Minocqua Area Fishing Report
Cooler than forecasted mornings and more rain greeted anglers on a less than spectacular week of fishing. Lake surface temps dipped to the 69-71 degree mark. The few warm afternoons were replaced by mornings down in the upper 40’s again.
Yellow Perch: Good – Relating to weeds, mostly cabbage in 8-12’. ½ crawlers, medium fatheads and medium leeches under slip-bobbers. Nice 9-11” fish.
Largemouth Bass: Good – Working heavy weeds best. Using plastics such as Creature baits (Sweet Beavers, CHOMPERS, Skirted Grubs) to work deep in cabbage beds. Wacky worming along 8-12’ edges. Some good lipless crank action on warmer afternoons.
Bluegill: Good – Lots of suspending Gills off Coontail edges. Small leeches best, they stay on the hook so you catch multiple fish on one leech.
Northern Pike: Good – Spinner baits, Chatter baits and 4-5” Swim baits over cabbage flats in 6-10’. Shallow running Stick baits such as Rattlin Rouges also producing.
Smallmouth Bass: Good-Fair – Some very nice Smallies this past week in the 17-20” range over deep gravel/rock humps. Drop slotting 3” minnows, Wacky worms and craw imitations. Big leeches and crawlers for the live bait crowd. Check all isolated humps of hard substrate in 14-28’.
Crappie: Good-Fair – Fewer reports. Best over deep wood on Flowages using medium fatheads.
Musky: Fair – Few reports. Bucktails best choice as cooler temps have slowed top-water action
Walleye: Fair – Changing water temps and levels seem to be having negative affect on Eyes. Night anglers having best results using slip-bobbers and large leeches or Red-tailed chubs
The mid-August cool down is here. As the waters cool, watch for certain weeds to start to pull back. Crappies, Smallies and Pike should start to pick up. Keep watch for a three day span of warming weather to lift Largemouth action.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
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