Hayward Lakes Sherry
08-17-2009, 10:39 AM
August 17, 2009
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
Summer heat finally arrived in the north woods, raising water temperatures to near normal season levels. Effects on fishing are yet to be seen. As mentioned previously, with these changing conditions you will benefit by checking with your favorite bait shop for the most currently productive baits and presentations.
Sales of antlerless deer permits for even numbered DMUs start at noon Saturday Aug. 22. Sales of permits for odd numbered DMUs start at noon Sunday Aug. 23. Sales of remaining permits start Monday. Purchasing a deer license prior to Saturday can speed the bonus permit buying process. Sawyer County DMU populations are at goal and gun hunters will have to buy a bonus permit ($12 resident, $20 non-resident) to harvest an antlerless deer in any Sawyer County unit.
Wisconsin’s new Hunting Mentorship Program, effective Sept. 1, allows youth 10-11 years old, and adults who have never before hunted, to hunt under the close supervision of a mentor. Visit the DNR website for more information.
Muskies:
Musky fishing is good, though it slipped a bit from last week. Early mornings and late evenings – and low light conditions – continue to offer the best opportunities for action, but musky anglers are fish throughout the day. Concentrate on deeper weed edges and structure, and along the edges of drop-offs into deeper water. Big double-blade bucktails, spinner and surface baits tend are getting the most interest, but don’t hesitate to throw jerk, crank, and glide baits if the fish are uncooperative.
Walleye:
Walleyes are scattered, fishing is fair, and early mornings and later evenings offer the best odds. You might find them anywhere and at any depth (shallow to deep), but look for weeds and weed beds, humps, structure, channels, points, and rocks. Use crawlers, leeches, and minnows (in that order) on jigs, harnesses, or under slip bobbers – and don’t discount a simple plain hook and split-shot rig. In the evening, cast or troll crankbaits, stickbaits, and Beetle Spins.
Northern:
Northern pike fishing is good, but the bigger pike probably moved to deeper water as water temperatures warmed in the last week. Still, they are northerns, and if you find weeds and forage fish, you will find northerns. They are aggressive, and spoons, spinner, surface, stick, and buzz baits are all effective. If they aren’t working for you, try large minnows or northern suckers under a bobber.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth fishing is good to very good. You can have super action on smaller fish if you fish the shallower water weeds, slop, and other structure. For bigger bass, target deeper weed edges, submerged wood, cribs, and on weed edges next to drop-offs. In the shallows, the best baits – and the only ones it is reasonable to use – are topwaters and weedless plastic frogs, worms, and spoons. When fishing weed edges, use spinnerbaits, soft plastics, crawlers, and stickbaits.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth action is fair to good, but seems to be getting better. Look for rocks – rocky structure, rocky humps, rocky bars – cribs, mid-lake humps, submerged wood, and weeds, in water from 6-15 feet and deeper. For artificials go with plastics, jigs, tubes, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwaters. (Really.) It’s difficult to beat crawlers or leeches for live bait, but sometimes sucker minnows are what the smallmouths prefer.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good to very good, but they are scattered and suspended. In daytime hours, fish drop-offs, cribs, cabbage, bogs, stumps, and structure in 5-10 feet or deeper water. Fish bogs and weedlines during early morning and evening hours. Crappie minnows, plastics, and tube jigs are the top fish catchers, but worms, leeches, Beetle Spins, and topwaters can be the ticket at times.
Bluegill:
Bluegills, the meal-size ones, are now in somewhat deeper water, from 5-10 feet or deeper. During the day, look for them around cribs, stumps, weed lines, and brush. In the evening, they will move to shallower weeds, around bogs, and feed on the surface. The usual suspects will work – waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, minnows, leeches, plastics, and Beetle Spins, and of course poppers and other surface baits.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 20-23: Sawyer County Fair (934-2721.)
Aug. 22-24: Bonus antlerless deer tags for regular DMUs on sale.
Aug. 28-30: Musky Tale Resort Mega Bass Shootout (462-3838.)
Aug. 29: Remaining fall turkey permits on sale.
Through Aug. 31: Training dogs by pursuing bear allowed. (See regs.)
Sept. 1: Seasons open Mourning dove; Early Canada goose.
Sept. 1: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting. Dick-Sy Roadhouse. 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 5-6: Exeland Trout Festival.
Sept. 6: Cable Rod & Gun Club annual Pig Roast & Turkey Shoot (715-798-4459.)
Sept. 9: Bear season opens.
Sept. 9-12: Chippewa Flowage Musky Hunt (715-462-3276.)
Sept. 12: Seasons open: Ruffed grouse; Turkey; Crow; Archery deer; Cottontail rabbit; Squirrel.
Sept. 13: Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Kids Fish O’Rama (715-634-4440.)
Sept. 19: Woodcock season opens.
Sept. 25-26: Cable Area Fall Festival (800-533-7454.)
