Good evening from the Quiet Lakes, if anglers or outdoor enthusiasts are looking to enjoy the outdoors with mild temps, next week sure looks to be a good one to pick to do that! I am seeing temps above freezing everyday during the week and a supposed high of 41 on Tuesday. Lows look to stay in the 20s, so very comfortable at night as well. I don’t really see much precipitation so that can be good or bad depending on the sport of your choice. Anglers should have safe ice just about everywhere (it’s still ice so always be aware as conditions can change) and I am hearing reports of 20-22″ pretty consistently in the area.
Walleye–The walleye bite hasn’t been on fire lately, but folks are catching them. Dead sticking and tip-ups seem to be working a little better than jigging right now as fish seem neutral/finicky. Suckers or shiners, or even fathead minnows rigged under tip-ups or on dead stick rods are helping anglers get more walleye on the ice. Look for ‘eyes in and around deeper rocks, whether near points, mid lake reefs, or steep breaking rocky shorelines. Fish anywhere from 12-20 FOW.
Pike–Pike have been active and anglers are catching them on both tip-ups and jig rods. Panfish anglers have had pike come up and take easy meals of perch, crappie, and sunfish as they have had them on the line. Work deep weed edges or edges where bays reach out into main lake basins. Suckers and shiners under tip-ups and jigging spoons in these areas can produce fish.
LMB–Anglers have found smaller largemouth in some of the same areas as panfish over the past few weeks. Deeper weed edges seem to be holding bass and anglers are having luck jigging smaller and larger spoons. Look for bass anywhere from 8-12 FOW.
SMB–No report on smallies at this time.
Crappie–Depending on the lake, crappie seem to be holding to edges in anywhere from 8-12 FOW or out suspending in basins in anywhere from 12-25 FOW. Jigs tipped with waxies/plastics/minnow heads or small spoons tipped the same way will catch crappie.
Perch–I have not heard much on any kind of sizeable perch bite, but if anglers want to catch dinks and lots of them, work transitional bottoms where hard turns to soft. Perch will be feeding on small larvae and hatches coming out of the bottom. Small jigs with plastics or waxies will work as well jigging spoons for aggressive perch.
Bluegill–Gills should be hanging on to any last weeds that may be holding oxygen in the lake. Larger bays with big weed beds may be good spots, although with ice thickness and snow cover there is almost zero light penetration to help sustain weed growth at this point in the season. Bluegill may even be pushing slightly deeper due to this and anglers should look for typical deep weed edges. Small jigs and plastics or waxies loaded on hooks will work to catch gills.
That is all I have for this week’s report. We are really going to be getting into the winter doldrums if we haven’t already as lakes have no light penetration to help with oxygen. Looks like a pretty big warm up on the way, so we will see if that changes any conditions on the lakes. Have a great weekend and we will talk soon.
Greg