Minocqua Area Fishing Report 8-27-2013
Heat and rains have brought water levels up both in temp and inches the past few days. Surface temps are ranging in the mid to upper 70’s on many lakes due to the unseasonably warm weather. With rains and storms blowing in since Sunday night, dumping almost another 5” of rain to the Lakeland area. The warmer temps have boded well for anglers.
Largemouth Bass: Very good. Topwater is HOT! Anglers are catching lots of fish on plastic frogs, Jitterbugs, Top-Props and Pop-R style baits. Evenings are best, but warm early mornings producing big bass in the 4-5# range. Buzz baits, spinnerbaits and pre-rigged plastic worms producing. Little need for finesse this week.
Musky: Very good. Top-water action is good even on cloudy mid-days. Warm water has muskies chasing with fast moving bucktails, plastic and crankbaits scoring nice fish of 38-45” this past week. A 47” C & R on a live minnow.
Bluegill: Very good. Loving this warm water, gills actively feeding. Casting small jigs, jig/spin combos. Small leeches hard to resist. Lots of catches with gills to 10+” this week around drowned wood, cribs in 8-12’.
Walleye: Good. While most of the better action is on deep rocks using crawlers or big leeches, eater action is coming from weeds in 8-12’ depths on cloudy days. Night bite good along same areas (tops of rock bars best) using big leeches and lighted slip-bobbers.
Pike: good. Best on Boonie Baits and Chatterbaits as fish moving quickly to attack lures. Chubs and suckers on jigs good follow up. Rubber fish imitation of 3-5” on jigs also good.
Smallmouth Bass: Good. Improving with the heat. Concentrating more on rock/gravel humps. Drop-shotting plastic craws, 3” worms. Wacky worming 4” Senkos as well as 1/8-1/4 oz jigs with big leeches (live or Gulp).
Perch: good. Warm weather bringing out activity. Frozen soft-shells, ½ crawlers or medium leeches on slip-floats. Big fish this week to 13”, work deep wood cribs or wood/weed combos.
Crappies: Good. Scattered around weeds of 8-12’. Taking mini-mites, Charlie Bees, 1/32 oz Mr. Twister, Beetle Spins. Work high in weed tops to locate active crappies, come back with minnows and floats.
Gonna be a warm weekend on forecast. Fish early and late in the day. Many lakes do not have as much algae as usual due to the cool summer. New warm front has been helpful to anglers.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com