Lower Manitou Lake Fishing Reports by Camp Manitou

[SimilarIsland]

Hey Matt,

Where is "Wash Out" bay?

Thanks

[Hoffer]

The place I was referring to is all the way up past barkers. You go to the right at the very end and there is a back bay. It is gaurded pretty well by an island and rocks at the entrance.

We fished the whole bay with little luck - and were about to leave when the wind blew us all the way to the very back end. There is a section where the terrain at the very back end is very different. Its rocky on the shoreline and sandy just a ways back out. They were sitting all the way in to the shoreline on the rocks - in fact caught my biggest in about 6 inches of water. They were also out in the sandy areas gaurding the beds...huge volcanos - you cant miss them. Check it out and let me know if they are still there. Bounce some tubes around the rocky shoreline and then over on the volcanos - they were very quick to grab.

[Outfitter17]

Similar,

Are you talking about that small bay, just Southeast of the outpost? There is a small bay with a hugh washout, it happened back in 2002 when we had a 16" rain in 24hrs. It must have broken a huge dam or a small lake broke loose? How did you hear of washout bay?

Mark,

By the time I make it up to that bay, they will be off their beds, so I guess I will have to wait until next year.

[SimilarIsland]

Matt,

You mentioned that bay in one of your posts above. I had never heard of that bay. It's the first bay towards Camp Manitou from the Outpost cabin on the south side of the stretch, right? It has a large rock in the back with kind of a washout/waterfall. Not the next little bay after that past the two islands.

Similar

[Outfitter17]

6/29/09

Similar,

You are correct it's the bay just SE of the Outpost, that looks like a big washout in the back with a rock in the middle of the bay.

The fishing has been a bit slow with all the terrible weather. The bass are being caught on the wind blown shorelines with brown sweet beaver plastics along with Mepps #5's in silver.

The pike are also being caught on the silver Mepps #5's along with Chrome and Blue Rattle traps.

The trout are heading down to their summer holes being caught on white tubes and glow tubes.

[Outfitter17]

Mark,

Are you going to make it back up with Scott? He just booked a 4 night trip from July 8-12, but he didn't mention if you were coming or not?

Has Bruce heard from his buddy about the September trip, he emailed a while back for some info?

[Hoffer]

Matt-

Hi, I was the one that turned Scott on to the Camp. However, now as luck would have it - I dont think I will be able to make it there with him! Bummer.

I am still trying to see if I can make it work - maybe just for the last few days if possible. I will keep you posted!

What do you think the smallies will be doing by the end of next week?

[Outfitter17]

7/3/09

Yesterday we had our first Sun/nice weather in about 5 days. The bass were going nuts on topwater at just about any 7-10fow rock shoreline or rocky point heading into deeper water. We found the same bite in hidden river as we did up on the main lake around aronson falls and into holcroft lake.

The best lure seemed to be a tiny torpedo and black was the hot color, it seemed like every other cast you were getting a hit. We only had a couple and they we gone by mid morning (lost to pike), but we had alot of pop-r's and they seemed to work just as good. It really didn't seem to matter the color after we lost the black ones, you just needed to work the bait really slow. Cast it out let it sit for a bit, pop it, let it sit, pop it, let it sit, etc. It seemed to work well.

Cabin #5 fished esox and they found the same presentation working well. They hit all the main lake rock piles adjacent to 20-25 foot water and with the slow topwater presentation, they put a pile of fish in the boat.

I don't know how long the topwater bite will last, but it's hot right now.

[Outfitter17]

7/7/09

The topwater bite has started to slow, the water temps are touching the low 70's in the bays and the bass are slowly starting to head to deeper water from the reports we are getting from the guests. Topwater is still working, but not as effectivly as it was at the end of last week. We have a group that has taken the whole camp and they are primarily using motoroil, pumpkin seed, and watermelon twister tails. They are a heavy duty single twister tail, that we can't get in this area at the bait shops. The group is from St. Louis, and I think they get it at the local Bass pro shop.

They are working the rock drop offs in 10-15 fow dropping into 25+fow. They are using a 1/4oz plain lead jig and 1 of the 3 colors mentioned above. They are working the bait very slowly over the bolders and that seems to be the ticket.

[SimilarIsland]

What are the Lake Trout up to?

[Outfitter17]

Similar,

We have had mainly bass fisherman in the past 2 weeks, so I don't really know what the trout are up to. I am going to go out for a few hours today and target trout. I will give you a report when I get back.

[SimilarIsland]

I'd like to give them a shot at dusk a time or two in August if I can find them. Is that main lake point north of the cabin a pretty good summer haunt for them?

[Hoffer]

Hey Outifitter -

Just was wondering if my friend Scott and his buddy had checked in at camp at all?? Was wondering how the fishing has been for them?

Still a liitle miffed! Initaiily our plans were we were supposed to come up together yesterday and fish for 3 days. then he called his friend and all of a sudden they made other plans to leave earlier and they left on Tuesday! I had work issues and couldnt get away until Wednesday afternoon at the latest. i was still thinking even as late as yesterday afternoon about coming up - but didnt want to make the trip by myself for just a few days

Anyway - give a quick post if you have heard from them.

