style in the middle. The way the worm is hooked seems to make a difference on many days! Leeches are also getting their fair share of the fish if used in the right locations. Most of my walleyes are being caught on the mid-lake reefs and on the steep dropoffs along rocky shorelines. 19 feet to 28 feet are the best depths this week. Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Gide Service July 1, 2010 As of yesterday, I'm transitioning from walleyes to muskies, though I'll continue to do some laker fishing as well. Walleyes have been a bit of an enigma all season; spots that hold fish one day are void of life the next and spots that were duds yesterday are today's hotspots. The best advice I can give is to remain fluid and amalgamate different tactics into your repertoire. Jigging soft to hard bottom transition areas has put some fish in the net. A Northland Fireball Jig tipped with a piece of crawler is always a good bet during the mayfly hatches. Bubblegum and orange/green colors have worked best. Pulling Northland Roach Rigs tipped with half a crawler or a small leech has also produced some fish. With some summer like weather to replace the frontal, post frontal whirlwind of June (I hope), look for the walleye bite to improve. The fish are on many of their summer locations such as reefs and mid lake humps, but don't overlook fishing very shallow areas in 3 to 10 feet of water. I've found that many walleyes (read bigger fish) like to go shallow in the wake of big mayfly hatches. I had a very enjoyable day of fishing for Let's Take A Kid Fishing Day. Abby and Hunter were a lot of fun to have in the boat even thought the fishing wasn't the greatest. They each boated a walleye with Hunter boating a nice 19.5 incher and Abby a 10 incher. Thanks to all the volunteers who donated their time to allow kids to experience a fun afternoon of fishing Lake Vermilion! The muskie fishing should continue to heat up as we move into July and more summer like conditions. A few fish have been boated recently including a couple dandies. Time and water temperature work hand in hand in determining when the muskie bite takes off. Year in and year out, I find that the big bite begins in July... Try fishing cabbage and coontail weedlines as well as in the slop. Any point and island areas adjacent to weedy bays can be good and don't overlook traditional midsummer structure such as reefs, points, and saddle areas. Topwaters, bucktails, spinners, and jerkbaits will all produce but I lean heavily toward topwater and bucktails/spinners during summer months. Try out Northland's new line of Booty Call Spinnerbaits, Boobie Trap Inline Spinners, and Stud Finder Swimbaits. They're sure to be a hit! Area trout waters have continued to produce lakers on flutter spoons and Buckshots. 30 to 80 feet of water has been best and as always, find baitfish and the lakers' preferred temperature zone, and you've put together a couple pieces of the puzzle. I recently enjoyed a great weekend of trout fishing with my friend Mick and his sons Nick and Matt. The fish cooperated and Mick's shore lunches were even better! The 4th is a couple days away and the forecast looks good. As such, boating traffic will be way up on V. Keep your eyes open and slow down. Have a fun and safe time on the water. Remember to keep a couple trout and walleye for the frying pan and let the rest go...Let all the muskies go. Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service June 30, 2010 Hello everyone, The Walleye action is still very tough on the Big V these days. I haven't been guiding much for Walleyes the last two weeks, however the word from other anglers hasn't been very good. The best time seems to be in the evening, but even that hasn't been very consistent. There are perch minnows everywhere I have been on the east end of the lake. I'd try pulling spinners and crawlers on bottom bouncers and hopefully locate some active fish. The Smallmouth bass fishing has been much better than the Walleye fishing this week. I'm still catching a few on horizontal presentations like cranks and jerkbaits. The best action has been on plastics like tubes and senco style baits. The topwater action has been very good at times. Early and late in the day have been by far the best time for the topwater bite. Poppers and prop style baits have both been very effective for me. Points and flats off of islands, saddle areas and docks have been the go to spots for me this week. The Muskie action was pretty slow to begin the week. Water temps have been climbing nearer to that 70 degree mark. I expect things to heat up as the water temps make it over that mark for the first time this summer. We have been moving a few fish, however they have been very reluctant to take the bait. We did catch two very nice Pike yesterday while fishing for Muskies. The largest went 42 inches and we had another tip the tape at 38 inches. Both were taken off of main lake island complexes, over long extended points with boulders. Have a great fourth of July weekend and please watch out for the other drivers out there, both on the water and on the roads. The Walleyes have to start biting sometime. