Minoqua Area Fishing Report
Dogwoods are blooming so you know love is in the air for Muskies and Crappies. Water temps ranging from lows of 52-53 degrees on the large lakes to 57-59 degrees on smaller lakes and flowages.
With shallows warming this past week, bait fish, insects and leeches are showing up and the fish that feed on these are not far behind.
Crappies: Good-Very Good – Some still staging while others making early forays into firmer bottomed shallows looking to nest. Slip-bobbers and small minnows always a hit! Anglers casting small jigs with hair (Pinkies), plastic (Twister Tails or Mini-mites) and tiny spinners doing well. In areas of wood, which collects heat that warms the water around it, crappies not ready to spawn are staging.
Walleye: Very Good-Good – A transition still seems to be on the way as the deeper bite wanes and the shallow bite gets better. With the absence of Red-tailed chubs this season, anglers are using Dace, large Fatheads and Walleye suckers on 1/16 oz weedless Jack’s and SloFall jigs to entice bites from any green vegetation. Leeches also effective choice. Casting shallow running stick baits (Foating Rapalas, Scatter lipped Rapalas, Thunderstiks and Rattlin Rouges also still very effective.
Northern Pike: Good – Working stick baits such as Rouges and Thunderstiks over shallow weeds. Jig and suckers on light wire leaders as well as swim baits have been effective.
Yellow Perch: Good – Nice sized perch relating to drowned wood in 6-8’ of water. Use medium leeches or Thunderbugs on light wire Aberdeen hooks to be able to “pull” out of snags.
Largemouth Bass: Fair– (Yes, the Largemouth bass season is open throughout the state – even North of Hwy 64 – BUT NOT SMALLMOUTH). Few targeting, but incidental catches on leeches and suckers meant for Walleye and Pike.
Bluegill: Fair – Good earlier in week. Anglers mostly focusing on Crappies, those after gills using Mini-mite jigs (Reds & Browns) tipped with Waxies in 5-7’ weeds.
A series of storms this week will throw a wrench in the plans of many anglers. Following this storm system air temps will cool into the upper 50’s for the weekend. Crappies that have committed to spawning will stand their ground, but some may not come in and “miss” their magic moment.
Keep watching for newly greening weed beds to hold Walleyes, Bass, Perch and gills. Musky, though not open to fishing, are active, swimming the shallows looking for mates and getting caught – release them gently, they still have a job to do!
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com
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