Hayward Lakes Sherry
09-12-2011, 02:09 PM
September 12, 2011
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
Current forecasts indicate a very pleasant week in the north woods, but temperatures are gradually moving to cooler positions on the thermometer. Fall is a wonderful, but short, season. Don’t miss it!
Anglers everywhere lost a friend and mentor September 1 with the passing of Leon Pastika. Leon owned and operated Pastika’s Bait and Tackle, a Hayward landmark, for more than 40 years after purchasing it from his father. Leon truly exemplified “there are no strangers – only friends I have not yet met,” and his friendships and influence reached far beyond the local Hayward area. His positive encouragement spanned numerous generations, as anglers he advised when they were youngsters returned with families of their own seeking his advice and counsel. All who knew Leon will miss him greatly.
“We are now into fall fishing,” says Pat at Happy Hooker. “Cooler temperatures spur fish to move and autumn is one of the best times to catch trophy muskie and walleye.”
Bob at Hayward Bait says the muskie bite should turn on with cooling water temperatures and reminds anglers to sign up now for the Muskies, Inc. fall tournament.
At Pastika’s, Larry Ramsell says anglers should target shallower water (seven feet) with surface baits using fairly slow retrieves and with bucktails using moderate speed retrieves.
Randy at Jenk’s says Chippewa Flowage muskie anglers are seeing just as much action on surface baits as on bucktails and jerk baits.
Cathy at Minnow Jim’s says Nelson Lake bass anglers should cast to lily pads, weed beds, and docks with weedless frogs, poppers, and spinnerbaits.
“Sturgeon season is open on many inland waters, but with only moderate fishing pressure and fair success,” says DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt. “Anglers are catching a good number of sub-legal fish, but legal size 60-inch sturgeon are hard to come by.”
DNR advanced fisheries technician Russ Warwick says stream surveys competed last week show parts of the Brunet River still contain some nice brook trout and the Namekagon River is still king of the brown trout fisheries.
Bear season opened September 7 and thus far, Hayward area registration stations (Shooting Star, Hillman’s Store, Hayward Bait) have registered nine bears.
The Wilderness Wings Chapter - Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) third annual Hunt, Shoot, and Sportsmen’s Dinner at Summit Lake Game Farm is Saturday September 17. Membership/dinner tickets cost $75; additional dinner tickets $25. Contact Dave Reardon (715-634-2674) for information.
The second annual Youth Muskie Hunt on Moose Lake is September 22-25, with more than 80 participants, including dads, moms, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Mystic Moose Resort is the base camp and Larry Ramsell the master guide for the three-day event, sponsored by Muskies Inc., Youth Conservation Alliance, Phantom Lures, and Hayward Slumberland.
FISHING REPORT
Muskies:
Muskie fishing is fairly good and best in early mornings and late afternoons. Fish are scattered at various depths (shallow to deep) and locations, from weeds and weed edges to mid-lake structure. Just about all bait types are working at this time, including bucktails, Bull Dawgs, surface, swim, jerk, and glide baits, and some live bait.
Walleye:
Walleye action is fair and inconsistent. Fish are deep, moving deeper, and scattered. Work deeper transition areas, mid-lake bars, points, deep weed bed edges, gravel and rock bars with leeches, crawlers, minnows/fatheads, Gulp! baits on jigs and live bait harnesses, and trolled stickbaits.
Northern:
Northern pike are active near weeds, weed lines/pockets, cribs, and anywhere you find forage fish. Work those areas at various depths with spinnerbaits, spoons, surface and stick baits, crankbaits, buzz baits, and northern suckers – and use wire leaders.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass action is very good. Fish weed lines, logs, stumps, lily pads, docks, and bogs from shallow slop to the second break. Best baits include topwaters, poppers, spinners, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and jig/craw combos.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass action is good on plastics, spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, crayfish imitations, and crawlers/live bait. Fish are at scattered depths, from shallow to deep, on hard bottom areas such as rock/rock bars, and gravel.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is fair to good. Fish are in deeper water, on cribs, weed lines, wood, and brush. Some are in shallower water; some are suspending over deeper water. Best baits include crappie minnows, waxies, worms, leeches, plastics, Tattle-Tails, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hooks, with or without bobbers, small spinners, and Beetle Spins.
