Minocqua area fishing report 8.16.11 An ever so slight cool down this past week seems to have slowed the fishing down a bit. On some lakes the shallows seem devoid of panfish. Monday night (8/15) stayed warm and fishing improved. While a few species (walleye, crappies, pike) seemed harder to find, bass (both Largemouth and Smallmouth) and musky seemed to stay good.
Smallmouth Bass: Good to very good. Work deep sandgrass flats or gravel humps. Most action in 20-30' depths. Drop-shoting plastic craws (Yum, Craw Pappis), worms (Chompers, 4" Drop shot worms) and minnows (Berkely Power minnows). Jig and creature, tubes and live leeches also effective. Area guide Paul Habram lead clients to 22" and 23" Smallmouth this week.
Largemouth Bass: Good to very good. Deeper weeds and edges. Tubes, wacky worms, creature baits. Find Largemouth Bass cruising shallows at early am, switch to deep weeds by mid morning, then go top-water frogs on these warming nights.
Musky: Good. Best towards evening on top-water. Tail baits (Tally Wackers, Pacemakers, Whopper Ploppers) during last hour of light through the dark. Work shallow flats in 6-10'
Bluegills: Good. Mornings have been slow, but will pick up with warmer nights. Small leeches, beavertails and tiny jigs work deep weeds, wood for larger fish.
Perch: Good. Live bait (leeches, minnows, 1/2 crawlers) in 6-12' weed pockets.
Pike: Fair. Slowed action with high pressure and cool mornings. Should pick up with warm up. Use chubs or suckers for inactive fish.
Crappies: Poor. Few reports.
Walleye: Poor. Though a few large walleyes have been caught this past week (25-27"), most by anglers targeting smallmouth on deep rocks with big leeches.
The lack of panfish in the shallows so early in August seems odd. Surface temps dropped to average of 69-71 degrees but have now risen to seventy two degree average. Best bite is during evening.
Kurt Justice
Kurt's Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com
