Kabetogama/Namakan Fishing Report August 4, 2008
Here we are in August already but no sign of the usual dog days. Kabetogama still offers great fishing along with Namakan and the inland lakes on the peninsula.
Walleye taking all live baits with the edge going to leeches; crawlers running a close second. Slip-sinker rigs a must to keep the baits near the bottom; floaters as well as inflated crawlers keep the offerings just enough off the bottom for the fish to strike at.
Smallmouth hitting nearly anything at depths less than 18'; walleye anglers catching lots of these pests.
Northern pike action again spotty; the big girls still not honing in on any particular offerings; the smaller counterparts are in the weedy bays taking surface baits or shallow runners.
Walleye hot spots are definitely depth-related now as the water temperatures are stabilized in the 70's.
The slip-sinker rigs or bottom bouncers between 18-22' in the mornings and evenings. Daytime bright sun hours go deeper to say 30' with bottom bouncers or jig and leech/minnow.
Anglers must keep in mind that fish taken in depths beyond 30' risk the life of every fish they return. Studies by the DNR show a very high mortality rate of fish taken in warm waters at depths below 30'. The size of the returned fish does not seem to matter; the mortality rate remains high on all sizes of released fish.
Have a Great Day!
Ellen & Phil Hart
Gateway General
9378 Hwy 53
Kabetogama, MN 56669
(218) 875-2121
www.gatewaygeneral.com
www.kabfishingreport.com