Minocqua Area Fishing Report
After another week of cold mornings and mild afternoons, it looks like the coming week should level off to more moderate temps. A stretch of relatively stable weather with highs in the low to mid 70’s every day is coming this week. That stability should help anglers pattern their favorite species.
Pike: Good. Action is picking up nicely, but, for the most part smaller fish reported. Jig and chubs meant for weed walleyes are accounting for most of the action. Those targeting pike are doing well rigging 3” paddle tailed minnows or 3-4” twister tail grubs on 1/8 or 1 /4 oz jigs and worked in weed tops high in the water of 6-10’.
Crappies: Good. Few reports of spawning fish. Those in the shallows being caught on traditional bobber/minnow combinations. Fish outside these areas using 1/32 to 1/16oz jig/plastic combo’s (Northland Thumpers and Charlie Bee’s doing well with the added flash of the small blade). Crappies found deeper than 10’ require some vertical techniques using jig with plastic or minnows and slip-bobbers to hold the bait at proper levels.
Smallmouth Bass: Good. They are staging in many lakes, but should move up this coming week if they haven’t already. Casting suspending twitch baits outside spawning areas in 8-14’ has been the hottest technique. Try X-Raps, Shadow Rap (new) as well as Husky Jerks and Rattlin’ Rogues. On the warmest of afternoons, top water baits also working.
Walleyes: Good. The best times to fish this past week were afternoons and evenings. Cold mornings put a clamp on most bites. It is still a strong minnow bite for the most part, but, leeches are starting to come into play. Casting lipless cranks over shallow sand/weed bars (Rattle Traps, Rattlin’ Raps) scoring fewer, but larger average size.
Bluegills: Good. They have been seen moving into shallow on warm afternoons. Most action has been on worms, small leeches and thunderbugs.
Perch: Good. Best action in the afternoons. With dragonfly hatches sprouting up, thunderbugs (dragonfly larvae) is an excellent choice on small thin wire hook below slip floats.
Largemouth: Good. Go slow in the morning with plastics (Wacky worms, creature baits) then pick up the pace in the afternoons on shallow running cranks or light spinnerbaits.
Musky: Fair. Fishing slowly has been best. Bucktails by far have been most effective, but bites hard to come by. Use soft bodied plastic bait as throw-back lure if followers won’t commit to bucktails.
With such extremes in temps this past week (lows in upper 20’s, highs just cracking 80’s) and mixing wind, no wind, rain then cloudless skies, the stability of this coming week will be welcomed.
Most lakes have surface temps in the low to mid 60’s thanks to a few hot days last week. Smallmouth Bass (catch and release until June 20th) and Bluegills should dominate action reports in the coming weeks.
Kurt
Island Sportshop
Minocqua, Wi 54548