Minocqua Area Fishing Report 8/9/21

As the first week of August passes, changes in our lakes are slight, but present. Surface temps have remained pretty consistent of late, running in the low to mid 70’s, but some sign of changes in certain weeds has been occurring and it seems to be affecting fish activity in those areas.

Smallmouth Bass: Very Good-Good – This species is least affected by weed changes at this time of year, as they are usually working deep coontail edges, sandgrass flats and off shore gravel/rock humps feeding on crayfish and, on rock humps, sculpin that use those areas. Football style jigs with creature baits or drop-shotting 3” minnow/worm or goby imitations and Ned rigging work best.

Northern Pike: Good – Stick to broad leaf (brown) cabbage or “green” narrow leaf cabbage. If weeds have a yellowing tint, less likely to hold fish. Spinner baits (Boonies, K’s) and chatter baits when wind. On very high or very low-pressure days, stick to jigging 4-6” chubs or suckers.

Largemouth Bass: Good – Evening bite good on top-water lures such as frogs, Hula Poppers, Whopper Ploppers, etc. Day time use Wacky Worms to work weed edges

Bluegills: Good – Best outside coontail edges suspended 4-6’ down on Mini-Mite, Gapen Freshwater Shrimp and small leeches suspended under floats. Poppers and flys for the last couple hours of light.

Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Best over sandgrass flats using frozen crayfish or ½ crawlers on Lindy style rigs or slip-floats.

Crappies: Fair-Good – Best along 12’ weeds or out over drowned wood/cribs using small-medium fatheads, small plastics (Crappie Scrubs) or feather jigs with tinsel. Not tight schools, so searching needed.

Musky: Fair – Anglers plying deep weed edges moving some fish. Top-water action not as productive as expected.

Walleye: Fair – Best on deeper lakes where Walleyes working sandgrass outside coontail edges in 14-20’ using full crawlers, red tails or the biggest leeches you can find.

Bullheads: Very Good! – Found a good bite and no one interested…some people!

August can get tricky. Weather has been consistent, temps good but for some reason, fishing can be tough at times. Not impossible, just not always as good as we’d like. Takes a bit of moving around, but just like me, they gotta eat sometime! (Or is that all the time?)