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service June 23, 2010 Hello everyone, The poor Walleye fishing continues here on Lake Vermilion. Mayflies are everywhere on the lake from east to west and north to south. The daytime action has been tough with just a few exceptions. I had a pretty good day pulling bottom bouncers with a large spinner, tipped with a crawler on a couple of occasions. I targeted a large soft bottom flat that still had mayfly larva floating above the bottom. Moving at .9 to 1.2 mph, I was able to catch some nice Walleyes during the middle of the day. The Smallmouth action has slowed a bit, but it's still way better than the Walleye bite. They are a bit more scattered than they were a week ago, however many have been willing to take some kind of a topwater presentation. Poppers and prop style baits have been the most effective for me this week. Shallow running cranks and minnow style jerkbaits, have also been producing some fish for me this week. Soft plastics are also another option for when they will not hit a fast moving bait. The Muskies have been moving in the evening however the daytime action this week was a little disappointing. Most of the fish we have seen this week were in deep cabbage and along the outside weed edges close to deep water. The rock bite hasn't been to active this week for me. Water temps are on the way up and could reach the 70 degree mark this weekend, or early next week. Some consistent weather patterns would be a welcome change to the Muskies anglers as well as the Walleye fishermen. Have a great weekend everybody and please remember to put some back! Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service June 16, 2010 Hello everyone, I can't remember a time in recent memory when the Walleye fishing has been this poor. Mayflies are hatching all over the lake and the weather has been awful for the last couple of weeks. Fortunately for me I haven't had to many Walleye trips to deal with in the last two weeks. There have been some fish caught in the evening, just before the sunset, however there really hasn't been any consistent pattern to go to. Lindy rigs tipped with a leech or a crawler have caught some fish for me during the day. The evening action has been for the most part a trolling bite. Cranks or spinners tipped with livebait or a gulp minnow, have produced for me in the evening hours. The Smallmouth action has slowed a bit during this horrible weather pattern. We are still catching fish on a number of presentations however the locations are changing from spawning areas to more mainlake structures. You can still find a few in shallow water during the early morning or evening hours. The midday action in those shallow spots has been very tough this week. Rocks, docks, points and the deep reeds have been consistent producers. We have also been finding more and more fish out on rockpiles and saddle areas in the main basin. The Muskie action has been very good for this early in the season. Water temps have fallen by 5 or 6 degrees in the last few days however they have still be very active. I have been moving a number of fish in the weeds and on points adjacent to these weedy areas. Mainlake windblown rocky shorelines have also been showing some signs of life in recent days. Gliders, hair and topwaters, have all been moving fish for me this week. Have a great week everybody and to all you fathers out there, Happy Fathers day! Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service June 10, 2010 The walleye bite is still very sporadic on Vermilion this week. This is probably because "sporadic" really describes our weather pattern! One day the fish will bite well in one area and the next day I cannot find a single fish there! The depth range that we are catching walleyes in is also all over the depth spectrum! I have caught walleyes as shallow as 3 feet and as deep as 50 feet, but not usually two days in a row! My go to presentation is still a Lindy Rig with a plain hook, 5 foot leader, and as much weight needed to stay on the bottom. Minnows will work well on one day and the next day all they will hit is a half crawler. Leeches are also starting to catch walleyes for a few anglers. Most of the fish are still relating to mud/rock or sand/rock transition areas, no matter what the depth is. We are not getting many fish out of the mud flats this week. The May flies are still in a holding mode on the main lake this week. I expect the main large hatch to occur as soon as we get a hot calm night. Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Gide Service June 9, 2010 My St. Croixs doubled over under the weight of more walleyes this week. The bite was steady at times and the number of walleyes caught was at least better than what it had been. The best evening was 25 walleyes released with limits in the 13.5 to 16.5 inch range. 1/4 ounce bubblegum colored Northland Fire-Ball jigs tipped with a leech or piece of crawler turned the trick. Northland Rainbow Spinners with a gold blade and red hook tipped with a small leech or minnow were also good producers. Northland Roach Rigs were another weapon in my arsenal as the walleyes were hanging on sand/gravel/mud bottom in 12 to 30 feet of water. The evening bite has been the ticket . The day bite has picked up some but has still been slow on some days. As always, a slow, finesse approach worked best with the jigs while a medium to fast speed got it done on the spinners and rigs. Experiment with different colors and snell lengths and let the 'eyes tell you what they want to chomp on. With surface water temps in the upper 60's, we're getting into the time of year when some dandies will be caught in addition to the eaters. In the last week, area trout waters produced lakers in the 24 to 27 inch range. All of my fish came on flutter spoons trolled over 40 to 70 feet of water. My first laker trips of the season haven't yielded any big ones, but as always, they'll come as we move more into June and the true summer conditions that come with