Minocqua Area Fishing Report

What’s typical for weather these days? Who knows! Temps in the early morning in the low 40’s, highs by next week reaching 90. Another major Mayfly hatch on the Willow Flowage……in July! Tough to figure out a pattern. Morning colds this past week held bites back until mid-morning, high pressure on some days held bites back ALL DAY (it seemed).

Largemouth Bass: Good – Best towards evenings on top water baits (Whopper Ploppers, Spooks, Frogs) as mornings were tough during cold nights. Wacky worms on weedless hooks bet during the daytime, fished in the thick of the weeds, down low.

Northern Pike: Good – When not able to pick up on spinner baits or Mepps #3’s or #4’s due to cold, slowly working a 4” chub or sucker through the bottom of 8-12’ cabbage best. Live bait best option when fish not chasing.

Bluegills: Good – Like LMB, best in late afternoon or early evenings as surface temps hit their warmest. Small leeches, worms for live bait Poppers and small flies fun for the evening bite.

Smallmouth Bass: Good-Fair – Evenings have been best. May be high pressure system of late, but mornings and days are tough. Drop-shot humps of 18-25/ using 3” Gulp Alive minnow or 3/8 oz football jogs with creatures.

Musky: Fair – Some anglers opted out of targeting musky on very warm evenings. Careful when surface temps hit upper 70’s! Top water good during low light periods, swim baits and long deep coontail also productive.

Crappies: Fair – Fish very scattered right now. A fish here and there pitching to boathouses and bog edges! Evenings best along west shores as shadows grow.

Yellow Perch: Fair – Mostly incidental catches while targeting crappies or walleys.

Walleye: Fair – Mornings Awful! Best towards evenings. Leeches and crawlers over humps off shore in 14-20’. Redtails for weeds in lakes where deep water not as prevalent.

Been an off week with the unseasonable cold night. Saw some lakes lose 8 degrees or more of surface temps. Warming back up slowly; have a one day cold coming in Thursday (7/15) followed by heat. Hopefully getting things back to normal.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sport Shop

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