Fishing this past week wasn’t for the faint of heart (but o.k. if you’re a few bricks short!)
Cold, wind, rain and lightning storms created havoc to anglers up this week trying to get in a little time on the water. The effects of these weather systems threw fish off also. As species such as crappies, just started to move in and bed were pushed out by the dropping water temperatures.
Walleyes: Fair–Good. Improved as anglers were able to locate where the walleyes had scattered due to the storms of mid-week. Bites were lighter and the hard bait/ lure crowd did not score as well as those using live bait. Smaller baits such as fatheads, dace, the smallest of chubs and leeches slowly crept across the bottoms scored best. At times the slower approach of a leech/ slip- bobber combo was needed to entice a bite.
Northern Pike: Good. Actively feeding in shallows on last year’s young perch. Jig and chubs affective, but so have been swimbaits (the new storm 360 has been especially hot). Make sure to use a light wire leader, even on the swim baits, to avoid bite offs.
Largemouth Bass: Fair-Good. Action picked up after effects of storms. Most fish picked up on leeches and minnows meant for walleyes. Last week’s schools of bass cruising the warming shallows have dispersed to more scattered fish due to cold.
Yellow Perch: Fair-Good. Good report from anglers targeting perch in deep wood of 10-14’ using ½ crawlers on medium leeches under slip-floats. Large, but thin fish are sign that they still have feeding to catch up on due to post spawn.
Crappies: Fair. What should have been a great week of crappie fishing wasn’t. The cold and storms shut this fishery down. If there is an upside it’s that the best is yet to come. These fish are prime to spawn and will move in a rush once temps begin to rise.
Bluegill: Fair-Poor. Not very much bluegill angler weather. Reports are few as anglers fished gills in this. But as waters warm this week, look for good action to pick up in 6-8’ using small leaches and thunder bugs.
Forecast for the Memorial weekend and Northern Wisconsin musky opener looks good. Warming weather (highs in the low 70’s) and clouds with a touch of rain now and again is fisherman friendly, plus a new moon phase and things are looking promising.
Musky have been active in the shallows, mostly for spawning reasons, but should be good time for small bucktails and small twitchbaits in shallows.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
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