By Memorial Day each year, many of the fish have migrated towards the deeper parts of the lake. Typically the west end of Upper Hamlin Lake (towards the narrows) , and Lower Hamlin Lake are best areas to fish. These parts of the lake offer the fish both shallow and deep waters. The bait fish have grown some by this time of the year so use progressively larger baits throughout the summer months.
Northern Pike: Pike can be taken trolling spoons and medium size crank or spinner baits along or in the edge of the weed line. Fishing pike minnows (shiners, suckers) either with a hook & bobber or on a jig also works.
Recommended artificial baits: Daredevils, Cleos, Mepps and June Bug spinners, Rapalas, lead head jigs, Swedish Pimples, Hopkins Spoons.
Recommended live bait: shiners, suckers.
Walleye: During the early summer months jigs worked on the drop-offs during the day and small to medium size crank baits on the flats at night are effective. You can use a dressed or undressed jig, but I recommend tipping either with a small to medium size minnow or a leech. This time of year, trolling or drifting Lindy rigged spinner harnesses tipped with a crawler, leech or minnow while working the banks up to the weed line is also an effective approach. Later in the summer months trolling medium to large size crank baits along the drop offs is very effective.
Recommended artificial baits: Small to medium size Shad Raps, Rapalas, Bombers, Jr. Thundersticks, Rogues ,Wiggle Warts, Wally Divers, etc., Hopkins Spoons, crawler, leech or minnow rigs, Jig-a-low, Mite-e-brite, Feather Flasher , Fuzz-e-grub type jigs.
Recommended live bait: Shiners, creek minnows, daze minnows, leeches, and crawlers .
Large Mouth Bass: During the very early part of June, some of the bass are still spawning in the shallow waters of the inlets and bayou's, but those that have finished spawning can be found in the cover of the inlets and bayou's during the early morning and late evening hours and in a little deeper weed cover during the bright day light hours. As the water continues to warm up, in late June through late summer, largemouth tend to stay in the deeper water (6 to 12 ft.) weed structure during the daylight hours.
Recommended artificial baits: Rattle Traps, Ratlin Raps, Slugos, floating or Countdown Rapalas, Husky Jerks, Bombers, Pop-r's, Rogues, K & E Bass Stoppers, Plow Jockeys, Berkley Power Worms, Culprit Worms, Devil's Horse, Torpedoes, Hula Poppers, Jitterbugs and all types of spinners.
Recommended live baits: Night Crawlers, leeches, minnows
Small Mouth Bass: During the very early part of June, the smallmouth have usually just finished spawning and can be found migrating from the shallow waters of their spawning grounds toward a little deeper weed or stump cover. The mouths of the bayou's and the shoreline weed beds or stump fields promise to hold these fish. In late June through the summer months, the smallmouth come into the weeds in the evenings to feed then migrate to the drop-offs during the morning hours. From late morning to mid afternoon, smallmouth can be found on the steep banks anywhere from 11 to 30 feet of water.
Recommended artificial baits: Rattle Traps, Ratlin Raps, Countdown Rapalas, Risto Raps, Mr. Twisters, Beetle Spins, Berkley Power Worms, Leeches and Grubs, Culprit Worms, Mepps Aglias, and Dressed Jigs
Recommended live baits: Night Crawlers, leeches, minnows
Crappie: Give them a break! We have been going through a down cycle for crappie and bluegill, therefore it is recommended that you take what you and your immediate family can eat and don't think you must take a limit every day.
Crappie can be taken using several techniques including : Early in the morning or late evening Slow(very slow) trolling or drifting along weed beds with either a small jig or plain hook tipped with minnows or wax worms; drifting or trolling a hook and minnow or jig and minnow beneath a bobber along weed beds, or anchored while casting small jigs tipped with minnows or plain hooks tipped with minnows or wax worms beneath bobbers into weed beds. Remember crappie are normally suspended in the weeds not on the bottom and their eyes are on top of their heads so they see up better than down. Now that we have the shallower dwelling walleye in Hamlin Lake, during the mid morning to late afternoon, I believe the crappie are being pushed out of the 9 to 13 ft. of water where they use to be found. I believe the walleye are taking over those waters during the day and forcing the crappie to either suspend in deeper waters or go into the shallower weed beds (4 to 8 ft). Since the walleye go into the shallow waters at night to feed, I also recommend trying to fish the crappie in the area of 11 to 18 ft. of water after dark by lantern light.
Recommended artificial baits: small jigs, small jigs with spinners and Hooks or Jigs tipped with Berkley Power Wigglers
Recommended live bait: wax worms(bee moth), minnows (shiners or fatheads)
Bluegill: Give them a break! We have been going through a down cycle for crappie and bluegill, therefore it is recommended that you take what you and your immediate family can eat and don't think you must take a limit every day
The most common methods used to catch bluegill in the summer are to
anchor and cast or drift a small hook tipped with a wax worm / leech /
red worm or small piece of crawler beneath a bobber in 8 to 14 ft. of
water. During hot summer months, or very bright sunny days,
blue gills have been know to suspend in as deep of water as 25 ft. usually
6 to 12 feet down.
.
Recommended artificial baits: Mini Fat Raps, Mini Rebels,
Mini Big O's, small Count Down Rapalas, Berkley Power Wigglers and
Grubs, small Mr. Twisters and Beetle Spins.
Recommended live bait: wax worms(bee moth), red worms, leeches,
leaf worms, chunks of crawlers
.
Perch: Perch can be found
in all depths of waters during the summer. The larger perch however
normally are found in 10 to 25 foot of water during the hot summer months.
They will strike at almost anything, even rapalas, but the more common
baits are hook and sinker tipped with live bait, or small spinners or jigs
tipped with live bait and mini crank baits.
Recommended artificial baits: Berkley Power Wigglers and Grubs, Beetle Spins, Mr. Twisters, Jigs tipped with minnows or leeches.
Recommended live bait: crappie or perch minnows, wax worms(bee moth),
red worms, leeches, leaf worms, chunks of crawlers.
