Hayward Lakes VCB
07-06-2022, 02:07 PM
Musky:
Musky fishing is still lagging, but showing improvement. Anglers are seeing fish, but getting few hookups other than smaller fish. Look for fish on deep weeds, weedline edges, humps, points, and other structure, and panfish and baitfish concentrations. Smaller bucktails, spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwaters, and suckers are all tempting muskies. Remember to figure eight on the retrieve!
Walleye:
Walleye action ranges from fair to very good. Fish are dispersing to somewhat deeper locations, but check weed edges in 10-18 feet adjacent to deep water, as well as lake basins. In early morning and late evening into dark, work shallower weed edges, points, and humps. Leeches under slip bobbers are the first choice, with crawlers, walleye suckers, fatheads, and crankbaits also producing catches.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike fishing is good to very good just about anywhere there are weeds or panfish and baitfish concentrations in depth out to 12 feet. Northern suckers, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, bucktails, crankbaits, and topwater are all effective baits. For trophy pike, fish deeper with bigger baits.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing is steady. Look for fish in lily pads and in weeds from very shallow out to 8 feet, but on hot days go to deeper weeds, wood, stumps, cribs, and other structure. Best offering include crawlers, Ned and drop-shot rigs, plastics, weedless baits, and topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass anglers report good success fishing weed edges, weedlines, rock, breaklines, and other structure in depths to more than 15 feet. Top baits include sucker minnows, leeches on slip bobbers, Ned and drop-shot rigs, and plastics and crankbaits in crayfish colors.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good, with best success in early morning and evening hours. Weeds, weed beds, weed edges, cribs, brush, and other structure in 8-14 feet, and deep basins, hold fish. Fish bogs in the evening. Baits of choice include crappie minnows, fatheads, plastics, Tattle-Tails, Mini-Mites, Crappie Scrubs, Gulp! baits, and Beetle Spins all work well.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is still very good, though they have moved off their beds to weeds, weedlines, weed beds, and cribs in 6-12 feet. Waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, plastics, and Gulp! baits all catch fish.
Perch:
Perch fishing is very good and anglers are doing well fishing crappie minnows and plastics on jigs and/or under slip bobbers in and around weeds and weed beds. If you cannot find them, try fishing for other species that always brings in the perch!
Musky fishing is still lagging, but showing improvement. Anglers are seeing fish, but getting few hookups other than smaller fish. Look for fish on deep weeds, weedline edges, humps, points, and other structure, and panfish and baitfish concentrations. Smaller bucktails, spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwaters, and suckers are all tempting muskies. Remember to figure eight on the retrieve!
Walleye:
Walleye action ranges from fair to very good. Fish are dispersing to somewhat deeper locations, but check weed edges in 10-18 feet adjacent to deep water, as well as lake basins. In early morning and late evening into dark, work shallower weed edges, points, and humps. Leeches under slip bobbers are the first choice, with crawlers, walleye suckers, fatheads, and crankbaits also producing catches.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike fishing is good to very good just about anywhere there are weeds or panfish and baitfish concentrations in depth out to 12 feet. Northern suckers, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, bucktails, crankbaits, and topwater are all effective baits. For trophy pike, fish deeper with bigger baits.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing is steady. Look for fish in lily pads and in weeds from very shallow out to 8 feet, but on hot days go to deeper weeds, wood, stumps, cribs, and other structure. Best offering include crawlers, Ned and drop-shot rigs, plastics, weedless baits, and topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass anglers report good success fishing weed edges, weedlines, rock, breaklines, and other structure in depths to more than 15 feet. Top baits include sucker minnows, leeches on slip bobbers, Ned and drop-shot rigs, and plastics and crankbaits in crayfish colors.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good, with best success in early morning and evening hours. Weeds, weed beds, weed edges, cribs, brush, and other structure in 8-14 feet, and deep basins, hold fish. Fish bogs in the evening. Baits of choice include crappie minnows, fatheads, plastics, Tattle-Tails, Mini-Mites, Crappie Scrubs, Gulp! baits, and Beetle Spins all work well.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is still very good, though they have moved off their beds to weeds, weedlines, weed beds, and cribs in 6-12 feet. Waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, plastics, and Gulp! baits all catch fish.
Perch:
Perch fishing is very good and anglers are doing well fishing crappie minnows and plastics on jigs and/or under slip bobbers in and around weeds and weed beds. If you cannot find them, try fishing for other species that always brings in the perch!