Minocqua area fishing report

The bite heading into this last week of the gamefish season (ends midnight, March 3rd) has sped up nicely. Unfortunately travel on the lakes is bogging down.
The recent snows have helped the snowmobilers a bunch, trails are in good shape. Travel for us ice anglers is another story. Snow depths of 12+” on some lakes has made travel very tough. The past few days, snow has settled a little, but with the settling – slush is occurring. Best to stay on trails or fish areas packed down by other vehicles.
Pike: Good-Very good. Pike activity has increased with the recent warmer (20+degrees) weather. Big shiners and suckers below tip-ups from as deep as 12’ to as little as 4’. Nice fish this week including a 15#er caught on a large shiner in 6’ weeds on Sunday. When they get active like this, shaking a #5 pimple with a shiner/sucker head fun on rod and reel.
Walleyes: Good-Improving. Best is just after dark. While anglers working their way out to off shore humps bringing in good reports, some surprisingly good reports from anglers working shallower weeds. One angler recorded a 29 ½”, 9# walleye on a large shiner in just 4’ of weeds on Saturday night. With temps in mid to upper 20’s, jigging Raps are scoring also along weed edges and pockets of weeds in 9-12’. Overcast and snowy days have produced some daytime bites to late morning. Larger lakes producing best overall, probably due to better oxygen levels.
Crappies: Good-Improving. Not all of the traditional late February spots are producing, but the ones that are have been giving up some good numbers and some big fish. Tip-downs baited with crappie minnows have been producing well in both shallow (8-12’) and deep (18-30’) situations. For shallower bites, slow dropping flashy spoons (Slender spoons, Russian Spoons and Little Cecils) have been hot for this aggressive bite. In deeper water, use #2 pimples, 5mm Glow Fiskas (tungsten) or large tear drops baited with minnows or waxies. Reports of a lot of 7-9”ers (let them go till next year) are coming in with good eaters (10-12”) and some trophy slabs of 14+”.
Perch: Good-Improving. Like crappies, there seems to be tow bites going on. Certain lakes are seeing loads of perch cruising just outside standing weeds of 7-9’ taking minnows, waxies and spikes on any type of minnow imitating jig. Deeper water fish preferring wigglers on #2 pimples or #25-#35 Hails or tip-downs baited with Rosies for perch cruising 17-27’ mud. Overall more action in shallows (though fish to 13” have been reported) but better average size perch over mud (9-11”).
Largemouth Bass: Good. With temps up, this species becoming active again. Lots of flags on tip-ups baited with shiners for pike.
Bluegill. Fair-Good. Action picking up in bays with some live weeds intermixed with dead vegetation down low. Darts and rockers tipped with waxies in 5-9’. When bite slows, switch to #14 tear drop or 3mm tungsten jig with single spike or tipped with red, purple, maroon or black plastic.
With mid week temps hitting mid-high 30’s, slush will continue to be a problem. Hopefully cool down will have snow depths dropping and possibly firm up slush a little.