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Bluegill, bass highlight mid-summer fishing

Outdoors Report

IRON MOUNTAIN — Anglers continue to report good bluegill catches and plenty of bass, while walleye action is sporadic.

“People have been catching some hand-size bluegills, mostly on worms,” said Doug Whisler at Whisler Outdoors in Florence, Wis. “Pike have been biting on spinners and crankbaits.”

For bass, top-water lures or leeches with a bobber are recommended, he said.

John Grier at Whispering Pines Outpost on M-95 said one angler switched locations on a local lake several times before landing some big bluegill. “It depends on where you are,” he said.

Perch and a few walleye have been caught at Lake Antoine, while bass action has been good throughout the area, he said.

Fly fishermen have been coming across the occasional big trout, according to Whisler.

To the south, at the Geano Beach launch in Oconto County, anglers were finding success targeting walleye. “They were bringing in on average three to eight walleye in the range of 16 to 27 inches,” said Riley Schultz, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries technician at Green Bay.

The Michigan DNR reported this Upper Peninsula activity:

Keweenaw Bay: Anglers have been targeting lake trout while trolling spoons and the occasional fly 40 to 60 feet down or when bouncing along the bottom. A few Chinook and coho were also caught.

Marquette: Overall fishing is slow for this time of year as many boats struggle to get more than a couple fish per trip. A few lake trout were caught in 120 to 180 feet around Granite Island and the White Rocks though the fish were scattered throughout the water column. Anglers were marking large numbers of fish along with lots of baitfish so they do not want to bite.

Little Bay De Noc: Walleye fishing slowed however anglers reported good catches of undersize fish taken between the Narrows and Garth Point. A few bigger fish were reported at the “Black Bottom” with crawlers or stick baits in 30 feet. The best fishing was into Green Bay with crawlers or stick baits in 16 to 30 feet around the shoals. Perch anglers reported fair to good catches in mostly shallow waters. Fish were found in the Day’s River area, Kipling and Gladstone Bay in five to 10 feet with crawlers, minnows or wax worms. The numbers were low but some nice jumbo’s have been caught. Good northern pike action in Kipling along the coal piles in 10 to 16 feet and in Escanaba between the municipal dock and the ship docks in eight to 24 feet when trolling spinners or crank baits.

Big Bay De Noc: Salmon were caught out in the “Gap” when trolling 60 to 90 feet down in 120 feet off Fairport.

Manistique: The salmon are finally in and fair to good catches were reported two to five miles past the Red Buoy when trolling spoons 60 to 80 feet down in 80 to 120 feet. The fish are big and healthy with many in the 20-pound range.

Munising: A few anglers out trying for salmon and reported low catches of one or two coho or splake however most had none. Fair catches of lake trout were taken out near White Rocks, Wood Island Reef and Grand Portal in 120 to 150 feet. Those jigging near Grump Hump and out on the Big Reef also caught fish. Most averaged three to four pounds. Shore anglers reported poor catch rates for splake with most undersize. Near shore water temperatures were in the low to mid 60’s.

Grand Marais: A few anglers trolling outside the breakwall caught coho at various depths in 80 feet with planer boards, lead core downriggers. The coho were feeding on sticklebacks. Those out for lake trout did well near Five Mile Reef and Big Reef.

Detour: A mix of Chinook, Atlantics, lake trout, steelhead and even a couple pink salmon have been caught at the Detour Reef and lighthouse.

Drummond Island: The hot days generated more fly hatches which improved catch rates for cisco.

Cedarville and Hessel: There were no reports of cisco being caught in Prentiss Bay or McKay Bay as fly hatches have been very light. Good northern pike action at the Middle Entrance to the Les Cheneaux Islands with creek chubs just off the weed beds in eight to 12 feet.

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