Bluegill:
Bluegill action is good and consistent in deeper water near weed lines, cribs, and brush with waxies, worms, leaf worms, panfish leeches, plastics, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hooks, with or without bobbers.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 15: Early Canada goose hunting season closes.
Sept. 16: Canada goose season opens in Northern Zone.
Sept. 16-18: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival.
Sept. 17: Seasons open: Archery deer; Turkey; Ruffed grouse (Zone A); Cottontail rabbit; Gray and fox squirrel; Crow.
Sept. 17: Ruffed Grouse Society Hunt, Shoot, and Sportsmen’s Dinner at Summit Lake Game Farm (715-634-2674).
Sept. 17-18: Youth duck hunt. See regs.
Sept. 24: Seasons Open: Duck in Northern Zone; Woodcock.
Sept. 24: Hayward Fall Festival (715-634-8662).
Sept. 30: Seasons close: Trout on inland waters (see regs.), Lake trout on Lake Superior; Hook and line sturgeon.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2: Hayward Lakes Chapter of Muskies, Inc. 34th Annual Fall Fishing Tournament (715-634-4543).
Oct. 2: Special deer hunt for people with disabilities (see regulations).
Oct. 8-9: Youth deer hunt. See regs.
Oct. 11: Black bear season closes.
Oct. 15: Seasons Open: Pheasant; Sharptail grouse; Raccoon gun/trapping (resident); Red and gray fox hunting/ trapping; Coyote trapping; Fisher; Muskrat and mink in Northern Zone; Bobcat (Period 1 hunting/trapping north of Hwy. 64).
Oct. 29: Raccoon season for non-residents. See regs.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
Current forecasts indicate a very pleasant week in the north woods, but temperatures are gradually moving to cooler positions on the thermometer. Fall is a wonderful, but short, season. Don’t miss it!
Anglers everywhere lost a friend and mentor September 1 with the passing of Leon Pastika. Leon owned and operated Pastika’s Bait and Tackle, a Hayward landmark, for more than 40 years after purchasing it from his father. Leon truly exemplified “there are no strangers – only friends I have not yet met,” and his friendships and influence reached far beyond the local Hayward area. His positive encouragement spanned numerous generations, as anglers he advised when they were youngsters returned with families of their own seeking his advice and counsel. All who knew Leon will miss him greatly.
“We are now into fall fishing,” says Pat at Happy Hooker. “Cooler temperatures spur fish to move and autumn is one of the best times to catch trophy muskie and walleye.”
Bob at Hayward Bait says the muskie bite should turn on with cooling water temperatures and reminds anglers to sign up now for the Muskies, Inc. fall tournament.
At Pastika’s, Larry Ramsell says anglers should target shallower water (seven feet) with surface baits using fairly slow retrieves and with bucktails using moderate speed retrieves.
Randy at Jenk’s says Chippewa Flowage muskie anglers are seeing just as much action on surface baits as on bucktails and jerk baits.
Cathy at Minnow Jim’s says Nelson Lake bass anglers should cast to lily pads, weed beds, and docks with weedless frogs, poppers, and spinnerbaits.
“Sturgeon season is open on many inland waters, but with only moderate fishing pressure and fair success,” says DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt. “Anglers are catching a good number of sub-legal fish, but legal size 60-inch sturgeon are hard to come by.”
DNR advanced fisheries technician Russ Warwick says stream surveys competed last week show parts of the Brunet River still contain some nice brook trout and the Namekagon River is still king of the brown trout fisheries.
