Hayward Lakes Sherry
08-04-2009, 10:28 AM
August 03, 2009
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
There is no longer just a “trend” toward a cool summer – this IS a cool summer. Water temperatures are lower than normal, weed growth varies, and fish may not be where you have caught them in the past. To save yourself time and frustration, visit to your favorite bait shop and get the “scoop” on the current and most productive baits and presentation.
The 2009 Quiet Lakes Crappie-A-Thon on Lost Land, Teal, and Ghost lakes runs through October 15. Tagged crappies worth thousands of dollars are swimming in these lakes, waiting for lucky anglers to catch them. Register – before fishing – by picking up a $3 tournament badge (plus a free Tattle Tail lure) at any participating Quiet Lakes resort or bait shop. All entrants are eligible for the year-end drawings, and you could win a prize without catching a fish!
Muskies:
A week ago musky fishing overall was very good, but a cold front late in the week slowed the action. The muskies have yet to show a definite pattern, though most anglers report good numbers of sightings and follows. Give the shallows a good workout, cover deep weeds, points, bars, and humps, and look for suspending fish. The recommendations on bait size – large, medium, or small – depends on your source. Probably a good idea to take some in each category. Bucktails, jerk, glide, and spinner baits, Bull Dawgs, plastics, and topwaters are the top choices. Generally speaking, slow retrieves seem to be getting the most attention, but it’s nearly always a good idea to vary presentations.
Walleye:
Walleye action, most recently fair and inconsistent at best, appears to be improving. During daylight hours, concentrate on deeper water (14-30+ feet) weed lines and weed beds, cribs, and transition areas. In low light and evening hours, work shallower weed lines, bars, points, and flats in 4-18 feet of water. Productive bait choices are limited to leeches and crawlers, with some interest in minnows. Use the leeches and crawlers under slip bobbers or on harnesses (trolled or drifted) and minnows on jigs. Crankbaits, trolled or cast in the evening, are also taking fish.
Northern:
Northern pike action is almost always very good, though every now and then they seem to go into a funk. Guide Steve Genson at Pastika’s say you will find more large pike in the shallows this year due to cool water temps. Fish thick weeds – shallow or deep – and any holes in those weeds. Jerk, crank, stick, buzz, and spinner baits, spoons, and sucker minnows under a bobber will all catch pike. Nelson at Hayward bait says they will hit anything: “Dead or alive, if you can move it, they will hit it.”
Largemouth Bass:
Bass fishing is good and consistent, though the cold fronts do have a negative effect on activity. You can find fast action for smaller fish in the heavy weed cover, lily pads and brush, but the large bass are holding along deeper weed lines. Just about any structure offering protection can hold largemouth, and if they are on the feed, just about any bait or lure will gain their interest. For artificials, try spinner, crank, and stick baits, jigs, soft plastics, and weedless worms. Leeches, crawlers, and minnows are the ticket in live bait.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth action is also fairly consistent and anglers are catching some very nice fish. Target wood, weeds, brush, deeper structure and rocks, in depths ranging from 4-25 feet. Spinner and crank baits, jigs, plastics, tubes, plastic worms, crawlers, minnows, and leeches under slip bobbers will all catch fish. Slow presentations (for most species) seems to be key at this time.
Crappie:
Crappie action is fair to good. They are somewhat scattered, from shallow to deep. Work shallow (4-10 feet) to deeper weedlines, bogs, wood, cribs and structure, as well as watch for suspending fish. Crappie minnows, waxies, crawlers, panfish leeches are the top choices for live bait, and Beetle Spins, plastics, and tube jigs for artificials. If the crappies are finicky, switching to lighter line and baits can sometimes make a huge difference in your success.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is good, though locating bigger ‘gills – holding near deeper water weeds and structure – can be difficult. Otherwise, work shallow shorelines, weed beds, cribs and structure. Waxies, small plastics, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, panfish leeches, and minnows are all effective baits, and topwaters are producing good action, too. Pat at Happy Hooker says once anglers find the fish they should be prepared to move with them.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 20-23: Sawyer County Fair (934-2721.)
Aug. 22-24: Bonus antlerless deer tags (regular DMUs) on sale at noon.
Aug. 28-30: Mega Bass Shootout at Musky Tale Resort (462-3838.)
Aug. 29: Remaining fall turkey permits on sale (begins at noon.)
Through Aug. 31: Training dogs by pursuing bear allowed. (See regs.)
Sept. 1: Mourning dove season opens.
Sept. 1: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting. Dick-Sy Roadhouse. 7:30 p.m.
