Fishing with Z Guide Services LLC

09/08/2026

Tom called me and wanted a super last minute trip to “catch fish” and I was able to squeeze him in before a busy week this week! I think we caught every fish in Vermilion except a muskie and pike last night and also had two slot walleyes we had to throw back! This is one of my favorite things about fall on Vermilion, mixed bags are becoming a lot more common on the east end and the panfish are really starting to show up as the water cools down!

09/07/2026

Lake Vermilion fishing report!!!

Week #17: 8/31-9/7, 2026

Water temps: 68-72

One thing I love about this lake is it has a way of always making sure you have every rod and setup imaginable ready and in the boat at all times.

This week we caught some fish trolling lead core, Lindy rigging, bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses, as well as jigs with crawlers.

At the start of the week, we were still seeing quite a few fish in the mud so lead core is how we were targeting those fish. We caught a few, but nothing worthwhile. As the week went on, we started to see the fish transition towards the sand transitions on structure, and we caught a few on bottom bouncers with crawlers as well as some Lindy Rigs. By the end of the week, we were all jigging crawler right on the edge of structure, dragging them through the sand and scattered rock.

The main depth of focus this week for the best bites that we had were 16 to 25 feet on sand points or edges with rock very close by. Dragging or casting 1/4 ounce jigs with crawlers produced a lot of fish for us this week. The size overall is not what we are hoping for but if you sort through enough small ones you’ll finish with a dandy bucket of fish at the end of your trip.

This seems to be a lot different than the last few years as this is usually some of my best lead core action of the entire season. But as many of my current clients know, we have not been doing very well doing that so we have needed to change it up and we are having much better results since we have done so.

The biggest key I’ve found this week is move and move often. I know I say that every week it seems and it is becoming the normal way to fish. Run and gun and catch the active fish and move on. The fish there are either going to bite right away or probably not at all.

I expect this cold front to really change up the bite here in a few days. I’m not sure which way the fish are going to go but I expect it to get really good once we start getting some true northern Minnesota fall weather! Hoping for a really cold fall so we can get back to fishing the giant schools of quality fish.

September is filling up quickly now! I still have a few openings before the Safelite Legacy Tournament and plenty into October for the fall bite! To book a trip, call or text anytime (218) 404-9200 or book directly online at fishingwithz.com! Don’t forget about the fall special with Glenmore Resort! It’s a great deal and you won’t find a better one for this fall!

As always, tight lines!
Captain Z

09/04/2026

Best deal of the entire fall! Come fish with us this fall and experience the best time of year on Lake Vermilion!

🍂🎣 FALL FISHING SPECIAL — LAKE VERMILION 🎣🍂

The best time of year is here! Cooler temperatures, beautiful fall colors, and some of the best fishing of the season. 🍁

We’re offering a limited-time Fall Fishing Special:

🎣 2 Half Days of Guided Fishing
🏡 3 Nights in a Cabin
🐟 Experience some of the best fall fishing Lake Vermilion has to offer!

Bring your fishing buddies, family, or come enjoy a fall getaway with us. We’ll take care of the fishing — you just show up and enjoy Lake Vermilion!

📅 Limited fall dates available
📍 Lake Vermilion — Tower, MN
🎣 Guided by Fishing With Z
🏡 Comfortable cabin accommodations

Message us or call today to lock in your fall getaway!

📞 218-753-1200

🍁 Fall on Lake Vermilion. You won’t want to miss it!

08/31/2026

Lake Vermilion fishing report!!

Fishing reports

Week #16: 8/24-8/31, 2026

Water temps: 69-72

Another inconsistent week of fishing but we managed to put quality fish in the boat! We didn’t catch a lot, but the ones we caught were the right size! This morning, 8/31, was the most amount of small fish I’ve seen in a while.

Our most consistent bite was still pulling lead core. 15-18’ and 28-34’ produced most of our fish this week! A few times we caught some in 22-24 but not as many as the other depths. Speeds varied by the day. Some days 2.0 worked best and others it seemed like 2.3-2.5 produced more. Adjusting speed has seemed to matter more in 2026 than any of the previous 3-5 years.

Today, 8/31, we did not touch the trolling rods. My group didn’t have the set ups to use leadcore on their own so we used techniques they could do. We caught every fish on a jig and crawler in 8-16’. The structure we fished was sand break lines with rock on them. Once we dialed in the pattern, every spot we tried we caught a good handful of walleyes. A lot of 10-13” fish, a few really nice 15-18s and even a 25.5” which takes big fish for the week! We also caught a few nice perch, a lot of really nice smallies, and more rock bass than I care to mention but that’s part of fishing rocks on the V. All catch and release today.

Moving forward until we have some big weather changes the name of the game is going to be moving often and using different techniques. It’s that time of year where fish seem to be spreading out and you can catch them a variety of ways. On 8/30 I caught fish on plastics, crawlers, and spinner rigs. My main focus will be lead core but I will have live bait with on every trip from here on out.

I’m expecting a very good fall bite. The fish are where they should be, even though they are tough to catch, and there’s a lot of them. I think once that first cold snap hits the bite will be crazy good and stay good through the end of our season!

