Minocqua Area Fishing Report March 5th 2024
The inland gamefish season is over! The warm winter of 23/24 continues to confound anglers with unseasonably warm weather and ice thickness far less than we've ever seen at this time of year. Temps in the '50s and even '60s followed by Lows in the Sub-Zero range this past week made ice safety a real concern. As of this writing March 5th ice is still good on most lakes averaging 8 to 10 in thick but access to the good ice is deteriorating.
Use caution anywhere you are ice fishing from here on out. Access with Southern or Southeastern exposures are the first to pull away. Northern exposures those with South shores that get the least sun hold ice the longest.
It was a better than usual last weekend of the game fish season. Nice catches of walleye to 26" in Northern Pike 36 to 37" reported and largemouth bass several of the 18 to 20 inch kind were caught and released.
Thanks to the teams for Winneconne Neenah, Slinger Kettle Moraine and Rosholt for helping gather such great reports during our 6th annual K.I.S.S. High School ice fishing tournament this past Saturday, great anglers and great sports people!
Crappies. Very good
Best bite very early morning from dawn till 8:30 a.m. then again in the late afternoons. Basin fishing shined on tip downs using small fathead minnows or roses. Flashy jigs or spoons such as pinheads and Tika flashes produced best tipped with wax worms. For shallower anglers, 8 to 13 ft weeds while slow dropping lightweight spoons tipped with waxes or plastics plenty of nice 10 to 12 inch fish with lots of slabs of 13 to 14 in being caught.
Bluegills. Very good
Early morning through mid-morning and again mid-afternoon till dusk. Nice gills in the seven to nine and a half inch range with averages of 7 to 8 in 3 mm tungsten jigs tipped with waxes or mouses or plastics to invest. Jigs with hair on seem to also convince the hesitant biters. While weeds and six to 10 ft seem to best reports of larger gills 8 and 1/2 to 10 in coming from over deeper water of 14 to 18 ft.
Yellow perch. Good to very good
Mud bite just outside weeds in 14 to 18 ft using spoons such as pimples, kastmasters to deliver wigglers or red spikes best. Nice eaters in that 8:10 range just a few reports of larger fish.
Having checked ice this morning March 5th my guess is there will be opportunities throughout portions of the Northwoods to ice fish through the upcoming weekend.
Walking only use creepers take safety spikes where flotation and take a friend. Be very careful travel light. We will continue to monitor the ice this week so check our Facebook page and website for updates.