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Spookmeister
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09/14/2017 09:38PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Just got back from six nights of basecamping near North Bay. Tough fishing! Our group of six caught some decent fish...6 bass over 20 inches and a 29-inch walleye, but the overall numbers were way off. Nearly every fish caught was spitting up 5-inch cisco. Both bass and walleye seemed to be off structure, and we never really put together a consistent pattern. That said, we had no rain or bugs the entire trip...a first on both counts. Already looking forward to next year!
 
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mastertangler
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09/15/2017 05:56AM  
Doesn't sound like you did terrible........those are some very quality fish. I would spend the next year studying ciscos and couple that with a very good depth finder which would help pinpoint the baitfish. Find the groceries, find the fish. I am definitely looking to upgrade my depth finder next year.
 
Spookmeister
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09/15/2017 11:31AM  
Good advice. Pretty sure I was marking schools of cisco at the base of dropoffs in 26-30 feet of water. No solid fish arches around them. Fished them every time I saw them, but limited success. Probably should have spent more time in open water a cast or two away trying to find suspended fish that may have been staying close to the baitfish.

quote mastertangler: "Doesn't sound like you did terrible........those are some very quality fish. I would spend the next year studying ciscos and couple that with a very good depth finder which would help pinpoint the baitfish. Find the groceries, find the fish. I am definitely looking to upgrade my depth finder next year. "
 
mastertangler
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09/15/2017 12:06PM  
I should probably take my own medicine. I know precious little about Ciscos myself other than they spawn in the fall on reefs. What sort of actual places I know not. I have tried to research them via the web but not a lot actually comes up. Maybe Pinetree can weigh in.......he seems to know lots of random stuff regarding wildlife biology.

One thing I do know.......if a lake has the buggars (Ciscos) it's a lake I want to fish!

What blade bait were you using? I have been diggin on what Damiki offers via tackle wharehouse. Check out their Axe Blade and the Vault. I like both offering with light gear.......say 6lb fluorocarbon and a 5 ft rod sound about right. I was supposed to try them in WCPP this summer but I didn't get there. Instead I cast the Vault from shore at Isle Royale and I like what I see. Looks like a bang-em lure that would take just about anything.
 
QueticoMike
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09/15/2017 04:13PM  
Thanks for the report! I experienced slow fishing last week as well.
 
Spookmeister
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09/15/2017 07:52PM  
I've tried a bunch of different ones...Silver Buddies, Vibe E's, Vibratos, Pada's, Cabela's Mean Eyes. To be honest, I've not noticed a lot of difference among them in results, but its a confidence boost to be able to switch brands/colors when they're not hitting. Fished mostly the Cabela's brand last week. 1/2 oz and 3/4. Tried a bunch of different colors, but plain chrome seemed to be the best. I use a bit heavier gear...Medium baitcaster with 12 lb floro, or braid with floro leader. I tend to cast them quite a ways,,,never tried it with the light setup you recommend. And you're right...those Damiki models look sweet!

quote mastertangler: "I should probably take my own medicine. I know precious little about Ciscos myself other than they spawn in the fall on reefs. What sort of actual places I know not. I have tried to research them via the web but not a lot actually comes up. Maybe Pinetree can weigh in.......he seems to know lots of random stuff regarding wildlife biology.


One thing I do know.......if a lake has the buggars (Ciscos) it's a lake I want to fish!


What blade bait were you using? I have been diggin on what Damiki offers via tackle wharehouse. Check out their Axe Blade and the Vault. I like both offering with light gear.......say 6lb fluorocarbon and a 5 ft rod sound about right. I was supposed to try them in WCPP this summer but I didn't get there. Instead I cast the Vault from shore at Isle Royale and I like what I see. Looks like a bang-em lure that would take just about anything. "
 
Spookmeister
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09/15/2017 08:00PM  
That makes me feel better. Didn't know you ever had slow fishing!

quote QueticoMike: "Thanks for the report! I experienced slow fishing last week as well."
 
QueticoMike
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09/16/2017 08:02AM  
quote Spookmeister: "That makes me feel better. Didn't know you ever had slow fishing!


quote QueticoMike: "Thanks for the report! I experienced slow fishing last week as well."
"


Me neither....LOL
 
09/16/2017 10:00AM  
Just got back from Basswood as well and had too work hard to catch fish.
1st 2 days no eyes mainly caught bass at the falls.
3rd day caught a couple of small eyes next to a reef at 10 to 15 ft. and caught a 7.75 & 8.5 lb. pike trolling deep divers when on the move.
4th day fished hard all morning and we finally fished with worms and a bobber to catch some perch just to say we caught something. In the afternoon found some fish catching some eyes 2 pike 7.75 & 11 lbs.
The last five minutes produced 2 pike and a large smalley.
Pike trolling deep divers when on the move produced 2 nice ones, and also trolling chubs with bottom bouncer in 10 to 20 ft. of water.
Eyes seemed to be out in the middle in 20 ft. of water with no structure close by.
The last 3 fish were caught with a spinner bait at sunset casting at a cliff face.
 