Stay turned for a fall special coming from Glenmore Resort. It will be a cabin paired up with a few guided fishing trips with me in September and October! It’s a heck of a deal and you won’t find a better deal around for a fall fishing trip!

September is filling up quickly now! I still have quite a few openings before the Safelite Legacy Tournament and plenty into October for the fall bite! To book a trip, call or text anytime (218) 404-9200 or book directly online!

As always, tight lines!
Captain Z

08/29/2026

This past week was some inconsistent fishing but we managed some dandies and had plenty of fish for dinner! Had a lot of new fishermen in the boat and even more Vermilion first timers and it’s been an absolute blast showcasing all Vermilion has to offer!! Fall is close and we have been working on the boat and rods getting everything g ready for the fall push to close out the season!

Plenty of openings left in September or October and the best fishing of the season is on its way! Giant schools and a chance at a true giant! Call or text (218) 404-9200 or book directly online at fishingwithz.com!

08/24/2026

Fishing Report!

Week #15: 8/17-8/24, 2028

Water temps: 69-72

The only thing consistent was that it was inconsistent! A very up and down week of fishing on the Big V! It seems as if it’s a guessing game right now on picking the right area during the time you’re out and if you guess wrong, it’s not much fun out there!

Overall, when the fishing was good it was pretty dang good and the quality of fish we are catching is still really good! We are pulling lead core and cranks all day long. I did mix in some jig and crawler action the last couple of days and have caught a few fish but nothing great to speak of. Part of that is due to lack of trying it. Except more of it this week if things don’t change!

The areas we have focused on the most are 16-20’ mud flats and 25-28’ mud flats. I have noticed a big uptick in action when we are close to rock structure. I’ve seen this be the case in years past but never as much as it is right now. Today we caught all of our fish at 1.9-2.1 mph. Slower than in previous weeks.

With the way things are going this lead core season I’m not too sure how much longer it will keep producing. I checked a bunch of other types of structure on 8/23/26 and there was almost no fish to be found. Until that changes, we will keep grinding out nice keepers pulling lead!

August is all but full now, I have just the 28th or 30th open! September is filling up quickly now! I still have plenty of openings before the Safelite Legacy Tournament and plenty into October for the fall bite! The weather is cooling off nicely and I’m hoping for a cold fall to really bunch the fish up and provide some great action!

To book a trip, call or text anytime (218) 404-9200 or book directly online at fishingwithz.com!

As always, tight lines!
Captain Z

08/21/2026

It’s been a busy week of fishing! The fishing has been inconsistent but we are putting quality fish in the boat and having a great time on the water! From client referrals, reschedules from June, Veterans and good friends from Illinois we have had a bunch of awesome people in the boat this week!!

As we August is winding down, I only have 2 days remaining:

28th all day
30th all day

I will be posting September availability in the coming days! I have plenty of openings left for September and October and it looks like we should have an awesome fall bite! Call or text to book or book directly online! (218) 404-9200

08/17/2026

Updated Lake Vermilion Report!!

Week #14 8/10-8/17, 2026

Water temps: 70-74

Another solid of week of fishing on the Big V! Stable weather, before Saturday, allowed us to dial in a very solid and consistent bite! Pulling cranks has been our pattern and we are sticking to it.

This week our best action was in 20-26’ over mud but close to structure. It seemed like being close to some form of structure provided us with nicer fish and more action.

We are using minnow style crank baits in all colors. The hot color seems to change daily but once you figure out a few colors they like it’s been great action! I am getting 6’ of depth for each color of lead core on my set ups when pulling them at 2-2.5 mph.

I have been moving around a lot lately. Each area has been producing better on different days. I haven’t really done much moving around in previous years when pulling lead but this year I am really focusing on switching basins when the bite is slow. It’s paying off big time!! Sometimes we are in spots 4 or 5 before we really get some quality action! The average size of our keepers is well over 14” right now as Vermilion is producing some of the best quality I’ve seen in years.

Short report this week! Moving a lot and changing baits if the bite is slow has been the biggest keys to having success this August. We are using all #5 sized baits and they are still producing so no need to change up to bigger or smaller.

I still have a few days next week left for some half days of fishing as well as a bunch of openings in September and October for that great fall bite I always talk about! We are hoping for a cold fall to really get the fish fired up which we haven’t had in a few years! Walleyes and Muskies are on tap for the rest of the season!

Don’t forget about our night time Muskie trips with guide Noah! Fall is coming and that’s when the best action of the entire year is! I will be running Muskie trips through mid October as well so if you prefer day time action let me know!

To book a trip, call or text anytime (218) 404-9200 or book directly online!

As always, tight lines!
Captain Z

08/15/2026

Jerry, Stephanie and Tino all fished with me 2 years ago at the beginning of the 2024 season. Back then, Tino and Stephanie were in the process of moving to Minnesota from Southern Africa. Two years later, they all decided to come back up to Northern Minnesota and gave me a call!

Fishing wasn’t fast and furious but we managed a nice bag of fish and had a blast catching up with repeat clients. Thank you guys for the repeat business and I’ll see you next year!