Minocqua area fishing report
Another week of great fishing started to slow down by Friday/Saturdaythanks to the same cloudless days, but, by Sunday (9/27) things started to pick back up and by the afternoon, good reports came back in by musky and walleye anglers.
Musky: Good-Very Good. Action that slowed by Fri/Sat picked back up as reports from anglers scoring fish on bucktails (Mogambo’s), big spinnerbaits and top water as well as the start of some sucker activity. Number 8 double bladed bucktails also produced well for anglers working weed tops on Sunday. Water temps once again have peaked at 67/68 degrees, but, will surely drop as the long range forecast shows highs of 57-62 degrees over the next ten days. When surface temps dip below 65 the sucker bite will pick up, steadily getting better as the temps drop. A 51” musky reported during lunar eclipse Sunday night (released).
Pike: Good-Very Good. Action improved even over the past week. While lots of smaller fish have been active, some very nice pike for the Northwoods (up to 34”) have been caught and released. Spinnerbaits, swimbaits and Mepps and Blue Fox Spinners are all producing. Live chubs and suckers of 4-6” on jigs or under floats are always a good choice.
Walleye: Good-Very Good. Bite has been off during high pressure days, but, nice catches otherwise once clouds and some wind come into the picture. It is a deep bite on natural lakes (between 22-38’). The larger the lake the deeper the better. Large black tail chubs, red tail chubs or suckers have been working best. Lindy rigging and vertical jigging Swedish Pimples and Jigging Rapalas also producing. Small lakes and flowages seeing better action shallower on wind swept shores of 2-6’, or out along flats adjacent to river channels of 8-14’.
Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good. Lots of action by bass taking place by anglers targeting other species on live bait. Jigging chubs or large fatheads in weeds for pike or walleye have been producing LMB. Casting spinnerbaits and swimbaits meant for Pike also working.
Smallmouth Bass: Good-Very Good. Big smallies looking to fill up are striking 4-6” chubs and suckers meant for pike. Swim baits, lipless cranks and #11 Scatter Raps worked along weed edges and drowned wood. On deep, natural lakes, drop-shot minnow imitation baits as well as creature baits fished on football jigs in 18-34’ on top of gravel humps.
Crappie: Good. Deep coontail edges on medium to larger lakes, as well as after dark with lighted slip bobbers by piers and pilings. On lakes with less depth target standing weeds using small jig/blade combos to locate loose schools, then follow up with slip-bobbers and minnows. Flowage action picking up around drowned wood using medium fatheads or ½ crawlers.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop