Hayward Lakes Sherry
09-06-2011, 01:42 PM
September 5, 2011
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
We have a beautiful north woods week in store, with mild to warm days, cool nights, and no mention of precipitation. Hunting seasons are opening, fishing action is improving, and hints of fall are becoming visible on the landscape. Get out and enjoy this wonderful weather!
“Water temperatures are starting to decrease, weeds are beginning to die off, and we see signs of a turn towards more serious autumn fishing,” says Pat at Happy Hooker.
Bob at Hayward Bait reminds anglers they can save $10 by signing up now for the Muskies, Inc. fall muskie tournament Sept. 30 - Oct. 2. Register before Sept. 18 and pay $70; register later and pay $80.
“Muskies are shallow and anglers caught a number of nice, upper-40-inch fish in the past week,” says Larry Ramsell at Pastika’s. “I suggest surface baits, bucktails, and glide baits.”
Randy at Jenk’s recommends fishing for Chippewa Flowage crappie on cribs with crappie minnows and tube jigs, and for bluegills with worms and waxies near deeper brush and on cribs.
At Minnow Jim’s, Cathy says Nelson Lake northern pike and largemouth bass are hitting noisy, splashy, rattling, and scented baits.
Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says coho and browns are showing up near the mouths of the Sioux, Onion, and Pikes rivers. Anglers report success trolling and casting spoons from shore.
“Fishing activity is pretty good in the north woods,” says DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt, “with bass and muskie fishing the highlight. Water levels remain near normal, with periodic summer rains keeping flowage flush rates up and algae blooms down.”
Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival is September 16-18, with races, pasta feast, product displays, presentations, and more than 1,700 participants. For more information, visit the website.
Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. invites the public to its Tuesday September 6 meeting at Dick-Sy Roadhouse, ten miles east of Hayward on Highway 77. Well-known local guide Tanner Wildes will discuss Chippewa Flowage muskie fishing starting at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Mike Persson (715) 634-4543.
Wilderness Wings Chapter - Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) third annual Hunt, Shoot, and Sportsmen’s Dinner at Summit Lake Game Farm is Saturday September 17. Membership/dinner tickets cost $75; additional dinner tickets $25. Registration deadline is 6 p.m. Sept. 16. For more information, contact Dave Reardon (715) 634-2674.
FISHING REPORT
Muskies:
Muskie action is fair to good and getting better, with numerous sightings, follows, and hook-ups. Fish are moving shallower with cooling water temperatures. Look for them in/on/near weeds beds, weed edges, and structure. Go with topwaters, bucktails, gliders, Bull Dawgs, and other swim baits.
Walleye:
Walleyes continue to test anglers’ skills and patience. Target weeds, weed beds and edges, brushy drop offs, humps, mid-depth rock bars, and other structure in 10-35 feet of water. Various baits are working, including walleye suckers, crawlers, leeches, and trolled stick and crank baits. Fish live bait on jigs, bait harnesses, and slip bobbers.
Northern:
Northern action is very good in and around weeds and along weed edges in 6-20 feet of water with spinnerbaits, spoons, stickbaits, and other noisy/splashy baits, as well as northern suckers.
Largemouth Bass:
You can find largemouth from shallow to deeper water and the second break, but nearly always in and around weeds, weed lines, bogs, downed trees, and other cover. If it makes noise or splashes, bass will hit it. Try weedless plastics, spinnerbaits, jig/craw combos, topwaters, rubber frogs, and live bait.
Smallmouth Bass:
Fish for smallmouth near deeper water cribs, rock, wood, hard-bottom areas, and other cover with plastics, tubes, crankbaits, plastics, crayfish imitations, minnow baits, and crawlers.
