Fishing

Northern and panfish putting on a good to excellent bite, with musky, walleye and smallmouth bass providing good action; all in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.

Water temps in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area are in the upper 60s.

NORTHERN and MUSKY:  Northern and musky in the Eagle River area are locating in generally the same spots.  Fish 10 feet of water or less relating to weeds.  Use the same baits for both:  Small bucktails, glidebaits, twitch baits and topwaters — EXCEPT that in addition, for the northern, northern sucker minnows under a slip bobber are working, too.  Use a regular retrieve.  There’s an all day bite for both, with northern providing good to excellent action, and musky good action.

PANFISH:  Crappies, bluegills and perch are providing good to excellent action in the Eagle River area.  Fish 10 feet of water or less in and around weeds.  The crappies and gills are suspending in these areas, and are often found tight in the weeds.  The perch are tight to bottom.  Use a small jig or slip bobber with a chunk of crawler, waxie or micro-plastic.  All are working.  All day action.

WALLEYE:  Walleye in the Eagle River area are in 15 feet of water or less off of weed and break edges.  The walleye are tight to bottom.  Use a jig and a minnow.  All day action and the bite is good.

SMALLMOUTH BASS:  Fish 10 feet of water or less over sandy or gravel bottoms.  Use a tube, or a Sinko rigged wacky.  A jig and a minnow or leech are also working.  All day action and the bite is good.  REMEMBER — smallmouth bass fishing in the Eagle River area is strictly catch-and-release until the harvest season opens on June 21st.

(This report based on Creative Brilliance interviews with Eagle River guides “Muskie Matt” of Wild Eagle Lodge, “Ranger Rick” Krueger of Guide’s Choice Pro Shop, and Mat Hegy).

Musky action heating up, with good to very good action for walleye, northerns, crappies, bluegills, perch bass, and catfish; in and amidst the lakes and the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin’s Marathon and Lincoln Counties (near Mosinee and Wausau).

Musky action in the central Wisconsin area is heating up as the water temps rise, and the walleye/panfish bite continues to be very good.

The action for muskies in the central Wisconsin area over the past week has been very good.  We have caught some very nice fish including a giant 49 inch fish (quickly released).  Most of the action has been from shallow backwater areas off the Wisconsin River and shallow weedy flats in the area lakes.  So far the muskies have been hitting small bucktails and spinnerbaits, but jerkbaits like Mantas and Suicks are now, getting some attention too.

The walleye activity in the central Wisconsin area has been very good with nice catches coming in this past week.  On most of the half day trips we are seeing anywhere from 30 to 60 fish being caught along with a multitude of other species as well like:  Bass, perch, crappies, catfish, and even a few nice northerns, which are all present in the Wisconsin River system.  Most of the walleye activity has been by targeting areas along current breaks with structure in 6 to 10 feet of water.  We have been using the weedless Ricky jigs to be able to get in and around the structure and pick off the walleyes without getting our baits hung up.  At his time of the year the weedless jigs are priceless when it comes to working structure.

The bite for crappies and bluegills have been very good in the central Wisconsin area. The crappies are done spawning and have moved off to traditional summer locations.  They can be caught by fishing for them with a small minnow suspended at the proper depth below a slip bobber.

The bluegills are now spawning, and for the most part can be found in very shallow water less than 3 feet deep.  Look for shallow wood and weeds and you will find the gills. Catching them is as easy as 1, 2, 3.  All you need is a small hook suspended about 8 inches to a foot below a bobber and have it baited up with a piece of crawler or a tiny worm.  This combo will do the trick all day long at catching bluegills and even a few perch as they are sometimes mixed in with the gills.

Anyone looking for bass, now is the time to do it in the central Wisconsin area. The action for bass this past week has been absolutely unbelievable with not only great numbers of fish, but some real giants as well.  Most of the activity has been by tossing plastics to submerged timber and rocks but a few fish are hitting topwater baits as well.

(This report based on interviews with licensed guide and trapper Phil Schweik and licensed guide Glenn Moberg, of Hooksetters Fishing & Hunting Guide Service, Mosinee Wisconsin).

