Minocqua Area Fishing Report

A very nice break in the weather came over the weekend, just in time for a couple local ice derbys and before anyone got too much cabin fever.

With temps “soaring” into the 30’s Saturday (2/2) anglers headed out to the ice in force, seems the fish were glad to see the weather break also.

Crappies: Very Good – Lots of great reports as above freezing temps made tip-downs very effective. Rosie red and small fatheads on #14 trebles on tip-downs fished 2-4’ off bottom, in some areas as shallow as 14’ to as deep as 28’. Lots of slabs topped off by reports of fish to 15” this weekend. Jigging small #2 Raps, ultralight Rippin Raps (#3), Venom Inferno spoons and #2 pimples all working as fish very aggressive.

Yellow Perch: Very Good – Best over deeper mud in 18-28’ using Halis, Venom Inferno spoons, Pimples or Northland Buckshot spoons tipped with wigglers or red spikes. Tip-down anglers also reporting good success on rosie reds. Some anglers finding nicer sized Perch roaming 12-14’ depth just outside of weed edges, catching larger (11-12”+) Perch on tumbler spoons.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Flags flying as Pike action picked up. Tip-ups with big shiners or suckers. Talk about town is hot dogs on quick-set rigs – verdict still out: Oscar Meyer or Ball Park! Nice fish reported into mid 30’s. Some anglers jigging #9 Raps reporting action.

Bluegill: Good-Very Good – Fuzzy jigs (VMC, Tungsten Fly, Northland Tungsten, K:E Hackle jigs) tipped with waxie, spike or Beaver bait doing numbers. Aggressive fish not needing much coaxing, could change as weather cools, so keep those #3 tungstens handy.

Walleye: Good – For early February not bad. Action for those jigging Leech spoons, Slender spoons and #5-#7 jigging Raps good. Most tip-up anglers finding suckers and large fatheads over shiners in deeper sandgrass flats. Move to shallower edges at dusk best action in 16-22’.

Largemouth Bass: Good – Showing up on tip-ups with medium shiners. Action will slow with cold by weekend.

Most lakes averaging 24’” of ice (21 to 26”), little snow as of this writing, but that could change mid-week. Access has been excellent, though ice/rain on Monday (2/4) put crust on snow making walking a little more difficult (and a lot more noisy)

Just four weekends of the gamefish (Walleye, Pike, Bass) left, should see good ice well into March in our area, so plenty of time for panfish.

Derbys

Feb 9th – 1st Annual KISS High School Ice Fishing Tournament (Highschool teams only) – Lake Minocqua

Feb 9th – 17th Annual Plum Lake Ice Fishing Tournament – Plum Lake in Sayner

Feb 16th – 3rd Annual Rob Lemmer Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament – Lake Katherine in Hazelhurst

Feb 23rd – 6th Annual Carrol Lake Ice Fishing Tournament – Carrol Lake in Woodruff

Feb 23rd – 13th Annual Lake Tomahawk Family Fun Fisheree – Lake Tomahawk

Feb 23rd – Annual Claus Kraetke Memorial Ice Fishing Jamboree – Donners Bay Resort – Turtle Flambeau Flowage