Oct 4 Report - Great Musky Fishing!

Oct 4, 2011 Fishing Report

Hi folks.

Beautiful weather and good fishing. These two things normally don’t go together, but right now we sure are enjoying it. Muskies have been excellent as of late. We’ve been catching fish every time out and on a variety of baits and lures. We’ve caught muskies while walleye fishing with jigs-and-minnows; we’ve also been catching them pretty regularly now on suckers – it’s always good to have one over the side at this time; and on artificial lures. My favorite and best-producing lure is still my trusty Suick but perch-colored crane baits, rubber baits and even bucktails have been producing action. We’ve been concentrating around deep weed edges and points. We haven’t found these fish particularly aggressive. We’ve been twitching the cranes and using stop-and-go motions with them – similar with the Suick. I’ve been using a weighted Suick and letting it slowly rise almost to the surface before jerking it back down. With the rubber baits I’ve been raising and lowering them, trying to work them as slow as possible. Fish haven’t followed much, but by using these types of motions they explode on the baits from directly below --- putting on quite a show! Once this nice weather clears out, and a change comes in, musky anglers should have a ball. I have not seen turnover yet on any lakes. Water temps seem to be hovering in the high 50’s, beginning to push 60 – the lowest I’ve seen was 54-1/2 degrees.

There’s also been a very good multi-specie bite going on. Walleyes are beginning to hit and are being found mainly in weeds or deep timber. While fishing ‘eyes we’re also catching a lot of northerns, along with some very nice size crappies and some jumbo perch. These fish also are not acting extremely aggressive so keep your retrieves slow and feel your way along. Jig tipped with minnows are the bait of choice. Fatheads have been producing very well, but I would always take a dozen or two redtails with me, as fish have their moments when they want that little bigger bait. Anglers should just experience better and better fishing as this month progresses, and the anglers that can get up this weekend should just have a ball between the weather and the fishing.

Good luck fishing.
Jeff Winters

Funny thing. I had a trip booked with a different guide. We were supposed to be fishing around Conover. Guide called and said that the lakes were all pea soup green and that fishing was tough. He is cancelling his trips for the week and trying to reschedule them later in the year after turnover is done. According to him, the lakes turned and were clearing up, then the warm front hit and the lakes turned again. He also mentioned some tournament up there with like 180 boats entered and 4 fish caught.

For my money, I'll wait a few weeks for the lakes to clear up before I run up north.

vegas492:

Talked to a guide buddy of mine yesterday that had friends out on a local lake and he got three (all three over 40 and biggest 47") and missed a fourth... He went back out last night on a different lake and had one rip... I (not a guide) was on a dark water lake Sunday and moved a fish and another local guide was able to put two in the boat and miss a third. Lots of lakes with out bloom, but you are still going to find some with it on them. Patterns pretty much holding statewide now as the temps on Pewaukee for the Pro-Mac Tourney Championship was right around 60* as well... I know many guides would love to see colder weather come in and the true fall pattern settle in, but there are patterns out there that are working...

The guy I fished with Sunday put a 42" in the boat on one of those tourney lakes on Sat., another friend fished with his wife and a pair of other friends on one of the Arbs and had fish all around them late last week. Not saying that the tourney didn't have good fisherman in it either, maybe no one found the pattern... I think the Pro-Mac only had 8 fish for the whole tourney as well.

I don't want to say your info is not spot-on, but it kind of seemed like you were saying that Jeff's report wasn't. There are 3200 lakes up here and some are good some days and not so good on others. There are good places to fish out there right now...

Mark

I was in the Pro-Mac. 62.7 degree water temps. High pressure system. 14 fish caught out of 80 boats fishing for two days. Not exactly ideal weather. Could have been 13 fish, can't really remember.

My local guide is constantly on fish around Conover and the UP. He has plenty of friends that fish often as well. I was looking to fish LVD, Twin, Long, Sand or Buckatabon. My guide scouted the water and informed me that it was all green. He had 7 friends fishing LVD recently for two days. Only one follow.

Can you still catch fish during turnover? Yep. I've caught plenty on Bucky. Me and my crew are not dropping over $500 in gas to come up to Vilas County to fish during turnover. Plain and simple.

Maybe Jeff is on a bite, maybe he isn't, I don't know him and didn't insinuate anything against him in my post. I'm simply stating another guide's opinion of the water up there. As I plan to go north, I like to have lots of information to make decisiona on. My guide's experience and George Langley's report pretty much sums it up for me. It is best to wait if you are heading north for a fall lunker.

I saw my first green water yesterday and today so the turnover process is happening. Still caught fish on both lakes. Muskires are moving pretty well despite the nice weather. I have lakes I like when they are pea soup. Walleyes and crappies are being the most stubborn but Perch and Northern are still going.Son-in Law is out right now on Muskies and just texted a 42" in the boat.Good Luck Jeff

vegas492:

I retract my insinuation and offer apologies, let's get fishin'!!!

Mark

No worries.

I was fishing down here around Milwaukee when my guide buddy up north called on Saturday. He said that he and his son fished all day Friday and didn't see a fish. He hit up another little "action" lake that he knows and managed a 37. But, he said that lake usually gives up 3-5 fish in a trip.

Water was still quite green.

Fishing down here stunk as well. Our water temps were 66 degrees. We rescheduled our trip north for the first weekend in November.

You guys get out there and get the big girls all riled up for us.

All the lakes are green and ugly. Muskies have slowed but with the weather I dont think it would matter what is happening to the lakes. Still managing to catch a muskie every trip out but mostly smaller fish in the high 30's to 40. Bigger fish have gone into hiding. Pike and Walleyes are still going strong in fact now that they are used to warm weather action has picked up. We are also catching Crappies and Perch along with them. Watch out though we are going to get what we have wanted, it looks like starting Thursday weather gets nasty! Good Luck Jeff