Lake Mendota
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Lake Mendota Fishing Reports
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Reports from all past years within a 60-day time frame
Species
Smallmouth Bass
Season
Fall
Technique
Bladed Jigs
Structure
Rip Rap
Species
Largemouth Bass
Season
Summer
Technique
Grass Jigs
Structure
Submerged Vegetation
Very tough fishing this past weekend 9/11-9/12. Normally the Bass can be found on weedlines in 10-12'. The city was chopping weeds and that made the lake cloudy and had a lot of floating weeds. Only 2 fish were caught using a war eagle jig with chompers trailer. 1 was in 4' of water in the middle of the weeds and the other was in 16' just outside the weedlines. Neither were photo worthy.
Ben Eckard-Lee
Bronze Ambassador
8/28/23
Species
Smallmouth Bass
Season
Summer
Technique
Wacky Rigs
Structure
Submerged Vegetation
Forage
Perch
Water Temperature
76°
Using 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
Species
Largemouth Bass
Season
Fall
Technique
Wacky Rigs
Structure
Docks
Throwing wacky rigs on docks. It was important to get far under the docks to get the good bites
Species
Largemouth Bass
Season
Fall
Technique
Crankbaits 13'+
Structure
Humps
Forage
Bluegill
Smooth path under the water and big strikes. Most consistent lure for 3-5lbs Largemouth in September/October
Species
Largemouth Bass
Season
Fall
Technique
Spinnerbaits
Structure
Docks
Forage
Minnows
Has the opportunity to take a kid out from my high schools fishing club. It was cold windy and post frontal and generally a pretty tough bite. I had some trolling motor issues so we drifted shorelines in 3-6 feet of water and through spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. We caught a handful of nice bass and a bunch of pike including a nice one in the mid 30’s. We made the best of a tough day and had a great time.
Species
Smallmouth Bass
Season
Fall
Technique
Crankbaits 0-6'
Structure
Submerged Vegetation
We were targeting fish in 15-18 of water near steep transitions. Fish were just off the weed edges near scattered rock. Caught off good mixed bag of smallmouth, largemouth, white bass and a few walleye all on a Rapala DT6. Fun day on the water!
Species
Smallmouth Bass
Season
Fall
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
Structure
Rock Pile
Water Temperature
53°
Slowly swimming the swimbait above a rocky bottom and the smallmouth came up and crushed it I even caught my personal best smallmouth for 5 pounds and 14 ounces
Species
Largemouth Bass
Season
Summer
Technique
Frogs/Toads
Structure
Lily Pads
Forage
Bluegill
Water Temperature
77°
If 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.