Northern and crappies putting on a good to excellent bite, with musky, walleye and bass good; all in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.

Water temps in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area are in the mid 60s.

NORTHERN:  Northern are putting on a good to excellent bite in the Eagle River area.  Fish 10 feet of water or less in and around weeds.  Use a Husky Jerk (minnow or walleye pattern), a small bucktail, or a northern sucker under a slip bobber.  All day action.

CRAPPIES:  Crappies are putting on a good to excellent bite in the Eagle River area.  Fish 6 feet of water or less in shallow weeds.  Use a crappie minnow under a slip bobber or on a small jig, or a micro-plastic.  All day action.  All anglers should note that the crappies are spawning, and are very vulnerable.  Take a few for the frying pan, but don’t overharvest.  Remember that the legendary fishing that the Eagle River area has provided for over 150 years continues, because thoughtful anglers know that the resource must be preserved for the future.

MUSKY:  Musky in the Eagle River area are putting on a good bite.  Fish 10 feet of water or less in the weeds or off of weed edges.  Use a small bucktail, minnow bait, or glide bait – and keep your retrieve slow.  All day action with peaks in the evening.

WALLEYE:  Walleye in the Eagle River area are putting on a good bite.  Fish 15 feet of water or less in or around weeds or adjoining break edges.  Use a 1/16th or 1/8th ounce jig with a fathead minnow. The walleye are tight to bottom.  All day action.

SMALLMOUTH BASS:  Smallmouth bass in the Eagle River area are putting on a good bite (don’t forget that until the harvest season opens, all bass are strictly catch-and-release in the Eagle River area).  Fish 12 feet of water or less over hardbottom areas (rock, gravel, stones, and sand).  Use a #3 Mepps Extra Deep, small Husky Jerk, a jig and a minnow, or a plastic.  All day action.

(This report based on Creative Brilliance interviews with Eagle River guides “Muskie Matt” of Wild Eagle Lodge, “Ranger Rick” Krueger of Guide’s Choice Pro Shop, and Mat Hegy).

Walleye, bass, northern, crappie and bluegills hitting hard, with musky turning on; in and amidst the lakes and the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin’s Marathon and Lincoln Counties (near Mosinee and Wausau).

Crappies are spawning in the central Wisconsin area and the bluegills are not far behind. The walleyes, bass  and norhtern have been very aggressive, and the musky bite is turning on…  Can it get any better?  Oh yeah, and it will — and the weather is wonderful.

The local crappie spawn is well under way and just about done in the central Wisconsin area, but with that we are now starting to see large masses of bluegills entering the same locations that the crappies were recently inhabiting.  This means it’s time to get the kids out and have some fun targeting what is probably going to be the easiest fishing of the year.  Look for spawning bluegills to be in shallow water that is less than 3 feet deep.  In most cases these areas will be surrounded by brush, timber, or weeds.  A simple Aberdeen hook baited with a worm, suspended below a bobber, will catch fish all day long.

Bass anglers have been having a field day in the central Wisconsin area. The bite has been very consistent by targeting rocky shorelines and downed timber in water that is less than 5 feet deep.  The bass will eat about anything that enters their area, but the best baits by far have been a jig and tube or a small diving crankbait that imitates a crayfish.

Walleye anglers are seeing a good number of post spawn fish inhabiting several areas in the central Wisconsin area.  Some walleyes are up in shallow water and a bunch of  the walleyes are in the deeper pools. They can be targeted by a number of ways but day in and day out there are only two methods to use. One is by casting a simple jig and minnow and the other is by casting or trolling crankbaits.  either of these two methods will work and on most days both will be successful.

Musky and northern have been very active in the central Wisconsin area, and with water temperatures warming up into the 70 degree range it is no wonder they are putting on their spring feed bag.  Small bucktails are about the most versatile baits to run right now but glide baits, twitch baits and even some rubber baits will work at this time of the year. Right now  target shallow areas with wood, weeds or even rocks if they are present.  These areas will present the warmest water available, work them thoroughly and methodically to get a strike from an aggressive fish.

