Minocqua Area Fishing Report 08/07/16
A mix of cooler weather and some high pressure systems took the edge off the hot bite for several species this past week. Still, for anglers willing to fish early and late in the day, good catches are still being reported.
Largemouth Bass: Very Good. Maybe it’s due to sheer numbers, but the green bass just don’t seem to slow down. Wacky worming has been HOT! This extremely simple method of pitching a center hooked plastic worm into 6-10’ cabbage has made amateur anglers feel like professionals. Pre-rigged plastic worms, spinnerbaits such as Boonie baits, as well as weedless spoons and swimbaits have all been producing.
Smallmouth Bass: Good-Very Good. Outside weed edges and off-shore gravel humps. Outside weed edges, 10-14’ use tube jigs or count down lipless cranks. On off-shore humps- drop-shot 2 ½ gulp minnows, Jackall pintails or 3” Senkos. Plastic craws by Yum and Jackall are also effective. Skirted grubs on heavy jigs to work the tops of 18-28’ humps are producing nice smallies to 20”.
Northern Pike: Good. Casting blade baits over weed tops (Boonies, Chatter, Jaw Breakers, Johnson Silver Minnows) as well as jigging chubs and suckers producing well for anglers targeting pike in 7-12’ weeds.
Walleye: Good. Slower than earlier due to high pressure days. Still good for early risers using jig/crawlers-leech combos in 7-12 cabbage. Off-shore humps also holding walleyes taking big leeches.
Bluegill: Good. Cool weather affected the hot bite some. Small leeches and worms are best. With mid-week heat, go back to top water poppers.
Musky: Good-fair. A better bite up in the weeds. Twitch baits (7” cranes, shallow raiders) are a good choice as has been large bladed bucktails. A 50 ½ reported early last week, most action from upper 30” to mid 40” fish.
Yellow Perch: Good-fair. Cool weather slowed bit a bit. ½ crawlers and medium fatheads are working around cribs, submerged timber and also heavy cabbage of 4-8’.
Crappies: Good-fair. Best over deep wood on flowages (12-16’) with medium fatheads.
A mid-week warm up (temps in 80’s) should improve fishing. Cool weather moving in by Thursday/Friday could slow things again. Even so, overall fishing has and should continue to be good- maybe just not as fast as the previous two weeks.