Post your early August MORSON reports here

[Wild Thing]

Fat walleyes, fat blueberries, fast trip

Up and back after just three nights, oh the horror of these short trips.

Tons of walleyes still on the reefs, or I should say, reef.

Really only fished one reef seriously and caught many, many in the 17-19 inch range. What a great year class!

Nothing big, but a few 20-to- 22.5'', but what a great average size! Fished about 2 hours Friday and same on Saturday and went through 5 dozen crawlers quick. Bouncing spinners at high speed over the top of the reef. My wife had the hot hand Saturday and boated at least 20 in 2 hours! The 10-year old played Net Girl and was busy netting the fish. The 2-year old watched fish in the live well and played with a nightcrawler... life is good...

(Did try jigs and minnows with Benelli Dude's dad one evening on a different reef and caught a half-doz little keepers.)

Water temp was 72-75 degrees. The lake is murky, but no algae bloom yet.

Lots of wind again, but not as bad as they predicted.

Blueberries are incredible! Get up there and pick. Had home-made blueberry muffins saturday morning!!

Hoping to get back for one more fishing trip before shotgun season starts Sept. 1!!!

Take care, all...

[Shorelunch]

Sounds like a great weekend WT. Were there any perch on the same reef to chew crawlers? Any bonus smallies?

One of these weekends I'm going to force myself to try daytime shallow/weed walleyes in August. There should be some nice eyes mixed in with northerns and smallies. Tough to do when you can motor over to a reef and have luck like WT though.

[Wild Thing]

Hey, Shorelunch.

Caught a couple of big perch, the kind Cheesheads would die for. Caught more perch in July than this trip. All of them are pretty big, close to a pound. Never have kept one!

Couple of small smallies.

I think the walleyes wil hit the weeds soon.

Last labor day weekend we caught walleyes vertical jigging in phragmities in 3 feet of water. Unbelievable!

B-dude's dad found (with a net) walleyes on Saturday eating shiners close to shore, so he thinks they will be transitioning soon or already are.

The reef frenzy comes and goes too fast!

FYI to all, water levels are slowly dropping so docks should be okay now, save for a torrential rain.

Take care.

[rockpt]

We were up from Friday, July 25 to Sunday, August 4. Weather was great - stable, most days in high 70s and only one day that was a little windy. The walleye reef bite was as good as I've seen it. Last Thursday wife and I caught 28 in less than two hours on a reef in Miles Bay and most were 14-18" with a few bigger ones, too. That was pretty typical for the week.

Didn't get to chase muskies as much as we wanted. Our new dog jumps in the lake to retrieve any lure you cast (bringing a shock collar next trip to correct that). I did manage a smaller one, about 36", and had a low 40s fish on briefly but lost her. All week though we heard reports of lots of muskies being seen or caught and one group out west reported every muskie they saw or caught on ch. 68, and they reported often.

We're back up Oct. 3-12 for the fall bite.

Anyone know when they're going to get the road into Morson done? We blew a trailer tire coming out yesterday and a nice local guy who stopped to help said other guys have done the same.

[benelli_dude2002]

havent heard when the road will be done but I have been taking Hwy 600 the last few times i went up north. Just past Canada Customs at the Rainy River crossing, left turn and head north. A couple miles longer and few more 90 degree turns and you connect with hwy 621 just south of Bergland. Anyways...made a day trip and just got back. Had to stop and visit my sister after I left my folks place. I followed my dad in another boat. Fished a reef just off the Sunset channel, one I never fished before and I did mark it on my GPS for a future spot to try. Between 2 boats we caught about 45-50 fish, 20 inches was about the biggest with numerous smaller ones that went back. Jigs with minnows and Gulp worked best. made for a nice meal among other good things cooked by mom. Back to work on wednesday. Might be a week or so before i get back up for another day trip of fishing. Only five more weeks and few days til Ontario duck opener. Bring it on................

[Wild Thing]

Definitely AVOID the 621 road!

If you are coming from the east, take the 619 road out of Pinewood. It's gravel but smooth.

From Baudette/Rainy, do what Benelli Dude says and use the 600 road which is paved and links back up with 621 north of the construction.

They usually let drivers pack it down for a few weeks. I'd say early September to get the oil/pearock back on.

P.S. B-dude. If you would stop using jigs for a minute you would have caught 100 walleyes!!!! That's all you Major's do is jig!!! I think your dad just doesn't want to buy spinners so he reufuses to try it!

[benelli_dude2002]

Oh I forgot to mention I made about 6-8 passes using bottom bouncers with live crawlers and never got a bite meanwhile I watched dad and his crew in other boat catch about 15 walleye and I couldnt take it any more. Even used hammered gold. WE fished for about 2 hours until dad and his crew ran out bait. I remember when I was a kid thats all we used was spinners. Once in awhile we would put on 2-3 ounce weight and speed troll with minnows. It was interesting to have 4 boys (ages 6-9) in the boat with me also, plus I didnt feel like setting up all their rods with bouncers and spinners. Had a rod get broke by someones foot but nobody would fess up. Guess I'll have to buy another one. I was at Gander Mtn the other day and they had G Loomis rods 50% off and I guess I shoulda got one. Oh WT how many day til Ont. duck opener? Take care

[Wild Thing]

Jigs vs. bouncing

It's all in what you feel good doing. Jigs and minnows are great for me in May and June on sand or mud or fishing shore rubble, but when they hit the reefs, I spend more time snagged up with jigs.

Bouncing is easier for kids and wives too, much less worry about where the bait is and getting snagged.

I've lost maybe 3 bouncers in my boat all summer. The other night we lost 10 jigs in an hour fishing with your dad.

Kids and jigs means snags for me.

I think tiller boat guys jig more too, just a theory.