Thanks-

Hoffer

[Outfitter17]

Hi Mark,

They checked in on Wednesday and they stopped bye yesterday night for some gas, beer, and a few Muskie spots up by the cabin. From the sounds of things they are doing fine on the Bass and they were going to try some muskie in the evenings I gave them a few good spots that I like to fish, so they should be able to hookup on a few nice ones. The nice thing about trout water is that when you do get one, they tend to be big. I have never caught on either on Manitou or Pipestone (both trout water) smaller than 37".

Maybe if your buddies cabin doesn't work out this fall, you, scott, and a couple other guys might have to try the manitou fall fishing.

If they stop bye again I will post how they do.

[Hoffer]

Hey Matt thanks for the update!

So, as of Thursday night they didnt have any monster Muskie yet

If you talk to them - feel free to post - I wouldnt mind an updat. Its hard not to be up there right now!!

I will check about this Fall....if my friends doesnt work. Bu remember to keep a spot open for us at the Outpost around that same time period in June that we came this year!

Thanks-

Mark

[Outfitter17]

Similar,

The trout seem to be getting active. We went out on Thursday for about 2 hrs., just to see what was going on with them. All the guests the past couple of weeks have been Bass fisherman. We only fished off black island and around the camp, but we managed 7 trout and missed a couple of other ones. They seem to be around the 60' on the graph and most of them came out of 90-110'fow. We would have fished longer and tried a few more spots, but there was a large storm building and we just got back to the dock before the rain started. It rained with alot of lightning and thunder for the rest of the afternoon, so needless to say we didn't go back out. We are going to give the trout another shot in a day or two and fish a few new areas just to see how things go. I will let you know what we find. Do you like to jig, troll 3 ways, or downrig?

[SimilarIsland]

Matt,

I'm clueless when it comes to Lake Trout. We catch a few now and then without targeting them. I don't have downriggers on my boat, but I do have good electronics. I'd try whatever you'd suggest for late August.

I read about the 3 ways on your sight. Sounds like a pretty good option.

[Outfitter17]

Hi Mark,

Scott stopped bye about 3:30pm yesterday to grab some gas and pay their bill, they were fishing the stretch for Muskies and bass mainly because of the high winds we were having. They mentioned having to huge fish follow in the small bay before the grant waterfalls, but I don't know if they have boated anything as of now, you will have to check with him when he gets home. I know they were going to fish their way out today and hit a few spots in Esox, with the wind dying down they will have a good change to pickup one on the main lake rock reefs. With the wind we were having the prior 2 days, they wouldn't have been able to hold the boat on or they would have burned up their batteries in just a couple of hours trying to hold the reefs.

Let me know about the fall trip when you get a change, sounds like scott may be interested in a fall trip if you put one together with fisherman.

I will pencil you in for next june also, will it be you and bruce or do you think you will have a couple more guys?

[Hoffer]

Not sure at this point...but possibly a few more in the Spring. I would bet Scott might come?

I golfed with my friend yesterday who has the place on jackfish - and I am trying to get him to confirm things for the Fall. I will let you know either way once I get something firm from him. For sure though I am coming in the Spring...so keep that same time fram as we did this year on the books for us at the outpost. Thanks for the info. Hopefully they picked up a Muskie or 2 on the way out!

[Outfitter17]

Sounds like Scott would be interested in a spring trip, sounds like he normally would like to fish bass in early to mid-june, just like you.

He said the guys on your buddies trip in the fall do a bit to much drinking for him and not enough fishing. So I guess if you buddies trip falls through this fall he might be interested in a return musky/bass trip. Not to mention the trout should be incredible in the fall like they were last year.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[Outfitter17]

Similar,

In August I can give you some saltwater jigs that I bought last year. They are deadly for lakers, they have a really heavy hook that won't bend out no matter how big the trout is. Just pick up a few 5" Realistic Minnows, they are an awesome combo for lakers. You will be able to watch the fish on your graph and then you just drop your jig down (you can see your line on the screen) to just above them, if they are interested you will see them start heading up towards your jig on the screen and then you can just simply start slowly reeling up until they slam you.

I can give you a few pointers when you get here.

Also, make sure that the rod you are going to use for trout has some type of superline on it with no stretch.

[SimilarIsland]

Thanks Outfitter - can't wait!

[Outfitter17]

7/18/09

The bigger bass have finally moved to the rock reefs and main lake rock points. You will find them anywhere from 9-22fow, but the main concentration will be in 12-14fow. Lindy's and leeches are tearing them up if you like live bait. Non jointed minnow baits seem to be working well also. We have been trying to stay in the 4" range to match the minnow forage that they are spitting up. The water temp has dropped down and our surface temp this morning was only 59F. It has been fluctuating between approx. 58 and 69 since the first of June. We are expecting a low of 35F tonight so that will drop the surface temp a bit more tonight.

The pike are hold up in the cabbage weeds right now. We havn't seen them on the reefs chasing the small bass like normal yet, I am guessing they also need a few more degrees to get into their summer pattern.

We have some die hard muskie hunters in right now, so I will report in a few day how they do.

Other than the strange temps we are having, fish numbers seem to be right on track with last year so all in all everything is good.

[KEN W]

Hey Outfitter.....your linkie no workie.

[Outfitter17]

Hey KEN W,

I just clicked on the link and it worked just fine I don't know why you couldn't get to it? 9:42pm.