It was another instant season change on Lac Seul this week. It was scorching hot summer for the first half of the week and then Bam, instant fall. The wind blew, the showers arrived, and the temperature dropped. As you would expect, it affected the fish and the fishing.
At the start of the week, we fished classic summer patterns, locations, and depths. Main lake sand and rock in 25 – 35 ft. of water is where almost all of the walleyes were caught. Jigs (1/4 oz.) and minnows or big jigs and Gulp pulled at speed were equally effective.
After the weather turned, there were still some walleyes in summer spots, but many more were scattered and found shallower. By the end of the week, you could catch walleyes anywhere from 12 – 35 ft. of water. Daily catch rates were very high at the beginning of the week, but tapered off a bit as the weather changed. Jigs and minnows became more productive after the front.
Walleye volume was good with daily guide sheets averaging 25 – 30 walleyes over 18 in. per boat. For the week, we caught and released 21 walleyes over 27 in., including 5 – 28s, 2 – 29s, and 1 – 31. Those numbers were good, but when you consider that there were only 7 guide boats on the water, they sound even better.
Oh, and I almost forgot, it is still Covid times. We have yet to have any guests turned away or hassled at the border. We do our part to make sure they have all of the required documents on hand and that they use the ArriveCan app. The only issue has been finding or scheduling PCR tests and getting the results in a timely fashion. If you are coming up and need help, please call.
I always find myself surprised as I write my last fishing report of the year. This year, I am still in shock that we were allowed to open. What is even more surprising is how quickly most things have returned to normal at the lodge. I often talk to my guide crew about Precedent setting issues or events and this is for sure one of the most important. I am now more confident than ever that we are likely to have a “more normal” season in 2022.
My final comment of the year – Please get vaccinated.
Right or Wrong, I do not believe that Canada is going to let you across the border anytime in the near future unless you have been fully vaccinated. More than anything, we want all of our guests to have the opportunity to come back up to the lodge and enjoy the excellent fishing that we have experienced this summer.
MW – Out.
