FISHING REPORTS & UPDATES
Lake Kabetogama Fishing Report for August 17th
Lake Kabetogama has been providing a consistent morning and evening bite for all species with most being targeted relatively shallow. With temperatures consistently exceeding 90 degrees, be sure to take a midday break at the Kab Outdoors store where the AC is always on and the ice cream is always cold!
We breakdown the details of our fishing successes over the last week below. Remember, we have guided trips available if you’d like some one-on-one help figuring out the lake with our local experts (https://www.kaboutdoors.com/contact).
Walleye Fishing on Lake Kabetogama
Much of our success walleye fishing has continued to involve targeting them shallow with most of our guests limiting out in the mornings. Leeches and crawlers remain the best bait choices for catching “eater size” fish with plenty caught in the low 20s. We’re starting to pick up a few more slot fish also.
As for technique and presentation, a small jig or a slip bobber are still the ticket to pick up the finesse bite and Lindy Live Bait Jigs continue to provide a solid option. Weedlines in less than 10 feet of water continue to hold walleye, and less-aggressive jigging with little movement has been the key.
Kabetogama Smallmouth Bass Report
The smallmouth bite remains strong with plenty caught in the high teens with some over the 20” mark. Fishing shallow weedlines has also worked well for catching “eater” smallmouth on Kabetogama. However, it seems that bigger smallies are coming off the rock piles. Getting out in the mornings and evenings to target rocks in 6-9 feet of water has been the ticket. Top water fishing has been working well but a jig with a leech has also been producing fish when out a bit deeper at 12-15 feet.
Leeches are the KEY to catching smallies lately. We have plenty at the store to keep you on the water with some bulk also available.
Pike Report for Kabetogama
Shallow weeds have also provided the most success for pike fishing proving that shallow is best strategy for fishing almost anything on Kabetogama right now. 9” Suick Thrillers have been our go-to for trophy pike for generations – I hear it’s in our DNA! Pike people are a special kind and it’s great to see the ones we’ve taught how to catch them and where to find them get out and find success on their own.
The Pool is Open!
We’ve passed our final inspections on the pool, which means – the pool is officially open! Guests can now enjoy the pool with it’s incredible view of the lake from 9am until dusk every day. We’re also working on putting in a tiki bar for poolside refreshments – so keep an eye out for updates.
As the heat continues, the renowned ice cream at our store continues to provide a refreshing mid-day treat. We also have plenty of bait and tackle along with all the latest updates!
Lake Kabetogama Fishing Report (July 10th)
Here is our latest fishing report for Lake Kabetogama this week. Be sure to check back weekly for fishing reports, lodging updates and more.
What to Use on Kabetogama for Walleye
Time of day, conditions, weather patterns all come into play when trying to pick a method to the madness this time of year. Walleyes don’t always bite during easy hours so it’s crucial that you put in effort around lowlight hours - early morning and evening. You may have to try something new to find success - but those who put in the effort have been highly rewarded.
For tackle keep light jigs, slip bobbers, spinner rigs, and floating jig heads on hand right now. One of Kent’s favorites during the day is a 48” snell with just a #6 hook and tipped with the bait of your choice - but we are partial to leeches.
Remember to fish the wind and go slow. By slow we mean below .04 mph and don’t be afraid to drag. If that doesn’t work try the traditional vertical jig.
Finding fish is simple here - there are plenty of them. People will mark fish shallow, deep, and everywhere in-between. Not all fish are hungry when we find them so keep moving until you find active fish. If you haven’t had any action in 15 minutes or so, time to move on.
A couple of tips for this area:
Do not “fish” with just your electronics. Fish good areas too!
If there is a promising spot, spend 15 minutes working on it and then move on.
We have been catching walleyes in 4 feet of water out to 22 feet of water. Keep in mind, anything deeper than 30 feet is a death sentence.
Slow, fast, venting bladders, throwing them back head first, it doesn’t matter - it’s a probably dead fish. You don’t need to fish out deep - you can find them shallow in the weeds or along with rock piles. We love our fishery so we need to practice conservation as much as possible.
If you hook a fish you can’t free easily - cut the line. It’s better to keep that fish alive than release it only to die shortly thereafter!
Lake Kabetogama Smallmouth Report
For finding smallies all you need to do is pick any rock hazard marker on the lake. In addition, look for wind-blown shoreline and rocky points.
