Minocqua area fishing report
Stable weather has helped keep the early ice bite going. The early morning temperatures have been 14-17 degrees, which is warm in relation to the sub-zero morning temps we've been getting.
Walleye: Very good to excellent. Limits of walleyes coming from late afternoon to early evening bites on Minocqua Chain, Big Arb, Muskellunge, Katherine. Tip-ups with walleye suckers best, but on certain lakes shiners better. Best sized fish (to 26") coming from anglers using jigging rappalas, chubby darters.
Northern Pike: Very good. Numbers and size. Large shiners or suckers producing good pike in the 30-36" range. Mid morning best on cold mornings while dawn better on warmer mornings. Bays with standing weeds and panfish in 7-10' best.
Crappies: Very good. Bite back on after slowing mid week (due to largemouth bass invasion). Tip-downs baited with crappie minnows best (also producing bonus walleyes, pike and LMB). They seem to prefer meat, but some anglers also scoring well on plastic.
Largemouth Bass: Very good. Rare inclusion on a winter fishing report, but too many bass being caught to ignore. Shiners on tip-ups, but shaking buckshot spoons also hot.
Bluegill: Fair to Good. Many standard lakes not producing (such Allequash, Madelien) but enough action on bays of larger lakes to make worth while. Moussees, waxies, plastic on #10 Marmooskas and Ratsos.
Yellow Perch: Good. Not as many reports due to good gamefishing, but anglers sticking to 6-8' weeds finding nice 7-9" perch with the occassional 10-11"ers on #2 Swedish Pimples or small Northland Forage minnows.
Warm weather (high 20's to low 30's) won't help make more ice, but will make for great fishing conditions. Ice average of 10-12".
Kurt Justice
Kurts Island Sports
www.kurtsislandsports.com
