09/28/2026
This will probably be the last actual fishing report of the 2026 open water season! We just wrapped up a long week of pre fishing and competing in the annual Safelite Walleye Classic Legacy Challenge!
Water temps were 59.5 on Saturday but warmed up quickly to 61-62 by the afternoon. Every fish we caught was either on rock structure in 8-20’ of water on the breaks or in weeds in 8-14’ of water.
Spots with flat areas on them seemed to hold fish better but really almost every point and underwater structure we checked had fish on it! We could use a serious cool down to really get the fall bite going!
Every fish we caught was on a 1/8 ounce jig and plastic or crawler. You can catch them anyway imaginable right now! From drop shots to jigging raps and finishers, to slip bobbers and Lindy rigs. The hardest part about this time of year is getting on the active pods of the right fish! I expect the fall bite to steadily pick up as temps drop, expect minnows to start to become a more popular option!
As for the tournament on Saturday. We had a great plan going into it with solid unders and plenty of high quality slots caught. We knew the bigger fish were there we were just struggling to get them to go. I burned about 3/4 of a tank of gas on tourney day in the Lund Boats 2075 Impact trying every spot we had. After losing two really big ones 1/2 way back to the boat, losing a 17+ high quality under at the boat, and breaking off on two more really heavy fish, we pretty much lost all confidence we had in having a big bag. Which you needed to even have a chance to compete this year! We weighed in 9.22 pounds, which is usually a quality bag with a chance of getting a check but not this year. We finished in 26th place, 14 spots out of the money!
For everyone saying Vermilion is struggling and lack of fish or the guides are ruining the lake, etc, maybe think again. Vermilion is better now than its ever been and tournament results show! Almost 13 pounds to get into the top 10! Planning for 2027 has already started and we are going to make some big changes for next year to be better set up for not only our clients but also tournament fishing to at least try to compete at the top!
3 more weeks of the guide season and then it’s on to hunting! Stay turned for random reports and updates as the fall moves on!
Tight lines,
Captain Z
