Fishing over the last two weeks has been down right outstanding! There are reports of amazing crappie, walleye and smallmouth catches coming in. The fish are biting like it’s fall even though we have summer weather, It’s hard to beat that combination!
I’ve been guiding for smallmouth lately and they are extremely aggressive. We have caught 100’s of smallmouth with a number of them reaching trophy size. The majority of the fish are in 5-10 feet of water near rocks. Don’t be afraid to throw very large baits at them. They haven’t been very shy! Fish ranging from 18”-20” has been very common. The largest smallmouth last week was over 5.5 lbs!
There are also reports of 10-12” crappie biting very well. The reports are divided though. Some anglers are finding the crappie suspended over deep water, whereas others are still finding them over weeds in 15 foot of water. In a few weeks I expect the majority of the crappie to be suspended over deep water basins. Use your electronics to locate these fish and they will be ready to eat!
The reports I’ve been hearing for walleye are a bit unusual for this time of year. The fish are in their fall locations already and the numbers have been very good. Limits of 16”-19” walleye have been common place. A 3/8oz jig and a minnow in 15-30’ water has been doing the trick.
It’s great to see such a strong bite already, things are shaping up to be tremendous fall in the Alexandria area! FYI, the trees are definitely turning color. I would expect us to reach our peak fall colors in a couple weeks. Good luck fishing!
