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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Fishing Forum :: Fishing July and August
 
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mastertangler
07/08/2018 03:04PM
  
I told myself after tripping in late July and August I would never go again. (Early July is much different than late IMO).


But reality has a way of inserting itself and now August is my time frame. Small fish are shallow, bigger fish are deep.......except for big pike which can be caught at dusk in 15ft. I believe the big pike come up out of the depths in the evening for a snack since they don't usually eat at night.


Trolling deep diving crank baits is my weapon of choice. A depth finder, a rod holder and precision trolling will put you on lots of good sized walleye and 33" to 36" pike. Troll fast and within 5' of the bottom, 3' is better and occasionally banging is best.


But I fish the Quetico.......given my druthers I would troll around to find fish and good spots and come back with live bait and really light line to do the catching part.

I have a hard time catching big smallies in August however and need some schooling on that. Small ones are a dime a dozen but 20" bass are few and far between for me. But then again, I don't focus much on them and like walleye, lakers and pike when in canoe country. That would change if I was there early June and mid June and then it would be very hard not to focus on the hard pulling and high jumping green bass.
 
Bushman
07/10/2018 08:12AM
  
I'm looking forward to doing some trolling in August. I plan on having my line in the water behind the canoe every chance I get.
My son has never really caught anything other than panfish and I am eager to get him on some decent sized pike.


This is more of an adventure trip with fishing secondary and as long as we catch enough for a couple small dinners I will be happy with that.


We are planning a side trip into the PMA #4 to a lake that, research says, is loaded up pretty good with pike. Not huge ones...but numbers.
I have my favorite spoons including the red and white daredevil and a nice selection of Dr. Spoons and a small no-name weedless 2" spoon that was colored like a leopard frog. There is some paint left but the pike last August just wouldn't leave it alone!


To me that is a blast! I love hunting gators!
 
mastertangler
07/10/2018 09:26AM
  
My best luck in the more southern regions of the BWCA during August is to fish deeper and near the bottom over rock vs weeds in August. I typically can expect at least one or two pike in that solid 33" to 36" class (when pike start to get some shoulders) while trolling crank baits for walleye in water from 20 to 28 ft. right near bottom. Spoons are a poor choice IMO for this work. Smaller pike are still found shallow and near weeds so if that is your target have at it.


Another option is to fish a spoon or better yet a Super Shad Rap in 15ft of water at dusk to get a true gator pike even in August. I like spoons best in cooler water temps and somewhat shallower fish.


FWIW.......I never run leaders with crank baits trolled fast and land 90% of pike hits. The spoon or Super Shad needs wire IMO.
 
john 800
07/11/2018 09:52PM
  
QueticoMike: "john 800: "QueticoMike: "Is there a certain species you are looking for as far as strategies are concerned or are you looking for the Grand Slam?"
Walleye if i could chose, bass would be my next choice. But i am not good enough to be picky haha"



If I was looking for walleye during that time frame I would concentrate on weed beds. Fishing in them with heavy jigs in the black or white color or along the edges with crank baits in either a gold or perch colors. After exhausting any and all weed opportunities, then I would concentrate on any mid lake deep reefs or humps with the same type of lures. Saddles between islands with wind blown current can also be another location to check. This also works for mainland points and islands."


What soze rapala do you like for walleye?
 
QueticoMike
07/12/2018 07:08AM
  
john 800: "QueticoMike: "john 800: "QueticoMike: "Is there a certain species you are looking for as far as strategies are concerned or are you looking for the Grand Slam?"
Walleye if i could chose, bass would be my next choice. But i am not good enough to be picky haha"




If I was looking for walleye during that time frame I would concentrate on weed beds. Fishing in them with heavy jigs in the black or white color or along the edges with crank baits in either a gold or perch colors. After exhausting any and all weed opportunities, then I would concentrate on any mid lake deep reefs or humps with the same type of lures. Saddles between islands with wind blown current can also be another location to check. This also works for mainland points and islands."



What soze rapala do you like for walleye?"


I like the Husky Jerks and jointed raps in the gold color. I like the Shad raps in perch.
 
QueticoMike
07/12/2018 07:10AM
  
johndku: "Quacker1: "Whats the BW grand slam? Walleye, Northern, Smallmouth?"



Plus a laker, I would imagine...."


That is correct.......

