Lake Winnibigoshish and Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Update May 16, 2012 - With another weather change under our belts, it's time to make a few more adjustments. Since opening day, the wind has come from 4 different directions, there's been a warm front, a calm day and now a cold front.
With all of the changes, Walleye action has had it's ups and downs as the fish struggle to get into a stable pattern. Our better fishermen are still catching fish because they're adjusting to the weather and sticking with it, but even for the best of the best, it's taking more effort to win the game.
On windy days, there are active Walleyes on shallow rock spots, especially ones near the shoreline. Another key for Walleye location is shallow to mid-depth sand flats where vegetaion provides cover for minnows. Acoording to Jeff Sundin who was out on the lake this Tuesday, some of the Walleyes were moving up and down onto shallow rocks, from weedy depressions in 8 to 12 feet of water. Look for these holes (depressions) on your locator and if you spot baitfish, give the area a pass or two using 1/16 to 1/8 ounce jigs tipped with minnows.
Perch action has been good, so even if you don't find the mother lode of Walleyes, you will absolutely find some Perch using the same baits, in the same spots. A batch of Perch added to a handful of Walleyes will make a nice fish fry!
On Winnie, there are several locations to keep in mind right now. The Rock Pile on the North side, Stony Point, Ravens Point and when the wind is right, all of the shoreline break from Highbanks down to Musky Bay has been holding fish. Key depths have ranged from 6 to 14 feet, so be creative and jeep your eyes peeled. If you're not findingt fish in the typical, shallow loactions, move out onto the mid-depth flats and watch for signs of bait.
Panfish haven't been tgetting a lot of attention just yet, but water temperatures are in the ideal range for
Crappie spawning to begin. We'll be keeping our ears to the ground for news about shallow activity as the weather settles back down.
Lake Winnibigoshish and Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report May 15, 2012 - On Lake Winnie and Cutfoot Sioux, the 2012 Walleye Fishing Opener started off strong for our guests. Large crowds are typical on opening weekend and there were plenty of boats out there on Saturday. The weather was nearly ideal, light breeze, sunny skies and fairly good Walleye action.
Perch action was good too, and depending on the location, some anglers found a nice supply of bonus jumbos to round out their bag and provide for a great fish fry.
By Sunday, strong winds convinced many anglers to stay off the water or to seek shelter in Cutfoot and Little Cutfoot. Naturally, the stronger winds kicked the Walleyes into high gear and folks who were out on the lake, discovered that it was time to make hay!
There were good strong populations of Walleye in Tamarack Bay, near the Sattelite Dishes and on the river channel East of Tamarack Point. Highbanks, The Birches and Musky Bay were providing good action and so was Stony Point.
Typical for opening weekend, the majority of our guest were fishing with
1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig and minnow combinations. Most folks prefer Shiner minnows, but according to some of the areas top guides and fishermen, good size (3-4 inches) Fatheads or Rainbow Chubs are equally productive.
Lake Winnibigoshish and Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report May 6, 2012 - On Lake Winnie, everything looks a little quiet out on the big lake right now. A tour along the sleepy looking shoreline of Bowen's Flats on Saturday reminded us of those times that you're getting those last few minutes of peaceful sleep before the alarm goes off and everything errupts into a hectic day.
In less than a week the territory along that shoreline is going to filled with action and Bowen Lodge guests are going to be enjoying their first taste of fresh Walleye since their last visit to the lake.
The outlook for this year's Walleye Opener is really good. The early ice out meant an early spawning season and there are going to be some extra fish out on the main lake flats this year. We won't know for sure until Saturday, but depending on where the Shiners are, some of the early spawning Walleye may have already moved out of Cutfoot and back into the lake.
Recently, the weather has been cool and even a little rainy, there hasn't been much traffic out on the lake, but there have been a few groups of Perch fishermen and they've had good fishing on the big lake as well as inside Cuttfoot Sioux. According to reports, many of the Perch appear to have spawned already too. That means that there could be a lot of bonus Perch action out there on Saturday too.
Area guides are predicting that patterns will be really close to what you'd expect on typical years though. The affects of the recent cooler weather are probably going to offset the early spawning season.
One notable difference from recent openers is the higher volume of water flowing through the dam. Something to think about; The increased current flow could mean higher concentrations of fish at locations near the dam. Plughat Point, The "Satellite Dishes", The Three Sisters and even the breakline in the Dam Bay could all provide above average fishing this weekend.
At the landing, we'll be ready to help make getting on and off the water easy too! Bowen Lodge guests are going to be treated to some new docks this season, in fact we're working on them right now! Watch for details in the next report.
Before you arrive for the opener, be sure that you're up to speed with changes in the fishing and boating regulations for the 2012 season and please remember to pick up your new fishing license!
|
Persistent anglers are finding fish to catch. Roger Will and Bill Linder found these Walleyes in 6 feet of rocky, choppy water.
By noon, Lake Winnibigosh was rockin' and rollin' and the bigger the waves became, the better the action got!
May 5, 2012 Water level on the Mississippi River at the Winnie Dam is higher than it's been for several years. Extra current flow could mean better Walleye fishing at locations near the dam.
In less than a week the territory along this shoreline is going to filled with action and Bowen Lodge guests will be enjoying their first taste of fresh Walleye of the season!
At the marina, we're adding new dock sections for the season and we'll be there to make getting on and off the water easy!
|
