Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Maybe it’s based on how great things have been, lots of anglers on the ice, lower than normal barometer or just an ice fishing hangover! Fishing slowed some this past weekend. Anglers reporting having to work a little harder for the fish they did catch, but catching has continued! With ice thickness on average of 11-13”and only a couple inches of snow on ice, travel by foot, sno-mo or ATV excellent. Can’t recommend truck travel yet, even though it’s being done.

Walleye: Good – Anglers working off shore humps jigging 13 Fishing Majic Mans, Hyper Rattles, Slab Raps and jigging Raps. Scoring fish during the early morning hours and dusk to just after period. Suckers on tip-downs best on these areas while those working 6-12’ weeds at dusk reporting better success on shiners.

Crappies: Good – Weed anglers still finding Crappies in 10-12’ narrow leaf cabbage using Lethal Cecils and Rockers to present plastics and beavertail to fish. Crappie minnows on tip-downs still producing well both there and on mud basin fish in 14-22’ while working Venom Inferno jigs and sling blade jigs tipped with waxies.

Bluegill: Good – Ice anglers getting good results using Clam Dingle Drop and Swirl Drop jigs tipped with mousees in 6-10’ cabbage pockets. Tungsten jig flys offered in a slow drop also a good way to tempt reluctant biters.

Northern Pike: Good – Some very good-sized Pike reported this past weekend, fish to 39” on big shiners over weed tops of 6’ in 12-16’ of water. Smaller Pike active in flats of 6-10’, river shiners and goldens best.

Yellow Perch: Good – Have to search to find active fish. In weeds K-Rips and T-Rips tipped with waxies. Work bait aggressively to attract attention, then hold bait still once an audience arrives. Over mud flats Hali jigs, Kastmasters D-Chain tipped with wigglers or red spikes doing the trick. Tip-downs baited with small rosies or a large wiggler on a #16 treble upping the odds.

Largemouth Bass: Good – Most anglers picking up Bass on tip-ups using medium shiners. Jigging a #3 pimple tipped with a minnow head also producing.

Forecasted temps seem to be holding steady this week, the dreaded “Polar Vortex” to arrive on Sunday with lows in the low teens to highs in low 20’s (it is winter here) shouldn’t be as drastic as predicted. Some more cold to build another 2-3” of ice would make truck travel better. Overall, it’s been an incredible ice season so far.