OUtdoor Report for September 3, 2012
FISHING REPORT
Muskie:
Muskie fishing is improving and the best times for action are the afternoon into evening hours. Work weeds, deeper weed lines, bars, and over weed flats with bucktails, plastics, topwaters, jerkbaits, and Bull Dawgs.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair and bite windows are short, but anglers are catching fish. Target weeds and weed lines, brush, bogs, channels, gravel, rock bars in depths from 10 to more than 30 feet. Best presentations include leeches and crawlers on jigs, harnesses, Lindy Rigs, and slip bobbers, as well as fatheads and walleye suckers. Trolled stick and crank baits, where allowed, are productive in the evening.
Northern:
Northern action is picking up and the best action is in early morning around weeds, weed lines, and about any place you find panfish. Work these areas with spoons, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, buzz baits, plastics, and northern suckers. Wire leaders keep lures attached to the line rather than on the bottom of the lake.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth fishing is generally good, with the best fishing in the late afternoon into evening hours. Look for the bass from the shallows out to the second break near lily pads, weeds, wood, bogs, logs, and points. Top baits include plastics, topwaters/weedless frogs, Rapalas/minnow baits, Senkos, spinner and surface baits, crawlers and minnows.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth action is erratic, ranging from very good to “What the heck?” Fish in/on/over/along weeds, wood, rock, and gravel in or adjacent to deeper water out to 30 feet. Plastics, tubes, crankbaits, swim jigs, topwaters, spinners, minnows, and crawlers are all working, and drop-shotting with live bait can be a particularly effective presentation.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is fair to good, with the best action from late afternoon until after dark. Look for fish suspending over deeper water, on bogs, brush, weeds, and cribs in 8-20 feet of water. Crappie minnows, fatheads, waxies, plastics, Gulp! baits, Mini-Mites, Tattle-Tails, and tubes on jigs and under slip bobbers, topwaters, and Beetle Spins are all working.
Bluegill:
Bluegill action is great in shallow weeds for excellent small fish action (great for the kids), but look to deeper water wood, weeds, bogs, brush, cribs, and rocks for the larger fish. Most productive baits include small jigs tipped with waxies, worms, leeches, minnows, and Gulp! baits, topwaters, and Beetle Spins.
