Minocqua area fishing report 7.20.11First a cool down, then a heat wave. Last weeks fine fishing took a hit when water temps first dipped 5 degrees overnight, then shot up with the heat. Humidity and heat are making it hard to stay on the water mid-day. Very early mornings and dusk (literally) and after dark best.
Largemouth Bass: Good-Very good. Early find these fish tight to shore feeding on minnows, crayfish, smaller x-raps and Husky Jerfks as well as 3" twisters on 1/16 oz jig heads. Later in day, plunge Texas style with creature baits or Wooly Bugs to pick fish out of pockets. Top water frog action is HOT in the evenings.
Smallmouth Bass: Good. Moving out to summer haunts. Tubes, football jigs with creature baits or plastic craws and drop-shotting 3" trick worms or 3" Gulp minnows effective over 18-26' sandgrass or gravel.
Bluegills: Good. Aggressively taking Thunderbugs, small leeches, mini-mite jigs. Nicer gills out away from coontail edges on clear lakes in 14-18' of water.
Musky: Good. Top-water action best at dusk and after dark. Pacemakers, Whopper-Ploppers, Creepers. Bucktails -- burn them quick to entice some action.
Perch: Good. Thunderbugs, medium leeches, 1/2 crawlers. Search out pocket in weed beds of 7-12'. Either vertical jig or use slip-floats.
Walleye: Fair. This species seems hardest hit by all the change in weather. Very early or very late best. Big leeches on jigs or below floats. Of note, a beautiful 32", 12# walleye was boated after dark by a female musky hunter using a Depth Raider.
Pike: Fair-Good. Best action on bladed baits - Mepps #3, #4 and Mepps Comets, also Boonie Bait spinnerbait worked over weed tops in 7-12'. Chubs and suckers working well, just be sure to keep cool and aerated in this heat.
Crappie: Fair. Best reports from anglers locating crappies in 18-20' and SLOW dropping 2" twister tail on tiny 1/80 oz jigs. These fish suspending off of deep coontail edges.
Topwater anglers enjoying success for gills, LMB and Muskies. Walleye, SMB and crappie anglers forced to fish deeper. Storms due to heat in afternoons keeping anglers off water as much as heat. The weekend is looking better for weather.
Kurt Justice
Kurt's Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com
