Lake Vermilion Guides League Experienced, Professional Lake Vermilion Guides 2011 Fishing Reports August 14, 2011 The walleye bite appears to be turning around a little to the better this week! Not all days are great but we are at least getting a few more fish on most days. I am still using a plain bait-rig with a 3' to 4' leader, #4 hook, and 1/2 of a crawler as bait. The best depth has been 17' to 23' on the edges of mid-lake rock reefs that drop into deeper water. Slip bobbers baited with a whole crawler or a leech are also working well in these locations for a few fishermen. I even caught a couple of walleyes and a jumbo perch today using pike suckers on my rigs! I have also started to catch a few walleyes along the rocky shorelines in 16' t0 20' of water. Lets hope that this movement of walleyes is finally signaling the start of a more aggressive late summer bite! Water temperatures on most of the lake has been holding around 76 degrees this week. Good fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service August 9, 2011 Hello everyone, The Walleye action continues to be difficult here on Vermilion. We are catching fish on mainlake reefs, however there isn't really any dependable pattern that you can rely on day in and day out. The early morning and evening have been the best times for any consistent action. Lindy rigs tipped with a crawler have been by far the best live bait option. Longer snells (6 to 8ft) have been much more effective for me the last few weeks. Depths of 18 to 28ft along the deep transition lines, has been the prime locations for me lately. Trolling crank baits on mainlake mud flats and out in the open basin has become much more effective in recent weeks. There are a number of different baits that will get you some action, however I prefer using a number 9 Shad rap most of the time. I am concentrating most of my efforts in depths of 20 to 25ft, however I have caught fish as deep as 30ft on several occasion. Lead core or down rigging can be effective, however in many cases simply long lining with deep running crank baits will get the job done. The Muskie action has been very erratic in the last couple of weeks. Constant weather changes have made it very difficult to pattern the fish. Most of my action has been coming in the cabbage or along the deeper weed edges. I haven't been moving a lot of fish out on the rocks in Big Bay. My top producers have been Glittertails and bucktails. I am fishing them at high speed most of the time to get any reaction from the fish. The most consistent action has been ahead of major weather changes, or just before dark. The mid day bite has been very slow to non existent. Fishing the low light periods and taking full advantage of the wind, have been very important if you want to get any action. The Smallmouth bass action has been good over deep rocks and inshore humps. I have also been doing very well under docks and on mainlake points. Jigworms, tubes, jig and craws and dropshot rigs, have all been producing some decent action. Crankbaits can also be effective when the fish are real active along the breaks, or on top of the rocks. The evening topwater action has been a little disappointing for me so far this summer, but there are always a few fish willing to take a top water under the right conditions. Have a great week everybody, and please remember to put some back Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service August 7, 2011 The walleye bite this week has not changed a whole lot from last weeks bite. SLOW! Almost all of our fish have been caught either on top of the rocky reefs of somewhere between the tops and 28 feet deep down the sides of the reefs. Bait rigs, jigs, slip bobbers, and spinners are all catching a few fish in these areas. The best bait has been mainly crawlers but at times leeches are working well again. Find the walleyes on your electronics first, then the key to getting these fish to bite is to camp right on top of them and give them plenty of time to make up their minds to bite! Good fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service July 30, 2011 The walleye fishing this week has still been very spotty. Some days they bite very well and others they bite very poorly even when fishing the same spots at the same times! Today I tried a new area North of Pine Island and we limited out in less then three hours using my go-to bait rig presentation baited with 1/2 crawler. We were fishing in 16 feet to 19 feet of water next to a rocky shoreline. If the usual pattern holds I will probably be lucky to even get a couple of fish there tomorrow! Spinner and 1/2 crawler have also accounted for a couple of good catches this week. These fish were caught on a 18 foot to 20 foot sand flat. Just goes to show that you have to keep changing tactics to get the walleyes to bite! Good fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service July 30, 2011 The muskie bite of late