MKFS: Fishing Conditions Archive

May 28

Fishing was steady and good--not great, just good--this past weekend. Bass were picky through the morning hours, then picky but willing in the afternoon. Most effective techniques were slowly worked grubs or zoom flukes in deeper channels or pockets with moderate flow and some shade. White grubs produced two 16" walleyes in the morning for the Sunday trip, and zoom flukes and topwater baits, particularly buzzbaits, drew occasional hits into the evening hours.

Larger fish are still cooperative in proportion. Of perhaps thirty adult fish hooked on Sunday, two were over 17" and five or six were in the 15" range. The sulkiness of the smallmouth may have been attributable to the full moon, which is always a factor but I'm not sure what that factor is. The best locations have been the long tail-outs after midriver rocks-- locations with a lot of cover, fairly deep water, and good flow. Inactive fish in those locations will take lures that come close to them. This is obvious walleye water hence the consistent bite-- I've averaged over one walleye per boat this year, with the size average at about 18" and two over 22". I believe a state record is lurking in the Dam 3 to Brunswick stretch.

Other prime locations are deep channels and flats adjacent to shallows, especially near shaded shorelines. This is another hint that fish have been active early and late. Nearly all good fish have come from lures and flies worked slowly and deeply in the deeper portions of obvious fish-holding cover, suggesting that the larger fish are not actively chasing lures but can be caught with a careful, thorough approach. Despite low rainfall the river stages have been stable. Water temps in the upper 70's make wet-wading comfortable. Grass growth is very good for this early in the season, promising some heavy mats of vegetation in the calmer runs of the river, perhaps even back to the pre-1996 coverage. Mayfly hatches have been profuse, with March Browns and Sulfurs and the inevitable midge clouds. If the warm, dry weather keeps up the White Miller hatch should come off in July.

Dave Motes

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