WALLEYE:
The fish occupying shallower water in 8-12 feet have been more active than the deeper fish. These shallow fish are scattered across the lake, but you can find them here and there on rockier bottoms. A bobber and leech on a 1/32oz black jig has still been working well. A great benefit of jigs over a plain hook is that they don’t tangle as easily when casting. The quickest way to target these shallow fish is by getting on the bow and scanning with forward-facing sonar, keeping a minimum distance of 30 feet, and casting to the fish. Most walleye caught are between 14-24 inches, and with the new season and slot, it hasn’t been hard to fill that 2-fish possession limit.
SMALLMOUTH:
Ned rigs and spy baits have been the top lures of smallmouth, and like the walleye, the shallower fish in 4-10 feet seem to be the most active and roam in large schools. They do seem to want to bite in windows, so once you find fish, it doesn’t hurt to follow them around until they start biting. There are fish occupying deep boulders, but they are pressured and more reluctant to bite. Mornings and evenings have been best, but it should pick up all around with this week’s cooler weather. They’re not super aggressive, so the more finesse baits have been getting the most strikes. Cast a Spybait in front of the schools with no motion other than a slow reel or twitch a new rig in place, covering water slowly.
Report from Ryan Kelly of Lagoona Guide Service
https://www.fishlagoona.com/
