Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 8/13/24
Had a rough weekend with cool weather (dropped most lake surface temps by 4-5 degrees+) and lots of wind making for trying conditions. The cooling temps took its toll, but wind was probably the toughest condition to work with. Despite that, some nice fish were caught by anglers willing to tough it out.
Bluegill: Good-Very Good – Some very nice Gills (thanks for the tip Youth Conservation Congress anglers) working deeper weed edges (10-14’). Nice fish to 9 ½”. I took the tip to a similar lake 15 miles away and scored similar results with a family of 4 on Monday. Gotta get your baits (leeches, beavertails) to keep the little ones away.
Smallmouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Wind the biggest hindrance. Drop-shotting TRD Gobyz:Crawz as well as Savage Gear DS Minnows along 14-18’ weed walls and over 18-26’ rock humps best. Fish to 21” this weekend in less than easy conditions.
Largemouth Bass: Good – Still holding in those 8-12’ cabbage beds, feeding on craws (from the looks down their tonsils). Tube jigs working on the outskirts of these beds while drop-shotting Christie Craws and fishing Wacky Worms to dig out of the deeper, thicker stuff.
Musky: Good-Fair – For one angler GREAT as Herbert Vella boated a beautiful 48” on a #9 bucktail over an isolated rock bar. Overall, it’s been large bladed bucktails over structure, rubber over open water and evenings with top-water (Fat Bastards). Bite off, but should improve with warm mid-week weather.
Walleye: Fair-Good – Took a hit with cold front, yet some deep rock fish still caught jigging and Lindy rigging redtailed chubs and crawlers in 22-30’ rock tops. The shallow bite slowed, but should pick up as minnows and young Perch return to shallows with warmer temps (8/11 hit 82 degrees).
Crappie: Fair-Good – As with Walleye, cold pushed them out of weed tops. Those that still caught Crappies found them deeper outside weeds using Charlie Brewer Sliders, Northland Crappie Thumpers and Bobby Garland Itty Bits. With water temps working back into 70’s, expect Crappies to return to higher (1-2’ below weed top) levels
Yellow Perch: Good – Still scattered about in 8-10’ cabbage flats. Medium leeches or beaver tails (small night crawlers) and medium fatheads under slip floats. Use extra weight to get bait down quickly past marauding small Gills. Try drop-shotting small crayfish imitation as that is what they are feeding on. Should improve for our brief warm up, those days best.
Northern Pike: Fair – Not as many reports, mostly anglers targeting Musky in weeds or Largemouth Bass anglers using lipless cranks over weed tops. #4 or #5 Mepps and spinnerbaits always good choices.
Forecast has highs in upper 70’s to low 80’s through Wednesday (8/14), then looks like Mother Nature is going to soak us for a couple/three days. Hopefully, the forecast doesn’t stick and we can get a good week of fishing in. can’t fret until it actually gets here.
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