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[Wisconsin:
Almost 5 inches of much needed rain had fallen in the past two weeks! Our surface waters are showing signs of much more abundant life, but our ground water is still suffering from the many years of low water levels. Consequently there are still many lakes that are 2 to 4 feet low! Most of our area rivers and streams are in very good shape right now, hopefully we are climbing out of the Extreme drought conditions we have been in since 2003!
The hot muggy weather that has dominated the scene this past week is finally giving way to some unsettled weather, we are under the influence of another weather shift sitting upon us. Changing weather conditions are always a major factor in fishing, but persistence and planning are the key to your success. It seems like the barometer is always moving this year so it's just a matter of finding an "Ideal" time to get afield - I always try to plan my trips around a falling barometer. I think the fish move best due to the lower pressure - the high pressure pushes down on the water more and I believe that causes the fish to stay near the bottom and feed less.
Since the foods which the fish eat are growing larger it only makes sense that the baits we use to catch the fish should also be larger. Longer baits, more rubber legs, large Chubs, Jumbo Leeches and of course larger hooks to accommodate these and other popular baits. This is where smart anglers will use all the "tools" at their disposal to get the fish to strike, tools like sinking lines, neutral weight flies, smaller diameter tippets, Intermediate lines and longer leaders to get to the fish without spooking them. The are more "educated" by the time July rolls around, being prepared with better "tools", using more stealth, and making a good fishing plan all make sense and will definitely get you more "action" in the course of a day afield.
The Mosquitos are still a major factor in any outdoor experience this season, take plenty of bug repellent to be most comfortable.
The "Hex Hatch" - (Hexigenia Limbata) - is on! In all the area streams and most of the lakes, even though there may still be some isolated pockets of Hexes coming off on area lakes for the next few weeks, they are , for the most part just beginning into their major portion of the hatch! The Hex emerge at dusk and continue throughout the first 2 hours or so of the night with a secondary hatch at about 2:00 am. Just about every fish in the lake will become surface oriented when the hatch is at it's peak - during this week or so the daytime fishing will be slow to nonexistent as the fish gorge themselves on the Hex Nymphs and Duns in the evenings.
Northern Pike action is good on many area lakes and rivers, a Double Bunny or Deceiver does well fished in the 5 to 10 foot depth range throughout most of the early morning hours. Concentrate on the heavier "Cabbage" patches in the weed flats. Most Northerns are "schooled up " in similar size ranges - if you start catching 15 to 18 inchers, move a short distance to locate the larger fish, the big ones tend to be loners, don't expect to find many of the 30 plus inch fish to be in the same spot. Bright colors are working best, a Chartreuse and Orange Bunny Bug or a Chartreuse and White Deceiver are still my most consistent patterns.
Since the hot weather has finally given way to cooler temps, the daytime fishing for Muskies has picked up quite a bit as the fish are now well into a summer feeding pattern. Many anglers are picking up good fish using deeper running crankbaits off sharp drop-offs, getting them down into the 8 to 12 foot depth range. Bucktails run over the weed tops in 5 to 8 feet of water are getting a lot of attention from good sized fish in weedier lakes. My best pattern in weedy lakes is a Perch colored Craft Fur Minnow, but recently an Edgewater Diver fished with a 9' 9 wt. rod and Full Intermediate Line fished aggressively just over the weed tops has brought some big fish up. Using a brisk retrieve with short sputtering twitches has been best, especially in the evenings. Some very large females in the very clear water deep lakes have moved off the shelves and sand beaches and are taking an interest in larger flies in a natural Perch or Sucker color. Use a wire leader system with 20# test Titanium tippet on a 6' leader with a 15 foot Sink-Tip line, give the fly a chance to sink about 4 or 5 feet before starting your retrieve and move it quickly with lots of twitches and pauses. Good evening top water action is being had on many of our lakes and rivers with Surf Plugs and other noise making large profile baits, especially as the Hex begin to emerge at dusk. High water in many rivers is offering a challenge to anglers which has not been seen for several years, larger, darker colored baits, will produce better than the smaller flies of past seasons. River Musky fishing is just hitting it's midsummer stride and will continue to improve over the next couple of months, higher water levels are allowing the Muskies in the rivers to spread out more and locate in log jams and brush piles. Even though all the fishing was down a bit this past week, we still managed to catch some nice fish in the rivers. Water temps hovered in the mid to upper 70's and the fishing was slow, but stealth and perseverance were the key to being successful during these high water times. We caught a very heavy fish this week on a Walleye colored Craft Fur Minnow fished on a full Intermediate line from an area river at the head of a deep pool. Mid sized flies are the key to success in rivers and lakes as the water levels increase.
Walleyes and Perch are beginning somewhat of a feeding frenzy on the Hex, most of the fish are in the weedy mud flats where getting a bait down to them is challenging, work the bait slowly and thoroughly through the weed edges. I have picked up some very good Walleyes in the area streams and rivers this past week where they seem to be a bit more aggressive and are taking small Deceivers (3" - 5") and other Minnow patterns well. Larger clearer, mostly sand bottomed lakes are seeing a good open water bite with smaller crankbaits run in the 12 to 18 foot depth range near drop offs and the deep sides of rock bars. Good action is coming early in the morning and late in the evening.
Smaller weedier lakes are fishing best with slip bobber techniques since the fish have spread out to forage throughout the weeds and mud flats. Wiggler patterns fished in 6 to 10 feet of water have been catching fish especially off points and throughout the flats in the early mornings. Many Walleyes are feeding throughout the mud flats in 6 to 12 feet of water taking the same baits and the occasional larger minnow pattern. These fish are widely scattered and the bite is light, but quite a few good sized fish are being caught.
