HACKENSACK 7/3

[Realtree]

HACKENSACK - Swanson's Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack, www.swansonsbait.com (218-675-6176)

The Bass have slowed down a little bit.  Birch Lake and Webb Lake are still producing a few.  Natural colored plastic worms fished SLOWLY are the key, try fishing the deeper breaks with the cool weather.  Crappies seem to have settled into their summer patterns now.  Most anglers are catching Crappies in 12-16 feet of water fishing a crappie minnow and small jig.  Look for a spot that the cabbage weeds grow up from the bottom, fish above them or right along them on the edge. 

Ten Mile Lake and Birch Lake have both done well the last two evenings...be on the water from 8:30-10:00 p.m. with a black or dark green jig and a minnow.  Leeches are a must right now for the Walleyes.  The cool weather turned them on to leeches, I would still have crawlers in the boat but leeches will be the best bet.  There are a few Walleyes being caught on Ten Mile each day and a few trolling shallow, 12-18 feet, in the evenings.  I haven't seen too many boats trolling the deep water but that will change soon. 

Leech Lake was still giving up fish, on nightcrawlers, yesterday afternoon. Not as many as the day before, all nice fish though.  Fish the main lake structure with a crawler and a snell; with the weather change I would not use a spinner.  Submarine Island and Pelican Island have done well.  There have also been some nice perch landed while angling for Walleyes, some in the 12-13 inch range. Still not much word on Muskie action, I think we need the warm weather to come back for them to get started.  Northern Pike have slowed a bit also; they seem to have moved into deeper water. 

Webb Lake and Pleasant Lake will be the best bets.  Ten Mile is a good lake to fish for Northerns as well if you are a catch-and -release angler (cannot keep a northern over 20").  There are good numbers of fish in the 5 pound range.  Trolling a rapala in 20-30 feet of water is going to be the ticket during the cold weather; you may even pick up a Walleye or two in the process. Good Luck Fishing, the Swanson's Crew