has been vintage Vermilion with short windows of opportunity followed by longer periods of inactivity. When the window opens a pattern becomes readily discernible but in short order it's back to window shopping. As is always the case with muskies, time on the water is key. The more time your bait is wet, the better the chance of contacting fish and recognizing a pattern. I've been fishing weeds and rocks and catching fish on both. With surface water temps in the 73 to 75 degree range, the fish are in their typical summer haunts. Fishing the whole area is key. Some of the weed fish are being taken on the edges while some are coming right out of the slop. As for the rocks, the fish are there but don't make assumptions. Fish 'em off the edges and fish the shallow apex structure as the spot on the spot can vary daily. Don't be afraid to try areas you would normally consider "secondary structure". They aren't seeing the pressure of the community spots and some muskies will use them as a safe harbor. Recently I spent a couple days fishing with Kyle Knock of www.bigwoodmuskylures.com and was very impressed by the selection of baits he carries. High quality stuff with innovative designs. Dadson Baits Sliders, Vortex, and Swingin Singles, MM Spinnerbaits, Water Wolf Baits Shadzillas, Rubber Hairy Tackle Twisted Tulibees, and topwaters by Lee Lures and Ry Lures...All high quality baits that have performed well. Another favorite is the Northland Tackle Booby Trap in both the 8 and 10 sizes. Try mixing 'em up with with a combination of smaller, fast moving bucktails and topwaters, big blades, slow moving surface baits, and rubber. Again, I can't stress enough the importance of proper handling of caught fish. Leave the fish in the net in the water, extricate the hooks (cutting is often easier on the fish), ready the camera if taking a picture, get the fish in a solid hold keeping the fingers out of the gills, get a pic or two and get the fish back in the water. Head outside and sprint around the block a few times, do a cartwheel or 3, and shake your head about 20 times....Then have someone hold your head under water...That's what a muskie is going through after you take it out of the water. Keep it to a minimum. A couple words about safety and courtesy. It's that time of year when the lake is flooded with muskie fishermen. Vermilion's one of the most scenic lakes in the world and one of North America's finest muskie waters. That also means that a certain number of careless people are running around out there. Leave your lights on at night. I'm seeing way too many boats traveling at high rates of speed with one or no lights on, especially as we come into the dark moon phase. Don't let visions of grandeur cloud your judgement and create the recipe for disaster. From a courtesy standpoint, give people their space when they're working a spot. Let them have as much time as they want and THEN go and hit it yourself. There's 40,000 acres to fish out here. It's no fun being cut off on a spot by a boat that flies in, drops the troller, and starts carpet bombing the area.That's disrespectful and unnecessary on a lake the size of Vermilion. Keep in mind, that because you see a fish on a spot, that fish doesn't become "yours" to the point of being dangerous and discourteous. Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service July 27, 2011 Hello everyone, The Walleye action has been a struggle for many anglers on the Big V this week. "We are seeing fish, but they just won't bite", has been the common response from most anglers. Unstable weather patterns and a huge amount of forage in the lake right now, have been making it very difficult to consistently catch numbers of Walleyes. I have had much better results the last two weeks trolling crankbaits in the open basin and over deep main lake flats. Large numbers of scattered Walleyes are feeding on young of the year Perch. Trolling allows you to cover lots of water searching for active fish. Lindy rigs with long snells up to 6 or even 8ft have been effective when you locate large pods of fish, however it has been difficult to get more than just a few out of each pod before they move away. Slip bobbers in shallow water have been effective in the early morning and late evening hours. That bite is typically very short lived however. Points, rock walls and wind blown shorelines have been the best locations for this presentation. The midday action has been very tough most days but there are fish being caught. Slow and methodical live bait presentations seem to work the best during the midday hours. Lindy rigs tipped with a crawler have been the most effective live bait rig for me. The Muskie action has been picking up and the night bite seems to have finally arrived. I'm still finding most of my fish in the deeper cabbage and along the weed edges during the day. Points and rock piles adjacent to these areas have also been active at times during