Fishing in
the Grand Rapids area remains strong as we inch closer to the fall bite.
Panfish reports have been excellent, walleyes are getting more active, and
musky anglers have found success as well.
The
bluegill and crappie action has been hot all summer and shows no signs of
slowing down. Both are still being found in and around weed beds although
some crappies are being caught a little deeper. Look for weeds in 8-12
feet of water or find roaming schools of crappies in 12 to 18 feet. For
bluegills, night crawlers seem to be the best live bait option. Plastics
are also working. Crappies are eating fatheads, crappie minnows,
plastics, and jigging raps. Action has been good on most area lakes including
Pokegama, Bass, Splithand, and Swan Lake.
Walleye
action has been hit-or-miss, depending on the day and who you ask. The
best reports have come from anglers targeting weeds using both spinners and
bobbers. Water temps are slowly starting to drop and we are seeing a
slight resemblance of a fall bite with some anglers catching fish shallow using
a jig and minnow. Winnie, Cutfoot, Bowstring, Deer, and Wabana have all
been producing fish.
With water
temps cooling, musky anglers feel more comfortable targeting these fish without
risking mortality. Most, if not all musky fishermen I’ve talked to have
reported solid action over the past week coming from many different lakes in
the area including Deer, Spider, Moose, and Northstar.
