Lake Mendota
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Lake Mendota Fishing Reports
Stay up to date with the latest fishing reports from Lake Mendota. Reports are submitted by local anglers, fishing guides, and our team of fishing experts.
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- Species
Largemouth BassTechniqueFrogs/ToadsSeasonSummerStructureLily PadsIf there was an open hole in the weeds and you casted your frog on it. It was a blow up. Working the frog super slow over the lily pads or grass mats was the technique I used to catch most of the bass.
- SpeciesLargemouth BassTechniqueWacky RigsSeasonSpring (Post-Spawn)StructureSubmerged Vegetation
Caught this largemouth and a couple smalliies on the Yamamoto 6" Senko. Good enough for 2nd place in Monday Kayak League. Tried smaller baits but they wanted more for their effort.
- SpeciesLargemouth BassTechniqueBladed JigsSeasonSummerStructureSubmerged Vegetation
The bite was on last weekend! Throwing a Z-Man Jackhammer chatterbait with a Keitech Fat Swing Impact paddle tail. They really starting crushing it after I dipped the tail in J.J.'s Magic Dippin' Dye!
- SpeciesLargemouth BassTechniqueWacky RigsSeasonSpring (Post-Spawn)StructureSubmerged Vegetation
Fished the Badger State Midsummer Open (kayak tournament). Caught a bag of decent fish by flipping a weightless wacky around weed edges. They wanted it dead sticked. If you hopped it around, they ignored it.
- SpeciesLargemouth BassTechniqueFootball JigsSeasonSummerStructureSubmerged Vegetation
The key was finding pockets in the weeds and flipping a jig in and letting it sit 5 or more seconds. No shakes no hops. This technique placed my 34th out of 111.
Species
Smallmouth BassTechniqueDrop ShotSeasonSummerStructureRock PileSmallmouth were relating to weeds just like largemouth early in the morning, then would move off into the rock piles right next to weed edges. Start the morning with top water over the weed edge to get big blowups and then after 7am move off the weedline into the adjacent rocks and drop shot them. Pulled a bonus 20.5” largemouth on Choppo, and a 30” Walleye while drop shotting. Be warned there will be Walleye mixed with smallmouth and May need to catch a bunch or Walleye before the smallmouth move in.
Ben Eckard-LeeBronze AmbassadorSpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueWacky RigsSeasonSummerStructureSubmerged VegetationUsing traditional 2D Sonar, we found a weedline in 13'. We dropped 5 homemade Marker Buoys along the edge, then casted along it. A 4'' Jigworm worked, as did a small 2.5' Swimbait, but Jig-Wacky (Flick-Shake Rig) got the big bite. Hardly felt it, just a gentle weight. Long pauses (10 Seconds) key. Be sure lure is on bottom before working it. Some fish just off edge. Braid with flouro leader on a mod-light spinning setup best. Walleyes and Northern Pike also present. Smallie was 17'', my new PB! Check out my YouTube channel, ECRD Fishing! https://www.youtube.com/@ECRDFishing
- SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueBladed JigsSeasonFallStructureRip Rap
Fish started biting after the rain. Overcast and rain