Crappie:
Crappies are in various locations and holding at various depths. Target weeds, weed lines, cribs, and brush, and look for fish suspending near deeper water cover. Top baits are crappie minnows, waxies, worms, panfish leeches, plastics, Mini-Mites, Tattle-Tails, Gulp! baits, Beetle Spins, and spinners tipped with live bait.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is somewhat inconsistent. Fish weeds, wood, cribs, brush, and bogs from shallow to mid-depths. Bigger ‘gills are on deeper water weed lines and other cover. Most productive baits include waxies, worms, leeches, minnows, plastics, topwaters, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hook, with or without bobbers.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 6: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting at Dick-Sy Roadhouse (715-634-4543).
Sept. 7: Bear season opens (see regulations).
Sept. 7-10: Chippewa Flowage Musky Hunt (715-462-3276).
Sept. 11: Kids Fish O Rama at Fishing Hall of Fame (715-634-4440).
Sept. 15: Early Canada goose hunting season closes.
Sept. 16: Canada goose season opens in Northern Zone.
Sept. 16-18: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival.
Sept. 17: Seasons open: Archery deer; Turkey; Ruffed grouse (Zone A); Cottontail rabbit; Gray and fox squirrel; Crow.
Sept. 17: Ruffed Grouse Society Hunt, Shoot, and Sportsmen’s Dinner at Summit Lake Game Farm (715-634-2674).
Sept. 17-18: Youth duck hunt. See regs.
Sept. 24: Seasons Open: Duck in Northern Zone; Woodcock.
Sept. 24: Hayward Fall Festival (715-634-8662).
Sept. 30: Seasons close: Trout on inland waters (see regs.), Lake trout on Lake Superior; Hook and line sturgeon.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2: Hayward Lakes Chapter of Muskies, Inc. 34th Annual Fall Fishing Tournament (715-634-4543).
Oct. 2: Special deer hunt for people with disabilities (see regulations).
Oct. 8-9: Youth deer hunt. See regs.
Oct. 11: Black bear season closes.
Oct. 15: Seasons Open: Pheasant; Sharptail grouse; Raccoon gun/trapping (resident); Red and gray fox hunting/ trapping; Coyote trapping; Fisher; Muskrat and mink in Northern Zone; Bobcat (Period 1 hunting/trapping north of Hwy. 64).
Oct. 29: Raccoon season for non residents. See regs.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
We have a beautiful north woods week in store, with mild to warm days, cool nights, and no mention of precipitation. Hunting seasons are opening, fishing action is improving, and hints of fall are becoming visible on the landscape. Get out and enjoy this wonderful weather!
“Water temperatures are starting to decrease, weeds are beginning to die off, and we see signs of a turn towards more serious autumn fishing,” says Pat at Happy Hooker.
Bob at Hayward Bait reminds anglers they can save $10 by signing up now for the Muskies, Inc. fall muskie tournament Sept. 30 - Oct. 2. Register before Sept. 18 and pay $70; register later and pay $80.
“Muskies are shallow and anglers caught a number of nice, upper-40-inch fish in the past week,” says Larry Ramsell at Pastika’s. “I suggest surface baits, bucktails, and glide baits.”
Randy at Jenk’s recommends fishing for Chippewa Flowage crappie on cribs with crappie minnows and tube jigs, and for bluegills with worms and waxies near deeper brush and on cribs.
At Minnow Jim’s, Cathy says Nelson Lake northern pike and largemouth bass are hitting noisy, splashy, rattling, and scented baits.
Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says coho and browns are showing up near the mouths of the Sioux, Onion, and Pikes rivers. Anglers report success trolling and casting spoons from shore.
“Fishing activity is pretty good in the north woods,” says DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt, “with bass and muskie fishing the highlight. Water levels remain near normal, with periodic summer rains keeping flowage flush rates up and algae blooms down.”
Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival is September 16-18, with races, pasta feast, product displays, presentations, and more than 1,700 participants. For more information, visit the website.
Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. invites the public to its Tuesday September 6 meeting at Dick-Sy Roadhouse, ten miles east of Hayward on Highway 77. Well-known local guide Tanner Wildes will discuss Chippewa Flowage muskie fishing starting at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Mike Persson (715) 634-4543.
