KABETOGAMA-NAMAKAN 06/27

[Realtree]

KABETOGAMA-NAMAKAN - Gateway Store, Phil Hart, US Hwy 53 & Co Rd 122, 30 miles south of Int'l Falls-Canadian border, kabfishingreport.com (218-875-2121)

There are lots of flying objects in the skies these days, dominated by flies, too many species to mention. Anglers are getting lots of bites, fish and flies. Walleyes are feasting on mayflies but have an appetite for leeches and crawlers as well. Harvest-size eyes are being caught at 28-32', mostly leeches, some folks using spinners, some plain hook-slip sinker rigs. Slow speeds back-trolling your best method, but speed up if action is slow using a spinner to promote a more aggressive bite.

Preferred fishing for walleyes is the flats, or the eastern half of Kabetogama and the western half of Namakan. Reef structures or windward shorelines with deep water features are holding harvest-size walleyes and saugers.

Northern pike are found throughout the lake, the best action now would be weed tops and weed-line edges. Semi-surface lures, those that stay above the weeds or suspend at 5-8', are working well along with jerk baits. Smallies are still roaming in the shallows, lovin those X-raps and spinner blade baits.

Smallies are starting to migrate to rock ledges and rock piles for crayfish. Crayfish lures should start producing soon; shallow runners now and deeper runners as they migrate.

Saugers stretching out to 17? plus, not uncommon; they are a great fish to catch and harvest. Many visitors report lots of wildlife on the islands and the peninsula.

A black bear sow has been often spotted with 4 cubs, twice the norm. Enjoy the summer.