By George Langley
NORTHERN WISCONSIN – We’re quickly heading into the middle of summer, and it’s going to be both busy and fun on the water.
If you believe the forecast (and it depends on where you look), temps this week should start out really warm and then cool off a bit, with some nighttime temps in the 40s. The spawns are mostly done, except for a few bass and a few bluegills. The grass is growing nicely now, with good cover for the fish and the water temperature is rising. Summer is here!
Most of our fish have now assumed their summer habitat, so the main advice is to look for weeds and fish deeper. In the Eagle River Chain, in the morning and evening you can find fish in five to seven feet of water. As the day progresses, heavy boat and jet ski traffic tends to drive these fish deeper for the afternoon, so jigs and minnows in deeper water will find you some walleyes.
Walleye, perch and crappies are still biting, mostly on jig and minnow combinations. Start the day with good cabbage weeds in the inshore areas for all three of these fish. Often, you can get a mix of these fish, as they seem to feed together. We don’t have many largemouth in the Chain, but there are a few smallies in this water on the rocks. Look for rocky points in mid-level water to produce these fish.
Most northerners live in weedy areas, or near them. Mepps bucktails or Johnson Silver Minnows and Daredevils work best for them. Fish weeds all day for these guys, as they are not night feeders.
Musky and northern action is good right now, as the musky have recovered from their spawn and are feeding more aggressively. Musky action this year has been mostly on bucktails, but as the water continues to warm, we can find action on surface baits, plastics and stick baits. These fish can be found everywhere, so shallow weeds to deeper water can produce. Generally we find more fish in deeper water from the end of this month onwards.
Be patient in heavier water traffic. We will see a lot of boaters from now until late August. Now is the time of year to try early and/or later in the day – you’ll be surprised how beautiful and peaceful it is.
Good luck and good fishing!