Bear season opened September 7 and thus far, Hayward area registration stations (Shooting Star, Hillman’s Store, Hayward Bait) have registered nine bears.
The Wilderness Wings Chapter - Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) third annual Hunt, Shoot, and Sportsmen’s Dinner at Summit Lake Game Farm is Saturday September 17. Membership/dinner tickets cost $75; additional dinner tickets $25. Contact Dave Reardon (715-634-2674) for information.
The second annual Youth Muskie Hunt on Moose Lake is September 22-25, with more than 80 participants, including dads, moms, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Mystic Moose Resort is the base camp and Larry Ramsell the master guide for the three-day event, sponsored by Muskies Inc., Youth Conservation Alliance, Phantom Lures, and Hayward Slumberland.
FISHING REPORT
Muskies:
Muskie fishing is fairly good and best in early mornings and late afternoons. Fish are scattered at various depths (shallow to deep) and locations, from weeds and weed edges to mid-lake structure. Just about all bait types are working at this time, including bucktails, Bull Dawgs, surface, swim, jerk, and glide baits, and some live bait.
Walleye:
Walleye action is fair and inconsistent. Fish are deep, moving deeper, and scattered. Work deeper transition areas, mid-lake bars, points, deep weed bed edges, gravel and rock bars with leeches, crawlers, minnows/fatheads, Gulp! baits on jigs and live bait harnesses, and trolled stickbaits.
Northern:
Northern pike are active near weeds, weed lines/pockets, cribs, and anywhere you find forage fish. Work those areas at various depths with spinnerbaits, spoons, surface and stick baits, crankbaits, buzz baits, and northern suckers – and use wire leaders.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass action is very good. Fish weed lines, logs, stumps, lily pads, docks, and bogs from shallow slop to the second break. Best baits include topwaters, poppers, spinners, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and jig/craw combos.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass action is good on plastics, spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, crayfish imitations, and crawlers/live bait. Fish are at scattered depths, from shallow to deep, on hard bottom areas such as rock/rock bars, and gravel.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is fair to good. Fish are in deeper water, on cribs, weed lines, wood, and brush. Some are in shallower water; some are suspending over deeper water. Best baits include crappie minnows, waxies, worms, leeches, plastics, Tattle-Tails, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hooks, with or without bobbers, small spinners, and Beetle Spins.
Bluegill:
Bluegill action is good and consistent in deeper water near weed lines, cribs, and brush with waxies, worms, leaf worms, panfish leeches, plastics, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hooks, with or without bobbers.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 15: Early Canada goose hunting season closes.
Sept. 16: Canada goose season opens in Northern Zone.
Sept. 16-18: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival.
Sept. 17: Seasons open: Archery deer; Turkey; Ruffed grouse (Zone A); Cottontail rabbit; Gray and fox squirrel; Crow.
Sept. 17: Ruffed Grouse Society Hunt, Shoot, and Sportsmen’s Dinner at Summit Lake Game Farm (715-634-2674).
Sept. 17-18: Youth duck hunt. See regs.
Sept. 24: Seasons Open: Duck in Northern Zone; Woodcock.
Sept. 24: Hayward Fall Festival (715-634-8662).
Sept. 30: Seasons close: Trout on inland waters (see regs.), Lake trout on Lake Superior; Hook and line sturgeon.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2: Hayward Lakes Chapter of Muskies, Inc. 34th Annual Fall Fishing Tournament (715-634-4543).
Oct. 2: Special deer hunt for people with disabilities (see regulations).
Oct. 8-9: Youth deer hunt. See regs.
Oct. 11: Black bear season closes.
Oct. 15: Seasons Open: Pheasant; Sharptail grouse; Raccoon gun/trapping (resident); Red and gray fox hunting/ trapping; Coyote trapping; Fisher; Muskrat and mink in Northern Zone; Bobcat (Period 1 hunting/trapping north of Hwy. 64).
Oct. 29: Raccoon season for non-residents. See regs.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.