Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 9/12/23

A nice weekend for those fortunate enough to get out on the water. Cooling night time temps with comfortable daytime. Plenty of action from many species, good weather with good fishing – can’t be beat!

These first two fish species reports, I want to thank the WISCO Bass Anglers Single Series for helping out. 37 anglers registered 182 bass with 5 fish limits. Amongst the top ten contestants averaging 2 1/2 – 3 1/2# in weight.

Smallmouth Bass: Very Good – Lots of action as the mornings warmed. Tubes, drop-shots and Ned rigs for the bulk of the action. Lots of 14-18” fish reported over the weekend with some bruisers to 21 1/2” boated. Mostly off shore humps and coontail edges, but some big fish up shallow!

Largemouth Bass: Very Good – Better as wind picked up each day. Reports of some big fish in lily pads. Fish to 5#’s. Top-water action good in shallows. Wacky Worms and jig/sweet beavers in weeds.

Bluegill: Very Good – Very nice Gills of 8-9 3/4” on crawler halves under floats in 7-9’. Mid-morning action picks up from colder early AM. Even picking up larger Gills on Crappie minnows meant for Crappies. With weeds still looking healthy, good time to capitalize on this bite!

Musky: Good-Very Good – Shallow weeds, 3-8’ working bucktails, swimbaits and top-waters (Dr. Evils, Pacemakers up front, follow up with anglers in back casting Flaptails or Hawg Wobblers). Evening, top-water best!

Yellow Perch: Good-Very Good – Lake fish relating to cabbage and wood in 6-10’. Crawlers, medium fats on 1/16 oz weedless jigs or under slip-floats. Flowage fish scattered, working woody bottoms. Same methods, fewer, but larger fish (9-12”).

Northern Pike: Good – Cooling temps getting Pike in mood to chase. Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, #3 and #4 Mepps Aglias, as well as 4” swimbaits, getting it done! Jigging or floating a big chub or sucker also nice way to spend a beautiful September afternoon.

Walleye: Good – Bite varies, but Walleyes active in both deep gravel/mud locations on Shiver Minnows and Jigging Raps, as well as working 1/8 or 1/4 oz jigs tipped with crawlers or large fatheads. Don’t give up on weeds yet. Also finding Walleyes in shallower (6-9’) weeds and wood.

Crappie: Fair-Good – Picking up as anglers targeting Crappies reporting action in afternoons casting small twisters (1&2”) on 1/32 oz & 1/16 oz jig heads. Kalin Crappie Scrubs, Mini Mites also picking up some nice slabs this weekend to 13+”!

Continued cool mornings (lows forecasted to hit 40) with mild warm ups to upper 60’s to 70 for the rest of the week should bode well. Water temps have dropped at the surface into the upper 60’s and fish activity should only improve from here out.