Midsummer Fishing At Its Best!
Hey Everyone! I forget what day it is in the summer—summers go by so quickly and this summer season is no exception.
It seems that we’ve landed in true summer. Getting splashed by waves doesn’t feel cold anymore, and you sure don’t want to forget to bring sun screen along and, lately, you don’t want to leave your rain gear at home either. Last week was a week characterized by warm fronts, calm weather and hot temps colliding with cold fronts only to spawn strong storms throughout the region.
Do the fronts, rain, spinning winds, and lightning disturb the fish? Only for very short periods. Mid summer fishing is great because fronts don’t shake the fish up too much. By the time you notice that the fish are “turning off,” they are biting again. I saw strong panfishing, bass fishing and walleye fishing this week.
The photo of the walleye that I included with this week’s report was caught Thursday morning. What a great photo! The sun was perfect for the fish and the moment. Many folks give up fishing in the middle of summer. Please don’t. It’s the best fishing of the season! Walleye, crappie, sunfish, large mouth and small mouth bass are all on a hunger spree. Once you find their patterns, they should be locked-in for the a few more weeks. But don’t forget, particulars still matter. Just because they’re biting doesn’t mean that it’s ok to be sloppy. Pay attention to leader lengths, jig sizes and colors, and watch your trolling speeds. Also, for those of you who live bait fish—be sure that it’s alive. Most live baits (minnows and crawlers) don’t last long on hot summer days, so keep an eye on it.
Good luck fishing Otter Tail Lakes Country this week! And remember to drain your live wells, pull your drain plugs and remove all vegetation and critters from your boat, motor, and trailer—when you exit the lake. Help prevent the spread of AIS.
Ross Hagemeister
