Everyone,
First off: Reminder, The Okauchee Tie up is this weekend. You might want to find another location for fishing this weekend.
Second: Apologies for being slow around here...I simply haven't been fishing (around the area) as much as normal. Between the heat and teaching summer school, it has been a busy month. My fishing time has been primarily with my kids for panfish or up north.
Experience tells me as we move into August to look for fish in the usual summer places, but watch for them to have periods of time where they feed actively. The changes in the photocycle and the length of day will become evident to the fish, and you can expect to see activity levels peak and ebb during each day. If the hot, muggy weather is finally behind us, things are set to get great. Hopefully water levels will stabilize and we can get back to business.
I can say, with some direct knowledge that Bluegills are still holding in deeper water, and will continue to do so for a couple of weeks. Look for them to suspend along weedlines in 12-22 feet of water, or to suspend over deeper sand-grass about 14-18 feet down over 40-50 feet of water. Water levels are way down around the area, and some of the better spots for shallow panfish are dry or close to it. If you're looking for some action panfish for the kids, swim platforms or docks that have deeper water under them are your best bets.
Largemouth will continue to come in using two primary patterns in the short term. On sunny days, you can find them around shallow docks, wood laydowns, slop and scattered weed clumps. As the sun gets up, look for them to move tighter to overhead cover, but here will be periods of time during the day where their activity level will increase for a short spell. Be ready to switch tactics as they switch on and off, especially around transition areas and over flats where the topwater bite can really be fantastic until mid morning. Deeper fish will continue to use weed edges and points in 12-15 feet of water, or be suspended over deep water about 6-12 feet below the surface. Some fish are relating to rockbars in 5-12 feet of water. Tube baits and grubs are a great way to target these fish. Wacky rigging and flipping are great for shallow fish. Out deep...texas rig, swim jig or swim baits are your best options outside of live bait on a slip sinker rig.
Smallmouth are starting to move toward the early fall pattern of making 3-5 foraging moves each day. When you are contacting active fish in shallow water, the bite can be incredible. Topwaters, including size 9 or 11 rapalas, rattletraps/lipless cranks or poppers in natural patterns can get you started, but be ready to switch to tubes, wacky, skirted grubs or twister tails as the day progresses. When things are slower, look for them to be just off the first major break in deeper water. Crankbaits in white or chartreuse, spinners or live bait are better for the deeper fish.
Northern pike activity has been slow and steady all summer, and I wouldn't expect that to change. Smaller pike can almost always be found in shallow water around weed clumps and inside weededges adjacent to rock bars/shorelines. Spinners, buzzbaits, spoons, jerkbaits or lipless crankbaist are solid choices for action. Larger pike can be taken trolling cranbkaits or slowly backtrolling live bait along deeper weed edges, especially in 12-20 feet of water. Note that the edge that's usually in 15-18 FOW is closer to 12' on many lakes this season.
Musky reports have slowed down over the past couple of weeks, but I suspect that has as much to do with the weather as anything. For the next run, start to look for them along visible weed breaks as well as over sumberged weedy flats in 8-12 feet of water. This is the early run, and you should look for some topwater or large bucktail action, or in deeper water suspended around baitfish which is perfect for a trolling bite. Action will pick up considerably in the weeks ahead.
Good Luck and Cheers.
CT
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