the daylight hours. Bucktails, glittertails, shallow running crankbaits and rubber, have all been moving some fish for me. The topwater action has been very disappointing so far. Water temps have been bouncing around with the weather patterns, however they are staying in the mid to upper 70's for the most part. The Smallmouth action has been steady and the Largemouth have been "off the hook" the last couple of weeks. They are going on a number of presentations including soft plastics, topwaters, cranks and spinnerbaits. The Smallmouth bass have been on rocks, docks, wood, flats with boulders, shoreline rubble and inshore humps and rockpiles. Crawfish pattern crankbaits have been very effective for me on the rocks. Soft plastics have been very good on the docks, in the wood and around the boulders. Have a great week everybody, and please remember to put some back Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service July 21, 2011 This heat wave has really put a hurting on the walleye bite on the East end this week! I have really had to struggle to put fish in the boat during the day bite. Most of the fish that would bite have been caught in relatively shallow water. 12' to 23' is the depths that the feeding fish prefer. Anything that is deeper then that will not bite anything that I put in front of them! Bait rigs with crawlers or a leech or a slip bobber with leeches or a crawler fished in or very close to rocky reefs has produced all of the few fish that we have boated. Spinners with 1/2 crawler worked well in the heavy wind today for me.16' to 18' depth next to a rock pile. Good fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service July 14, 2011 The fishing for Esox Maquinongy is starting to crank up. Recent warm weather and subsequent warming water temps have helped. The two biggest keys to the big muskies becoming active are water temperature and time. For the last 14 years it's been the same every year. Warming water temps, recovery time from the spawning ritual, and a resulting increase in metabolism kick the big girls into gear in early to mid-July. Key weapons in my early season arsenal are small bucktails and spinnerbaits (not necessarily of the popular double bladed style), topwaters, jointed cranks, and small rubber and glider style jerkbaits. Each season varies so experiment with different styles and when you find one that works, stick with it. A couple good choices are Northland Boobie Trap Inlines and Booty Call Spinnerbaits. Mix up your color combinations and vary your retrieve speed as each day the attitude of the muskies will vary. As the fish become more aggressive, I"ll start to rely more on the big 10's. As a general rule, I start out fishing weeds and rocks with the emphasis on weeds. As the water temperature continues to rise, and we move into the summer peak, I'll focus more of my attention on the rocks, while continuing to hit select weed beds. Of course, areas that combine multiple structural elements are fish magnets. With surface water temps running in the 73 to 77 degree range, proper catch and release tactics are paramount. I reiterate. Leave the fish IN THE NET IN THE WATER. Don't drag the fish over the side of the boat in the net. Extricate the hooks in the water with the net serving as a holding pen. Many times it's easier to cut the hooks with a Knipex Cutter. Ready your camera(s). Measure the fish in the water with a floating stick or splash down some water on the board or floor to protect the slime on the fish. Secure the fish with a tight grip (not touching it's gills). Hold the fish horizontally or in a semi vertical hold while supporting the weight of the fish with your other hand. DON'T employ the "death grip" with one hand supporting the weight of the fish and the other locked to the holding arm. If that fish thrashes, it may snap the clerithra and that's a dead fish even if it does swim away. Minimize the time the fish is out of the water. The best analogy is for you to run around the block 3 times at a dead sprint after doing a few cartwheels. Then someone holds your head under water. How long are you going to last? It's the same principle in reverse with a muskie. Hot, humid days and warm, sultry nights are forecasted for the next week. When combined with the impending full moon...Congratulations to Chuck and Andrew who boated fat and beautiful muskies this week. Have a fun and safe time on the water and remember...Let 'em all go. Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service July 14, 2011 The walleye bite still continues to be very slow for me as of this date. The best that I have been able to hope for is to be able to pick off one or two walleyes at each spot that I try. Many spots appear to have no fish at all and the few spots that do show fish appear to have fish that are not hungry at all! A bait rig with a crawler or leech on a 5 ft. leader is working the best. To get bites I have had to sit right on top of any school of fish that I find and maybe eventually manage to get a bite or two, then it is best to move on to the next spot and another school of fish! The bright side is that the Mayflies are done and the good summer bite will happen at any time! Good Fishing and be safe! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service July 12, 2011 Hello everyone, The Walleye action has been slow to recover since the Mayfly hatches of a week ago. There has been some decent action in the evening, but the daytime bite has been very slow. I am catching most of my Walleyes on lindy rigs with a 6ft snell and a crawler on a red or chartreuse hook and one or two beads above the hook for some extra color. There hasn't been any one depth that is much better than the others. I have caught most of my fish on main lake reefs along the transition from rock to gravel, or on gravel to mud or sand. The evening bite has been primarily on slip bobbers and a plain hook, tipped with a leech. Points and rook walls at the mouths of bays and flats off of main lake islands have been the most active locations. The Muskie action has been picking up since the water temps rose into the mid 70's over the weekend. The full moon is on it's way later this week and the weather conditions should get them moving. I have been moving most of my fish on bucktails and glittertails during the day. Topwaters and gliders have been effective early and late in the day, or under low light situations with wind or cloud cover. I expect the full moon to attract a lot of Muskie anglers to Vermilion this week, so be prepared for some extra boat traffic on our favorite Muskie spots this weekend. Looks like some very hot weather with thunderstorms in the forecast will be here later in the week. Sound like some perfect Muskie weather for at least a couple of days. I'll be out there tossing some of my favorite baits looking for some Hot mid summer Muskie action. Main lake islands and saddle areas are one of my favorite hot weather locations. We have also been moving fish on the deeper weed edges and on points with boulders that have deep water close by. This is also typically when the main lake reefs start to turn on and you can find those big ones that we are all looking for. Have a great weekend everybody and please remember to put some back! Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service July 8, 2011 The Mayfly hatch is finally starting to have a very adverse affect on the walleye bite on the East end! The past three days have been a real struggle just to see fish on my electronics. Getting them to bite anything has been even harder! Almost all of the fish deeper then 26 feet have been refusing to bite and the shallower walleyes have been VERY tentative when they did bite. Bait rigs with 1/2 crawler or a leech on a 5 foot snell and a #4 hook have been getting the few fish that I have been catching. 16 feet to 26 feet has been the best depth this week. Mid-lake reefs and rock piles have the only active fish that I have found. Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service July 2, 2011 After a few days of bad fishing the walleye bite has picked up again. The walleyes have moved up onto the sand reefs and are biting well on bait rigs baited with a half crawler or on occasion a small minnow. The key is to find the right depth and to present your offering at a very slow pace! These fish have been easy to spot on your electronics so look before you fish! 18 feet to 26 feet has been the optimum depths this week. Good Fishing and be safe! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service June 28, 2011 Hello everyone, After a really horrible week of weather the conditions have changed a great deal here on Vermilion in the last few days. The Mayfly hatch has finally happened in many areas of the lake. There is a large algae bloom going on here on the east end and the water temps have reached the upper 60's, finally. The Walleye action the last few days has been spotty with some of the best action being out on main lake reefs and points. The transition zones around these main basin structures has also been fairly active during the day time hours. We have been catching a number of fish in the shallows during low light and windy conditions. I have done very well throwing cranks along windblown shorelines early and late in the day. The reef bite has been primarily on Lindy rigs and crawler with about a 4ft snell and a plain red hook. The Muskie action was much better this week despite all the bad weather. We have been moving a number of fish in the weeds and in areas directly adjacent to large weed beds. Main lake saddle areas, neck downs and flats off of islands, have also been very active. Glittertails, bucktails and gliders have been moving most of my fish. I haven't had much action on topwaters yet this summer, however the warmer water temps may change that very soon. The Smallmouth action has been very strange compared to what I'm used to this time of the season. It appears to this observer that they still haven't spawned, at least not in any large numbers. We are still catching females holding eggs and there have been very few fish up shallow. We have been catching fish on a number of presentations including, spinner baits, soft plastics, cranks, in-line spinners, top waters and jerk baits. Rocks, docks, points, reeds, boulders and shoreline rubble. Have a great Holiday weekend everybody! Drive safe on the road and on the water. Happy independence day! Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service June 27, 2011 MID-SEASON WALLEYE PATTERNS AND TACTICS Most of the walleyes on Vermilion's East end are now set up on their summer haunts. Most of these fish can be caught using any of your favorite methods of presentation, you will just have to move to where they are living! Jigs, bait rigs, spinners, slip-bobbers, and crank baits will all put walleyes in your live well now. Most of these fish are now relating to mid-lake reefs and humps and also to a few main land and island points that drop sharply into water at least 30 feet deep. The walleyes will be staging mainly at the transition points where rock turns into a sand bottom if you are fishing rocky reefs or humps. If the reefs are mostly sand they can be anywhere from right on top to anywhere on the slope into deeper water. Depth can be very critical, so take note when you catch a walleye as to what depth it was caught at, and stay at that depth until they move on you! Bait rigs and jigs still require a SLOW presentation on most days, .5 mph to .8 mph. Spinners and cranks usually work best if you speed up a little more to entice reflex strikes 1.5 mph to 3 mph. Minnows, leeches, and crawlers will all catch walleyes during this period of the summer, but some days the fish will definitely show a preference for one or the other! Good Fishing and be safe! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service June 16, 2011 The walleye bite has been steadily improving on the East end this week despite much nasty weather and winds! The pre-Mayfly hatch bite is in full swing! There are active walleyes on almost every spot that I have fished this week! There has been a big migration of walleyes to the reefs and rocky points the last few days. The walleyes are hitting crawlers and minnows well when used on bait rigs. A 3' to 6' leader with a size #4 hook of any color has been my go to, as usual. 26 feet to 42 feet depths are where many of my fish are being caught this week. Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service June 7, 2011 Hello everyone, As you may already know last Saturday was the Muskie opener in Minnesota. For me that meant leaving the Walleye rods at home and picking up my Muskie gear for some big bait chunking. It's been a real challenge so far just spending time on the water this last week. Very high winds have been the norm much of the week. I did manage to get out and find some followers however we haven't as yet put one in the boat. Most of the Muskies we have seen have been on points, islands and rock walls that are directly adjacent to shallow water spawning areas. All of those fish came to the boat on #8 Glittertails and #8 Dadson blade baits. We threw some top waters and some spinner baits and even a few gliders but none were very effective for us. Main lake water temps are just now reaching the low to mid 60 degree mark. We're expecting more sunshine in the next few days so the surface temps should warm up in the next few days. I did some Smallmouth fishing this week as well and they have been a little spotty at times. They are just now starting to move into shallow water as water temps climb. We did catch a few females up to 19 inches and they were both still carrying eggs. Look for warmer back bays with spawning cover. They should be flooding into these areas in large numbers in the next several days. The next couple of weeks will have some of the very best Smallmouth action of the season. Have a great week everybody and please remember to put some back. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service June 2, 2011 The walleye bite has picked up some from the first 10 days of the season. The fish have been more concentrated on specific spots and more aggressive in general. It's still been a mid depth bite from 18 to 35 feet, and, as always, trolling deep divers and vertical jigging have put fish in the boat. In spite of incessant fronts, wind, and stagnant surface temps in the mid to upper 50's, the 'eyes will still bite. Location, location, location! Find the soft to hard bottom transition and concentrate on that zone jigging 1/4 ounce chartreuse/orange Northland Fireball and Gumball jigs. Tip 'em with a fathead, rainbow, or sucker and go bigger for bigger fish. Move slow and jig 'em slow. On windy days use a sock/troller combination