We spent a long weekend with family on a clear lake in the Hayward area. Water temps ranged from 60 to nearly 70 in different areas of the lake. Many fish species remain shallow and easily accessible to anglers.
Most of our quality fish came casting cranks to shoreline cover during the last 2 hours of the day. This produced a mix of bass and walleyes, with the eyes ranging from 16-20". I haven't done a lot of crank casting for walleyes, and after experiencing these aggressive strikes n shallow water for 3 straight evenings....I'm going to find ways to blend that technique into my usual repertoire!
One of the great ways to take 'eyes. We started casting countdowns on the TFF over large wood flats. In my minds eye, one of the most vivid strikes that is a beauty to behold is the walleye, fins all flared out ready to hammer that bait!!!
Three summers ago, under a raging Hex mayfly hatch, we were taking 'eyes in 6' of water. I got to go to Lac Suel that summer for a week (great 'eye fishin) and that evening here in WI casting cranks still was the best night of my walleye summer!!! 30 to 40 fish in the last hour or so and I had fish on seven casts in a row at 19" a piece.
Hayward Lakes update, May 22-25
