the troutfisherman and i decided to fish banks lake sunday.

due to the wind, we got a late start out of coulee city onto south banks lake, about 10 am. we trolled deep for a couple of hours, hoping to find those banks lake trout. no bites. about noon, we changed gear and fished the underwater and above water islands in the south end for walleye. at 1 pm, the one in the photo bit. about 20 inches and 3 1/2 pounds. of course, i trolled back and forth through the same rocky hole, but to no avail. the increasing wind convinced us to quit about 2 pm.

the fish hit on an “old” fat stubby crankbait with a huge lip. i’ve forgotten who made it or what it is called, but it no doubt dives as deep as any others on the market currently. the color slightly resembles a perch, and now and then the lip was clicking the bottom rocks in about 25 feet of water. i thought about also trying a deep-diving rapala, but the wind made boat control so tough that i just couldn’t get up enough gumption to stop the boat, haul in, change lures, and then try to maneuver back through the hole.

at times we saw no other fishermen on south banks, and then at one point there were about five other boats. none were close enough to inquire as to their success.

big john

Nice fish John. I was out there over the weekend and hit a few walleye along the dam when I could get past all the sculpin. Hit a couple by Goose Island as well. Lotsa smallies around though. Largest walleye was 23 inches against the dam. The bite was better after the sun went down with that full moon out there.

WALLEYEGUY: what were you dragging that sculpin were hitting??

john