Kawartha lakes Bass/Walleye Update!

[Slayingm]

Fishing success on my guide trips have been producing great catches of both Walleye and Bass the past few weeks. The water temps and weed growth is up and the fish are setup and biting! Although we have caught lots of Walleye on Jerkbaits and crankbaits the most productive pattern remains jigging the points and inside turns of deep weedlines.... especially those close to a hard bottom. Both minnow style and plastic grubs on 1/4oz heads in natural colours are producing well. We are also starting to find Walleye schooled up on deep rock shoals now with both grubs and dropshot rigs working well. On a recent trip this young lad fishing with his Mom caught his 1st Walleye ever.... he then proceeded to land many more that day along with some smallmouth bass.... I just love getting kids out and teaching them how to fish.

We have been getting a good mix of different size classes on various Kawartha lakes.

 

Smallmouth bass action has also been hot with tube jigs, dropshots and jerkbaits accounting for great catches. I have really been impressed with Rapala's new Shadow Rap.....no matter how hard you jerk it it runs true and the side to side action in incredible and generates so many hits. Here is one of my customers with his personal best 5.5lb Smallie caught on the deep diving Shadow Rap.

The lure has also contributed to some great finishes on tournaments so far this year. I concentrate on Rock/weed areas and rock shoals in the 4 to 12ft depths.

 

See you on the water.....

Stay safe and Good Fish'n!.... Greg.

[sofabed]

Thanks for the report. I am heading up to Balsam and I will try some of the methods you mentioned. I have had a lousy year on the lake so far.

[Acountdeleted]

Wow. Some beauty fish there.

[Slayingm]

Thanks for the report. I am heading up to Balsam and I will try some of the methods you mentioned. I have had a lousy year on the lake so far.

Good luck on Balsam Sofabed!..... I have done a few trips on Balsam this year and the fishing has been very good using the methods/locations I described. In fact both Walleye pictures in my post were from Balsam lake

[Hank Jr]

NIce fish the smiles says it all . Thanks for the report

[Mister G]

NOTHING beats jigging for walleyes.......nothing.....we like to use all black buck tail jigs........mostly 1/8 oz but sometimes 1/4 oz.......we have tied hundreds if not thousands over many many winters.....going out during deer season to deer processing places and begging or buying those precious buck tails.....then dying them BLACK...we couldn't get enough of them back in the day........now we have more then we will ever use but our children will thank us.....hopefully.....LOL

 

L

[Slayingm]

NOTHING beats jigging for walleyes.......nothing.....we like to use all black buck tail jigs........mostly 1/8 oz but sometimes 1/4 oz.......we have tied hundreds if not thousands over many many winters.....going out during deer season to deer processing places and begging or buying those precious buck tails.....then dying them BLACK...we couldn't get enough of them back in the day........now we have more then we will ever use but our children will thank us.....hopefully.....LOL

 

L

Hey Mister G..... I have been tying and using black bucktail jigs for nearly 30 years now too! They have accounted for 100's of Kawartha Walleye over the years and are still a very effective presentation.

[Mister G]

Hey Mister G..... I have been tying and using black bucktail jigs for nearly 30 years now too! They have accounted for 100's of Kawartha Walleye over the years and are still a very effective presentation.

Yes Sir, we have used them in Oneida Lake in central NY, Lake Erie, the Kawartha's including Pigeon, Sturgeon, Clear, Stoney and a couple others......also taken many walleyes in the French River, Nippissing, Big Gull Lake near Kaladar, Big Caribou Lake, Kinzua Reservoir, plus a few Lakes in Minnesota. If the fishing is a bit tough we tip the jig with about 1" of the tip of a nightcrawler and bury it in the hairs for a little scent.

 

The reason I think it's the best way to catch a fish is because once you set the hook it's just you and the fish with nothing to drag down the fish or impede it from fighting.

 

They also out fish plastics in the weeds because you can rip them without the damn tail always coming off in the weeds.