5/10/23 – Junior checked the ice just after lunch today and reported 16 inches total with the top 10″ being very slushy. -Matthew
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- June is prime summer fishing time here in the BWCA when pike, smallmouth bass and walleye are all in relatively shallow water and feeding regularly. Most fisher folks use two methods on these fish: live bait or artificials on spinning gear, but my favorite is fly fishing. Say fly fishing and most folks think of western rivers, trout, and thousands of dollars in fussy gear. It can all seem overwhelming. But I’d propose that fly fishing for bass and pike (and maybe the occasional Waldo) can be done on fairly affordable gear, and at certain times of year (like now) can be just as effective, if not more so that the traditional “hardware” methods above. There is plenty of good info online but for smallies I’d suggest a 6-8 weigh rod with a decent reel (doesn’t need to be super pricey as it’s really just a line storage device), a good quality weigh forward bass taper floating line, a “bass” leader, and a handful of flies. The line and leader thing might seem consfusing but it’s simple, just poke around online for more in depth reading. If you’re targeting pike I’d go with an 8 weigh rod and make sure you have a pike/musky leader to reduce bite offs. Focusing just on top water flies I’d recommend a handful of Boogle Bugs in green and yellow, some Mr. Wigglies or other foam mayfly patterns and a deer hair frog or two. Go to sub surface flies would include bead head Wooly Buggers in root beer, black and brown and Clouser minnows in yellow, black and maybe red and white for pike. If you’re new to it watch some casting videos on YouTube and practice in a wide open space or off a dock if you can. Once you’re on the water best method is put the caster in front of the canoe with a dedicated paddler in the rear. Slowly work your way along shoreline and cast those bugs into about 2-5 feet of water, focusing on head sized rocks and gravel, drop offs and any downed trees. Be patient: when the bug hits the water give it some time to settle before you twitch, there’s no need to make a huge pop with the bug, subtlety seems to work best here. Keep your eye on the bug, many times the bass will just sip it in quietly from below. I’ve missed plenty of fish swatting bugs or daydreaming. When you see moving water coming into a lake see if you can safely park the canoe on shore and wet wade along side the flow. Cast up to the mouth and let your fly float along with the current paying extra attention to seams where faster water meets slow water. This is a good spot for your subsurface streamers like Wooly Buggers and Clousers. Keep slack out of your line and use short strips, follow the fly with your rod tip. If you find fish in here you might find a whole bunch so if you get one cast right back into the same spot. Always wear glasses, hat and if possible a long sleeve shirt to keep from flying hooks and do you best not to hook your buddy paddling in the back. Tight Lines!
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