Minocqua area fishing report 10.5.11After a cold, wet and windy week, this past weekend and the coming week put us in the midst of a "Native American" summer. Temps at night, cold but daytime warm and sunny.; but we got enough cold to spur the musky bite on.
Musky: Good-Very Good. Sucker bite is picking up. Good action on suckers with Smity Quick set rigs. Fish as shallow as 4 feet to 20 feet deep- but shallow seemed to be the best; Colidens, Jerks and Twitch baits work best, water temps dug 50-56 degrees depending on the lake size. Watch for cloudy lakes as some lakes are finishing up turning over.
Walleye: Good-Improving. Deep gravel/mud transitions holding fish. Ventricle Jigs, 1/8 oz. jigs tipped with large fatheads or half of a crawler. Lindy rigs with chubs over flats of 18-28 feet.
Northern Pike: Good. Action slowed with nice weather. Slow retrive on spinnerbaits and spoons. Jigging chubs in 8-12 foot weeds is most effective.
Yellow Perch: Good. Medium fatheads, half of a crawler in mud and outside of the weed edge 12-16 feet deep.
Crappie: Good. Deep lakes anglers finding crappie at weed bases with minnow and small plastics. Flowage fish drift mud flats of 12-16 feet with minnows under floats.
Small Mouth Bass: Good. Anglers using smaller plastics or drop-shot rigs scanning. Big smallies are in 18-26 feet of water. Scalpin imitations very effective at this time.
Large Mouth Bass: Good. Fish weeds of about 8-12 feet with scentless Yum Dingers. Some action on spinnerbaits, pre-rigged plastics in afternoons as water warms.
Despite "Tourist" weather (colors hitting peak this week), fishing not bad due to drop in temps and turn-over finishing up. Looks like nice weather will stick till Sunday, highs in the low 70's will keep temps in the 50's. These next two weeks are your best bet for musky action on suckers-nice fish on Sunday from 37-46 1/2 inches reported from our guides. Suckers still hard to come by-but not as bad as last year.
Kurt Justice
Kurt's Island Sport Shop
www.kurtsislandsports.com
