Minocqua area fishing report 7.27.10 Weather finally stabilized some up here. The rain that was forecasted for all last week didnt make it (sorry Milwawkee). Fish responded better, especially the bass and panfish, to the consistent weather.
Largemouth Bass: Very Good. Lake type and time of day dietating what to use. Top water HOT!! plastic frogs in the slop, Jitterbugs, Spooks along shallow weed edges, Nice LMB to 20" this week on surface, early AM and dusk. During day, start with fast moving Crawks (Rattle Traps, Shallow Shad Raps), Spinners (#3 Mepps Aglia) on Spinnerbaits (Boonie Baits) over 6-8' weed flats. Once detron slows, plunk pockets with Jenkos, Yum Dinkers set wacky style. Jig and Pig combos , 7" plastic worms rigged Tekas style and Wolly Bugs also addictive.
Bluegills: Very Good. Responding very will to stable weather. Fish 8 to as deep as 14',suspended small leeches, worms on jig, tiny plastics. Look for suspended gills starting to move to outside weed edges.
Smallmouth Bass: Good. Tubes (3") on 1/8 oz - 1/4oz heads worked off gravel bars and along coontail edges of 14-18'. Big leeches on 1/16 - 1/8 oz plain jig heads as well as frozed soft shells accounting for big smallies to 21" this past week. #7 Shad Raps worked over 10-12' short (sandgrass) flats in crawfish patterns deadly.
Musky: Good. Best day times action on Bucktails (fluted blades) over 6-10' cabbage beds. On lakes with Cisco, counting down big rubber baits (Meddusas, Bulldawgs) best. At dusk and after dark, top water lures moving fish. Pacemakers, Top Raiders, Tallywackers type baits worked fainly shallow (10 to as little as 3') best.
Crappies: Good. Setting up in deep water cabbage beds of 10-14'. Work tiny Gapon, Freshwater shrimp, 1" Twistertails on 1/22 or jigs to locate fish. Small floats suspending small minnows 2' from surface catching lots of nice 10-11" eaters with a few 13-14" slabs thrown in.
Northern Pike: Good. Spinnerbaits (Boonies), Chatterbaits and Shallow Shad Raps getting good response from pike in 6-10' weeds. #3 or #4 Mepps also effective, gold, orange, and brass blades best. Jig chubs in same weeds if bite slow.
Yellow Perch: Good. Most reports of eaters (8-9") with some nice 10" plus fish on Minocqua Chain. Frozen soft shells best over deep sandgrass for large fish. Medium leeches, 1/2 crawler in 8-12' weeds on most bodies of water.
Walleye: Fair. Tough mid-summer bite. Crawlers best on light jigs or drift spinner rigs along hump breaks in 18-24'. Dawn and Dusk best.
Witnessed a lot of evidence of fish eating crayfish (Bass regurgitating, and in Pike AND Walleyes in fish house). Seems earlier than usual (typically I see Smallies and Walleyes feeding on solf shells heavily in late August). For what ever reason use this to your advantage. This week be it artificial lure profile, color(orange, brown) or scent (artificial spray or even just crawlers) to entree any these species.
Kurt Justice
Kurt's Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com
