2018 Wilderness Report #13

August has been a funny month for weather.  The beginning of this week temperatures struggled to break above 50 degrees and we didn't see the sun for five days. It felt as if fall had taken hold.  Birch trees began to show yellow leaves and our first flock of geese honked their way south bound.  However, Thursday the sun broke out, temperatures skyrocketed to 80 degrees and summer returned. The question is "how long will summer stick around?" As many of you know, September can be a volatile month for weather here in the north country. 

The cool/hot weather has created very polarized fishing.  One day the bite will be on fire and the next fish barely nip the tails of lures.  Currently, water temperatures are holding on average around the 60 degree mark.  Lake levels have fallen about 4-6" in the last two weeks and are around normal.  The entire month of August we only received only five days of rain, but when it rained it was intense. Weed beds are just about done growing for the summer and many have begun to turn brown.  Days are getting shorter and the clear nights have brought about some amazing northern lights lately.

A nice Central Lake pike

The walleye have been scattered throughout the water column.  Guests have caught fish on mud flats in 6-8 ft, along weed beds and near structure as deep as 30 feet.  Back trolling around structure and jigging remains my favorite technique.  The walleye hold on specific sides of structure sometimes so it is key to slowly work the area to locate the school.  When jigging in deeper water don't get discouraged if at first the fish fail to cooperate, just give it some time.  Little ripper 600 Reef Runners are my favorite trolling bait this time of year.  If you can find the 008 perch or 009 green perch color, buy it and you won't regret it.  Trolling a windy shoreline in 15 ft at idle speed is a great way to locate schools.

The cool weather didn't stop a delicious dinner time
shore lunch at Central

Northern pike have been traversing between rocky shoals and weed beds.  One day you'll find the pike stacked with the walleye on reefs and the next they are feeding in dense cabbage beds.  Spoons, chatter baits and bucktails have worked best around the weed beds.  Bulldawgs, mini medussas, depth raiders are great baits to toss on reefs.  With the water temperatures cooling not many fish were striking top water baits.  Instead, numerous pike were caught while trolling for walleye this week.

We are in our last couple weeks for guests at Big Hook in the 2018 season.  Next week we will begin winterizing some of our cabins for the season. Several projects are in store this fall.  For example, today we installed new vinyl windows and trim on Cabin #1 at Central Lake.

Good luck on the water everyone! Thanks to those who have sent their 2018 Big Hook pictures.
-Nathan
www.bighookcamps.com