Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report August 12, 2013
By Steve Suman
The forecast predicts a moderately warm week ahead, with highs in the upper 70s, lows in the 50s, and a few rain showers. If skies are clear Monday and Tuesday night, peak viewing of the Perseid meteor showers is 10:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
“The last couple weeks brought cooler temperatures,” says Pat at Happy Hooker, “and water temperatures warmer than air temperatures.
“Muskie action is improving, with anglers casting crankbaits along break lines or plastics, gliders, and bucktails on weed edges. Topwaters are attracting fish at night.”
Jim at Hayward Bait says muskie anglers are catching some nice fish on bucktails, plastics, gliders, and topwaters.
“Fish weedlines, bars, and points – and do a good figure eight! The largemouth bite is good on topwaters, plastic worms, and jerkbaits.”
Guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations says muskie action is good on the Chippewa Flowage.
“Fish bars, weed beds, and weed edges with topwaters and bucktails. Prime times are mornings and evenings. On the west side, anglers are catching largemouth in the slop with weedless plastics. Crappie fishing is good with jigs and tubes on deep cribs and brush.”
At Jenk’s, Randy says Chippewa Flowage muskies are moving a bit on surface baits and bucktails on bar edges.
“Fish, largemouth bass on the west side with plastics and spinnerbaits, and smallmouth on the east side with crawlers. Catch crappies on cribs during the day and bogs in the evening with minnows, plastics, and Gulp! baits.”
Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says trout and salmon anglers are catching fish from Long Island to Outer Island.
“With water temperatures colder than normal, flat lining is producing good numbers of fish. Many successful anglers are trolling with lead core line or Dipsey Divers instead of downriggers.
“The ‘go to’ smallmouth spots remain the same – the rock pike, back of the breakwall, and tip of Long Island.”
DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter asked wardens what anglers should do if they deep-hook and injure a fish not of legal length or out of season and think the fish might die.
“It is unfortunate, and it does happen,” says DNR warden John Schreiber, “but if you keep the fish, you are in violation. A warden checking you later has no way of knowing how that fish in your livewell died.”
New Sawyer County warden Rick Peters adds, “The best thing you can do to prevent that situation from occurring is to make sure you have the right hook size for the fish you are after and pay attention to your lines.”
DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says last week’s continually changing weather kept most sport fish species in erratic feeding modes on many waters.
“Muskie action is best with stickbaits and slow-moving surface lures fished on weed edges and shallow break lines during mid-week with light boat traffic.
“Largemouth are hitting soft plastics in thick weeds and topwaters in early morning hours. Fish smallmouth on deeper woody cover and break lines with small finesse baits.”
Youth 10-17 years of age still have time to register for Hayward Bass Club’s free Youth Bass Tournament this Sunday, August 18, on the Chippewa Flowage. Club members, guides, and other experienced anglers will take the young anglers for fun, tournament-style bass fishing from 1 p.m. until the 4 p.m. weigh-in, followed by a shore lunch and awards ceremony. Register at Hayward Bait or Outdoor Creations, or email haywardbassclub@charter.net. To volunteer, contact Wayne Balsavich (715) 699-1015.
FISHING REPORT
Muskie: Muskie action is improving, but mornings and late evenings offer the best success. Concentrate on weeds and weed edges, weedlines, drop-offs, bars, break lines, and points from shallow to deep – and all points in between (sorry, just the way it is right now). Best baits include bucktails, topwaters, plastic/rubber baits, and jerk, stick, glide, and crank baits.
Walleye: Walleye catching remains a challenge, but as a friend used to say, “Ain’t no hill for a climber” (though he did not fish for walleye!) Fish are scattered from 6-25 feet on weeds and weedlines, gravel bars and drops, humps, and sunken bogs. Leeches and crawlers still work best, but a few anglers report catches on minnows. Fish live bait on jigs, slip bobbers, or live bait and spinner rigs, or troll stick and crank baits.
Northern: Northern fishing is fair to good and improving with the cooler water temperatures. Work deep weeds and weedlines in 6-18 feet of water with spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, stick, crank, buzz, and chatter baits, or try northern suckers on live bait rigs or under bobbers.
Largemouth Bass: Largemouth action is very good to excellent on most waters. Target thick weed beds, weedlines, slop, and brush/wood from extremely shallow to about 15 feet. Top baits include soft and/or weedless plastics (worms in various configurations, frogs), jerkbaits, stickbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwaters, and live bait such as crawlers, leeches, and minnows.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth fishing is good on rock bars, break lines, points, wood, and humps in 10-25 feet of water. For artificials, use plastics (worms in various riggings, frogs, Twister Tails, tubes), topwaters, crank and spinner baits. For live bait, run leeches and crawlers on Lindy Rigs and slip bobbers.
Crappie: Crappie action is good, with fish scattered and suspending over deeper water and near mid-depth and deep weeds and weedlines, brush, bogs, cribs, and humps. Crappie minnows, fatheads, waxies, plastics, tube jigs, Gulp! baits, and Beetle Spins are all putting fish in the boat. Go prepared – what works best one day might not work at all the following day.
Bluegill: Bluegill fishing is fair to good on deep weedlines, brush, and cribs in 4-18 feet of water. Look for bigger fish in the deeper water. Use waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawler chunks, leeches, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs and plain hooks (smaller than used for crappies), with or without bobbers.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 15-18: Sawyer County Fair (715-934-2721).
Aug. 17: Flambeau River State Forest ‘Fungus Among Us’ 1-5 p.m. (715-332-5271).
Aug. 17: Bonus unit-specific antlerless deer tags go on sale at noon.
Aug. 18: Hayward Bass Club free Youth Bass Tournament (715-699-1015).
Aug. 20: Deadline to transfer Class A Bear License to a youth hunter.
Aug. 24: Remaining fall turkey permits go on sale.
Through Aug. 31: Training dogs by pursuing bear (see regs for exceptions).
Sept. 1: Seasons open: Early September Canada goose (see regs); Mourning dove; Wild ginseng;
Sept. 1: Application deadline for hunters with disabilities to participate in sponsored hunt.
Sept. 4: Bear season opens (see regs).
Sept. 7: Hook-and-line lake sturgeon season opens on designated waters.
Sept. 14: Seasons open: Early archery deer; Ruffed grouse in the Zone A; Fall turkey; Gray and fox squirrel; Cottontail rabbit in northern zone; Fall crow.
Sept. 15: Early Canada goose season closes.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.