Fishing Report July 2024

July 25, 2024

We are finding big bluegills (10" long+) on deeper rock structures (13-18 feet deep) in the main lake basin of Woman Lake.  Bluegills and sunfish have tiny mouth openings and typically prefer smaller bait targets, but these huge bluegills have no problem inhaling a jumbo leech (4-5") or full night crawler.  They are a full 1 inch think or more, and they have no problem taking drag out on your reel.  We are catching them on live bait rigs but the best way to target them is probably with a slip bobber rig with a leech or piece of crawler.  The walleye bite remains challenging which is typical for late July and early August, but we are catching a few fish most every day.  Water temps on Woman lake have reached 75 degrees + now, and that is probably as warm as the lake will get this summer.  Bass are still quite active.

July 17, 2024

Water temps have finally made it into the low-mid 70 degree range on Woman Lake, about 3-4 weeks later than a normal year.  Walleyes have also finally started moving off the shorelines and out to the main lake basin structure and readily preferring leeches and crawlers over minnows. We are finding feeding walleyes in the traditional 16-18 foot depths on bars, reefs, and sunken islands, but when not feeding they are often dropping down to the 23-28 foot depths, or deeper.  I have to suspect the ulta clear water conditions we are now experiencing is the primary reason.  It is not a hot bite, by any means, but it is more predictable now with decent fishing weather.  The smallmouth bass are moving to the major rock structures and more predictable as well.  Look for the big bull bluegills to start showing up on these same rock structures.  Largemouth bass have been hanging on the deep weed edges (14-16 feet) and/or in the thickest shallow weeds and have been agressive feeders lately.

July 5, 2024

Woman Lake fishing continues to improve, but it has been different every day.  The mayfly hatches are done, finally, but the weather remains inconsistent with days of wind or rainstorms intermixed with good fishing weather.  Some days we do well with the walleyes, other days not so much.  Weather and bug hatches have been a major factors in the walleye bite.  Amazingly, we are still catching more walleyes on minnows than on leeches, and I have never seen that in late June or July.  The bass are quite active now and they readily take both minnows and leeches.  Surface water temps have still not quite breeched 70 degrees which is also quite unusual for this time of year.