Larger schools of Crappies are positioning in open water during the day and especially in the evenings near the thicker patches of weeds. Bluegills are beginning to disperse and scatter throughout the weedier portions of the lake basin as they begin to migrate to deeper water - Attention Anglers this is a key to your Musky fishing, follow the food for the most consistent action!
The Largemouth Bass are now feeding throughout the early morning hours on frogs, minnows and anything else they can get their mouths around. The topwater action for Largemouth Bass is still great. Many Smallmouth Bass have moved offshore and are hanging near drop offs and large boulders in the 8 to 12 foot depth range, drop a Crayfish pattern throughout these areas for your best results. Topwater action is good for Smallies in deeper bays in the evenings, there's nothing like watching them sneak up and suck in a popper from the surface! Many bass have also migrated upstream in the area rivers and creeks, I have had great success using a Green & White Deceiver for bass on the Manitowish River just upstream from Island Lake and in the stretch below highway 51 in Manitowish Waters - using Red/Yellow Deer hair poppers and Black/yellow Double Bunnies.
The smaller "carry in" and "bog" lakes that have been the most consistent and productive throughout the season, have waned a bit with the recent unsettled weather, but as the weather continues to stabilize the action on these fisheries will rebound very quickly! There are a lot of lakes with good Walleye, Bass and panfish populations which are producing some great catches. These "secret fisheries" are a very closely guarded secret among those anglers who frequent these bodies of water, but a little research with the DNR will reveal most of them in short order. A good concentration of these types of lakes lies just east of Boulder Junction off the Nixon Lake Road area.
As the daytime temperatures fluctuate the topwater fishing activity will rise and fall with weather changes, the fishing will again be most consistent in the evening hours.
TROUT:
Trout action always seems to wither and just about fade as the summer stretches on due to warmer water temperatures - which may reach critical stages in the heat of the summer. Most Mayfly hatches are past peak and it seems like the streams are now all "fished out", but I always catch my largest fish of the season during this time period. The streams and rivers will "heat load" just like the lakes all day and give off heat throughout the evening and night so the water is coolest in the early mornings before the suns warms it up again. I concentrate on the very early morning hours when the water is the coolest and the fish will be the most active. I also like to get out just before or during a rain shower (as long as there's no lightening!), the falling pressure, darker skies and windier conditions all add to the increased feeding activity of larger trout. Higher water levels have allowed the trout to be more comfortable and spread out much more than past seasons, especially to shaded areas of heavy brush. Remember, our trout populations are still low, even though the water levels are the best they have been in many years, so expect to find the trout scattered more throughout the river. Higher, faster water tends to move the trout closer tot he banks and mid stream obstructions, concentrate on the variances of depth in these areas for your largest fish. Terrestrial insects (Beetles, Ants, and Crickets) are becoming more abundant and will now make up the largest portion of a trouts diet, as the aquatic insect hatches wane, nature is providing another food source for the trout throughout the area.
Michigan:
U.P. fishing conditions have caught up with and in some cases passed Wisconsin's, Muskie and Northern Pike activity has picked up considerably in the past week. Walleyes are in the weeds and deeper drop-offs during the day and moving up onto the rock bars and points in the evenings. In the Cisco Chain the fish are beginning to stage on the deeper drop off points and moving up onto the flats in the early mornings and cooler evenings. Smallmouth Bass are holding in the log jams and rocky points along deeper banks and along the drop offs with more logs and other cover in the 8 to 12 foot depth range. Lake Gogebic is seeing some good Walleye fishing in the west end of the lake near the State Campground. Bluegills are beginning to migrate to deeper water, and the Smallmouth Bass fishing is still excellent on the east side of the lake and in the Slate River and Merriweather Creek mouths.
Trout
The "Hex Hatch" is on! Though not as prolific as in streams farther to the south, the Hex is still a major factor in streams with more silt than stone on the bottom. Portions of the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon and the Border Brule have areas of very good activity and they do attract larger Browns and big Brookies to these stretches for this hatch.
The Middle Branch of the Ontonagon below Bond and Agate Falls is still very consistent with good morning hatches of Pale Morning Duns, Caddis, Midges and some #10 Stone Flies. The water levels are very good, more consistent flows from the bottom draw dam at Bond Falls along with the cool nights and more comfortable daytime temperatures are contributing to pleasant days astream. Terrestrial insects (Beetles, Ants, and Crickets) are becoming more abundant and will now make up a larger portion of a trouts diet, as the aquatic insect hatches wane, nature is providing another food source for the trout throughout the area. Don't miss out on the Stonefly hatches going on now, these larger bugs are early this year and the trout have taken notice on many area streams! A #10 Stimulator is just the right size for larger trout willing to take a big bite - especially in the mornings when these insects emerge!
The Mosquitos and Deer Flies will have their way with you ,
come prepared to do battle with a swarm of biting bugs!
Bring lots of Insect Repellent!!!
Sylvania:
Evening Topwater Bass fishing is excellent. Bluegills are beginning to move to deeper waters in all the Lakes. Clark Lake has the largest Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass of the tract - most of these fish are now taking surface baits very aggressively, the early mornings and evenings are the best times for surface feeding activity. During the day Tongue Depressors and Rubber Leg Buggers and especially the Black/Chartreuse color are taking many fish. Loon and Deer Island Lakes are hot right now for Smallies and Cory and West Bear are on fire for big Largemouth Bass!
The water is higher and cooler this week, the fish are holding in shallower water with more surface activity than the past week. Cooler air and water temperatures are holding the fish in shallow water early in the morning and in the evenings.
I expect the fishing to improve as more consistent weather settles in.
- MORE NEXT WEEK -