(This report based on interviews with licensed guide and trapper Phil Schweik and licensed guide Glenn Moberg, of Hooksetters Fishing & Hunting Guide Service, Mosinee Wisconsin).

Musky opener slow. Northern and crappies providing good to excellent action, with walleye and smallmouth bass putting on a good bite; all in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.

Water temps in the Eagle River area hovering in the mid 50s.

MUSKY:  With the water  cool, and some muskies still spawning, the musky opener in the Eagle River area has been slow.  Our guide sources tell us, that they would still go out, as some muskies are not spawning, some are spawning and some are done.  What that means in effect, is that the muskies may very well bite, however they’ll be lethargic.  Warmer water is needed, and a period of rest after spawning.  If you do go out, use a small bucktail, or small minnow bait and a very slow retrieve.  Your best bet for some action is to fish the shallow emerging weeds (eight feet of water or less), especially in the warmer back-bays of the lake you’re on.  What  you may see are muskies still spawning — they’ll be swimming side-by-side.  Please — protect this wonderful yet fragile resource and don’t go after these spawning pairs.  Let them be.  There are plenty of other muskies available, and as the weather continues on its warming trend, the musky action should pick up markedly in the coming days.  Stay tuned and we’ll let you know how things are going when we report next week.

NORTHERN:  Northern in the Eagle River area are putting on a good to excellent bite.  Fish 10 feet of water or less in and around new weed growth.  Use a Husky Jerk (minnow or walleye pattern), small Mepps, or a northern sucker under a slip bobber.  All day action.

PANFISH:  Crappies in the Eagle River area are providing all day action and a good to excellent bite.  The crappies are moving in.  Fish 8 feet of water or less in weedy areas.  Use a crappie minnow or small plastic under a slip bobber or on a jig.

WALLEYE:  Walleye in the Eagle River area are holding in 10 feet of water or less in new weed growth or adjacent break edges.  Use a 1/8th of 1/16th ounce jig tipped with a fathead.  The walleye are tight to bottom.  All day action and the bite has been good.

BASS:  Smallmouth bass in the Eagle River area (remember, until the harvest season opens bass fishing is strictly catch-and-release in the Eagle River area) are locating in 12 feet of water or less over hardbottom areas (sand, gravel, rocks).  Some anglers are reporting bass on their beds, and others not.  Right now it’s a transition period, with some bass having spawned, and some have not.  Use a Mepps #3 Extra Deep, or a two inch tube.  All day action, and the bite is good.

(This report based on Creative Brilliance interviews with Eagle River guides “Muskie Matt” of Wild Eagle Lodge, “Ranger Rick” Krueger of Guide’s Choice Pro Shop, and Mat Hegy).

Musky season is open, with walleye, crappie, white bass and catfish all hitting; in and amidst the lakes and the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin’s Marathon and Lincoln Counties (near Mosinee and Wausau).

The 2014 Wisconsin northern zone musky season has opened and thousands of eager anglers are taking to the water in the central Wisconsin area with one thing on their mind — catching a big musky.  Seeing how we just came through one of the longest and coldest winters on record anglers are going to have to change things up a bit if they are going to be successful.

Most lakes are way behind with fresh or new green weeds limiting the areas for muskies to hold.  With that said targeting these predators leaves us with a few options like rocks and wood. Start by looking at the backwater areas in the area lakes and off the main Wisconsin River channel. Target shallow muddy stump filled bays with less than five feet of water.  Small bucktails, twitch baits, and small rubber baits are all going to work well under these conditions.  As the day progresses and the water warms up start targeting any rocky areas along the Wisconsin River or in the lakes.

The walleye bite has been very good in the central Wisconsin area with some very nice fish being caught.  Most of the fish are in 10 to 16 feet of water holding tight to the bottom. Jigs tipped with fathead minnows or plastics have been taking the majority of the fish as well as running slip bobbers with baits set within a foot of the bottom.