Plus crawlers are less than half the cost of minnows.

The best reef fishing usually means they are spread out across the reef, and moving fast gets your lure in front of more fish.

Thats' another of my theories. Plus it's fun to try something different.

Never spend more than $20 on a rod, that's my theory, too!!

G-Loomis? Only you truck drivers coud afford thta! I get Cabelas sale models for $19.99.

Take care! We may be back up the 15-17th but I assume your dad will be lip fishing bass that weekend. Those tourneys are way too expensive for my blood...

[rockpt]

WT,

How fast do you troll with bouncers? My wife and buddy bounced at the Ballfield last week while I ran the kicker at about 1.5 mph and we caught a few but they kept getting hung up. We didn't lose any bouncers, but it got tiring getting them loose. I think they may have been letting out too much line.

I know what you mean about getting snagged with jigs. I've found there are some reefs that are smoother than others, and I try to hit those first.

[Wild Thing]

Good thing work is slow today!

Rockpt...

Go as fast as you can and still keep the line as vertical as you can, just a little angle with as LITTLE line out as possible. Hangups are almost always becasue people have way too much line out. I keep a depth finder pointed at my passenegers and tell them to watch the depth. Up and down, and jig the bouncers, don't drag them!

2-ouncers are best but my wrist gets sore so I use 1.5 ounce. Straight line bouncers on slips, not the V-shaped ones, they get hung up more... the straight ones relaly give you a good feel for the rock with every jig... usually a snap of the wrist unhangs them fast. Occasionally I have to go around for my guests, but they get the hang of it after five or 10 minutes... you'll get hits as they come unsnagged!

Go faster than a fast drift... I think I'm close to 2 mph and even faster when the walleyes have the feed bag on. I go slower if I'm looking for fish, but once I find them I pour it on. Make them chase it. I think it gets them cranked up, especialy the bigger fish, 18 inches and up...

This is of course strictly a peak summer reef tactic, doesn't work earlier at all...

I can't believe I'M giving fishing lessons. What a joke!!

Take care

P.S. Has anyone else noticed the 90 minute rule?

It seems that the fish really turn on for about 90 mintues, then cut off pretty fast. Is it because they are getting spooked by seeing so many of their cousins getting pulled up and out of the water? Or do they just stop feeding for a while?

And another thing: Every turn over deep water off the reefs showed HUGE clouds of big arcs, clearly not baitfish. they were hovering at 12 feet in 25 feet of water. They seem to suspend neutral at the same depth as the top of the reef.

Just some obersvations for coffee/beer talk...

[fastkaw]

WT

I know just what you are talking about with the

suspended fish on the reefs.

A friend of mine, some years ago showed me after I

made the same comment.

Don't ask how I found out... Your a smart guy you

will figure it out. This particular school was catfish

and carp. Almost all were in the 3-5 LB. class.

Thanks for the report.

You were spot on with the bottom bouncers.

Fish them vertical. Not out the back of the boat.

[benelli_dude2002]

Yeah the rod that was broke yesterday lasted me about 6 years. Got it on sale at Basspro in Ohio for 85 bucks. I been spoiled with a little more spendy rods especially when i got a couple custom rods. But thats just me. I got plenty of bouncers and spinners in case I do go with someone else. One time we were getting snagged up all the time ( using jigs and we had no spinners ) out on a reef towards Dawson and my dad ended up going somewhere else. I was in another boat so we stayed back and started casting crankbaits. I caught my biggest walleye on that reef that day. Of course no camera and I did let it go. Now I got a camera on hand everytime I go fishing. I actually forgot my tacklebox once at home earlier this year but I had my camera. I was going to take part in the bass tourney but like you say too spendy for me also. If i am home I will cruise up and maybe watch the weigh-in. And hopefully wet a line. Gettin pumped up for goose season which is just around the corner. When hunting season rolls around it hard for me to pick up a rod.

p.s Jigs are cheaper too maybe thats why dad likes to use them. You know how it is, it can be hard to get someone into trying something else. Take care.

[dmoore]

Just got back from two weeks at our trailer. Great fishing. 30", 29-1/2" and lost track of the 24-26" fish we put back. All on 1-1/2 oz. bottom bouncers, gold blades. Minnows, crawlers, plastics all worked. Fished close to camp, shoreline points. Didn't fish any reefs. Wife doesn't like losing jigs so we stick to bottom bouncers. Brought home our limits of crappies and 40 LARGE perch. Got one muskies, lost a few others. Good berry picking and great weather. Duck hunting next.

Dick

[Wild Thing]

Thanks for the report Dmoore! A 30 is a true trophy up there.... I've only had one that was 30plus... I'm heading up for a short trip this weekend, just three nights....

How deep were you fishing off the points? Fishing rocky shores or weeds or what?

I'll file a Late August report when I get back...

Where has the summer gone?

[dmoore]

Best depth was 15-18'. Not a lot of weeds, mostly rocky points. Fished east around Waldron Island and around islands further east from there.

[Shorelunch]

Sounds like a nice trip Dick. Congrats on the 30 incher. We're heading up this weekend and back up for Labor Day. Hope to get up a few times after Labor Day, too.

[Wild Thing]

Maybe see you on the water, Shorelunch! We're on the same sked, this weekend and labor day weekend...

Thanks for the tips Dmoore..

I'm outta here in 4 hours!!!

[Sumander]

Fished Fri, Sat & 1/2 day on Sunday. The fish are still on the reefs. We caught and released 1-27", 2-25+" 3-24" and numerous fish between 20-23". We ended up filling the freezer with nice 16-17" fish.

Jigs and minnows, 14-17 FOW.

The lake went nearly flat Late Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful boat ride home!

Back up the weekend after Labor day. Then the Manitoba waterfowl season is nearly upon us.