Ashland Area Fishing Report for May 12, 2016
~ Fishing guides from Anglers All, 715/682-5754, report the following:
This report is about the Ashland side of Chequamegon Bay. Fishing has been “very good in general,” according to Fresh Water Hall of Fame fishing guide Roger LaPenter, co-owner of Anglers All in Ashland.
“Trolling has been just excellent!” he exclaimed. “They’ve been doing really well on browns, cohos and lake trout.”
He said anglers have been motor trolling with stickbaits. “They’re still fishing the surface stuff because it’s early yet. Scatter Raps are working well and orange has been a good color.”
(Introduced by Rapala in 2013, the Scatter Rap’s signature evasive, erratic action perfectly mimics a spooked bait fish fleeing for its life.)
Roger said northern fishing has also been really good in the bay. “Folks have been getting pike while fishing from the shore.”
He said there are “perch in pockets, but you gotta go find them.”
“Walleye are also available,” Roger added, “but you’ve got to put your time in along the shoreline for those.”
Young Carter Levelius of Iron River had a great time fishing with professional guide Josh Teigen last weekend. He proudly shows off the smallmouth bass he caught. (Photo courtesy of Josh Teigen’s Guide Service)
Josh Teigen of Iron River caught this beautiful musky during the general inland fishing opener last weekend. (Photo courtesy of Josh Teigen’s Guide Service)
Many anglers have had good luck catching walleye in the low-light hours close to the Ashland shore.
“Anglers are doing OK on the inland waters, but those panfish are still deep,” said Roger. “They haven’t moved up into their bedding areas yet because the water is still a little too cold. It won’t be long though.”
Roger estimated the water temperature in shallow Chequamegon Bay to be between 55 and 65 degrees, while the deep water out in the Big Lake is in the 40s yet.
“This is such a nice time of year to be out on the water because you see so much wildlife,” Roger noted. “There are bears teaching their cubs what to eat, all kinds of deer and birds, it’s amazing.”
** Located at 2803 E. Lake Shore Drive (U.S. Highway 2) in Ashland, Anglers All is a full-service tackle and fly shop with a professional guide service for Lake Superior and area inland lakes and rivers, offering the largest selection of baits and tackle in the Chequamegon Bay area. For the most complete and up-to-date fishing report, just give them a call at Anglers All and they will gladly keep you informed!
~ Fishing guides from River Rock Inn and Bait Shop, 715/682-3232, report the following:
Anglers were out in force over the past weekend in the Ashland area for the general inland fishing opener.
“It was a nice weekend and not a bad opener,” commented Scott Bretting, owner/operator of River Rock Inn & Bait Shop. “The weather cooperated for the most part, though it got a little windy in the afternoon.”
He said there were “plenty of people out and about with a lot of activity at the boat landings.”
“As per usual, a lot of people waited until the last minute to get their fishing licenses,” he commented, “and now with this new system it does take longer, so we were pretty busy with all of that. I think we sold more licenses than bait,” he joked. “We probably did more business for the DNR than ourselves!”
“Folks were catching lots of bass and some huge northerns,” Scott continued. “The numbers are good and people are seeing some nice fish out there.”
He said anglers are fishing 10 to 15 feet down for the smallmouth bass. “It’ll be awhile before we start seeing them in the shallows.”
There are some walleyes mixed in with the bass along with some perch. Scott said those are all being caught out in the Sand Cut area of the Chequamegon Bay. He said they’re still catching sturgeon out by the Ashland lighthouse.
“Trolling has been good, but it was so windy,” Scott said. “That makes it tough to get out there.”
He said many anglers who had been fishing the tributaries switch over now to fishing Lake Superior, but “the streams are still producing some nice fish right now. And with the recent rains, that’s going to bring some new fish into those waters.”
** Stop in and see their wide variety of live bait, fishing tackle, gear, accessories, smoked fish, local cheeses, meats, and microbrews, and much more at River Rock Inn & Bait Shop, 1200 W. Lake Shore Drive (U.S. Highway 2), in Ashland. Call River Rock for the most current ice fishing report and they’ll give you the 411 on the bay area!
~ The Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-284-9484, reports:
Fishing is always a thrilling adventure in the Ashland area! Chequamegon Bay is famous for its world-class smallmouth bass fishing. The 12-mile-long bay’s rock piles and breakwater structures make for perfect bass habitat.