Potholes bass

[Barbarossa13]

Good evening folks!-
I'll be dragging the boat over to potholes for the first time next weekend and was wondering if you guys had any tips?  Not really set up or ever fished for walleye but would love to hook up with one of those too.  We'll be staying at Mardon so if anyone has any info, or will be there at the same time swing in and say hello!  Thanks!

[ballstothewaal]

I had a buddy go last week. Said the smallmouth were hitting pretty good. They caught a few nice Largemouth in the late evenings but it was mainly a smallmouth show on dropshots.

[Barbarossa13]

That's good to hear! I've been practicing drop shot around here, so hopefully they're still biting next weekend.  Thanks for the reply.

[gaddy]

I used to get smallies off the east side of goose island, there is a shallow area with boulders, and between the island and the dam, again a bit to the east. There is a rock pile in the middle of the S curve on the dam that holds bass as well. Watch your depth in these areas[/b I did not do much wally fishing up there so I cant help with that. I used to see so many boats run through these areas and always wondered why there weren't more boats torn up. Used to catch some huge trout trolling needle fish off of medicare beach on the east side, or the state park on the west side.
Ask them up in the store and if you can talk to Mike Messeberg. They love for their guests to catch fish and know the lake.

[BigGoonTuna]

i've done well around this time fishing the edge of the dunes with bottom walkers and worm harnesses.  i seemed to do well in the 8-20' depth.  fish the humps super slow with a whole nightcrawler, you should get into them no problem, if you can keep the catfish away that is.

all the rock piles will have lots of smallmouth around.  i like to toss curly tail jigs in crawdad-ish colors.

[Barbarossa13]

Having never been there before, is goose island the island north east of mardon resort? Sorry, I'm only going off google earth! Thanks for your info folks!

[lokidog]

Twenty years or so ago, I caught a 32", 10 pound walleye just out from the boat launch near Crab Creek, I think it is. I was trolling a stick bait behind a bottom bouncing weight.

[hunt_fish]

If you want numbers fish for smallmouth around Goose Island.  Largemouth you can hit on the main lake or back in the dunes on the north side.  Lol I caught a largemouth last weekend at the state park while waiting for the dad to bring the truck back up after we launched the boat.  There was a guy that just got done fishing for bass on his jetski and didn't pick anything up, let's just say he didn't sound too happy when he saw I caught one on my second cast right there.  You can pick up nice bass just fishing off the shore at Mardon too, I lost one that was 4-5 lbs one evening last weekend after I was bored of catching 8-8.5" crappie off the docks there and fished for bass for a little.

Walleye right now are kind of slow compared to the last couple years.  Numbers are on a decline but you should be able to pick a couple up.  Go back into the dunes on the north end.  Fish shallow, 7-13 feet early in the morning.  Bite kind of dies by 10-11.  You'll pick up some bullhead and perch fishing back there too.  We do well back in Lind Coulee too but we didn't even try back there on our last trip last weekend.  We probably should have because we always do well, even when the guys at the counter said no one's picking up fish there or they haven't heard any good reports.

[BigGoonTuna]

Having never been there before, is goose island the island north east of mardon resort? Sorry, I'm only going off google earth! Thanks for your info folks!

yep, it's the big island cluster in the middle of the lake.  used to be a fun place to spend the day, but the feds had to screw up a good thing and make it a sanctuary for terns and cormorants, and it's covered in bird poop, and has giant floating mounds of the stuff surrounding it

[gaddy]

I hadn't heard about it becoming a sanctuary. Been a while. Used to camp and ski off the sand beach on that island.
Keep this under your hat but on the west side of the island, maybe 20 yd's off the bank, there is a submerged rock pile that holds crappie and bass. Keep it quiet though, never seen any one fish it but the f-inlaw or me.

[hunt_fish]

Hmm nice gaddy, I haven't tried for crappie off that. If it's the spot you're talking about we've done well in the past trolling cranks along there when the water is low in the summer. I do know there is or was used to be a weedbed along there that we've caught some perch along there. We haven't fished that spot in years though since we usually do our walleye trips from march-June now.

[2labs]

I hadn't heard about it becoming a sanctuary. Been a while. Used to camp and ski off the sand beach on that island.
Keep this under your hat but on the west side of the island, maybe 20 yd's off the bank, there is a submerged rock pile that holds crappie and bass. Keep it quiet though, never seen any one fish it but the f-inlaw or me.
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I've fished it mouth of Lind coulee is my go to spot in hot weather. Hint: 4" pvc sticking out of the bank..... That's Tourny winning hint....by the way

[Barbarossa13]

Thanks for all the tips and info folks! Going over gear tonight, getting excited to hit the road Friday!