Fishing Report August 25, 2020
Reports have been improving as we passed through a new moon phase and anglers saw better action. Water temps remain in the low to mid 70’s and patterns became clearer as more anglers probed about to figure them out.
Bluegill: Good-Very Good. Happens every year about the third week or so of August. Flying ants appear all over, falling into the lakes and drawing gills up to the surface to feed. Great time for fly rod anglers to get their last few licks in with the poppers or dry flys. Gills aren’t as fussy as trout, no need for the hook and worm crowd to not join in, small jigs with plastic or feather trim fished high up also working well. Lots of action and very good sized fish .
Crappie: Good Fish relating to weeds, specifically narrow leaf cabbage being best in 8-12’ of water. Varied reports of anglers catching crappies two feet down over weed tops to tight at the base of the plants at times. Mini-mites, 1-2” twister tails and crappie minnows doing best.
Northern Pike: Good Action best on bladed baits (Spinnerbaits, chatter baits and #4 Mepps), 4” swimbaits and shallow running minnow baits also scoring. Good action with fish to 34” reported this week.
Walleye: Fair- Good Slight upswing in catches. With no leeches available, crawlers have been best bet. Larger lakes, gravel/rock humps with ¼ oz jigs and crawlers or jigging Shiver Minnows and Jigging Raps. Shallower lakes work the weed edges early and late with 1/16th oz. weed less jigs and ½ crawlers. Flowages work the deeper wood or rock in 17-20’!
Largemouth Bass: Fair-Good Seems like less, yet larger fish in heavy cabbage! Signs of heavy feeding on crayfish ( Look down throat to see antennae and claws sticking out. Jig and plastic craw/ creature imitations as well as wacky worms. Evening action good for top water action using Whopper Ploppers, Spooks and Spiders.
Smallmouth Bass: Good-Fair Drop-shotting along coon tail edges seems to be out producing rocks from a lot of local reports. Also finding Smallies cruising sand grass flats in 14-20’ Some bigger fish being caught in shallows on top water.
Musky: Good-Fair larger fish working suspended on deep lakes that have cisco populations. On shallower lakes pick overcast days to work bucktails and large spinnerbaits over cabbage. Also for a couple of hard working anglers jerk baits scored 3 fish over 40” this week ( 48, 46, 40”)
Yellow Perch: Fair few reports, best using ½ crawler in 6-10’ of cabbage on lakes; 12-16’ of wood on Flowages.
Things may change by weeks end if forecast holds. Air temp highs could drop from low 80’s to low 70’s. Cooling temps and change in the amount of sunlight will bring changes to weeds and push fish locations deeper.