Minocqua Area Fishing Report

After losing a couple of inches of ice to the warmth of the previous weekend, then to Thursday’s rain, colder temps have locked up the remaining ice well (16-20” on average). This gives ice anglers reason to keep those jig poles and tip-downs out for a couple more weeks.

Crappies: Good-Very Good – Deep basin Crappies on glow jigs/spoons (pimples, Kastmasters, Cavier drops) with waxies or minnow heads over 18-24’ mud flats. Tip-downs with rosie reds also producing well. On the local flowages, which have seen water levels drop 3 ½’ since the first of March, river channels are key. Jigs that glow and tip-downs with rosies also key. For anglers working cabbage beds in bays, #8:#10 rockers tipped with white, pink, yellow or chartreus plastic. On warm days, with melt, start under ice with presentation. Tip-downs with Crappie minnows also producing very well when bite is “ON”!

Yellow Perch: Good – Best #’s over mud flats of 18-28’ using Hali, Venom on Flasch Champs to get wigglers and red spikes over mud. Lake shiners producing larger fish over sandgrass on large, deep lakes. In weedy lakes, stick to small Bluegill imitation lures (Forage Minnows or K-Rips) tipped with waxies.

Bluegills: Good – Best on warmer days with melt. #3 tungsten Fiskas tipped with piece of Beaver Tail or mousee best. Dark colored plastics of red, black, purple, motor oil – though one angler reported a nice catch of “eaters” on green.

With forecasted highs for the next week running low 30’s to low 40’s providing nice ice fishing weather, yet overnights of low teens to low 20’s, safe ice fishing should extend for a couple more weeks. Great activity, outdoors and not overly crowded!