Kabetogama/Namakan Fishing Report 9/6/09
What a wow week of weather--picture perfect temps, mild winds and lots of sun--all this after a soggy August that included lower than average temperatures and over 6 inches of rain.
Fish were obviously mystified by the big weather change. Anglers in the first part of the week had to experiment with various presentations at various depths to find hungry active fish.
Towards the end of the week anglers found the best walleye bite at 30 - 38' using jig and minnow. Reef edges and fast shoreline drop-offs were your best scenarios.
An alternate choice for a minnow presentation was to use a slip-sinker rig and bottom bouncer at 30' plus. Surprisingly a few folks fishing weed edges and weed tops also found good numbers of walleyes while fishing for pike.
Northern pike have been gathering in bays looking for bait fish and show aggression towards big spinner baits and jerk baits.
Smallmouth bass are being caught by walleye anglers intermittently but the best structure is rock piles and rocky shorelines where crayfish are plentiful.
Walleye anglers would do well fishing deep holes off Sugarbush, Chase Island, Martin Islands, and down toward Blind Ash Bay.
Pike enthusiasts should concentrate on bays that have a current flow--Daily Bay, Nebraska Bay, and Lost Bay are great choices.
Smallmouth can be found on rocky shorelines on both Kabetogama and Namakan. On the shorelines use spinner baits or plastics, on rock piles throw crayfish, imitation crankbaits, presenting them from a few feet deep to 10 - 12'.
There have been a few more reports of sturgeon being caught on Kabetogama. Rememeber there is no open season on Kabetogama for sturgeon.
Bear hunting is about average for the hunter having a sighting or opportunity. There are fewer hunters due to less licenses but the bear sighting per hunter average remains about the same as most years.
Hope all readers had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. It was the best 3-day weekend weather-wise in recent memory.
Fall colors and fall fishing are beginning to happen with grouse season just around the corner.
Hope to see you soon!
Phil and Ellen Hart
Gateway General
Lake Kabetogama
(218) 875-2121
www.gatewaygeneral.com
www.kabfishingreport.com