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
There is no longer just a “trend” toward a cool summer – this IS a cool summer. Water temperatures are lower than normal, weed growth varies, and fish may not be where you have caught them in the past. To save yourself time and frustration, visit to your favorite bait shop and get the “scoop” on the current and most productive baits and presentation.
The 2009 Quiet Lakes Crappie-A-Thon on Lost Land, Teal, and Ghost lakes runs through October 15. Tagged crappies worth thousands of dollars are swimming in these lakes, waiting for lucky anglers to catch them. Register – before fishing – by picking up a $3 tournament badge (plus a free Tattle Tail lure) at any participating Quiet Lakes resort or bait shop. All entrants are eligible for the year-end drawings, and you could win a prize without catching a fish!
Muskies:
A week ago musky fishing overall was very good, but a cold front late in the week slowed the action. The muskies have yet to show a definite pattern, though most anglers report good numbers of sightings and follows. Give the shallows a good workout, cover deep weeds, points, bars, and humps, and look for suspending fish. The recommendations on bait size – large, medium, or small – depends on your source. Probably a good idea to take some in each category. Bucktails, jerk, glide, and spinner baits, Bull Dawgs, plastics, and topwaters are the top choices. Generally speaking, slow retrieves seem to be getting the most attention, but it’s nearly always a good idea to vary presentations.
Walleye:
Walleye action, most recently fair and inconsistent at best, appears to be improving. During daylight hours, concentrate on deeper water (14-30+ feet) weed lines and weed beds, cribs, and transition areas. In low light and evening hours, work shallower weed lines, bars, points, and flats in 4-18 feet of water. Productive bait choices are limited to leeches and crawlers, with some interest in minnows. Use the leeches and crawlers under slip bobbers or on harnesses (trolled or drifted) and minnows on jigs. Crankbaits, trolled or cast in the evening, are also taking fish.
Northern:
Northern pike action is almost always very good, though every now and then they seem to go into a funk. Guide Steve Genson at Pastika’s say you will find more large pike in the shallows this year due to cool water temps. Fish thick weeds – shallow or deep – and any holes in those weeds. Jerk, crank, stick, buzz, and spinner baits, spoons, and sucker minnows under a bobber will all catch pike. Nelson at Hayward bait says they will hit anything: “Dead or alive, if you can move it, they will hit it.”
Largemouth Bass:
Bass fishing is good and consistent, though the cold fronts do have a negative effect on activity. You can find fast action for smaller fish in the heavy weed cover, lily pads and brush, but the large bass are holding along deeper weed lines. Just about any structure offering protection can hold largemouth, and if they are on the feed, just about any bait or lure will gain their interest. For artificials, try spinner, crank, and stick baits, jigs, soft plastics, and weedless worms. Leeches, crawlers, and minnows are the ticket in live bait.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth action is also fairly consistent and anglers are catching some very nice fish. Target wood, weeds, brush, deeper structure and rocks, in depths ranging from 4-25 feet. Spinner and crank baits, jigs, plastics, tubes, plastic worms, crawlers, minnows, and leeches under slip bobbers will all catch fish. Slow presentations (for most species) seems to be key at this time.
Crappie:
Crappie action is fair to good. They are somewhat scattered, from shallow to deep. Work shallow (4-10 feet) to deeper weedlines, bogs, wood, cribs and structure, as well as watch for suspending fish. Crappie minnows, waxies, crawlers, panfish leeches are the top choices for live bait, and Beetle Spins, plastics, and tube jigs for artificials. If the crappies are finicky, switching to lighter line and baits can sometimes make a huge difference in your success.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is good, though locating bigger ‘gills – holding near deeper water weeds and structure – can be difficult. Otherwise, work shallow shorelines, weed beds, cribs and structure. Waxies, small plastics, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, panfish leeches, and minnows are all effective baits, and topwaters are producing good action, too. Pat at Happy Hooker says once anglers find the fish they should be prepared to move with them.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 20-23: Sawyer County Fair (934-2721.)
Aug. 22-24: Bonus antlerless deer tags (regular DMUs) on sale at noon.
Aug. 28-30: Mega Bass Shootout at Musky Tale Resort (462-3838.)
Aug. 29: Remaining fall turkey permits on sale (begins at noon.)
Through Aug. 31: Training dogs by pursuing bear allowed. (See regs.)
Sept. 1: Mourning dove season opens.
Sept. 1: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting. Dick-Sy Roadhouse. 7:30 p.m.
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.