May 25, 2009
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman

The three-day Memorial Day weekend’s weather of sunshine, blue skies, cool nights and mild days was about as good as it gets – unless your preference is 100 degrees and high humidity or 40 degrees with snow flurries.
The Hayward Lakes Chapter of Muskies, Inc. invites the public to attend its meeting Tuesday June 2, at Dick-Sy Roadhouse on Highway 77, ten miles east of Hayward. Well-known local musky fishing guide Dave Dorazio will give a presentation on fishing muskies on flowages. Dorazio has more than 40 years of guiding experience in the Hayward area, much of it on the Chippewa Flowage. His presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Mike Persson 634-4543.
Free Fishing Weekend is Saturday and Sunday June 6-7. Residents and non-residents of all ages can fish without fishing licenses, trout or salmon stamps, and all Wisconsin waters (including state waters of the Great Lakes and rivers bordering the state) are open. All other regulations, including length and bag limits, will still apply. For more information, visit http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/fish/kids...ngweekend.html.
According to the DNR, it has revised the daily walleye bag limits on 255 lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory to reflect spring spearing harvest. An administrative rule allows the DNR to annually adjust initial bag limits to reflect actual spearing harvests and projected summer harvests. For specific lakes, check the current fishing regulations, signs at boat landings, and the revised walleye bag limits pamphlet.
Bass Season in the Northern Zone changes from catch and release only to daily bag limits June 20. The Hayward area offers some of the finest bass fishing in this country for both largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Mark your calendar for June 25-28 and the 60th Annual Musky Festival. Visit www.muskyfestival.com or call (715-634-8662 for more information. Be sure to check the Hayward Lions Club Musky Festival Fishing Contest’s category prizes, lottery drawing, and photo contest.
DNR fisheries biologist Frank Pratt says Shue’s Pond and the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame pond were stocked last week with bluegills, crappies, sunfish, perch, and northerns. He is currently working on big plans for Musky Festival weekend – a free fishing event at Shue’s Pond, including lure making, fly tying, and fishing. It will be a great opportunity for kids and adults alike.

Muskies:
The Northern Zone musky season opened this past Saturday, May 23. “Catch” reports are somewhat scarce, and some anglers observed muskies still spawning. Once spawning ends and the water warms, action should quickly improve. Target shallow water areas with weeds or wood, the edges of new weed beds, along drop-offs – and in particular, near spawning panfish. In general, smaller baits currently seem to be more productive. Best baits include bucktails, crank, jerk, glide, and twitch baits, Bull Dawgs, topwaters, and live suckers.

Walleye:
Walleyes remain scattered and action is inconsistent at best, though fishing is good on some waters ... for some anglers. The best success is in the evening hours with crankbaits cast along shallow water shorelines and the edges of new green weeds. Otherwise, fish shallow to medium depths (6-20 feet) with gravel, sand, cribs, weeds, or wood. Best live baits include fatheads, walleye suckers, leeches, and crawlers, fished on jigs, under slip bobbers, and on harnesses.

Northern:
Northern pike are very active in shallower water weeds, in the bays, and on the bars, particularly in and along the edges of new green weed beds. Best baits include northern suckers and large minnows, spoons, Rapalas, crank and stickbaits. Pike are great fighters, good on the table, and can provide action all day long.

Crappie:
Crappies are in pre-spawn and spawning mode and providing excellent action, but with the warming water, it could be a short window of opportunity. They are in shallow water bays, often around weeds, brush, and wood. For the bigger fish, fish deeper water off the weed edges. Best baits are crappie minnows, fatheads, waxies, worms, leeches, and Mini-Mites, Tattle Tails, Chicken Jigs, and tubes jigs.

Bluegill:
Bluegills are very active as they are in or moving to the shallows for spawning purposes, and anglers are enjoying excellent success. Look for shallow, warming water in bays, on flats, or areas with weeds. The ‘gills are aggressive and you can catch them on waxies, worms, leeches, minnows, plastics, Beetle Spins, and feather jigs.

Upcoming Events
May 23: Musky season opened north of Hwy 10.
June 2: Hayward Lakes Chapter of Muskies, Inc. meeting at Dick-Sy Roadhouse. Featured speaker: Dave Dorazio.
June 6-7: Free Fishing Weekend. No license or stamps required. All other regulations apply.
June 7: State Parks Open House Day. Free admission to all state parks, forests and trails.
June 20: Northern Zone bass season goes from catch-and-release to daily bag limits.
June 25-28: Musky Festival (715-634-8662)
June 26-27: Hayward Lions Musky Fest Fishing Contest.
July 24-26: 50th Annual Lumberjack World Championships (715-644-2484)
Through July 31: Illegal to run dogs on WPA lands. (See regs.)

For more information on area events and activities, see the Calendar of Events, visit Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau, or call 1-800-724-2992.