Hayward Lakes Sherry
07-13-2009, 12:12 PM
July 13, 2009
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
The need for precipitation continues to be the big story in the north woods, though cool fronts continue to arrive ... and affect fishing success.
Pat at Happy Hooker says fishing is good in general, however, and even improving in some cases.
“Anglers should remember many fish feed during low light periods, and some of the best opportunities are early and late hours, and when it’s cloudy. Think ‘cover’ during the sunniest part of the day and you will do well locating fish.”
DNR fisheries biologist Frank Pratt says the lack of rain is having adverse effects on the Namekagon River.
“Last week the river hit 80 degrees three days in a row – even with air temperatures less than 90 degrees – and last Thursday the river dropped to an all-time low flow of 49 cubic feet per second.”
The 36th Annual Honor the Earth Pow-wow, the largest gathering of its kind in North America, is this week, July 17-19, on the LCO Pow-wow grounds. Each year, thousands of people join in the authentic tribal experience and celebration of traditional Native American music, dancing, crafts, and foods.
Birchwood – The Bluegill Capital of Wisconsin – hosts its Birchwood Bluegill Festival July 17-19, with a fishing contest, parade, softball tournament, live music, queen’s dance, kid’s games, food, beer tent, fish feed, and more.
Don’t miss the 50th Annual Lumberjack World Championships July 24-26, when the world’s best lumberjack athletes compete to determine the world’s best of the best. Preliminaries are Friday and Saturday, and the finals Sunday. Watch the always-popular Dockdogs Competition each day, just prior to Friday’s opening ceremonies and the start of competition Saturday and Sunday, and during intermissions.
Muskies:
Musky anglers are seeing quite a few fish, but fish are not aggressively hitting baits. Early morning and later evening hours continue to be the most productive. Work bucktails, jerkbaits, plastics, and topwaters around weeds, structure, points and bars, and vary your retrieve speed.
Walleye:
Walleye action is consistently inconsistent, but anglers are catching fish. You can improve your chances by fishing in late evening or very early morning. (Drag you carcass out of bed and be on the water before first light – you can nap later.) If you must fish during the day, hope for overcast skies. Walleyes are scattered from shallow to deep, near weeds or rocks, over mud flats, on the bottom, suspending over deep water, and in river channels. Should be easy to find, no? No. A leech is still the best bait, but crawlers, minnows, and trolled crank and stick baits are also working.
Northern:
Northern pike fishing is good to excellent, depending on the day and water fished. They are near and on the edges of deeper weed lines and bars in 6-18 feet of water. Spoons, spinners, spinner, crank and stick baits, and northern suckers will all catch pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth fishing is excellent – and they hit all day long. The bass are holding in and around shallow water weeds, lily pads, slop, and brush, docks and swimming platforms, and on deeper weed edges down to about 18 feet. They are aggressive and taking a wide variety of lures, from spinner, crank, and buzz baits, to plastic frogs, large poppers, and other topwater offerings, to imitation worms and other plastics.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth fishing is very good. As a rule, you will find them deeper than largemouth, but any depths from 4-25 feet could hold smallmouth. Look for areas with rock, weeds, or wood – particularly points and bars. Live bait is always an option, but you can catch just as many fish on tube jigs (especially crawfish colors), spinner and crank baits, plastics, and topwaters.
Crappie:
Crappies are offering mixed success, depending on the day ... and if you can locate them. Look for fish in 6-18 feet or deeper water, around weeds and weed edges, wood, and cribs, as well as suspending fish. It is difficult to beat crappie minnows under slip bobbers, but don’t overlook waxies, crawlers and leeches for live bait. Use plastics, spinners, and topwater baits if you prefer artificials.
Bluegill:
Bluegills are done spawning on most waters, though some fish caught still contain eggs, but action continues to be very good. Concentrate on shallower water weeds, wood, and cribs with the normal panfish baits of waxies, leaf worms, worms, crawler chunks, and small leeches. Minnows can be very good for larger ‘gills, and topwater baits and poppers offer great fun this time of year.
Upcoming Events
July 15: Turtle season opens statewide. (See regs.)
July 17-19: 36th Annual Honor the Earth Pow-wow (715-634-8924.)
July 17-19: Birchwood Bluegill Festival (800-236-2252.)
July 24-26: 50th Annual Lumberjack World Championships (715-634-2484.)
Through July 31: Illegal to run dogs on WPA lands. (See regs.)
Aug. 1: Application Deadlines: Fall turkey; Sharp-tailed grouse; Bobcat; Otter; Fisher; Horicon and Collins goose zones.
Through Aug. 31: Training dogs by pursuing bear allowed. (See regs.)
For more information on area events and activities, see the Calendar of Events, visit Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau, or call 1-800-724-2992.