Wilderness Wings Chapter - Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) third annual Hunt, Shoot, and Sportsmen’s Dinner at Summit Lake Game Farm is Saturday September 17. Membership/dinner tickets cost $75; additional dinner tickets $25. Registration deadline is 6 p.m. Sept. 16. For more information, contact Dave Reardon (715) 634-2674.
FISHING REPORT
Muskies:
Muskie action is fair to good and getting better, with numerous sightings, follows, and hook-ups. Fish are moving shallower with cooling water temperatures. Look for them in/on/near weeds beds, weed edges, and structure. Go with topwaters, bucktails, gliders, Bull Dawgs, and other swim baits.
Walleye:
Walleyes continue to test anglers’ skills and patience. Target weeds, weed beds and edges, brushy drop offs, humps, mid-depth rock bars, and other structure in 10-35 feet of water. Various baits are working, including walleye suckers, crawlers, leeches, and trolled stick and crank baits. Fish live bait on jigs, bait harnesses, and slip bobbers.
Northern:
Northern action is very good in and around weeds and along weed edges in 6-20 feet of water with spinnerbaits, spoons, stickbaits, and other noisy/splashy baits, as well as northern suckers.
Largemouth Bass:
You can find largemouth from shallow to deeper water and the second break, but nearly always in and around weeds, weed lines, bogs, downed trees, and other cover. If it makes noise or splashes, bass will hit it. Try weedless plastics, spinnerbaits, jig/craw combos, topwaters, rubber frogs, and live bait.
Smallmouth Bass:
Fish for smallmouth near deeper water cribs, rock, wood, hard-bottom areas, and other cover with plastics, tubes, crankbaits, plastics, crayfish imitations, minnow baits, and crawlers.
Crappie:
Crappies are in various locations and holding at various depths. Target weeds, weed lines, cribs, and brush, and look for fish suspending near deeper water cover. Top baits are crappie minnows, waxies, worms, panfish leeches, plastics, Mini-Mites, Tattle-Tails, Gulp! baits, Beetle Spins, and spinners tipped with live bait.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is somewhat inconsistent. Fish weeds, wood, cribs, brush, and bogs from shallow to mid-depths. Bigger ‘gills are on deeper water weed lines and other cover. Most productive baits include waxies, worms, leeches, minnows, plastics, topwaters, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hook, with or without bobbers.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 6: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting at Dick-Sy Roadhouse (715-634-4543).
Sept. 7: Bear season opens (see regulations).
Sept. 7-10: Chippewa Flowage Musky Hunt (715-462-3276).
Sept. 11: Kids Fish O Rama at Fishing Hall of Fame (715-634-4440).
Sept. 15: Early Canada goose hunting season closes.
Sept. 16: Canada goose season opens in Northern Zone.
Sept. 16-18: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival.
Sept. 17: Seasons open: Archery deer; Turkey; Ruffed grouse (Zone A); Cottontail rabbit; Gray and fox squirrel; Crow.
Sept. 17: Ruffed Grouse Society Hunt, Shoot, and Sportsmen’s Dinner at Summit Lake Game Farm (715-634-2674).
Sept. 17-18: Youth duck hunt. See regs.
Sept. 24: Seasons Open: Duck in Northern Zone; Woodcock.
Sept. 24: Hayward Fall Festival (715-634-8662).
Sept. 30: Seasons close: Trout on inland waters (see regs.), Lake trout on Lake Superior; Hook and line sturgeon.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2: Hayward Lakes Chapter of Muskies, Inc. 34th Annual Fall Fishing Tournament (715-634-4543).
Oct. 2: Special deer hunt for people with disabilities (see regulations).
Oct. 8-9: Youth deer hunt. See regs.
Oct. 11: Black bear season closes.
Oct. 15: Seasons Open: Pheasant; Sharptail grouse; Raccoon gun/trapping (resident); Red and gray fox hunting/ trapping; Coyote trapping; Fisher; Muskrat and mink in Northern Zone; Bobcat (Period 1 hunting/trapping north of Hwy. 64).
Oct. 29: Raccoon season for non residents. See regs.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.