My buddy Phil and I went to Lake Manitou for May 11-14 to fish for lakers.
Normally a group of 8 of us go the last weekend of April/1st weekend of May each year, but last year and again this year, the trip was cancelled as the ice was not out.
Phil and I decide to go alone at the later date.
On the Monday it rained heavily and Phil managed to get a 4 lb laker on a Rapala in 15ft or water. We usually catch the fish shallow this time of year.
On the Monday we ran out to deeper water (50ft) and marked large schools of Smelt, but no fish around them. I figured the Smelt were going to come to shore on the Monday night to spawn.
Tuesday morning we each picked up a laker on Rapalas, once again in 15ft of water. Phil had another at 4 lbs and mine was 5 lbs. By late morning it was blowing a gale and there was no way we could get out to fish. It blew hard the rest of the day and all night and really turned the lake over.
On Wednesday, it was around 9:30 before the wind subsided enough that we could get out. We couldn't find fish anywhere, deep or shallow and we used spoons and plugs. We couldn't find the Smelt schools either.
When we left to come home early Thursday, the lake was like a mill pond , but I have no idea if there were fish around.
The pic attached shows the fish and I'm the one with the LSO hat.
SDC
