Mississippi Lake May 11th Report

[eye-tracker]

Spent 8 hours out on the lake and worked every area from Carleton Place to Grasshopper Point. Started off shallow in the back bays with sand flats and rock bottoms but could see the Small and Large Mouth Bass sitting on their nests...water Temp 61 F. So I moved out to the edge of the flats and worked the points where they meet the main lake basin. Caught lots of pike in 15 - 30 feet of water. No walleye all day...they seem to be on the move and I did not find the active ones. All the spots that worked on Saturday and Sunday held no walleye. BTW the water was very clear for Mississippi...in 8 ft of water I could see bottom.

New weed growth is comming on fast so the walleye should start to move into the weeds for forage and cover in the next couple of weeks with this warm weather.

[Markus]

ET, do you fish by yourself? If so and you're only permited 1 pole, do you do more casting or trolling?

[eye-tracker]

Hello Markus,
I usually fish with my Dad, We cast/jig to work inside turns or tight structure and when we cover a large flat or open basin we move to trolling. I also troll over new weed growth or along weedlines 5-10 FOW with planer boards out to the side because we only have the lures out 10-25 ft from the board. But right now the pike are hitting everything in sight...even bottom bouncers with a spinner and worm. You have to spend a lot of time shaking off all the small pike to find one walleye...but hey the action is great, my Dad loves it...not to mention all those crazy looking lures he owns catch fish right now

I am going to head out in the dark one night this week and try the flats and rock piles around the river mouths and see if I can find where the walleye are feeding at night...because I know they will be close by in the deeper sections during the day.

Also making a trip out to another local lake today for a few hours...

[Scum Frog]

Thanks for the report!

You sure did cover the lake yesterday!

I have one question. Is it possible that a large number of walleye are still in the river parts of the Miss. for the spawn and yet have to return to the main lake?

I agree with what you stated "New weed growth is comming on fast so the walleye should start to move into the weeds for forage and cover in the next couple of weeks with this warm weather." .... I tend to have better luck with walleye's in the Miss starting around late May early June.

[MichaelVandenberg]

Thanks for the report ET and posting the water temp.

Nice to know the bass are on the beds as well. Will be out this weekend and will post a report as well.

Cheers,

Mike

[eye-tracker]

I have one question. Is it possible that a large number of walleye are still in the river parts of the Miss. for the spawn and yet have to return to the main lake?

The water temps are pretty warm so I would say the spawn has been done for a while now...but I think a large number of walleye are still holding in the river. They have lots of forage on the shallow flats and saftey of the deep holes during the day. That is why it is a Sanctuary until June

[Scum Frog]

Thanks for validating for me.

Same thing goes for Dalhousie Lake.....the good part is a sanctuary until June as well!

[nighttroller]

Is the whole river a sanctuary until June or Just at Innisville? I heard some people were caught fishing in the sanctuary on the opening weekend and I was wondering where it starts?

[eye-tracker]

Is the whole river a sanctuary until June or Just at Innisville? I heard some people were caught fishing in the sanctuary on the opening weekend and I was wondering where it starts?

Hello Nighttroller...

The whole river from the bridge in Innisville to the Lake... I usually fish the mouth of the river where it enters the lake...but make sure I am in the main basin of the lake well past the points on each shore. I would not want to argue with the CO's on what is river and what is lake. every year I see lots of boats up the river and just inside the river...also see the CO's charge people every opening week (One CO has a cottage on the lake). They use to put a sign up that floated in the middle of the mouth of the river but I have not seen that in the past few years...I guess with cut backs and all they no longer have the time or resources.