Week #2: May 18-25, 2026

Week #2 5/18-5/25

Water temps: 53-57, up to 58 in pike bay Sunday (5/24) evening. Wide range due to the warm weather we have now. This will all be different by the time this is posted and you read it. The water is warming and warming fast!

Two weeks in to the 2026 season all ready! The bite is starting to pick up with this warmer weather which is very welcomed but not only us guides but also the fish!

Our main tactics this week were once again dragging Lindy rigs and jigs at .3-.5 mph! Dragging a Lindy with a big rainbow or a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce jig with a big rainbow produced a ton of fish this week. Nothing crazy, just simple techniques to catch those finicky eyes. Jig color has definitely seemed to make a difference so make sure to have a few colors tied on and keep changing if it’s not working. A few colors they seemed to like this week: orange, blue and white, pink and white.

The name of the game this week was patience and being mobile. Do not sit in a spot where you aren’t catching them or they are all 10” fish. There are a lot of fish in a lot of spots right now and finding the right ones just takes a little bit of time. Each spot is different every day. One day it’s all 10” fish, the next it’s all 13-16” fish.

The main areas of focus for us this week were sand break lines from 25-35’ right on the breaks. Either directly on the sides or right at the bottom. Luckily we had some perfect winds we could cruise along the sides and cover a lot of water holding fish which helped tremendously.

With all of that being said. Things are changing and changing fast. Every day it’s going to be different due to the warm weather we are now blessed with. Be willing to adapt, try new things and new areas! Have a lot of techniques tied up ready to go and if one doesn’t produce just move on to the next. I expect the fishing to be incredible from now until the end of June, the weather is perfect and the walleyes and smallies are ready to put the feed bags on!

Remaining June Availability for single riders or groups:

3 PM

9 PM

10 PM

15 PM

17 AM

18 AM/PM

22-25 AM/PM

29 AM/PM

30 AM/PM

July and August dates are already starting to book as well. Getting on the books early is never a bad thing! Lock in your dates today for the amazing late summer bite as well as the always fun lead core bite in August. Call or text anytime (218) 404-9200 or book directly online at fishingwithz.com!

As always, tight lines!

Z