Kathleen went running this afternoon, and Melissa, Joe and Ashley all were doing their own thing, so I decided to go fishing from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The wind was relatively calm at 2-6 mph out of the south, the temperature was 82 degrees, the water temperature was 74 degrees and the sky was partly cloudy.
I lowered the boat lift, backed my Lund 1800 IFS into the lake, and motored to the Birches where I decided to drift for crappie and perch. I used a Northland "neon" Fireball jig tipped with Gulp Alive! leeches. I had several light bites, but no fish. From the teeth marks on the leeches, I'm guessing those light-biters were small walleye.
I switched tactics and began trolling using a small perch-colored Rapala Shad Rap. I caught numerous perch, but no jumbos or walleyes.
Finally, I decided to go after bass in front of Norm's cabin. I switched to a 4/0 off-set hook and Texas rigged a Yamamoto 5" Senko. For my money, I've not found any lure that produces more, and bigger, largemouth bass than a 5" Senko. Using a spinning rod and reel spooled with 8-pound Fireline, I cast back into the reeds and let that Senko slowly fall to the bottom. Nine times out of 10 a bass will hit the Senko on the fall. You can actually watch the line start moving to the side before you feel any weight on the line. This method helped me land three beautiful largemouth bass, all in the neighborhood of 20".
At 9:00 p.m., after dinner, Joe, Melissa and I went out trolling in our usual spot -- Malay's cabin to past Second Duck Point -- using our usual Minnow Rap lures. Melissa caught a medium-sized northern pike, which we put back into the water. Later, I caught a very fat 24" walleye. It was one of the bigger walleyes I've caught this summer and a very beautiful fish. Of course, I released this beauty back into Leech Lake.
I lowered the boat lift, backed my Lund 1800 IFS into the lake, and motored to the Birches where I decided to drift for crappie and perch. I used a Northland "neon" Fireball jig tipped with Gulp Alive! leeches. I had several light bites, but no fish. From the teeth marks on the leeches, I'm guessing those light-biters were small walleye.
I switched tactics and began trolling using a small perch-colored Rapala Shad Rap. I caught numerous perch, but no jumbos or walleyes.
Finally, I decided to go after bass in front of Norm's cabin. I switched to a 4/0 off-set hook and Texas rigged a Yamamoto 5" Senko. For my money, I've not found any lure that produces more, and bigger, largemouth bass than a 5" Senko. Using a spinning rod and reel spooled with 8-pound Fireline, I cast back into the reeds and let that Senko slowly fall to the bottom. Nine times out of 10 a bass will hit the Senko on the fall. You can actually watch the line start moving to the side before you feel any weight on the line. This method helped me land three beautiful largemouth bass, all in the neighborhood of 20".
At 9:00 p.m., after dinner, Joe, Melissa and I went out trolling in our usual spot -- Malay's cabin to past Second Duck Point -- using our usual Minnow Rap lures. Melissa caught a medium-sized northern pike, which we put back into the water. Later, I caught a very fat 24" walleye. It was one of the bigger walleyes I've caught this summer and a very beautiful fish. Of course, I released this beauty back into Leech Lake.
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