Minocqua area fishing report
Finally the look and feel of fall is here. Trees peaked, cold nights, temperate days. It’s musky time!
Musky: Good-Very good. Could be better if not for some high sky days. Water temps have fallen and the sucker bite is on! Surface temps for the weekend were between 55-61 degrees. That has pretty much done in the top-water action, but, amped up the meat bite. Suckers on spinner/quick set rigs (Smity’s) have been best. Action not consistent all day, probably due to weather, but, good windows of 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours with multiple fish. Guide Greg Bohn guided a client to a 52”, 40# beast this week (released).
Crappies: Good-very good. Best on flowages. Trollers finding slabs 11’ down using Flicker Shads. Traditional drifting methods also work using slip-floats and medium fatheads.
Walleyes: Fair-good. Spotty at times, high barometer days tough. Nice fish using redtails along gravel humps of 22-38’. Also on drowned wood on flowages.
Pike: Fair-Good. Best on chubs/suckers on weedless jigs in weeds. A few big pike of 32-36” caught this week.
Smallmouth Bass: Fair. Very few fish but, those reported have been big including smallies to 20+”. Drop shotting has worked best with reluctant biters taking smaller plastics and live chubs.
Perch: Fair. Some good catches around drowned wood in 15’ of water. Medium fats best. Drag bait on 1/16 to 1 18 oz. weedless Jack’s or Slo-fall jigs. Half crawlers also worth a shot. Nice perch of 9-12” being reported.
With water temps approaching 55 degrees, keep an eye out for turn-over. Nice daytime temps will keep it at bay, but, those 30 degree nights are tough.
Kurt Justice
Kurt's Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com