The crappie bite has been the best many have seen in years in the central Wisconsin area  few remember a year when the bite has been this good.  A lot of fish are holding in shallow water in and around traditional spawning grounds.   We have been catching most of the crappies by running a small jig tipped with a tube or minnow (both work very well) below a tiny bobber.  Set the bait about a foot under the surface and cast it in towards the structure or area the crappies are holding.  The action can be fast and furious as these slabs take the bait.

In addition to the multiple game fish we are catching in the central Wisconsin area  we have been seeing quite a few white bass and catfish as well.  Most of these are incidental to walleye and crappie fishing but non-the-less these are some of the strongest, hardest, fighting fish in the area. Don’t be fooled by their size either because pound for pound they will hold their own against any other species.

(This report based on interviews with licensed guide and trapper Phil Schweik and licensed guide Glenn Moberg, of Hooksetters Fishing & Hunting Guide Service, Mosinee Wisconsin).

Walleye putting on a good to excellent bite, with northern good, and perch hanging near the walleyes.  Musky season opens Saturday, May 24th.  All in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.

Water temps in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area are in upper 30s to low 40s.

WALLEYE:  Walleye in the Eagle River area are in 10 feet of water or less over sand and gravel bottoms, with scattered weeds.  Use a 1/8th or 1/16th ounce jig with a fathead.  All day action, with a good to excellent bite.  Anglers who are getting walleye are often also hitting some real nice jumbo perch (early open water season is normally a great time for some great perch fishing in the Eagle River area).  Perch, like the walleye are tight to bottom but the perch are in slightly DEEPER water than the walleye — usually in deeper water adjacent to where the walleyes are locating.  It shouldn’t come as a surprise that perch and walleye (sauger, too) can often be found in the same general areas and often behave the same, as they are members of the same family.

NORTHERN:  Northern in the Eagle River area are in 10 feet of water or less around remaining weeds or new growth weeds.  Use a Husky Jerk (minnow or walleye pattern), small spinner bait or a northern sucker under a slip bobber.  All day action, and the bite is good.

PANFISH:  As we previously noted the perch are in the same general areas as the walleyes, but in slightly deeper water — like 15 feet rather than 10 feet.  The perch are tight to bottom.  Most anglers are not targeting panfish at the moment, concentrating on walleye and northern, but we are hearing that anglers are getting crappies and gills, who are suspending up and down the water column at varying depths.  Use a waxie, chunk of crawler or micro-plastic under a slip bobber for best results.

MUSKY:  Musky season opens on Saturday, May 24th.  Keep your baits small, and your retrieve slow.  Fish the warmest shallow weed and shoreline areas you can find, as those are the most likely to hold muskies.

(This report based on Creative Brilliance interviews with Eagle River guides “Muskie Matt” of Wild Eagle Lodge, “Ranger Rick” Krueger of Guide’s Choice Pro Shop, and Mat Hegy).

Walleyes, crappies, and bass  all hitting, with some good bluegill and catfish action, and musky season begins on Saturday, May 24th ; in and amidst the lakes and the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin’s Marathon and Lincoln Counties (near Mosinee and Wausau).

Action in the central Wisconsin area for multi-species is really turning on.  Anglers are having a lot of fun catching walleyes, crappies, and bass. In addition action has been very good for bluegills and catfish.  All in all the bite has been extremely good.

Most anglers in the central Wisconsin area are targeting panfish right now which are the bread and butter of fishing.  Panfish are readily abundant and relatively easy to catch. Crappies and bluegills are entering their spawning season right now and can be targeted on their shallow beds.  Most panfish beds are located in water less than 3 feet deep. Catching panfish at this time of the year as is simple as running a small Aberdeen hook suspended below a bobber and rigging it with either a worm or a small minnow and tossing it up towards the beds.  Wait for the bobber to go down and set the hook.  People young and old will all enjoy this consistent action on the water!

The walleyes in the central Wisconsin area have returned to their normal summer haunts and can be targeted by long line trolling or over the vast flats in the area lakes and in the Wisconsin River channel.  You can also target them by working selected structure with jigs or crankbaits.  The key to finding the walleyes now is to cover water and move until you locate the fish.

