Fishing Reports by Cliff Wagenbach
(218) 753-2005

Lake Vermilion, 1/25/08

The walleye bite has slowed down quite a bit this week due to the recent cold fronts.
Many of the fish that we are getting have been biting at midday on tip-ups and rattle reels.
The best bait on these rigs has been small to medium sized sucker minnows.
Small gold spoons baited with a crappie minnow are also getting a few of the more aggressive walleyes.
24 feet to 30 feet of water are still my most productive depths.
Travel on the lake has been very good.
There is only 2" to 3" of snow in most open areas and no slush at all.
There has been around 17" to 18" of ice in the areas that I have been fishing
and I have been driving my F-150 out all week.
Good Fishing!

Cliff

Fishing Report 12/24/07

The walleye bite has been fairly stable yet this week, even if the weather hasn't!
I have been getting all of my fish in 20' to 30' of water on the sand/mud transition out from rocky reefs.
1/8 oz. Jigging spoons or a plain #4 hook with a split shot 12" above it have been working best.
I have been using a crappie minnow on the spoons and shiners,fatheads,rainbows, or small pike suckers on the plain hook rigs.
The best bite has been in the mornings and evenings, although I caught 5 at around 1:00pm yesterday.
The ice is averaging around 9" in the area that I have been fishing.
The ice has not gained much more depth this week due to snow cover and we just got around 10" more snow yesterday!
There seemed to be a lot more slush spots when I came in last night !!
Good Fishing!

Cliff

Fishing Report 12/07/07

There is around 5-1/2" to 7" of ice on many parts of Vermilion, but there are also spots out on the main lake
and in narrows that only have a couple of inches of ice.
There is around 8" to 14" of snow on top of the ice so the ice making process has been slowed down considerably.
There is lots of slush on many of the smaller bays and also close to shorelines.
Hopefully the cold front moving in this weekend will eliminate that problem.
I have been doing fairly well fishing for walleyes when I have managed to get out there in the mornings.
9:00am to noon has been my best bite.
The evening bite has also been good according to the reports that I have been getting.
I have been doing my best by fishing in 12' to 20' of water.
Perch colored 1/8 oz. spoons or Jigging Rap type jigs baited with a minnow head
or a white/glow Demon Jig with a medium rainbow chub have been working very well for me.

Good Fishing!

Cliff

Fishing Report 09/11/07

The walleye bite has been "HOT" the past few days on Vermilion's East end!
The walleyes and Jumbo perch are biting very well on Lindy Rigs or jigs
baited with minnows.

Pike suckers have been my best bait on the Lindy Rigs and fathead or
rainbow minnows have been working great on jigs.
I have been fishing 17' to 21' flats in a few of the larger bays with
great success.

The mid-lake rock reefs in Big Bay have also been producing walleyes
with a jig & minnow presentation. 12' to 32' of water out there.
My best jig colors have been: pink/white, firetiger, white, and metalic
chartuse green.
The bite has been holding up all day in most areas !

Good Fishing!
Cliff

Fishing Report 08/19/2007

The past few days have been more of a challange to put walleyes in the
boat because of changing weather patterns and fronts moving thru the area.
The walleyes can be caught though if you keep moving and trying
different depths and types of structure.
Almost of my fish are still being caught on Lindy Rigs baited with
crawlers.
Minnows have accounted for a few fish the past couple of days.
The wind has been a big factor in getting fish to bite. Fish reefs or
sand/rock points in depth from 8 feet to 23 feet deep.
Crank baits are also getting walleyes when trolled in the smaller bays
along the shorelines and over rock or sand humps.


Good Fishing!
Cliff

Fishing Report 08/06/2007

The walleye bite has been fantastic the past week ! Many fishermen are
getting their limits easily by fishing the reefs and sand areas using a
plain hook Lindy Rig baited with crawlers.

Minnows are also starting to catch a few walleyes when used on the same
rigs.

The jumbo perch are biting well on a few reefs also.

The smallmouth bass have been on a heavy bite as well.
Watermelon colored Senko Worms hooked wacky style and weightless has
been the number one presentation for smallmouth.

Good Fishing!
Cliff

Fishing Report 07/30/2007

The walleye bite on Vermilion has been mostly very good the past week.
A Lindy Rig baited with leeches or crawlers is still the best daytime
presentation.

The walleyes have been located on the reefs and sand bars in 8' to 20'
of water on most days.

Wind has been a big factor in getting a good daytime bite going.

I have heard reports that there is a good nite bite trolling cranks and
using slip bobbers with leeches or crawlers as bait.

The jumbo perch are really starting to move up on the reefs in some areas
too. We are catching them using the same rigs as walleyes.

The bass bite has been very good for the bassen' guys and gals!
The muskie bite has been very good this year and is getting better. I
talked to a guide today that said that he has boated 70 fish so far this
summer!! 7 of them were 50" plus fish.

Good Fishing!
Cliff

Fishing Report 07/20/2007