Minocqua Fishing Report 7-2-2012
By Professional Guide Kurt Justice
Heat and high pressure (with the occasional lightning storm thrown in) has made midday fishing rather miserable. No problem, the fish aren’t biting then anyway. The best has been very early in the A.M. (sometimes bite over by 6:30-7) or towards dusk. Fish being caught, but window of opportunity sometimes small.
Walleye: Good. But... it’s very important to fish early (pre-dawn till 7AM) or late. Deep, large lakes best. Jumbo leeches on lighted slip-bobbers accounting for best catches. Crawlers on jigs or drifted on crawler harnesses over off shore humps. Flowages giving up some fish on leeches and crawlers, but anglers have to work for them.
Musky: Good. Evenings best. Topwater time. Pacemakers, Whopper Ploppers and Creepers, last hour till after dark. Bucktails during day- work quick.
Northern Pike: Good. Casting Boonie Baits, shallow Shad Raps, Chatterbaits over weed flats. Soaking & big sucker under a float also good.
Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good. Inside weed lines at dawn and towards dusk. Plastic frogs, mice, etc. towards dusk around lily pads & emergent weeds. Buzz baits also good action. At dawn, smaller x-raps, husky jerks and torpedoes. During mid-morning through the day jig and pig/creature (chompers skirted grubs), plastic craws served Carolina style and pre-rigged plastic worms scoring well. 1/8 oz jig and 4” worms, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits worth a go.
Smallmouth Bass: Good-Very Good. Lots of smallies relating to deeper weed edges of 14-18’. Wacky worming with Yum Dingers and senkos and 2 ½-3” Gulp! Minnows as well as leeches on jigs. 30-40+ fish days with nice fish to 20” early and late in the days.
Bluegills: Good. Especially in the evening on poppers. Small leeches worms, waxies and Gulp Alive fish fry also good. Shallow weeds seen to be holding good #’s surprisingly with the kind of heat we’ve had.
Perch: Good. Action heating up, work 8-12’ weeds with medium fatheads on leeches. Frozen soft shell crayfish tails for big perch over sandgrass flats in 14-20’.
Crappie: Fair. Some very big slabs (14+”) being caught by anglers using small crankbaits, spinnerbaits meant for bass. Find deep wood to catch crappies using minnows on small hair jigs in 12-18’.
Water temps surge in afternoons with cloudless skies and no wind. Night time cools, but overall most lakes recording surface temps in the mid to upper 70’s. During such warm spells handle fish as little as possible and get them back in the water. For fish you planning to eat, keep alive as long as possible and ice them down. Take care to keep bait cool and well aerated also.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com