Hayward Lakes Sherry
10-06-2009, 09:55 AM
October 5, 2009
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
It was, quite frankly, a miserably cold, wet, and windy weekend for fishing. However, the less-than-ideal conditions did not deter the 570 entrants in the 2009 Hayward Chapter of Muskies, Inc. fall musky tournament, and 77 anglers registered 93 fish more than 34 inches long.
Brent Hirsch, a special education teacher from Minnetonka, Minnesota, took top honors with two fish – 48 inches and 45.5 inches – he caught while fishing the Chippewa Flowage with his father, Fred Hirsch (of Ghosttails fame.)
DNR fisheries biologist Frank Pratt says the lakes are cooling quickly and he predicts turnover will occur in the big, clear lakes such as Round, LCO, Whitefish, and Grindstone, etc., this week.
“Turnover really puts fish off the feed,” says Pratt, “and I advise anglers to fish the smaller, shallower lakes.”
DNR fishery crews shocking Lac Courte Oreilles last week hit a near record of more than 100 walleye fingerling per mile. It is not yet known whether this is due to natural reproduction or stocking (the lake received 100,000 1 1/2-inch fish in June), though Pratt suspects it is a combination of the two.
“The stocked fingerlings were treated with oxy-tetracycline that leaves a fluorescent mark on their ear stones, and we will examine them for the mark later this winter.”
This week the DNR fishery crews will shock the east side of Chippewa Flowage and then start fall crappie netting in Lost Land/Teal, Sissabagama, and the Chippewa Flowage.
In the past week, local registration stations (Shooting Star Archery, Hillman’s Store, Hayward Bait) registered seven bucks (including a big 11-pointer) and 11 antlerless deer, 13 bear (including one weighing 419 pounds), and three turkeys.
Reminder: The Youth Deer hunt is this weekend, Oct. 11-12, and ALL hunters (excluding waterfowl) in any area where a firearms deer season is open must meet the blaze orange requirements.
Muskies:
Musky action is good, and tournament catches came on nearly every type of bait. Bull Dawgs, bucktails, jerk, twitch, glide, crank, stick and spinner baits, and even some topwaters, caught fish. Suckers, though not legal for the tournament, are also starting to get muskies’ attention. Whatever bait you use, fish any green weeds you can find, regardless of depth. Work along weed edges, near structure, on breaks – and you will find some fish in extremely shallow water.
Walleye:
Walleye action continues to improve, though not quickly. The fish remain widely scattered, from shallow to very deep water. Look for shallow weeds and weed edges, mid-depth drop-offs, humps, and gravel bars, and deep structure. It can be rewarding to fish the shallows just before dark. Top bait choices for current conditions include walleye suckers, jigs tipped with fatheads, crank and stick baits.
Northern:
Northern pike action is good around any green weeds, deep or shallow, and anywhere you find suspending panfish. Spoons, spinners, crank and spinner baits will catch pike, but northern suckers fished under a bobber could be the best choice at this time.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass can be found anywhere between deeper weedlines to mid-depths with cover to shallow water late in the day (which offers better odds for success.) Plastics/tubes, jigs and pigs, crank and spinner baits, and live bait are all catching fish. Even this time of year bass action can be very good ... once you locate them.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth action is very good. Concentrate on rock humps and bars, hard-bottoms, structure and cover close to deep water. DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says anglers should look for fish to go deeper with declining water temperatures. Most productive baits are plastics/tubes, crank and spinner baits, and walleye suckers. The Hayward area smallmouth fishery is one of the best found anywhere – and practicing catch and release will keep it one of the best.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good and steadily improving. The fish are somewhat scattered around weeds and weed edges, cabbage, bogs, cribs, and suspending over deep water. Later afternoon is best, but you can catch them all day if you can find them. Crappie minnows and plastics/tubes are the top choices, with waxies also producing some action.
Bluegill:
Though there is currently little interest in bluegill fishing, the fish are still in the lakes, still eating, and some anglers are catching good numbers of very nice ‘gills. Work any mid-depth to deeper weed bed areas with waxies, worms, and plastics. It might take some sorting, but you will find the larger fish in the deeper water.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 10: Fishing Has No Boundaries (FHNB) fall fundraiser at Moose Lodge. Spaghetti dinner, raffle, auction, prizes (715-634-3185.)
Oct. 11-12: Youth deer hunt.
Oct. 13: Black bear season closes.
Oct. 17: Seasons open: Pheasant; Sharp-tailed grouse; Bobwhite quail; Hungarian partridge; Raccoon gun/trapping; Fisher trapping. In northern zone: Muskrat; Mink; Coyote trapping; Red and gray fox hunting/trapping; Bobcat hunting/trapping north of Hwy. 64.
