Hayward Lakes VCB
08-03-2022, 12:33 PM
Musky:
Musky action is good and getting better for catching and for bigger fish as fall approaches. Best fishing is in early morning and late evening, though anglers are also finding fish during the day. Muskies are hanging on both shallow and deep weed edges, rocks, points, bars, and near structure. Baits working best at this time include suckers, spinnerbaits, stickbaits, bucktails, crankbaits, plastics, and topwaters.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is mostly fair to somewhat good, though anglers are catching some nice fish. Best success is in very early morning and late evening into after dark. Look for fish on deeper weeds, points, humps, and other structure in 12-30 feet, with fish moving shallower in low light feeding hours. Leeches, crawlers, fatheads, and minnows on slip bobber rigs, jigs, harnesses, spinner rigs, bottom bouncers, and crankbaits and stickbaits are all hooking fish.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike are active and continue to be trip savers for some anglers. The fish are in weeds, on weed edges and weedlines, and wherever there are panfish and baitfish concentrations in 6-18 feet. The most effective baits include sucker minnows, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, bucktails, and buzzbaits. Go deeper with bigger baits for trophy pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing is very good for anglers fishing shallow heavy weeds, lily pads, slop, stumps, docks, and other structure providing overhead cover, as well as mid-depth cribs, brush, wood, and rock out to about 15 feet. Baits of choice include crawlers, leeches, various plastic configurations, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, crankbaits, and topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is fair to good on rock, steep breaklines, and structure in 18-26 feet. Sucker minnows, leeches, and crawlers on drop-shot rigs and on jigs under slip bobbers, and soft plastics and jerkbaits in crayfish colors are all tempting smallmouth.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is fair to good on weeds, weedlines, weed edges, and basins in 12-22 feet, and in 4-10 feet in the evening hours. Top producers include crappie minnows, fatheads, leeches, plastics, and Gulp! Alive baits on small jigs under bobbers, and small crankbaits and Beetle Spins.
Bluegill:
Bluegill action is very good to excellent for fish on weeds and weed edges, docks, and shoreline structure in 4-12 feet. Best baits include waxies, leaf worms, crawler chunks, panfish leeches, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs and plain hooks fished with/without bobbers and/or near the bottom.
Perch:
Perch fishing is good to very good around weeds and areas holding crappies. Crappie minnows, fatheads, crawler chunks, and Gulp! baits fished on jigs under bobbers are working well.
Musky action is good and getting better for catching and for bigger fish as fall approaches. Best fishing is in early morning and late evening, though anglers are also finding fish during the day. Muskies are hanging on both shallow and deep weed edges, rocks, points, bars, and near structure. Baits working best at this time include suckers, spinnerbaits, stickbaits, bucktails, crankbaits, plastics, and topwaters.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is mostly fair to somewhat good, though anglers are catching some nice fish. Best success is in very early morning and late evening into after dark. Look for fish on deeper weeds, points, humps, and other structure in 12-30 feet, with fish moving shallower in low light feeding hours. Leeches, crawlers, fatheads, and minnows on slip bobber rigs, jigs, harnesses, spinner rigs, bottom bouncers, and crankbaits and stickbaits are all hooking fish.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike are active and continue to be trip savers for some anglers. The fish are in weeds, on weed edges and weedlines, and wherever there are panfish and baitfish concentrations in 6-18 feet. The most effective baits include sucker minnows, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, bucktails, and buzzbaits. Go deeper with bigger baits for trophy pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing is very good for anglers fishing shallow heavy weeds, lily pads, slop, stumps, docks, and other structure providing overhead cover, as well as mid-depth cribs, brush, wood, and rock out to about 15 feet. Baits of choice include crawlers, leeches, various plastic configurations, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, crankbaits, and topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is fair to good on rock, steep breaklines, and structure in 18-26 feet. Sucker minnows, leeches, and crawlers on drop-shot rigs and on jigs under slip bobbers, and soft plastics and jerkbaits in crayfish colors are all tempting smallmouth.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is fair to good on weeds, weedlines, weed edges, and basins in 12-22 feet, and in 4-10 feet in the evening hours. Top producers include crappie minnows, fatheads, leeches, plastics, and Gulp! Alive baits on small jigs under bobbers, and small crankbaits and Beetle Spins.
Bluegill:
Bluegill action is very good to excellent for fish on weeds and weed edges, docks, and shoreline structure in 4-12 feet. Best baits include waxies, leaf worms, crawler chunks, panfish leeches, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs and plain hooks fished with/without bobbers and/or near the bottom.
Perch:
Perch fishing is good to very good around weeds and areas holding crappies. Crappie minnows, fatheads, crawler chunks, and Gulp! baits fished on jigs under bobbers are working well.