Action for bass in the central Wisconsin area has picked up dramatically now that the water temperatures have warmed up.  We are now seeing water temperatures in the low to mid 50 degree range, and that has really provoked a feeding binge.  Most of the action has been by tossing jigs tipped with plastics into shallow cover and rocks, but a few really aggressive fish have already started taking topwater baits like Chug Bugs and poppers.

The catfish bite in the central Wisconsin area has been pretty good and although we have not seen any super tankers yet, we are catching some nice fish up to 30 inches long.  Most of the action is coming while we are working very deep areas of the river with heavy jigs tipped with fathead minnows.  Even though these fish are only averaging 18 to 24 inches long, let me tell you it s a battle you wont soon forget.  These are very strong fish that absolutely don’t want to give up!

The northern Wisconsin musky fishing season opens up on Saturday the 24th in the central Wisconsin area north of Highway 10 so anglers looking to target them should get their gear ready for what looks to be another outstanding season.  Early season locations to target muskies are shallow weeds and shoreline areas with abundant sun and or sun and rocks as these areas will warm up the fastest, and create likely locations for muskies to hold early in the season. typical early season baits are small bucktails, twitch baits and undersized plastics.

(This report based on interviews with licensed guide and trapper Phil Schweik and licensed guide Glenn Moberg, of Hooksetters Fishing & Hunting Guide Service, Mosinee Wisconsin).

While some lakes have ice remaining, most lakes are open or have fishable areas, with northern putting on a good bite, and walleye fair.  All in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.

Ice fishing is over, and anglers are getting out on the water in their boats in the Eagle River area.  The deeper, clearer lakes still have ice remaining, but if the weather warm up continues, all the lakes should be open in a week or so.  As it is all the Eagle River area lakes have some fishable areas, so now’s the time to get up to Eagle River and enjoy the legendary early season fishing bonanza.

There’s no panfishing report, as anglers are going after walleye and northern.

WALLEYE:  Fish 15 feet of water or less off of break edges or adjacent shallow weeds.  Best presentation is a fathead on a jig.  All day action, and the bite is fair.  As a bonus, walleye anglers are getting some real nice jumbo perch while going for walleye.  This is a pretty common occurrence in the Eagle River area at or after the opener.  Both the walleye and perch are tight to bottom.  And with the water warming, the walleye action should and will pick up very well in the coming near-term.

NORTHERN:  Fish 10 feet of water or less in and around remaining or new growth weeds.  Use a northern sucker under a slip bobber, a Husky Jerk (in a minnow or walleye pattern), or a small spinner bait. All day action and the bite is good.

(This report based on Creative Brilliance interviews with Eagle River guides “Muskie Matt” of Wild Eagle Lodge, “Ranger Rick” Krueger of Guide’s Choice Pro Shop, and Mat Hegy).

Great action for walleyes and crappies, with some catfish hitting.  In and amidst the lakes and the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin’s Marathon and Lincoln Counties (near Mosinee and Wausau).

Great action for walleyes and crappies this past week in the central Wisconsin area with not only numbers of good fish but some real slabs as well.

The walleyes have finished spawning in the central Wisconsin area and have moved to post-spawn areas.  Look for the walleyes to be in shallow backwater areas off the main Wisconsin River system or along weed edges in 6 to 10 feet off water in main lake basins.  Target the walleyes with jig and minnow combination or crankbaits worked in and around structure.

Crappies are typically shallow at this time of the year in the central Wisconsin area and can be easily targeted by locating shallow structure like wood, stumps or reeds. Small minnows suspended below a slip bobber will take these feisty panfish all day long.

We have also been getting a few nice catfish this past week by targeting very deep pools in the Wisconsin  River system or in deeper holes in main lake basins.  Jigs tipped with fathead minnow have been working very well for us but the key to success is keeping your bait right on the bottom and only moving it a little bit at a time.

(This report based on interviews with licensed guide and trapper Phil Schweik and licensed guide Glenn Moberg, of Hooksetters Fishing & Hunting Guide Service, Mosinee Wisconsin).