Outdoor Report September 8, 2014

September 8, 2014
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman

This week shows a turn to cooler weather following a beautiful weekend – that followed a severe storm that moved through the Hayward area last Thursday morning. For now, the coming weekend looks to be a dry one.

“Muskie fishing is slow,” says Pat at Happy Hooker, “but a few anglers are catching fish.
“Try topwaters, double-bladed bucktails, and plastics. Fish walleyes on mid-depth weeds or deeper structure with fatheads, walleye suckers, or leeches on jigs, slip bobbers, or live bait rigs. Smallmouth fishing is good off breaks and rock humps/reefs in 8-25 feet with #3 Mepps, tube jigs, and jigs/leeches.
“Crappie fishing is good in 10-22-feet on pink/white jigs with Twister Tail and tubes. Bluegill action is good from shallow wood to deep cribs on waxies, worms, and plastics.”
Guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations says Chippewa Flowage muskie fishing is excellent.
“Fish are relating to weeds, many in 2-5 feet, with bucktails and topwaters especially hot. Walleye anglers using crawlers are catching fish on deeper wood, brush, and sunken bogs, or cast Rapalas on weed edges during evenings. Anglers are catching decent northern pike on bucktails in the weeds.
“Largemouth fishing is good in thick slop on the west side with weedless frogs. Fish crappies in 12-25 feet near cribs, brush, and bogs with minnows, plastics, and jigs/tubes.”
Jim at Hayward Bait suggests smaller bucktails, gliders, and topwaters for muskies on weed beds and humps in 8-15 feet.
“Catch walleyes on crawlers, walleye suckers, and fatheads on gravel bars and structure in 15-30 feet. For northerns, fish sucker minnows, crankbaits, and spinners on points and weedlines in 15-30 feet.
“Use topwaters and plastics for largemouth and crankbaits and topwaters for smallmouth. Crappie fishing is good over deep water with crappie minnows and small spinners. Fish bluegills with waxies, leaf worms, and small plastics on deeper weedlines.”
Mike at Jenk’s says muskie action is all over the place, from surface baits to bucktails.
“Walleye anglers are now catching more fish on sandy bottoms than sunken brush, with jigs and crawlers or leeches the bait of choice. Muskie anglers are catching a fair number of northern pike fishing spinners, spinnerbaits, and bucktails along weed edges and shorelines. Crappie fishing is really heating up on cribs and brush piles for anglers using Mini-Mites with crappie minnows.”

Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says fishing was tough on Chequamegon Bay last week due to many storms rolling through the area, dirtying shorelines and blowing out the streams.
“Anglers are catching smallmouth in deeper water on sucker minnows, while walleye anglers are trolling stickbaits over weed beds.
“Outside the Bay, brown trout and steelhead are starting to show up around the mouths of the Sioux and Onion rivers. Trollers using spoons and Spin-N-Glos are doing well on lake and brown trout in the Apostle Islands area.”

This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses stocking and prey availability.
“A common question I hear concerns how the prey base in a lake affects walleye stocking success.
“An Ohio study may shed some light on this issue. Researchers looking at sauger, a close cousin of walleye, found that when they stocked sauger a few weeks before a large gizzard shad hatch (sauger’s main prey), they grew larger, but had less survival. Sauger stocked after the peak gizzard shad hatch were smaller because the shad were too big for them to eat, but their survival was much higher.
“The researchers suggest the relationship between stocked fish and prey is complicated, and even if they are unable to eat other small fish in the lake, the presence of the other fish might buffer them from predation and improve survival.”
DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says muskies remain the main species of interest.
“Anglers report catches on large topwaters, double-bladed bucktails, and Bull Dawgs in weed beds and deeper weed edges. Walleye action is fair for anglers fishing slip bobbers with leeches or crawlers in 12-14 feet. Northern fishing is good on spinnerbaits on mid-depth weed edges.
“Fish largemouth around mid-depth cover with soft plastics, jig/craw combinations, and spinnerbaits. Fish smallmouth around deeper cover with plastics and spinnerbaits. Crappie and bluegill are suspending near deeper cover.”

The DNR Hayward Service Center will host a public informational meeting Wednesday September 10, starting at 7 p.m., to discuss proposed trout regulation changes. DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter says this is a great opportunity for people interested in trout and trout fishing regulations to give feedback on the proposal DNR trout folks have worked on for a long time. Contact Wolter at (715) 634-9658 ext. 3509, or email max.wolter@wisconsin.gov, for more information.

FISHING REPORT
Muskie:
Muskie action ranges from fair to excellent, with mornings and nights offering the best success. Target weeds, weed edges, and mid-lake humps in 2-15 feet, with some fish suspending over deeper water. Favored baits include bucktails, Bull Dawgs, gliders, plastics, and topwaters.

Walleye:
Walleye action is fair, with low light hours (morning and night) the best fishing times. Concentrate on 12- to 30-foot depths on gravel bars, wood, weeds, brush, and other structure. Use leeches, crawlers, walleye suckers, and fatheads on jigs, slip bobbers, and live bait rigs, or troll and cast stick and crank baits around weedlines and shorelines.

Northern Pike:
Northern action is good for smaller fish in shallower weeds, weedlines, and shorelines. Productive baits include bucktails, spinnerbaits, spoons, crankbaits, and northern suckers. For trophy pike, fish deep points and weed edges with larger baits.

Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth action is good, though inconsistent, in thick slop and lily pad beds, brush, weeds and weedlines from very shallow to mid-depth cover. Topwaters, rigged plastics (worms, frogs, craws, etc.) spinnerbaits, and live bait are all producing catches.

Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth fishing is fair to good on hard bottom/rock areas, humps, bumps, and breaks in 8-28 feet of water. Top producing baits include spinners, spinnerbaits, plastics, tubes, jigs/leeches, crank and stick baits, and topwaters.

Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good and improving, though fish remain scattered in various depths and locations. Look for them in depths from 10 to 25 feet near brush, bogs, cribs, and other cover, as well as suspending over deeper water. Best bait choices include crappie minnows, waxies, plastics, tube jigs, Twister Tails, Mini-Mites, and small spinners.

Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is good on waxies, leaf worms, and small plastics. Look for ‘gills one shallow weedlines and cover to deeper cribs and wood, and suspending over deeper water. Look to deeper rock bars for larger fish.

Upcoming Events
Sept. 10: Sounds of the Elk – elk bugling tour; Cable Natural History Museum (715-798-3890).
Sept. 13: Seasons open: Fall turkey; archery and crossbow deer; Ruffed grouse in Zone A; Cottontail rabbit in North Zone; Gray and fox squirrel; Fall crow.
Sept. 15: Early Canada goose season closes.
Sept. 16: Canada goose season opens.
Sept. 20-21: Youth waterfowl hunt.
Sept. 20: 30th Annual Hayward Fall Festival (715-634-8662).
Sept. 27: Duck season opens in Northern Zone.
Sept. 30: Woodcock season opens:
Sept. 30: Seasons close: Inland trout; Lake Superior lake trout; Sturgeon on inland waters.
Oct. 7: Bear season closes.
Oct. 11-12: Youth deer hunt.
Oct. 4-12: Special deer hunt for people with disabilities.
Oct. 18: Seasons open: Raccoon hunting/trapping (resident); Red and gray fox hunting/trapping; Coyote trapping; Fisher trapping; Bobcat hunting/trapping Period 1.
Oct. 25: Seasons open: Muskrat; Mink.

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.