it. Remember trout don't do well with excessive handling and time out of the water. In most instances, if I'm not going to keep a trout, I don't even take it out of the water. I leave them in the net, in the water, extricate the hooks, dip the net, and watch 'em swim...There's something way cool about watching these Northwoods beauties fin their way back into the abyss. I leave the muskies alone for the first ten day to two weeks of the season. I'll be fishing 'em until the season closes on December 1st, so giving them a little time to recover from the spawning ritual is no skin off my behind. My tactics to start out will include casting shallow point and island shorelines, weed beds, and trolling open water for muskies chasing pelagic baitfish. Remember to keep a couple 'eyes and trout for the pan and let the rest go. Let all the muskies go! Keep a tight line and have a fun and safe week on the water! Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service June 8, 2010 Hello everyone, The Walleye fishing has been very difficult for most anglers the last couple of weeks. There are fish being taken in the evening at or just before sunset, however the daytime action has been very tough. It has been difficult to find any consistent patterns, or any large concentrations of active fish. In the last week I have tried every kind of presentation that I have in my arsenal just to get some kind of pattern established. I have had very little success with any of them. Plain lindy rigs tipped with a crawler or a leech have done the best lately, however even that system has been somewhat inconsistent. I have caught fish in depths ranging from 10 to 38ft in the last few days. If you can do all of your fishing in the evening the outlook is a little better, however it's a very short window of opportunity. We have had a number of minor mayfly hatches on the east end, but most of the major hatches are still out there waiting to happen. The word from the west end has been very similar and many of the fish that are being caught, are in the slot. The weather patterns have been very erratic as of late and water temps have been hovering around the 65 to 67 degree range for about a week now. The Muskie season opened last Saturday to mixed reviews. I had a pretty good day with my son and grandson. We moved a number of fish, 4 of them by my 11 year old grandson. We had a couple blowups on topwaters and I boated two small Muskies on Saturday evening. We have been seeing a number of fish while fishing for Smallmouth bass along rocky shorelines and mainlake points. Most of the Muskie action that we had on the opener, was in or adjacent to large weed beds. The edges were more active than the inside of the weeds, however we did move a couple fish that were deep in the slop. The Smallmouth bass action continues to be the best fishing opportunity on the lake right now. It has been a little slower the last couple of days, however that is still much better than anything else. We are getting more and more fish on rocks and mainlake structures every day. The back bays and spawning areas have begun to slow down a bit, as more and more fish enter the post spawn and move out of those areas. Cranks, spinnerbaits, plastics and topwaters, have all caught fish for me this week. Have a great week everybody and please remember to put some back. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service June 1, 2010 Walleye fishing has been slow overall with intermittent spikes in success which have coincided with weather and light changes. Two staples in my arsenal for late May early June are jigs and 'rigs but the bite has been inconsistent via both tactics. Water temperatures are running in the 65 to 68 degree range and I look for some improvement in the bite in the near future. I've caught some 'eyes vertical jigging deep holes as well as transition areas adjacent to deep water. Evening and into darkness has been the best time while the mid-day period has been spotty at best. 1/4 ounce Northland Fireball, Gumball, and Eye Jigs in orange, chartreuse, and gold and tipped with a fathead have turned the trick. A shallow evening and night bite on the soft plastics has also started to emerge. Look for the fish in skinny water and very tight to the shoreline and ancillary structure. 1/8 ounce jigs tipped with a minnow or 3/16 ounce Slurpie Swim Shiners are the bait du jour. This is finesse fishing and my St. Croix Legend Elite is just what the doctor ordered for feeling the light tick of a walleye as it sucks in the bait. A pair of Costa Polarized Glasses allows me to see submerged structure such as boulders and wood. Trolling cranks over soft bottom and adjacent hard bottom areas has also put some fish in the boat. They're keying on mayflies. As such, occasional pockets of schooled fish can be found, but for the most part they're still scattered. The local trout lakes have given up some nice lake trout for me recently. Trolling flutter spoons over 35 to 50 feet of water produced 4 fat lakers in 5 hours on a gorgeous day this past week. The lakers responded to suspended as well as bottom hugging presentations. I hope that everyone who was fortunate enough to be on the water on Memorial Day said a silent thanks to current and past members of our military and to those who've paid the ultimate price for our country... Remember to keep a couple for the frying pan and let the rest go. Have a fun and safe time on the water! Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service May 24, 2010 The walleye bite over the first week of the season has been a bit confounding to say the least. During daylight hours, they've been widely scattered and reluctant biters at best. Evenings have found them more concentrated and a little more aggressive, but the bite still isn't what it should be for the water temp and time of year. Jigging has been tough mainly because it's a finesse tactic predicated on a slow presentation over schooled fish. The 'eyes I've jigged up have come on bright colored 1/4 ounce Northland Gumball Jigs tipped with a fathead chub. Stay as vertical as possible using a sensitive rod and a reel spooled with 4 or 6 pound test. Many hits will be subtle; often nothing more than weight on the rod. All the 'eyes we've been catching have been loaded with mayfly nymphs. As such, trolling cranks over deep soft bottom areas is a good bet. Some fish will want 'em digging in the mud and some want 'em a couple feet up. Combine the right running depth/speed combination and put together the puzzle. Trolling is tailor made for catching widely scattered fish over soft bottom, the premise being that your bait is covering a ton of water. My partner Garett Plotnik and I put in the hours last week in preparation for the City Auto Glass Walleye Classic. After trying many tactics, we knew going into Saturday that the bite was going to be tough for everyone. Many of the 68 teams didn't weigh a single walleye and none over the 26 inch mark were caught this year. We weighed in 4 walleyes for a total of 3.74 pounds which garnered us 6th place. Congrats to the teams who dealt with the tough bite to finish in the top ten and in the money. Thanks to Jamie Lindseth and his crew for putting on a good tourney, as always. Garett and I witnessed something pretty cool this week. Muskie guide Matt Snyder let a guy jump in his boat. The guy was fishing for walleye in a nearby boat and had hooked a large muskie. He was also having a difficult time fighting it and had only a small net, so Matt pulled up next to him and the guy hopped in. After using the trolling motor as an aid in fighting the fish, Matt was finally able to net it with his large muskie net. To say the guy was thrilled would be an understatement. Quite an accomplishment on light walleye gear. The muskie was over 52 inches long and released unharmed. Very cool on Matt's part and congrats to the gentleman on his fish! I wonder if he's now a fan of Lake Vermilion?! The long range forecast is again for sunny skies and warm temps which will make for some great time on the water. Remember to keep a few for the frying pan and let the rest go. Have a fun and safe time on the water. Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service May 24, 2010 The weather the first few days of the walleye season has been wonderful! Wish I could say the same about the walleye bite! We did very well on the opener, but it has been mostly an uphill drag ever since! We did do better the past couple of days since the storms came thru though! Almost all of my walleyes are being caught on a plain hook Lindy type bait rig baited with either a fathead chub or a rainbow minnow. I have been using a 5 foot, 8# test florocarbon leader with a #2 red Gamagatsu hook on it. Use as much weight as you feel comfortable with, just remember to move very slowly and keep that sinker bumping the bottom at all times! Most of my walleyes are being caught in the mud at depth ranging from 30 feet to 48 feet. Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Gide Service May 24, 2010 Hello everyone, It has been a very different first week of the fishing season this year. What in most years is the easiest fishing of the season has been anything but. High pressure with high skies and little wind has made it very difficult to establish any patterns so far. I have been catching most of my fish on jigs and minnows, with just a few exceptions. The shallow bite that we see in the spring has never developed. Most of the fish have been in the 25 to 35ft range during the day. We have caught a few fish shallow in the evening on slip bobbers, however that action has only lasted about an hour or two each day, right before the sunset. The weather change this week should help as we should get some wind and a little less high pressure for a change. There has been a few bright spots this week on the Smallmouth bass front. The Smallies have been much more active than the Walleyes this year. They have started to move up in some areas and with the full moon on the way the bass fishing should be improving right on through the weekend. Most of the smallies we are finding are on or close to their spawning areas. Back bays with warmer water temps have been my go to locations. Topwaters and spinnerbaits have been the most effective presentations so far this spring. Soft plastics, jerkbaits and crankbaits should also catch some fish. The Pike action has been a little slow so far this season, but I haven't really had much of a chance to fish for them. We did boat a few nice fish while chasing Smallmouth this week. Spinnerbaits, spoons and plastic jerkbaits should produce for you this time of the season. Look for new emergent weed growth, or fish the deepest weed edges you can find. Mainlake points and saddle areas are also good locations to search for some nice Pike. Have a great week everybody and please remember to put some back. