Outdoor Report June 16, 2014

June 16, 2014
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman

We have a somewhat warm week ahead, with highs pushing 80 degrees, lows in the 50s-60s, and chances (less than 50 percent) for thunderstorms every day.

Hayward’s 65th Annual Musky Festival is June 19-22, celebrating Wisconsin’s North Woods and its great fishing tradition. Musky Fest is Hayward’s largest community festival, each year taking place the weekend following Father’s Day. The event includes the crowning of the Musky Festival Queen, sidewalk sales, food booths, arts and craft shows, catch-and-release fishing contest, fishing photo contest, live music, children’s games, 5K run/walk, 10K run, Minnow Run (12 and younger), carnival, and large street dances. Musky Fest concludes Sunday with the Grand Parade down Main Street. For more information, visit www.muskyfest.com or call Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce (715) 634-8662.

“Walleye fishing has improved,” says Pat Happy Hooker, “with anglers reporting very good catches on crawlers and leeches. Those will be the baits of choice until fall weather and the switch back to minnows. Look for walleyes off the first break between shallow and deep water and fish along weed edges with jigs and crawlers or leeches.
“Muskies are just off the shallows in newly emerging weeds, with mid-size lures most productive. Largemouth bass on spawning beds present some easy fishing, as they will take just about any lure. They have become so plentiful the DNR encourages harvest to reduce the populations. Check the size limits posted at boat landings.
“Crappies are moving deeper. Work crappie minnows and plastics under slip bobbers tight to the weeds. Bluegills are moving to shallow spawning beds and will hit most anything you offer, with best bets waxies, worms, and plastics.”
Guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations says Chippewa Flowage panfish fishing continues to be exceptional.
“Crappies moved out to weeds in 5-8 feet of water and while crappie minnows will catch some fish, Beetle Spins bounced over the weeds are more effective. Bluegills moved onto their beds in super shallow water and waxies, worms, and jig/plastic combos work well.
“Anglers are catching muskies with bucktails on bars and new weeds in 3-8 feet of water, or try topwaters in early morning or evening hours. Northern pike and largemouth bass are in the shallows and spinnerbaits will take both species.
“For walleyes during the day, fish deeper brushy areas in 12-18 feet of water with jigs and fatheads, leeches, and crawlers. During low light periods, cast Rapalas over weeds and along shorelines.”
Jim at Hayward Bait says the muskie bite is good on most muskie lakes.
“Work shorelines, bays, humps, and weed edges in 5-15 feet of water with smaller bucktails, glide baits, and plastics. The walleye bite is still fairly strong with crawlers and leeches on jigs, live bait rigs, and slip bobbers, as well as with crankbaits.
“Largemouth bass are shallow and aggressive, taking topwaters, plastics, crawlers, and leeches. Crappies moved a bit deeper. Look for down timber and deeper weed edges in 8-15 of water with minnows, waxies, and plastics. Bluegills are very shallow around weedlines, timber, sand flats, and reeds, taking waxies, worms, crawlers, and plastics.”

Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says Chequamegon Bay fishing keeps getting better and better.
“Smallmouth are on the beds and spawning activity should continue for a few more weeks. For best success, fish plastics slowly in the shallows. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and live bait are also catching fish – just not as many.
“Walleye action is good at the head of the Bay and in the sloughs with crawler harnesses, jigs/leeches, and stickbaits. Rapala Scatter Raps are hot for walleye, as well as for trout and salmon.
“The ice is now almost gone (there are a few floating ‘bergs!) and most anglers are flat-lining stickbaits in shallower areas, even in the Islands, as water temps remain on the cold side.”

This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter talks about northern pike in the Chief River lakes.
“We believe that at sometime in the 1990s there was an illegal introduction of northern pike into the Tiger Cat Chain, Spider Lake, and Mud/Callahan. The DNR did not plant these fish – northern pike is an unwanted species in lakes we are trying to manage for action muskie fisheries. Our concern is the northern pike will compete with and prey on muskellunge in these lakes that have always sustained natural muskie reproduction.
“The lake associations on these lakes would like your help in keeping pike numbers under control. With their support, the DNR is encouraging anglers to harvest pike of all sizes they catch while fishing these lakes, adhering to the current statewide 5-fish daily bag limit for pike.
“The DNR recommends catch-and-release fishing for muskies on all three lakes, for largemouth bass in Tiger Cat and Mud/Callahan, and for smallmouth bass in Spider Lake.”

FISHING REPORT
Muskie:
Muskie action is fair to good. Look for fish in 3-17 feet of water on/near weeds, bays, bars, humps, and near spawning panfish. The most currently productive baits include bucktails, jerkbaits, gliders, plastics, and topwaters. If you are not seeing fish, try downsizing your bait to small or medium size offerings.

Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair to good and improving, with the best action in early morning and late evening. During the day, work weeds, brush, and breaklines in 8-18 feet of water with leeches and crawlers under slip bobbers or on live bait rigs, jigs with fatheads, or cast and troll crank and minnow baits. In the evening hours and during low light periods, try casting or trolling those baits over shallower weedlines and shorelines.

Northern:
Northern pike fishing is very good along shallow water weed beds and any place you find spawning panfish. They are hitting both live bait and artificials, including spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jigs/plastics, and northern suckers.

Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth action is heating up in shallow water spawning areas and around weeds, brush, bogs, and timber. Spinners, spinnerbaits, topwaters, crankbaits, minnow baits, plastics/rigged worms, crawlers, and leeches are all excellent largemouth baits.

Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth fishing is catch-and-release only until June 21. You will find the smallies on hard bottom areas in depths to 18 feet. Baits of choice include tubes, topwaters, crankbaits, crawlers, and leeches.

Crappie:
Crappies are moving toward deeper water, though still providing good to very good action. Start in shallower water near/on brush, bogs, cribs, timber, and weeds, moving out to 17 feet or so until you find the fish. Top producing baits include crappie minnows, waxies, plastics, Tattle-Tails, Mini-Mites, and Gulp! baits fished on small jigs or plain hooks, with or without bobbers. Do not overlook Beetle Spins!

Bluegill:
Bluegill action is very good to great, with the fish on or moving to their spawning beds. Search for them in very shallow water and near weeds, brush, and bogs – look for the “elephant tracks”! Best baits include waxies, worms, crawler pieces, and plastics on small jigs or plain hooks, but ‘gills are not particularly selective at this time.

Upcoming Events
June 19-22: 65th Annual Musky Festival (715-634-8662).
June 20-22: Hayward Lion’s Club - Musky Fest Fishing Contest (715-634-8662).
June 20-21: 8th Annual Shue’s Pond Family Fishing; noon-4 p.m.
June 21: Smallmouth bass season opens in Northern Zone.
June 29: Hayward Bass Club Round Lakes Open (715-699-1015).
Through July 31: Illegal to allow dogs to run on DNR lands and Federal WPA (see regs for exceptions).

Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau and Sawyer County Record co-sponsor this report. For more information on area events and activities, visit the HLVCB’s Calendar of Events or call 800-724-2992.