Minoqua Area Fishing Report
1/16/17
After getting dumped on with snow (13-15”) followed by some severe cold (morning lows in the -20 degree range), high pressure and a general lack of participation due to all of the above this past week, things are looking up for the week ahead.
While fishing reports as a whole were slow, there were a few bright spots early in the week which should bode well for anglers with the coming warm up.
Yellow Perch: Poor-Fair – Once the cold and high pressure had settled in, anglers were starting to pick up perch over mud and some sandgrass in 18-28’ depths. Hali jigs, kastmasters and #2 pimples tipped with red spikes or wigglers.
Bluegills: Poor-Fair – Once the weather got tolerable enough for anglers to move about, some decent reports from anglers catching nice gills in 9-11’ of water. Moussees and waxies have been the preferred fare, with one angler icing a huge 11 ½” pumpkinseed over the weekend.
Northern Pike: Poor-Fair – Best action reported late morning thru mid afternoon. Big shiners.
Walleyes: Poor-Fair – Tough conditions for the walleye anglers of late. Best on smaller shiners, suckers or large fatheads. Down size to a #12 treble. Artificial action slow, should improve with coming warm up.
Crappies: Poor-Fair – Catches were spotty. Cold, snow and wind limited tip-down use. Best in deeper water using glow tungsten jigs tipped with waxie or small spoons (pimples, kastmaster) with gold or glow also tip with waxies. On flowages, rosie reds best.
Most travel was by truck or snowmobile after Tuesday’s snow, though on some larger, more open lakes the following wind pushed some of that powdery snow off. As the week progresses, forecast for temps to possibly hit 40 degrees by Friday should pack the snow down a bit and make ATV travel better.
Despite what have been rather poor reports and conditions, things look good for this week.
Average ice thickness 12-17” with 15+ being the norm.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com