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service May 18, 2010 Well folks, Opening Weekend has come and gone, and it was one for the ages! As our group embarked on our trip into the Boundary Waters, high hopes prevailed. The azure blue sky and warm temps were a luxury when compared with the weather of recent openers. There's something special about casting out that jig/minnow combo for the first time in anticipation of that distinct walleye tick. As is usually the case, it didn't take long for the first hit and ensuing hookset. As the rod bent, Mak uttered those magic words. "Got one, Oh Yeah!" In short order, a chunky 19 inch walleye hit the net, soon to be followed by similar contributions from Brad and I. As the day progressed, warm up pants and sweatshirts were replaced by shorts and t-shirts as Ma Nature unveiled the most beautiful opener in years. A jig/minnow combo popped slowly along the bottom worked well and color didn't seem to matter as we caught fish on everything from orange, gold, and chartreuse to fuchsia with pink polka dots. Some of the fish were in skinny water as shallow as 4 feet, while others were in 22 to 25 feet of water. Flexibility is always paramount. If the fish aren't going with a particular tactic in shallow, try the same tactic deep. If neither works, switch to something entirely different. Give 'em what they want to chew on, and they'll bite! When it was all said and done, Opener was a success with limits for everyone and many releases in the 20 to 27 inch class. When you combine great fishing, beautiful weather and a great bunch of guys, you come up with one memorable weekend! Yesterday found me back out on the waters of Vermilion. I found the fish in 25 to 40 feet of water over soft bottom, sand, and gravel. 1/4 ounce Northland Gumball jigs tipped with a rainbow chub turned the trick. The fish were concentrated and aggressive at dusk while mid day saw them scattered and much more finicky. Remember to keep a few for the frying pan and let the rest go. The forecast for this week is for beautiful weather. Enjoy, and have a fun and safe time on the water! Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service April 26, 2010 Hello everyone, Well here we are just a couple weeks away from the Minnesota fishing opener. It's been a warmer than normal spring, with the earliest ice-out in recent memory on Lake Vermilion. Everyone's been asking me how this early spring will effect the bite come opening day. I'm sure that many of you are wondering the same thing as you get ready for the big day. I always hear people saying things like, it has to be two or three weeks ahead of a normal spring. I guess that's a fair assumption however, I learned a long time ago that Walleyes don't have calendars or thermostats where they live. There are a number of factors that will determine just where the Walleyes will be. Water temps are just one of those factors and all though it is important, it's not the most important. Remember that there are always some fish that spawn later, even in a year like this one, there will still be some fish going though the spawning phase, despite the warmer water temps. Timing and moon phase as well as the availability of forage will have as much to do with Walleye location as the surface water temperatures. After the spawn is over, food is the most important thing on a Walleyes mind and they won't be anywhere that doesn't have a good steady food supply. I plan on starting my day in some of the typical spring locations. Shallow spawning areas or mid depth flats adjacent to these areas. The key is not to linger to long if you aren't locating any fish. If they aren't in that 6 to 10 foot range, move to the next depth level. After spawning and having exhausted all of the food in the shallows, the bulk of the Walleyes will move to their next best feeding opportunity. Main lake points and flats adjacent to their spawning areas are the next logical step. Also keep in mind that millions of Lake Vermilion Walleyes spawn out in the main basin, on sand and gravel. Not all of the fish will be in the shallows. Pike bay only represents about 5 or 6% of the eastern basin spawning run. There are other significant spawning locations and not all of them are in shallow water. So what I'm trying to say is always keep an open mind and don't be afraid to fish deeper water in the springtime. It's also a good idea to come prepared to try some different presentations. I know a number of you really like to use jigs or slip bobbers in the early season. I also like those two presentations, however this year I will also try some different things if my jig and bobber action isn't getting the job done. Plain lindy rigs or even a spinner rig may be the way to go this year. I'll also try some trolling early and late in the day, in some of the warmer bays. I would also recommend that you bring a little wider variety of live bait choices this year. Along with the minnows that most of us use on opener, I plan on having both leeches and crawlers along with me this year. What's that old saying?.. Failing to prepare is just preparing to fail. Lake Vermilion is one of the best opening day lakes that I have ever fished, maybe the best. I expect it to be the same this year, even if I have to work a little harder to get my fish, I'm sure they will be there. So to all of you I say have a fantastic Walleye opener, no matter where you go. Be safe and be polite to all those once a year anglers at the boat ramps on Saturday morning. It's all a part of the experience on the greatest day of the year. Oh, and remember to put some back for the rest of us. Good Luck! Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service Lake Vermilion Guides League PO Box 748 Tower, MN 55790 info@lakevermilionguidesleague.com Content copyright 2009-2010. Lake Vermilion Guides League. All rights reserved.