Hayward Lakes VCB
09-26-2023, 09:18 AM
Musky:
Musky fishing is good and getting better as fish bulk up for winter. Find them from shallow to mid-depths, on weed edges, points, breaklines, bars, and suspending near structure. If action is slow, trying downsizing baits and varying retrieval speeds. Suckers, bucktails, gliders, and creepers and other topwaters are good choices right now.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair to good and improving, with fish scattered in 8-28 feet, depending on the lake. Check basins, weedlines, hard to soft bottom transitions, and flats. Walleye suckers, fatheads, and crawlers on jigs, crawler harnesses, slip bobbers, bottom bouncers, and cast and trolled Flicker Shads, Shad Raps, and World Cranks are all producing.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike fishing is very good from shallow to deep on weeds, weedlines, points, and near panfish and baitfish concentrations. Find smaller fish in shallower water and big pike on deeper cover. Northern suckers, walleye suckers, and fatheads on jigs or under slip bobbers, and bucktails, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, swimbaits, and crankbaits all produce.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing remains good on shallow to mid-depth weedlines, shorelines, wood, lily pads, and docks. Fish are hitting minnows, crawlers, crankbaits, spinners, spinnerbaits, plastics in various riggings including worms, tubes, and creature baits, swim jigs, and Whopper Ploppers, frogs, and other topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is very good to excellent on deeper weeds, cribs, rock, and other hard bottom areas. Fish are in varied depths, however, out to more than 20 feet. Productive baits include sucker minnows, crawlers, and plastics, tubes, Texas, Ned, and drop-shot rigs, crankbaits, and topwaters.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good and getting better. Look for fish on weedlines, cribs, brush, and bogs in about 20 feet, as well as suspending over deeper flats and basins. Crappie minnows, fatheads, Mini-Mites, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs are all effective offerings, fished with or without slip bobbers.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is fair to good. Focus on shallow green weeds and weedlines, cribs, and other structure. Try deeper structure for bigger bluegills. Best baits include waxies, leaf worms, crawler chunks, and panfish plastics on small jigs, teardrops, and plain hooks, fished under slip bobbers.
Musky fishing is good and getting better as fish bulk up for winter. Find them from shallow to mid-depths, on weed edges, points, breaklines, bars, and suspending near structure. If action is slow, trying downsizing baits and varying retrieval speeds. Suckers, bucktails, gliders, and creepers and other topwaters are good choices right now.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair to good and improving, with fish scattered in 8-28 feet, depending on the lake. Check basins, weedlines, hard to soft bottom transitions, and flats. Walleye suckers, fatheads, and crawlers on jigs, crawler harnesses, slip bobbers, bottom bouncers, and cast and trolled Flicker Shads, Shad Raps, and World Cranks are all producing.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike fishing is very good from shallow to deep on weeds, weedlines, points, and near panfish and baitfish concentrations. Find smaller fish in shallower water and big pike on deeper cover. Northern suckers, walleye suckers, and fatheads on jigs or under slip bobbers, and bucktails, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, swimbaits, and crankbaits all produce.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing remains good on shallow to mid-depth weedlines, shorelines, wood, lily pads, and docks. Fish are hitting minnows, crawlers, crankbaits, spinners, spinnerbaits, plastics in various riggings including worms, tubes, and creature baits, swim jigs, and Whopper Ploppers, frogs, and other topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is very good to excellent on deeper weeds, cribs, rock, and other hard bottom areas. Fish are in varied depths, however, out to more than 20 feet. Productive baits include sucker minnows, crawlers, and plastics, tubes, Texas, Ned, and drop-shot rigs, crankbaits, and topwaters.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good and getting better. Look for fish on weedlines, cribs, brush, and bogs in about 20 feet, as well as suspending over deeper flats and basins. Crappie minnows, fatheads, Mini-Mites, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs are all effective offerings, fished with or without slip bobbers.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is fair to good. Focus on shallow green weeds and weedlines, cribs, and other structure. Try deeper structure for bigger bluegills. Best baits include waxies, leaf worms, crawler chunks, and panfish plastics on small jigs, teardrops, and plain hooks, fished under slip bobbers.