Minocqua Area Fishing Report
A week of very unstable weather for July. Cold mornings (low 50’s), small fronts and rain with lightning slowed fish activity. The weather and the bites were all inconsistent.
Northern Pike: Good-Fair – Cooler temps seem to improve the bite at times, but, usually later in the mornings. Working Boonie Bait spinner baits over cabbage flats of 4-9’ worked best, but one really good morning would be followed by a couple not so good.
Bluegill: Good-Fair – Scattered in depth from 2’-20’. Coontail edges of 14-18’ best, but don’t expect all nice Gills, as little Gills patrolling these areas ripping up crawlers and leeches meant for bigger game.
Largemouth Bass: Good-Fair – Action slower than its been most of the summer. Some nice fish of 18-20“, but not nearly the action. Heavy cabbage for some, but better along deep edges using Tokyo rigs or Carolina rigging craw imitations.
Smallmouth Bass: Fair – Deep coontail edges and over sandgrass flats. Drop-shotting 3” minnow or craw imitations.
Musky: Fair – Bucktails best, the cooler mornings and unstable weather may have been the cause for less top-water action.
Crappie: Fair – Not a lot of consistent reports this past week. Few fish here and there.
Yellow Perch: Fair – Same as Crappies
Walleye: Fair-Poor – A few nice fish, mainly along deep coontail edges on crawlers and leeches, very inconsistent.
Water temps in the 72-75 degree range, looks like some very stable weather this week. May start to help pattern fish. The past week almost seemed like late August when waters cool (which they did) and weeds start to die back (which they didn’t). Slow down may have been after effect of such a hot late June/Early July.