Now that the weather has finally settled down and things are back to normal at the lake, it's time to take advantage of the rest of the summer and get boating or fishing on Lake Waconia! We're here with all of the basics to make your day on the lake a memorable one! If you need re-fueling, we have 91-octane non-ethanol marine gas. If you need the latest word on the bite, bait, tackle or if you just want to stop in for a snack or ice cream, we'll be here to greet you! If you don't have a boat, we rent fishing boats with motors and have nice options for pontoon rental as well. Take advantage of our Weekday 20% Off coupon for pontoon rental, which expires on Thursday, 8/21. Just call to reserve at (952) 442-2096.
The bite has been good during this stretch of summer. Bass have been active with multiple depths and styles of fishing working. With the August algae bloom, it's always a great idea to throw topwater baits, like Scumfrogs in the shallows, especially early in the morning. Some of the most fun is watching a lunker largemouth slam your bait at the surface! If you're not into fishing the shallows, anglers using live bait such as leeches have had success in the weeds or on weed edges in 10 to 15 feet of water in areas like North, Center, Pillsbury and Cemetery Reefs. If you're into artificial lures, some good options are Texas-rigged worms, jigs and spinnerbaits.
Sunfish and Crappie action has been surprisingly steady this summer. There has been no shortage of panfish caught, although sorting has to be done to get keepers. Working the weeds around Coney Island has been a good bet all year and continues to produce between 8 to 14 feet of water. Fishing any of the reefs with good weeds is also productive. Chunks of night crawler or wax worms have been the bait of choice for sunnies, along with crappie minnows for the crappies.
Walleye and northern pike have been more active this summer compared to previous years. The walleyes have been best during low-light times, with action coming from Kegs, Anderson's and North Reef, and between the marinas. The weed theme continues, as we're hearing of more fish coming from the weedlines than the deep water. Expect to do a lot of catch and releasing for the walleyes, as a majority of the catches have been under the 16 inch Lake Waconia size limit as of late, although we've seen our fair share of keepers this summer too. As for the pike, we've been seeing anglers bobber fishing with sucker minnows, as well as using artificials like spinnerbaits and trolling with cranks or spoons.
We hope to see you at the lake!
Here are some of the best pics of the month of July...