09/16/2017 10:52AM  
I had similar slow fishing in mid-September one year and the issue was they were feeding on Ciscoes as well. Hitting reefs, points, current with live bait, jigs yeilded slow results. The only thing that produced consistently was trolling cranks that were 4-5 inches long. Caught everything bass, walleye, northern. When we found the Ciscoes we tried to sit on them but jigging or bait once again didn't yield any results... in retrospect maybe a jigging spoon or jigging rap might have been good to try. Couldn't cast cranks as they didn't get deep enough. If I remember right the fish were in 30-35 feet of water near points/reefs about 23-26' suspended. The guy I fished with was his first time fishing seriously and asked why we didn't troll cranks the whole time it was so easy :) and why we wasted our time with bait.

You just never know.

T
 
BasswoodFan
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09/18/2017 09:37AM  
Just got back from Basswood (Sept 9-16) and we had very similar results to what has been posted here. We had to work very hard for the walleye we caught. I think we caught every pike in the lake between 22-30". Biggest fish of the trip was a 25" walleye (in 40' water at the base of a reef), a 41" pike, and a 19" smb. Also a bonus 12.5" crappie while trolling a Rattle Trap over a weed bed. Otherwise, trolled reef runners mostly and were marking fish on the secondary drop offs in 30 fow. We did notice a lot of bass feeding on the top of reefs a couple days. when we approached and fished for them, they shut down. After we left, they started back up again. Tried everything....top water, sub surface, spinner bait, etc.
 
carmike
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09/19/2017 11:30PM  
Thanks for the reports. Sounds like you all did very well for the conditions.
 
09/21/2017 08:51PM  
quote mastertangler: "I should probably take my own medicine. I know precious little about Ciscos myself other than they spawn in the fall on reefs. What sort of actual places I know not. I have tried to research them via the web but not a lot actually comes up. Maybe Pinetree can weigh in.......he seems to know lots of random stuff regarding wildlife biology.


One thing I do know.......if a lake has the buggars (Ciscos) it's a lake I want to fish!


What blade bait were you using? I have been diggin on what Damiki offers via tackle wharehouse. Check out their Axe Blade and the Vault. I like both offering with light gear.......say 6lb fluorocarbon and a 5 ft rod sound about right. I was supposed to try them in WCPP this summer but I didn't get there. Instead I cast the Vault from shore at Isle Royale and I like what I see. Looks like a bang-em lure that would take just about anything. "


The Cisco that were in the stomach of bass etc., if like just under 5 inches (some lakes they grow very slow after age 1), hatched under the ice last winter and now are about age 1. Usually Cisco when mature at age 4 or so which will vary from location when mature will spawn when the water reaches about 41 degrees F.. Usually about mid October to early November Cisco congregate and spawn in 4-9 feet of water on gravel-rock bars or sometimes at the mouths of inlets where water flows in.
These small fish you observed in stomachs are immature and this time of year with water temps now in the low 60's their habitat or location will overlap and they make a excellent meal for a predator. In much of the BWCA the Cisco are stunted or growth is very slow and they may mature at like 9 inches or so. In parts of the state these same Cisco will get up to 17+ inches or so and weigh maybe 3 pounds.

On the Gunflint side I have had Smallmouth bass regurgitate Cisco when caught like the first week of June. Its amazing how a fish keys in on certain prey in certain times of the year. Also I know smallmouth school pretty heavy around reefs in the fall.



Around home in the Brainerd area we always said want big northern pike or walleye, fish where the Cisco are located.

A side note. Some lakes that open for Cisco netting in the fall in Minnesota when water temps reach 45 degrees F. and nets must be set in 6 feet of water or less. Reason is for a short time walleyes especially and northern pike to some extent will avoid the colder water by shore than and thus will not get caught in nets that are set to target Cisco.
 
mastertangler
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09/22/2017 06:07AM  
Good stuff Pinetree. Who knew Cisco get so big? I have searched high and low for some quality pictures of Cisco to better get lures which better resemble them. The best I can come up with is not so good and from what I can gather in printed descriptions they have silvery sides, white belly and a grayish top? Sexy shad colored cranks seem close and plastics in pearl.

I have heard the trophy pike crew like to target big pike at Cisco spawning sites in the fall and a Williams whitefish spoon is the ticket.
 
09/22/2017 06:38AM  
ID
 
mastertangler
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09/22/2017 08:32AM  
quote Pinetree: " ID "


You are so awesome Pinetree ;)

Thanks, a good picture is so much better than an illustration which is all I have ever seen. Changes my thinking a bit. That Mooneye is also a good looking baitfish with a bit different profile. I wonder if they are in lakes like Basswood?

So many baitfish, things like Burbot which many of us average anglers don't think of imitating.
 
walleyevision
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09/22/2017 10:03AM  
Yikes! I may have to change my Basswood plans for next labor day. Is it always like that at the end of the summer?
 
QueticoMike
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09/23/2017 10:54AM  
quote walleyevision: "Yikes! I may have to change my Basswood plans for next labor day. Is it always like that at the end of the summer?"


I wouldn't change plans. This is just one of those years. I have gone on many trips in Sept. and this year ranks up there as one of the worse. I would say 93% of the trips the fishing has been good or better.
 
walleyevision
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09/23/2017 06:23PM  
quote QueticoMike: "
quote walleyevision: "Yikes! I may have to change my Basswood plans for next labor day. Is it always like that at the end of the summer?"



I wouldn't change plans. This is just one of those years. I have gone on many trips in Sept. and this year ranks up there as one of the worse. I would say 93% of the trips the fishing has been good or better."


Thanks Mike!
 
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