 
QueticoMike
07/13/2018 02:42PM
  
QueticoMike: "john 800: "QueticoMike: "john 800: "QueticoMike: "Is there a certain species you are looking for as far as strategies are concerned or are you looking for the Grand Slam?"
Walleye if i could chose, bass would be my next choice. But i am not good enough to be picky haha"





If I was looking for walleye during that time frame I would concentrate on weed beds. Fishing in them with heavy jigs in the black or white color or along the edges with crank baits in either a gold or perch colors. After exhausting any and all weed opportunities, then I would concentrate on any mid lake deep reefs or humps with the same type of lures. Saddles between islands with wind blown current can also be another location to check. This also works for mainland points and islands."




What soze rapala do you like for walleye?"



I like the Husky Jerks and jointed raps in the gold color. I like the Shad raps in perch."


Oh, you meant "size" when you said "soze"


HJ - at least 12, but I think most of mine are 14
Jointed original - I like the J9
Shad Raps - SR7 or 8
 
manmountain8
07/12/2018 02:58PM
  
My answer to hot weather is Smallmouth. I think it could be one of the best times of the year for Smallies. They are stressed but also very hungry. They conserve energy and won't chase lures but they will eat. My go to lure is a white tube jig and that can work anytime of year, but if they are really stressed in hot weather I've had luck fishing plastic minnow swimbaits as if they were dead or dying. If there is current I'll let it drift sideways like it's dead and they will slam it. I once found a huge school in a river and I threw everything at them with no bites. Then I tried the deadbait trick and wound up slaying them all day long. Smallmouth can go pretty deep too. A hump that tops out at 20 feet with deeper water all around can be a good spot. Everyone knows that Smallmouth like rocks but I don't hear about mud that often. Smallmouth actually like to lay on the bottom right in the mud. They'll do this in Winter but they go back to the same spots in really hot weather too. Find a deep mud hump and hit em on the head and you'll catch them. That is exactly how my Dad caught a 24.5 inch Smallmouth on Jackfish in 2014.
 
QueticoMike
07/10/2018 09:25AM
  
Is there a certain species you are looking for as far as strategies are concerned or are you looking for the Grand Slam?
 
john 800
07/10/2018 02:38PM
  
QueticoMike: "Is there a certain species you are looking for as far as strategies are concerned or are you looking for the Grand Slam?"
Walleye if i could chose, bass would be my next choice. But i am not good enough to be picky haha
 
Quacker1
07/10/2018 09:37PM
  
Whats the BW grand slam? Walleye, Northern, Smallmouth?
 
johndku
07/10/2018 10:01PM
  
Quacker1: "Whats the BW grand slam? Walleye, Northern, Smallmouth?"


Plus a laker, I would imagine....
 
QueticoMike
07/10/2018 04:14PM
  
john 800: "QueticoMike: "Is there a certain species you are looking for as far as strategies are concerned or are you looking for the Grand Slam?"
Walleye if i could chose, bass would be my next choice. But i am not good enough to be picky haha"


If I was looking for walleye during that time frame I would concentrate on weed beds. Fishing in them with heavy jigs in the black or white color or along the edges with crank baits in either a gold or perch colors. After exhausting any and all weed opportunities, then I would concentrate on any mid lake deep reefs or humps with the same type of lures. Saddles between islands with wind blown current can also be another location to check. This also works for mainland points and islands.
 
john 800
07/07/2018 08:22PM
  
What are your go-to strategies for fishing July and August in canoe country? I spent some time fishing Wood Lake yesterday, picked up some northerns and had fun but I never have really done well this time of year.
 
HighnDry
07/13/2018 07:09AM
  
john 800: "QueticoMike: "john 800: "QueticoMike: "Is there a certain species you are looking for as far as strategies are concerned or are you looking for the Grand Slam?"
Walleye if i could chose, bass would be my next choice. But i am not good enough to be picky haha"




If I was looking for walleye during that time frame I would concentrate on weed beds. Fishing in them with heavy jigs in the black or white color or along the edges with crank baits in either a gold or perch colors. After exhausting any and all weed opportunities, then I would concentrate on any mid lake deep reefs or humps with the same type of lures. Saddles between islands with wind blown current can also be another location to check. This also works for mainland points and islands."



What soze rapala do you like for walleye?"


Sizes 7 and 9cm for spring/early summer walleye, 9 and 11cm if they go deep in late summer.
 
zeke1000
07/13/2018 01:18PM
  
Top water fishing early and late for smallies is GREAT in July and August.


Pre-dawn to late dawn, and dusk to dark.


I like to fish a lime frog skitter pop, black tiny torpedo, any color super spook jr. (my favorite), etc.


Some mornings or nights, the fishing is only so-so. But one out of three nights is incredible.


It's my favorite fishing in July/August.