Through Dec. 31 – Illegal to shine for wild animals between 10 p.m.-7 a.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
It was, quite frankly, a miserably cold, wet, and windy weekend for fishing. However, the less-than-ideal conditions did not deter the 570 entrants in the 2009 Hayward Chapter of Muskies, Inc. fall musky tournament, and 77 anglers registered 93 fish more than 34 inches long.
Brent Hirsch, a special education teacher from Minnetonka, Minnesota, took top honors with two fish – 48 inches and 45.5 inches – he caught while fishing the Chippewa Flowage with his father, Fred Hirsch (of Ghosttails fame.)
DNR fisheries biologist Frank Pratt says the lakes are cooling quickly and he predicts turnover will occur in the big, clear lakes such as Round, LCO, Whitefish, and Grindstone, etc., this week.
“Turnover really puts fish off the feed,” says Pratt, “and I advise anglers to fish the smaller, shallower lakes.”
DNR fishery crews shocking Lac Courte Oreilles last week hit a near record of more than 100 walleye fingerling per mile. It is not yet known whether this is due to natural reproduction or stocking (the lake received 100,000 1 1/2-inch fish in June), though Pratt suspects it is a combination of the two.
“The stocked fingerlings were treated with oxy-tetracycline that leaves a fluorescent mark on their ear stones, and we will examine them for the mark later this winter.”
This week the DNR fishery crews will shock the east side of Chippewa Flowage and then start fall crappie netting in Lost Land/Teal, Sissabagama, and the Chippewa Flowage.
In the past week, local registration stations (Shooting Star Archery, Hillman’s Store, Hayward Bait) registered seven bucks (including a big 11-pointer) and 11 antlerless deer, 13 bear (including one weighing 419 pounds), and three turkeys.
Reminder: The Youth Deer hunt is this weekend, Oct. 11-12, and ALL hunters (excluding waterfowl) in any area where a firearms deer season is open must meet the blaze orange requirements.
Muskies:
Musky action is good, and tournament catches came on nearly every type of bait. Bull Dawgs, bucktails, jerk, twitch, glide, crank, stick and spinner baits, and even some topwaters, caught fish. Suckers, though not legal for the tournament, are also starting to get muskies’ attention. Whatever bait you use, fish any green weeds you can find, regardless of depth. Work along weed edges, near structure, on breaks – and you will find some fish in extremely shallow water.
Walleye:
Walleye action continues to improve, though not quickly. The fish remain widely scattered, from shallow to very deep water. Look for shallow weeds and weed edges, mid-depth drop-offs, humps, and gravel bars, and deep structure. It can be rewarding to fish the shallows just before dark. Top bait choices for current conditions include walleye suckers, jigs tipped with fatheads, crank and stick baits.
Northern:
Northern pike action is good around any green weeds, deep or shallow, and anywhere you find suspending panfish. Spoons, spinners, crank and spinner baits will catch pike, but northern suckers fished under a bobber could be the best choice at this time.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass can be found anywhere between deeper weedlines to mid-depths with cover to shallow water late in the day (which offers better odds for success.) Plastics/tubes, jigs and pigs, crank and spinner baits, and live bait are all catching fish. Even this time of year bass action can be very good ... once you locate them.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth action is very good. Concentrate on rock humps and bars, hard-bottoms, structure and cover close to deep water. DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says anglers should look for fish to go deeper with declining water temperatures. Most productive baits are plastics/tubes, crank and spinner baits, and walleye suckers. The Hayward area smallmouth fishery is one of the best found anywhere – and practicing catch and release will keep it one of the best.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good and steadily improving. The fish are somewhat scattered around weeds and weed edges, cabbage, bogs, cribs, and suspending over deep water. Later afternoon is best, but you can catch them all day if you can find them. Crappie minnows and plastics/tubes are the top choices, with waxies also producing some action.
Bluegill:
Though there is currently little interest in bluegill fishing, the fish are still in the lakes, still eating, and some anglers are catching good numbers of very nice ‘gills. Work any mid-depth to deeper weed bed areas with waxies, worms, and plastics. It might take some sorting, but you will find the larger fish in the deeper water.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 10: Fishing Has No Boundaries (FHNB) fall fundraiser at Moose Lodge. Spaghetti dinner, raffle, auction, prizes (715-634-3185.)
Oct. 11-12: Youth deer hunt.
Oct. 13: Black bear season closes.
Oct. 17: Seasons open: Pheasant; Sharp-tailed grouse; Bobwhite quail; Hungarian partridge; Raccoon gun/trapping; Fisher trapping. In northern zone: Muskrat; Mink; Coyote trapping; Red and gray fox hunting/trapping; Bobcat hunting/trapping north of Hwy. 64.
Through Dec. 31 – Illegal to shine for wild animals between 10 p.m.-7 a.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.