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
The need for precipitation continues to be the big story in the north woods, though cool fronts continue to arrive ... and affect fishing success.
Pat at Happy Hooker says fishing is good in general, however, and even improving in some cases.
“Anglers should remember many fish feed during low light periods, and some of the best opportunities are early and late hours, and when it’s cloudy. Think ‘cover’ during the sunniest part of the day and you will do well locating fish.”
DNR fisheries biologist Frank Pratt says the lack of rain is having adverse effects on the Namekagon River.
“Last week the river hit 80 degrees three days in a row – even with air temperatures less than 90 degrees – and last Thursday the river dropped to an all-time low flow of 49 cubic feet per second.”
The 36th Annual Honor the Earth Pow-wow, the largest gathering of its kind in North America, is this week, July 17-19, on the LCO Pow-wow grounds. Each year, thousands of people join in the authentic tribal experience and celebration of traditional Native American music, dancing, crafts, and foods.
Birchwood – The Bluegill Capital of Wisconsin – hosts its Birchwood Bluegill Festival July 17-19, with a fishing contest, parade, softball tournament, live music, queen’s dance, kid’s games, food, beer tent, fish feed, and more.
Don’t miss the 50th Annual Lumberjack World Championships July 24-26, when the world’s best lumberjack athletes compete to determine the world’s best of the best. Preliminaries are Friday and Saturday, and the finals Sunday. Watch the always-popular Dockdogs Competition each day, just prior to Friday’s opening ceremonies and the start of competition Saturday and Sunday, and during intermissions.
Muskies:
Musky anglers are seeing quite a few fish, but fish are not aggressively hitting baits. Early morning and later evening hours continue to be the most productive. Work bucktails, jerkbaits, plastics, and topwaters around weeds, structure, points and bars, and vary your retrieve speed.
Walleye:
Walleye action is consistently inconsistent, but anglers are catching fish. You can improve your chances by fishing in late evening or very early morning. (Drag you carcass out of bed and be on the water before first light – you can nap later.) If you must fish during the day, hope for overcast skies. Walleyes are scattered from shallow to deep, near weeds or rocks, over mud flats, on the bottom, suspending over deep water, and in river channels. Should be easy to find, no? No. A leech is still the best bait, but crawlers, minnows, and trolled crank and stick baits are also working.
Northern:
Northern pike fishing is good to excellent, depending on the day and water fished. They are near and on the edges of deeper weed lines and bars in 6-18 feet of water. Spoons, spinners, spinner, crank and stick baits, and northern suckers will all catch pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth fishing is excellent – and they hit all day long. The bass are holding in and around shallow water weeds, lily pads, slop, and brush, docks and swimming platforms, and on deeper weed edges down to about 18 feet. They are aggressive and taking a wide variety of lures, from spinner, crank, and buzz baits, to plastic frogs, large poppers, and other topwater offerings, to imitation worms and other plastics.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth fishing is very good. As a rule, you will find them deeper than largemouth, but any depths from 4-25 feet could hold smallmouth. Look for areas with rock, weeds, or wood – particularly points and bars. Live bait is always an option, but you can catch just as many fish on tube jigs (especially crawfish colors), spinner and crank baits, plastics, and topwaters.
Crappie:
Crappies are offering mixed success, depending on the day ... and if you can locate them. Look for fish in 6-18 feet or deeper water, around weeds and weed edges, wood, and cribs, as well as suspending fish. It is difficult to beat crappie minnows under slip bobbers, but don’t overlook waxies, crawlers and leeches for live bait. Use plastics, spinners, and topwater baits if you prefer artificials.
Bluegill:
Bluegills are done spawning on most waters, though some fish caught still contain eggs, but action continues to be very good. Concentrate on shallower water weeds, wood, and cribs with the normal panfish baits of waxies, leaf worms, worms, crawler chunks, and small leeches. Minnows can be very good for larger ‘gills, and topwater baits and poppers offer great fun this time of year.
Upcoming Events
July 15: Turtle season opens statewide. (See regs.)
July 17-19: 36th Annual Honor the Earth Pow-wow (715-634-8924.)
July 17-19: Birchwood Bluegill Festival (800-236-2252.)
July 24-26: 50th Annual Lumberjack World Championships (715-634-2484.)
Through July 31: Illegal to run dogs on WPA lands. (See regs.)
Aug. 1: Application Deadlines: Fall turkey; Sharp-tailed grouse; Bobcat; Otter; Fisher; Horicon and Collins goose zones.
Through Aug. 31: Training dogs by pursuing bear allowed. (See regs.)
For more information on area events and activities, see the Calendar of Events, visit Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau, or call 1-800-724-2992.