Do mayflies/shadflies screw up fishing?

[bigcreekdad]

Just returned from a week on the French with my sons. As we waited in Wolseley Bay for the Lochaven Lodge pontoon boat to take us the 5 miles to the Lodge, I noticed many mayfly shucks on the surface. I seemed to remember from a prior trip to the Upper French that this hatch had a negative effect on the fishing. Sure enough, the "bite" was way off from my trip during the same time period in previous years (where the "hatch" had occurred before our trip). During our stay, fish being fileted were found to be bulging with the darn bugs.

 

Anyone else experience this?

 

[Old Ironmaker]

The fish are gorging them selves so I think it would. It has been so thick here on Erie Doppler Radar out of Cleveland actually picked up the swarm the size of PEI. I can't post links here for some reason.

[BillM]

If I see a huge mayfly hatch and I'm fishing walleyes, it's slow death with a small piece of worm or nothing.

 

I find it doesn't mess up bass or pike fishing much at all.

Edited July 7, 2015 by BillM

[2 tone z71]

absolutely ...that incorporated with the full moon ..makes for a tough fish

[kickingfrog]

Nope. Just changes it.

[porkpie]

My last trip on nippissing, the top of the water was littered with shadfly. We killed it numbers wise, with a personal best ever for pickerel numbers in the boat. I spent a lot of time in north bay for a few years, and never noticed a major effect. And they see significant hatches. Your mileage may vary.

Edited July 7, 2015 by porkpie

[OhioFisherman]

Far and away our worst trip to Pointe Au Baril happened during the hatch. There were little islands of them floating all over the top of the water, you could watch fish rolling on the islands of bugs, but couldn't seem to get them to hit anything else.

[Garnet]

Most years a strong mayfly hatch on the Kawrathas means tough walleye bite. Typical your bites will come on the first drop about 6 inches from the bottom and just rifle it.

 

This year on Balsam had strong Mayfly hatch for 2.5 week and those wally just kept biting.

 

1 year out of 40, still don't like fishing extended mayfly hatch.

[outllaw]

flies fowl trolling gear. heres a tip. when the hatch is on,at nite the walleyes move right up. troll the top 4ft. you will smash them

[wvmedic]

bigcreekdad, I had the same experience last week on the French. I was also curious if the bite was off because of them feeding heavily on the mayflies because there were hoards of them.

 

Jeff

[AKRISONER]

Far and away our worst trip to Pointe Au Baril happened during the hatch. There were little islands of them floating all over the top of the water, you could watch fish rolling on the islands of bugs, but couldn't seem to get them to hit anything else.

 

 

Dead on Ohio!

 

I literally call the may fly hatch the end of the pickerel season. Every spring weve been able to catch pickerel until the mayflies hatch. After that? you wont get a bite until Halloween.

 

That being said, the mayflies hatched recently the bass and pike fishing is still on.

Edited July 7, 2015 by AKRISONER

[Paudash]

went through the coolest hatch or I guess death of them I have ever seen last Friday at dusk. We were out bass fishing and they were just falling out of the sky it was almost like rain and in every direction for as far as we could see the smallies were smashing them as soon as they hit the water. Lasted about half hour it was really cool but we still caught a ton by throwing very small top waters

[Acountdeleted]

100% yes.

 

About 4 years ago I traveled to Hearst for some fishing. Usually I easily get a pike every cast with lots of walleye but the fishing was ultra slow. On the shore was a pile of dead mayflies. I asked someone later in the weekend if they wanted my minnows and they said 'no'. The fish just won't hit'. I drove 2 more hours to Long Lac and had a blast but with the fish stuffed they were so lethargic and full it was super hard to get a strike.

[bigugli]

It definitely changes the walleye bite, and you have to change tactics. I fish shallow and near to any clumps on the surface.

[fisherman7]

100% yes.

 

About 4 years ago I traveled to Hearst for some fishing. Usually I easily get a pike every cast with lots of walleye but the fishing was ultra slow. On the shore was a pile of dead mayflies. I asked someone later in the weekend if they wanted my minnows and they said 'no'. The fish just won't hit'. I drove 2 more hours to Long Lac and had a blast but with the fish stuffed they were so lethargic and full it was super hard to get a strike.

I was on a fly-in out of Hearst last year and we were in the middle of a may fly hatch. Normally 40 walleye a day or more but we were lucky to catch 4 a day. The may fly were thick and when the full moon came up it.........well it was indescribable. Good thing the pike were happy to see us.

[OhioFisherman]

 

 

Dead on Ohio!

 

I literally call the may fly hatch the end of the pickerel season. Every spring weve been able to catch pickerel until the mayflies hatch. After that? you wont get a bite until Halloween.

 

That being said, the mayflies hatched recently the bass and pike fishing is still on.

It's been a long time, but I actually had some of my best days walleye fishing there in mid July to mid August, the mayfly hatch was over and their diet had changed.

[Joeytier]

Depending on the severity of the hatch, you may need to adjust your tactics. I find smaller hatches don't affect the bite much, but large hatches force you to change your tactics. If the walleye are keyed in on them (which they may or may not) they will likely be shallow, even during the day, and small hardbaits, as well as lightweight lindy rigs can work really well! Never found that it hindered the fishing very much.