to keep your speed down on the drift. If your speed is still up in the .5 plus range, switch to a Roach type rig with enough weight to keep it on the bottom. Lake trout on Vermilion/Ely area trout lakes can be found top to bottom right now. Run your baits from 10 to 45 feet down. It sounds like a big variance, but active trout hunt up and wont' hesitate to push water to smoke a bait...provided they can see/feel it. That being said, with surface temps in the low to mid 50 degree range, their comfort zone can still be high in the water column. Try 'em over 100 feet and try 'em over 30 feet. Depending on the lake, sticks such as Rapalas and Thundersticks and spoons such as Suttons and Pro Kings will produce fish. Try spreading them out with boards. My friend Eric Maki stuck a very nice laker on my first trout outing of the season... A very nice way to start off the soft water laker season on Burntside! Muskie season opens Saturday. I won't be after 'em this weekend; not with water temps where they're at. If you get a big one, be very careful as she may barely be post spawn and not in the best physical condition. Keep some eater size 'eyes and lakers for the pan and let the big ones go. It takes a long time for a fish to get to 30 plus inches. Have a fun and safe time on the water! Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service May 31, 2011 Hello everyone, The Walleye action has been about the same this week. Most of the fish that I'm catching are out on main lake flats and the Walleyes are feeding on mayfly larva. Most of the action has been in 25 to 35ft along deep breaks and bottom transitions. Jigs and lindy rigs are both catching fish for me. Not much action on leeches yet, most are taking a minnow right now. The Smallmouth bass action took a bit of a dive this week as water temps have fallen a bit. Not a lot of action up shallow however there are a few males to be caught. We did manage a few nice Smallies on slip bobbers in the evening on points and rock walls. They were hitting on both leeches and minnows in 4 to 8ft of water. Things should improve this week and next as they begin to move up and get more aggressive. I'll be spending most of the next two weeks chasing Smallmouth so I'll have more good info next week. Saturday marks the opening of the Muskie season in Minnesota. I'll have some new baits to throw and a positive attitude to start the new season. It should be another great year for those Big fish here on lake Vermilion. I'll be starting out tossing a few bucktails and perhaps a spinnerbait or two on the first day. I also like to throw a glider and a few crank baits to start the season. There isn't much new vegetation out there yet, however they should still be in some of those areas where weeds normally grow. If you do get out for some Muskies this weekend. Please keep in mind that many of they are still spawning and treat them gently. Look for warming water and green weeds in some of the smaller bays. Also points and rock piles adjacent to some of those shallow spawning areas should be active. Watch your speed in the spring as they may not want to chase a bait this time of year. Have a great opening weekend everybody, especially all you Muskie fishermen out there. Be safe be cool and remember to put them all back for me to catch at a later date. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service May 28, 2011 The walleye bite on the East end has been getting better as the season progresses. The walleye bite has been a lot more aggressive once you locate them and they are starting to bunch up a little more. The fish that I have been targeting have all been in deeper water close to the transitions points between rock/sand, sand/mud and also at time strictly in the mud flats. The depths can vary every day but if you start at 26 feet and keep working out as deep as 42 feet you will encounter them somewhere within that range. Plain hook bait rigs with a 3ft to 6ft 8# test fluorocarbon leader and a #4 bait hook baited with either a rainbow or a fathead chub is still my most productive presentation. Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service May 24, 2011 Hello everyone, The Walleye action has been much better this week than last. I have been catching most of my fish in 25 to 32 ft of water on main lake flats. Jigs and minnows or lindy rigs have both been effective for me this week. There has also been a pretty good evening bite on slip bobbers with a plain hook and a minnow. I haven't had to much action on leeches so far this spring. There are mayfly larva all over Big bay and most of the Walleyes we are catching are feeding heavily on them. The Smallmouth bass action has been getting better by the day. Water temps in many of the back bays are now in the upper 50's to lower 60's. Those warmer temps have really helped to get the Smallmouth moving up into the shallows. Most of the fish are still pre-spawn and willing to hit a