Hayward Lakes VCB
09-30-2022, 09:21 AM
Musky:
Musky action is good and improving as water temperatures cool and fish are actively feeding. Concentrate on shallow to mid-depth weed beds, weed edges, structure, breaklines, drop-offs, and flats. Musky suckers on quick-strike rigs, big bucktails, swimbaits, jerkbaits, gliders, and topwaters work well, as do trolled large stickbaits, swimbaits, and crankbaits.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is slow, though anglers continue to catch fish. Look for fish in 8-40 feet on flats, weeds, weed edges, rock, sand, and following schools of baitfish. Walleye suckers, fatheads, crawlers on spinner rigs, stickbaits, crankbaits, and Jigging Raps will all produce at certain times.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is good to very good, with fish in/on shallow to mid-depth weeds, weed edges, points, bays, and near panfish and baitfish concentrations. The fish are on the feed and northern suckers, walleye suckers, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, stickbaits, twitch baits, and jerkbaits will all draw their interest.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass are still active, with fishing fair to good from day to day for the anglers still chasing them. Fish are scattered and on shallow to deep weeds, weed edges, weedlines, wood, and breaklines. The most productive baits include live bait, spinners, spinnerbaits, swim baits, plastics, crankbaits, jerkbaits, bladed jig baits, and topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is good, with fish in varied depths and transitioning from shallow rock and sand to deep basins, breaklines, and structure. Baits of choice include sucker minnows, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, tubes, plastics, crankbaits, jerkbaits, Ned and drop-shot rigs.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good if you can find and follow them on deep basins and weed edges, cribs, breaklines, and drop-offs. Be sure to check the entire water column, from top to bottom. Best offerings include crappie minnows, fatheads, Mini-Mites, plastics, and Gulp! baits fished on jigs and/or under slip bobbers, and Beetle Spins.
Bluegill and Perch:
Bluegills and perch are on weeds, weed edges, brush, and cribs at varied depths, and fishing is fair to good. Waxies, worms, crawler chunks, plastics, and Gulp! baits all work well. Try small minnows for bigger bluegills on deep cover.
Musky action is good and improving as water temperatures cool and fish are actively feeding. Concentrate on shallow to mid-depth weed beds, weed edges, structure, breaklines, drop-offs, and flats. Musky suckers on quick-strike rigs, big bucktails, swimbaits, jerkbaits, gliders, and topwaters work well, as do trolled large stickbaits, swimbaits, and crankbaits.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is slow, though anglers continue to catch fish. Look for fish in 8-40 feet on flats, weeds, weed edges, rock, sand, and following schools of baitfish. Walleye suckers, fatheads, crawlers on spinner rigs, stickbaits, crankbaits, and Jigging Raps will all produce at certain times.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is good to very good, with fish in/on shallow to mid-depth weeds, weed edges, points, bays, and near panfish and baitfish concentrations. The fish are on the feed and northern suckers, walleye suckers, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, stickbaits, twitch baits, and jerkbaits will all draw their interest.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass are still active, with fishing fair to good from day to day for the anglers still chasing them. Fish are scattered and on shallow to deep weeds, weed edges, weedlines, wood, and breaklines. The most productive baits include live bait, spinners, spinnerbaits, swim baits, plastics, crankbaits, jerkbaits, bladed jig baits, and topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is good, with fish in varied depths and transitioning from shallow rock and sand to deep basins, breaklines, and structure. Baits of choice include sucker minnows, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, tubes, plastics, crankbaits, jerkbaits, Ned and drop-shot rigs.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good if you can find and follow them on deep basins and weed edges, cribs, breaklines, and drop-offs. Be sure to check the entire water column, from top to bottom. Best offerings include crappie minnows, fatheads, Mini-Mites, plastics, and Gulp! baits fished on jigs and/or under slip bobbers, and Beetle Spins.
Bluegill and Perch:
Bluegills and perch are on weeds, weed edges, brush, and cribs at varied depths, and fishing is fair to good. Waxies, worms, crawler chunks, plastics, and Gulp! baits all work well. Try small minnows for bigger bluegills on deep cover.