Sept. 26: 25th Annual Hayward Fall Festival (715-634-8662.)
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
Summer heat finally arrived in the north woods, raising water temperatures to near normal season levels. Effects on fishing are yet to be seen. As mentioned previously, with these changing conditions you will benefit by checking with your favorite bait shop for the most currently productive baits and presentations.
Sales of antlerless deer permits for even numbered DMUs start at noon Saturday Aug. 22. Sales of permits for odd numbered DMUs start at noon Sunday Aug. 23. Sales of remaining permits start Monday. Purchasing a deer license prior to Saturday can speed the bonus permit buying process. Sawyer County DMU populations are at goal and gun hunters will have to buy a bonus permit ($12 resident, $20 non-resident) to harvest an antlerless deer in any Sawyer County unit.
Wisconsin’s new Hunting Mentorship Program, effective Sept. 1, allows youth 10-11 years old, and adults who have never before hunted, to hunt under the close supervision of a mentor. Visit the DNR website for more information.
Muskies:
Musky fishing is good, though it slipped a bit from last week. Early mornings and late evenings – and low light conditions – continue to offer the best opportunities for action, but musky anglers are fish throughout the day. Concentrate on deeper weed edges and structure, and along the edges of drop-offs into deeper water. Big double-blade bucktails, spinner and surface baits tend are getting the most interest, but don’t hesitate to throw jerk, crank, and glide baits if the fish are uncooperative.
Walleye:
Walleyes are scattered, fishing is fair, and early mornings and later evenings offer the best odds. You might find them anywhere and at any depth (shallow to deep), but look for weeds and weed beds, humps, structure, channels, points, and rocks. Use crawlers, leeches, and minnows (in that order) on jigs, harnesses, or under slip bobbers – and don’t discount a simple plain hook and split-shot rig. In the evening, cast or troll crankbaits, stickbaits, and Beetle Spins.
Northern:
Northern pike fishing is good, but the bigger pike probably moved to deeper water as water temperatures warmed in the last week. Still, they are northerns, and if you find weeds and forage fish, you will find northerns. They are aggressive, and spoons, spinner, surface, stick, and buzz baits are all effective. If they aren’t working for you, try large minnows or northern suckers under a bobber.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth fishing is good to very good. You can have super action on smaller fish if you fish the shallower water weeds, slop, and other structure. For bigger bass, target deeper weed edges, submerged wood, cribs, and on weed edges next to drop-offs. In the shallows, the best baits – and the only ones it is reasonable to use – are topwaters and weedless plastic frogs, worms, and spoons. When fishing weed edges, use spinnerbaits, soft plastics, crawlers, and stickbaits.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth action is fair to good, but seems to be getting better. Look for rocks – rocky structure, rocky humps, rocky bars – cribs, mid-lake humps, submerged wood, and weeds, in water from 6-15 feet and deeper. For artificials go with plastics, jigs, tubes, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwaters. (Really.) It’s difficult to beat crawlers or leeches for live bait, but sometimes sucker minnows are what the smallmouths prefer.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good to very good, but they are scattered and suspended. In daytime hours, fish drop-offs, cribs, cabbage, bogs, stumps, and structure in 5-10 feet or deeper water. Fish bogs and weedlines during early morning and evening hours. Crappie minnows, plastics, and tube jigs are the top fish catchers, but worms, leeches, Beetle Spins, and topwaters can be the ticket at times.
Bluegill:
Bluegills, the meal-size ones, are now in somewhat deeper water, from 5-10 feet or deeper. During the day, look for them around cribs, stumps, weed lines, and brush. In the evening, they will move to shallower weeds, around bogs, and feed on the surface. The usual suspects will work – waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, minnows, leeches, plastics, and Beetle Spins, and of course poppers and other surface baits.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 20-23: Sawyer County Fair (934-2721.)
Aug. 22-24: Bonus antlerless deer tags for regular DMUs on sale.
Aug. 28-30: Musky Tale Resort Mega Bass Shootout (462-3838.)
Aug. 29: Remaining fall turkey permits on sale.
Through Aug. 31: Training dogs by pursuing bear allowed. (See regs.)
Sept. 1: Seasons open Mourning dove; Early Canada goose.
Sept. 1: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting. Dick-Sy Roadhouse. 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 5-6: Exeland Trout Festival.
Sept. 6: Cable Rod & Gun Club annual Pig Roast & Turkey Shoot (715-798-4459.)
Sept. 9: Bear season opens.
Sept. 9-12: Chippewa Flowage Musky Hunt (715-462-3276.)
Sept. 12: Seasons open: Ruffed grouse; Turkey; Crow; Archery deer; Cottontail rabbit; Squirrel.
Sept. 13: Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Kids Fish O’Rama (715-634-4440.)
Sept. 19: Woodcock season opens.
Sept. 25-26: Cable Area Fall Festival (800-533-7454.)
Sept. 26: 25th Annual Hayward Fall Festival (715-634-8662.)
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.