variety of different presentations. Spinner baits, cranks and top waters have been my go to baits so far. They will also take a number of different soft plastic concoctions from jigs with a grub to tubes and jig worms. The Pike action has been pretty good as well, however I haven't really had much time to fish for them yet this spring. The weed edges and points have been producing on spinner baits and in-line spinners. They have also been hitting spoons and soft plastic jerk baits pretty well. There isn't much new emergent weed growth yet, but that doesn't mean they won't be in those areas. Rocky shoreline breaks and points with boulders are also good location for finding some good Pike action. Have a great holiday weekend everyone and please drive safe on the water and on the way home on the roads. The weather looks pretty good for the long weekend, so enjoy the time off and good luck fishing. Terry "Ace" Sjoberg <*)))>< - Ace Guide Service May 23, 2011 The past week brought some good fishing during windows of opportunity as well as stretches when the walleyes were scattered and noncooperative. Those windows were mostly around the low light periods of very early morning and the last hour of the evening. With the clear conditions and light east winds, the daytime bite was sporadic and tough at times but hard work still put 'eyes in the boat. Trolling and jigging were our two primary tactics. The one common denominator was that the fish were deep. 25 to 45 feet produced the best for us other than trolling the the low light periods in shallow water. Northland Fireball and Gumball Jigs in chartreuse and orange color combinations tipped with a rainbow, fathead, or sucker put some nice walleyes in the 15 and 16 inch class in the net. Some nice slotters in the 20 to 24 inch range were caught as well. The key is to move slowly, impart a subtle action to your jig, and don't be afraid to hit the bony stuff. Trolling deep cranks also produced fish. When we came across fish, a couple would hit the net in short order followed by stretches of dead time. Many of the 'eyes were scattered and covering water is a great way to go when that's the case. Every color pattern worked at one point or another. Both soft and hard bottom areas put walleyes in the net. My friend and tournament partner Garett Plotnik and I started pre-fishing for the City Auto Glass Walleye Classic on Wednesday. We had a tough time patterning anything consistent during tournament hours until Friday afternoon when our plan came together. On Saturday, we rode that to a 4th place finish with 6 fish weighed for a total weight of 7.00 pounds. The weather change to wind and cloud cover helped as we boated our highest number of walleyes all week. Congratulations to the 1st Place team of Russ Dahl and Gary Savela and the rest of the top ten teams who finished in the money! As always, the tourney was first class and well run. As we move more toward summer conditions, with water temps warming through the mid to upper 50's, the walleyes will become more concentrated and predictable. The key is finding a working pattern and sticking to it. Keep a few for the frying pan and let the rest go. Let all the big ones go. Have a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend! Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service May 21, 2011 The first week of walleye fishing has been a real challenge so far this spring for me and my clients! Opening weekend was very windy and cold and the bite reflected it! Most of the fish that we caught were very sluggish and were not very willing to actually eat our offerings even when they did bite. All of our fish have been caught on a bait rig with a 4' to 6' 8# test fluorocarbon leader, #4 red or chartreuse bait hook, and a 3/4 oz. sliding foot style sinker. Fathead chubs or rainbow minnows have been my bait of choice so far. A few walleyes have also been caught using leeches as bait on these rigs. Most of our fish have been caught in deeper water ranging from 26' to 43' deep. The majority of these fish were relating to the sand/mud transition where they are feeding on Mayfly nymphs. It has been critical to move as slow as possible and to feed out line for a count of 5 or more before trying to set the hook! .5 mph to .7 mph has been the preferred trolling speed. The bite has been slowly improving as the water temperatures increase. Present temperatures have been ranging from 52 degrees to 57 degrees depending upon what part of the lake you are on. There has been a fairly good shallow water dock bite at night according to the reports that I have heard! Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service May 17, 2011 Walleye Opener 2011 was blown in with a fan, on high, in a wind tunnel. My group of guys bundled up, headed for the BDUB, and is spite of the mini-hurricane caught a nice mess of walleyes, The wind made for some interesting moments in the canoe, and rendered anchors and drift socks useless. From year to year, all one can do is chuckle at the disparate array of weather conditions Ma Nature throws at us on Opening Weekend. Last year saw us in shorts by 10 a.m. while this year long johns, turtlenecks, and Gore Tex were mandatory! As is usually the case, bright colored Northland Fireball or Gumball Jigs turned the trick. The key was to tip 'em with a rainbow or small pike sucker and jig 'em lightly. A light hopping action produced while more aggressive jigging was counterproductive. Early on under lower light, we caught 'em deeper on the break down to 20 feet and as the temperature warmed and the skies cleared, the 'eyes slid very shallow and became more aggressive. The bite wasn't fast and furious as on recent Openers, but the average size of the fish was great and the scenery and camaraderie second to none. Between late night fish fries, narcoleptic fishermen and eclectic ring tones, there wasn't a dull moment! Vermilion 'eyes will be found deep, shallow, and everywhere in between this time of year. Trolling the shallow bays and primary breaks with bright colored Shad Raps is always effective, while vertical jigging deep holes is also productive, especially for the vast majority of the walleyes that spawn on main lake shorelines. On the same day that you nail 'em in 4 to 12 feet of water jigging or trolling, fish will be caught in 30 to 45 feet as well. Vary your trolling speed until you get bit, then stick with that speed. Depending on wind and light conditions, that optimum speed can vary by .5 mph or more on any given day. Try a variety of colors as well depending on the clarity of the water you're fishing. Most of the time, bay and breakline walleyes will want the bait down near the bottom, however at times they'll respond to a higher presentation. When jigging, start deep and work your way up into the transition zone. Stay as vertical as possible. Try a light and aggressive jigging action, though early on a more subtle technique is usually best. If the 'eyes don't respond to jigging try pulling a Northland Roach Rig tipped with a fathead over the clean bottom areas. Again a slow presentation is usually best early on. The weather for the next week looks about as nice as you can ask for this time of year. Warming water temps should get the 'eyes crankin' and make for some comfortable conditions for fishing. Keep a few legal walleyes for the pan and let the rest go. Have a fun and safe time on the water! Paul Pollock - Pollock Guide Service April 15, 2011 ARE YOU READY FOR THE 2011 OPEN WATER FISHING SEASON? Every spring there are a few things that you should do to insure a smooth start to your summer fishing season. A little maintenance and checks now before you even leave the dock for your first outing will ensure that your first day out and the rest of the summer will go smoothly . Here is a list of the checks and maintenance items that I try to perform every spring. Most of these inspections and checks can be accomplished in one or two days. Boat trailer: Check wheel bearing seals for leaks, if leaking grease replace them. Re-grease trailer wheel bearings. Check trailer lights and wiring. Inspect tires,. Check tire pressure. Lightly oil trailer crank bearings and gears and check rope on the winch. Boat: Test and re-charge or replace all batteries as needed. Check live well and bilge pumps. Test running and anchor lights. Drain plug in? Re-install and check your electronics to see that they are working properly. Extra fuses,(just in case)! Small tool kit for minor repairs on the water. Bait bucket Anchor & rope Paddle Life vests, (one for every passenger and of the correct size). Throwable floatation device, (cushion, ring buoy, etc.). Whistle or small air horn Motor: Remove and inspect props on both main motor and trolling motors. Remove any fishing line that you may have picked up on the prop shaft. Inspect shear pins and cotter keys. Replace if damaged! Refill oil injection tank on oil injection type motors and change oil & filter on 4-stroke motors. Check and fill or replace lower unit grease as required. Add grease to any grease zerks you have on the motor. Check spark plugs . Fuel filter Rods and reels: Clean, inspect, and lubricate all reels. Replace fishing lines. Inspect your fishing rods for broken eyes, frayed line guide windings, etc. Frayed windings can easily be repaired by recoating them with a good clear nail polish that contains nylon. And last, but not least, go through your tackle boxes and restock all of the basic items that you use every day such as hooks, swivels, sinkers, bobbers, beads, leader material, etc. I hope everyone has an enjoyable fishing opener and a productive fishing season this year! Good Fishing! Cliff Wagenbach - Cliff's Guide Service Lake Vermilion Guides League PO Box 748 Tower, MN 55790 info@lakevermilionguidesleague.com Content © . Lake Vermilion Guides League. All rights reserved.