To say fishing was tough last week would be an understatement, just walking around had its challenges hats were flying off and children were walking around wrapped in blankets. All week we were battered with rain, wind and cool temperatures, while early on we had manageable fishing conditions as the week progressed it only got worse, and worse. Gusty winds from the north-east made getting out of our harbor too much of an ordeal for most of our guests, boats sat idle for a majority of the week and those who braved the weather pulled their boats and launched in protected bays. Water temps took a nose dive, we’re sitting at 64 degrees right now, down from 80 degrees in just over a couple of weeks which is faster than normal and definitely is having its effect on fishing. It’s strange to see so many people in what I’d call fall attire trying to keep warm, but we’ve been able to sell our fair share of Big Rock long-sleeved shirts and hoodies, so it’s not all bad!
Pictured below from L to R: Hunter Haken from Windom, Mn with a couple eater pike, Eric Haken with a healthy 26 in walleye that he caught while fishing in Walker Bay and Austin Haken with a beautiful 40 inch muskie he caught in Walker Bay using a Bondy Bait jigged over a 25 foot weed bed
Even though fishing is tough right now you’re going to need to keep at it, keep trolling the mid-lake reefs, weed edges and sand flats any day now fishing is going to click on, and the wonderful fall season of walleye and perch fishing will take off, with or without you.
Pictured Below from L to R: a shot of the current state of perch fishing, decent sized fishing coming in, just not the big numbers, and a few brave children that forged through hurricane-like conditions to take on the Wednesday harbor fishing tournament.
Muskie fishing is a bit of a mystery right now, typically late August and early September is easily the best time of the year, with water temps still high enough to keep the big girls active and feeding, but with the early cool down we’re currently having I’m sure it has dampened the spirits of them too. Switching to slower, larger more erratic baits is going to be the ticket, with muskie starting to get fattened up for the long winter months, this is the time of year you want to take advantage of their larger feeding windows and put a monster in your boat.
Perch fishing is still hit or miss also, we’ve had some nice sized fish coming in the last couple weeks, but only in small batches as the water temps cool look for the schools of perch to move into shallow weed choked bays, pack your jigs and fatheads, throw a bobber on and get ready for some action.
Featured Image up top is of our fireplace here at the lodge, one of the more popular areas over the last few days, I can’t think of a better place to sit during a fall-like raining day than in front of a crackling warm fire.
Thanks for reading
Come see us at Big Rock Resort
800-827-7106
Ray