Cranks will work well but so does soft plastics, (especially crawfish), boohya pranks, and whopper ploppers for topwater. Smallies are a fun bite this time of year and a great way to break up the walleye fishing midday.
The Kabetogama Pike Bite Remains Steady
Pike fishing at Kab offers an awesome opportunity for action and is also another great way to break up the midday walleye bite. If you are looking to target these fish, we have an entire post dedicated to pike fishing that you can find here.
Kab Outdoors Has You Covered
Bait, gear, tackle - we have you covered! We are way more than just a bait and tackle shop, but with that said, we do bait and tackle SO well! We hands down offer the best bait selection in the area. We have a large variety of minnows, crawlers, leeches, and BIG leeches you can find in bulk. Be sure to stop by our store and check us out.
Looking for a trip? Give us a call: 218.875.2281
Lake Kabetogama Fishing Report for July 1st
Here is the latest fishing report for Kabetogama for the week of June 28th.
Kent was back at it yesterday morning after a break. Flying blind, he was still able to keep 12 walleyes and was done at 9:30. He fished for the hopes of a few saugers, caught one 16”, and released another limit or 2 of smaller fish. The fishing was solid.
With water temperatures well into the 70’s (on average around 75 F) - Crawlers and leeches have been popular.
Use jigs, bobbers, or break above the weeds and structure by using floating jig heads. Of course, you can try spinners rigged with bottom bouncers for a more traditional approach closer to the bottom. Take your pick, all are available at the Kab Outdoors store!
In summary:
You can find fish 4 to 20 feet of water - mixing it up with jigs and spinner rigs depending on the time of day.
Slip bobbers with leech around the weeds or out deeper have been working well right now also.
You can find the smallies and pike in weeds, rocks. Doesn’t seem to matter.
Fishing is solid, but put the effort in during the mornings and evenings for walleye and midday for pike and bass.
Be sure to check out our entertainment - blind Joe - Wednesdays at 7 at the dock. Swing by boat or bring a chair! See you there!
Also be sure to check our latest tips on Pike Fishing found here.
Blind Joe from the voice playing at our Driftwood Lodge Resort dock!
3/2/21
SnoBear yields fishing fun on Kabetogama
"Experienced open water anglers, Todd, and Reed, hailing from central Iowa, told us that neither of them had spent much time ice fishing. They said too that before reading about KAB Outdoors, they hadn’t even known how to pronounce the word Kabetogama. But learning about our SnoBear rental combos, the idea of ice fishing piqued their interest. So, they booked a trip and drove on up to give ice fishing on Kabetogama a try.
During the pre-trip run through, I mentioned that if you can run a riding lawn mower, you’re qualified to run our SnoBear. Okay, so operating the machine is simple, but what about figuring out where to go and fish, they asked?
That is simple too, I already have the key fishing depths highlighted on the Lakemaster Chart that is loaded on our Humminbird Helix 10. Waypoints for the better fishing spots are loaded on the unit too and so are my trails, marks, and other helpful information.
Armed with a little information and a sense of adventure, Todd and Reed headed across the ice and look what they did. As you can see in the photos, folks who don’t have a lot of ice fishing experience can still find and catch fish, even on their first trip to the lake!
There’s no doubt that the comfort and efficiency of the SnoBear makes it shine as a fishing machine. But we learned this winter too that not everybody needs to catch a fish to make renting the SnoBear worthwhile. Some of our guests used it for playing on the ice, sightseeing in the Voyageurs National Park, or traveling to dinner at restaurants on the lake.
We’re thankful that the weather, the ice and the snow conditions combined to make this winter a fabulous one. In fact, it is hard to think of any way that things could have gone much better than they did.
But as the walleye season came to an end this weekend, we began pulling our fleet of rentals off the ice. For us, the time has come to put the ice fishing gear away and begin preparing for the upcoming open water fishing season.
We want to thank everybody who came up for a visit this winter and thanks to all of you who are making inquiries and reservations for next winter. By then, we’ll be chomping at the bit to get back on the ice, but for now, we’ll enjoy a little break in the action.
As the weather warms and we get closer to ice-out, we’ll begin posting fresh reports. In the meantime, thanks again for your support, we’re looking forward to seeing you again! Book your adventure today Contact KAB OUTDOORS or Call 218.875.2281.