Good morning from the Quiet Lakes, well all of the rain that was supposed to get us last weekend dropped everywhere but here.  We barely got enough to get the ground wet and the lakes are really showing this drought we are in now.  The Chip is down 3 feet, while the Quiet Lakes, Spider, Ghost, all vary but are anywhere from 1-1/2 to 2 feet down.  Moose lake seems to be holding out okay, and I have heard it is only down about 8-10″.  Looks like pleasant week in the Northwoods, with temps in the mid 70s and lows in the 40s and 50s.  “Chances of rain” Tuesday and Wednesday and lets hope we finally get a decent amount for a change!  Water temps are cooling down, which is a great sign and most lakes are showing low to mid 70s right now. Fishing has been okay overall and should continue to be.

Musky–The musky bite has been pretty good lately, as we just filled out our second chart for the year.  Bucktails, Spinner baits, and anything with blades on it seem to be working best for ‘skies right now.  Working fast moving blades over weeds or on edges should find fish.  Look for musky anywhere from 3-12 FOW right now. 

Northern Pike–Anglers are seeing pike, but they don’t seem to be as active as in years past.  Smaller inline or hairpin spinners, and any kind of smaller crankbait will catch pike this time of year.  Work baits through weed beds and around structure.  Making contact with weeds and then ripping baits to clear them off seems to trigger bites.  Anglers will find pike anywhere really from the shorelines out to the deep weed edges on whatever lake they are on.

Walleye–Still not much to report on a walleye bite, as it seems most anglers are targeting musky or panfish right now.  During these high sun/bright conditions anglers should find walleye out in basins or related to deep structure in say 15+ FOW.  Some lakes hold walleye in shallower weeds, but they can be tough to catch in the slop.  Walleye should push up into shallower water or onto the tops of structure at dusk or dark and anglers can catch them with slip bobbers and crawlers or jigs and plastics then.

LMB–Largemouth have been active and anglers have done well on mainly plastic worms.  Wacky rigged senkos really seem to be working right now and anglers are tossing them in weed beds and letting them sink and wait.  Most fish are picking them up off bottom in 6-8 FOW.  

SMB–Smallies can be anywhere right now, and in some lakes they may be in 12-20 FOW off of deep edges, while in some lakes they can be in as shallow as 3-6 FOW.  Last year in the 1st week of September I caught a tank of a smallie on a paddle tail swimbait off of a point in about 2 FOW so fish anything and everything!  Jigs and plastics are good, as well as tube jigs, or crankbaits or live bait.

Crappie/Bluegill/Perch–The panfish bite has been decent lately and anglers are finding most of the panfish related to weed beds or cover.  Crappie anglers have done well in 6-10 FOW in and around weeds, mostly catching fish on minnows or plastics.  Waxies on small jigs have been producing too.  Gills have come largely on crawlers or leaf worms, mostly just on bare hooks or jigs under a bobber or float.  Perch have been on the deepest edges of weeds or even rocky transitions that head off into the basins.  Minnows such as fatheads or tuffies have seemed to be best to catch bigger perch and keep the small ones from harassing anglers lines.  

Have a great weekend and we will talk soon.

Greg 

Category: Fishing Reports