I find myself a bit short on time this week. But I wanted to get a quick fishing report out for everybody. Sorry no in depth detail this week and lacking pictures but i think many will find this helpful.
Walleye
The walleye bite on Mille Lacs lake continues to be one of the best on record. Fish are being caught all over the lake! Depths anywhere from 4-34 feet of water! The better bites mostly have been coming from the deep gravel/mud areas. The shallow shoreline/reef bite in the evenings has been amazing also.. In my boat we have been concentrating our walleye fishing in the evening hours mostly with a bobber/leech combo or bobber/crawler ball combo. The leeches having caght more numbers but the crawler ball has been a big walleye machine! fishing reports of crankbaits, leadcore, spinners, jigging and rigging have all been producing big catch numbers. Basically... We are in the middle of a walleye bite that will be remembered by all who came to enjoy it! Get out and take advantage of this fantastic fishing! Fish of all sizes being caught with LOTS of GIANT walleyes!! Years from now reports will be compared to the "2017 Bite".
Bass
The smallmouth bite has shifted. Most if not all of the fish have moved from there beds. Fish are still being caught up in the shallows and on the edges of the pencil weeds. The best results are now coming off the rock reefs in the 7-12 foot range. Big boulders are always something to look for when choosing a spot. Swimbaits and tubes are still king in my boat but we have caught some very nice fish on the drop-shot and also on crank baits. Fish are spitting up crayfish to give you a idea on what there feeding on. About the only issue with the bass fishing right now is keeping those pesky walleyes of your line (because crushing a 25 inch walleye on a tube is a real bummer lol).
Muskies
Well as expected the muskies have moved out of the shallows. I think they must of read my fishing report last week and got the idea from me saying "as of the day i type this" because they seemed to move within hours of that post. Most of those fish are now showing up on the deeper weed edges and out over open water near spawning areas. Trolling or casting big rubber baits have resulted in some nice fish as well as some evening topwater/bucktail action up in the weeds. We are now on the Mille Lacs summer musky pattern which usually means alot of casting for few opportunities.. But, this is the lake of giants! And the mighty muskie is the king of the giants! Just remember, any cast can make you that memory of a lifetime.. We have the biggest muskies in the world here at Mille Lacs lake - just have to put your time in!
Keep your rods bent,
Matt