Minocqua Area Fishing Report 8-25

Minocqua Area Fishing Report 8/25

A slow roll into the fall season as of August 24th! Mild highs in the mid 70s followed by nights in the 50s. Water temps are slowly dropping, with most lakes in the 71-72o range and a few early morning surface temps at 69o. Have not seen much for sugar maples turning, though a few poplar trees are.

Largemouth Bass:  Good –  Action falling off a little. Still good for evening top-water and midday working weed tops with 3 ½” swimbaits or pre-rigged plastic worms. Sunny days around boat houses with wacky worms and urchins pitched up in the shade.

Bluegill:  Good-Very Good – Gills seem to be everywhere! While fishing deep weed edges using crawlers or leeches for walleyes in 20-24’ of water- you’ll find gills! Up in 7-12’ cabbage, gills are taking small plastics and under spins (Charlie Bees) meant for crappies. Good catches of nice “eaters” 7 ½” plus!

Smallmouth Bass:  Good – Key on rock bars in 18-28’ using drop-shot rigs or football jigs dressed with creature plastics. Also along coontail edges of 14-18’ using Ned rigs or more drop-shots with 3” minnow or craw imitations and urchins.

Northern Pike:  Good – Bladed spinners and chatter baits as well as 4” swimbaits worked just at weed top level to a foot or two below. High-pressure days, go with a weedless jig and a lively black chub of 4-5” to entice strikes.

Yellow Perch:  Good-Fair – Still finding some nice perch in 8’ cabbage. Mud flats outside weed edges in 12-16’ as well as amongst drowned wood. Beavertails, ½ crawlers, or medium leeches and fatheads. 

Musky:  Good-Fair – Reports improving as more anglers are heading out with waters cooling- Bucktails by far have been the best over and along weed beds. Rubber for the offshore anglers and a decent topwater bite for the evening thrill seekers!

Walleye:  Good-Fair – Had some ups and downs, but the ups were very good working full crawlers or medium redtails outside coontail edges in 20-24’ over mud. Also picking up nice walleyes at same depths over rocks. Bright days and east winds slowed action to just smaller fish. You could mark ‘em, but just couldn’t get ‘em to bite.

Crappie:  Good-Fair – Fewer reports with some anglers finding crappies moving out of weeds and suspending at times along coontail edges of 14-18’. Small plastics (Kalin crappie scrubs, B. Garland Itty Bit, Slab Hunters, and 1 ½” Power Bait tubes) as well as slip floats with small to medium fatheads.

Daily weather seems to have had the most effect on bites. Some days have been way better than others. As water slowly cools, we should see some set-up for better flowage bites. While turn-over is a long way off, change in the amount of light will push some weeds to start showing signs of dying back. Water levels are low on lakes as well as flowages, so check before launching as some accesses are becoming a bit difficult!

Pic 1 -Logan D. of Minocqua with a HUMONGOUS  7# Largemouth  Bass! Fish of the YEAR!

Pic 2-Pat with a Slab Crappie!

Pic 3-Leo's grandfather John of Grafton, Wi. with a smaller than Leo's Largemouth  Bass!