Hot, muggy, humid—just a few words to describe the preceding days in northern Minnesota.  But there are some great bites to be found in the Grand rapids area if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.  If you’re thinking walleyes, a couple of lakes have really stood out over the past week or so.  Cutfoot, Wabana, Deer, and Bowstring have all provided anglers with both meals and “picture fish”.  Look for weed points where they meet sand or gravel.  Especially on sunny days those fish will seek shade near the weeds and come up to feed just on top of or just outside the weed edge.  Pull spinners with a half crawler over the top or pitch a bobber or dropshot on the edge with a crawler or leech.  According to multiple reports, Bowstring has been good but mainly in the first moments of daylight.  Fish are also being caught deeper on mid lake humps.

Crappies and bluegills are still biting well, too.  Most are holding in deeper weeds.  Let’s say 9-15 feet.  Move slowly along the weed beds pitching bobbers or small spinner style baits.  There is a lure that has been especially effective for covering water and finding fish called the Flashback Mini from Z-Man.  It is a small, noisy, chatterbait that can trigger fish to come out of the weeds to see whats going on.  If you want to give them the fresh food option, use crawler chunks or small leeches.  Try Pokegama, Bass, Rice, or one of the many other small lakes in the area to catch panfish.   

One thing that doesn’t come up too often in the weekly report is muskies.  Which, by the way has been really good on our area lakes this summer.  The reason iI bring it up this week is not only because of the hot bite but the hot weather as well.  Proper fish handling is an important aspect of catching and releasing any species but muskies are especially susceptible to mortality.  Maximum surface temperatures for targeting muskies is a hot topic with a lot of different opinions.  Many use 80 degrees as a cutoff but others won’t fish when the water gets into the upper 70’s.  If you hook a fish in hot water make sure you get it in the net as soon as possible to conserve as much of that fish’s energy as possible.  Getting the hooks out and releasing the fish quickly is equally important.  A quick picture is fine but don’t mess around for too long.  Muskie action is being reported on Moose, Northstar, and the Missippi River.