Brought to you by Phil Hart, Gateway
General Store
Kabetogama/Namakan Fishing Report July 21, 2008
Summertime has arrived in splendid fashion; although we
do remain on the cool side, which suits most outdoor
enthusiasts.
Lake winds have been down or very tolerable, allowing
anglers to travel by water to enjoy the park, or get to
their favorite
memorable fishing spots.
Anglers haven’t been disappointed, as the lakes still
offer a good bite for a range of species. Especially
noted this week was
a sharp increase in pike action.
Northern pike are taking all angler offerings, much to
the liking or dismay of anglers. Pike have started
getting aggressive in
shallow waters either amongst the weeds or reef edges.
Walleyes for the most part are stationed on the reefs or
near submerged structures as the mayfly hatch is coming
to an end.
Saugers and stray walleyes are being caught frequently
in depths under 18’; however, the strongest walleye
action is around
the 24-30’ range.
Bait selection is an angler’s choice; use the bait you
are the most proficient with. Reports of consistent
catches are being heard
about leeches, crawlers and minnows. Note the best
sauger action is minnows.
Smallmouth bass are primarily hanging near rock and
gravel structures looking for crayfish and baitfish. A
footnote to this is don’t
forget casting shorelines with surface or semi-surface
lures; you’ll be surprised what you catch in addition to
smallmouth.
Walleye hunters look for lake bottom structures that
have depressions, humps or an outcropping of rock
structures with rapid
changing depths for best results.
Largemouth bass found on many of the park interior lakes
are loving surface baits, and action has been fast—great
fun for kids.
