Happy 250th Birthday to the Greatest Country in the World! Nowhere else do we have the opportunity and freedom to enjoy fishing like here in the Good Ol’ U.S. of A.!
Last week started a little off on 6/22 – 6/23. High pressure and some Mayfly hatches required early and late in the day fishing, jumping lakes, a little praying and a little cussin’!
Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Hard to ignore the Wacky Worm, Amoeba, Fuzzy Dice bite. Fishing heavy weeds has been best. The return of the hot weather this week should really turn on the top-water action – so get those rubber frogs, Hula Poppers, Jitterbugs and Whopper Ploppers tied on to the end of your line for some early morning and late evening fireworks!
Bluegill: Good-Very Good – The recent cold snap from two weeks ago may have messed up the Bluegill spawn on some lakes. Had big, plump hen Gills taking crawlers and leeches over sandgrass in 18-22’ this past week! Hot weather should bring Gills in to take small leeches, worms and tiny plastics. You fly anglers should get some good top-water popper fishing in as well.
Smallmouth Bass: Good—Very Good – Coontail edges and sandgrass flats still top locations, but heat will bring on rock action. Drop-shotting craw imitations and fuzzy rubber has been a staple. Ned rigging as well as some slip-floating 1/32 – 1/16 oz Marabou jigs over flats of sandgrass. Early mornings – start checking inside weed lines for cruisers using top-water or shallow running twitchbaits (X-Raps, Husky Jerks).
Musky: Good – Most action coming from anglers working weed beds (cabbage) in 6-10’ using high riding bucktails (Buchertails, Hunsys, Wizards) and shallow running twitchbaits (Cranes, Shallow Raiders) and shallow running swimbaits. This week should bring in the top-water action!
Yellow Perch: Good – Check cabbage in 5-8’ first using weedless 1/16 oz jigs to tempt bites tipped with beavertails or medium leeches. If not up to par – work sandgrass flats of 14-20’ using medium fatheads or half-crawlers on 1/8 oz jigs or under slip-floats. Sandgrass grows in the clearer lakes. For dark water, look for wood in 12-16’!
Crappie: Good – Work light jigs (1/32-1/16 oz) with small plastics (Kalin Crappie Scrubs, Bobby Garland Slab Slayers and Itty Bit Slab Hunters) through the top two feet of tall narrow leaf cabbage in 8-12’ depths. Follow up with the standard Crappie minnow and float set-up.
Northern Pike: Good – Work 3 ½-4” swimbaits (Crush City Mayors, Berkley Ripple Shads) as well as spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and the like, over weed flats of 6-12’. Action slow down – switch to live chubs or suckers under floats or on jig and wire rigs.
Walleye: Fair – Combination of weather and bug (Mayfly) hatches have hurt. The Hexagenia hatches should be mostly behind us, so expect Walleyes to get hungry again. These fickle fish may, at times, be affected more by the coming heat and storms forecasted for this week, but should be settling into stable summer patterns. Leeches, redtails and crawlers have been best when the biting is good.
Lake surface temps are climbing into low 70’s and will surely spike into upper 70’s with forecasted temps in the upper 80’s to low 90’s this week! Those kinda temps will bring out the pleasure boaters to enjoy the water, so plan on getting out early or fishing late for the best angling.
Pics of the Week
William, age 14, with a beautiful 27 ¾” Northern Pike
Twin brother Wyatt with a fat 25 ½” Pike
Amy Bala, age unknown, of New Lenox, IL with a 26 ½” Northern Pike, showing her boys that Moms know how to fish too!
FISHING REPORTS
Vilas County Lakes
Vilas County, Wisconsin
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Couple quick ones Saturday was Jamie and father Mike in the boat fishing walleyes. Started on one lake and it was very slow, in 2 1/2 hours we only caught three walleyes one was a keeper and two slot fish. Made a move to another lake and there the fishing was much better. We caught a 26 1/2” big walleye and 3 slots and 8 keepers walleyes. On both lakes we fished in 20 to 25 fow on gravel bars with 3/16 jigs and crawlers. Sunday morning Todd wanted to go fishing walleyes we got out there at 8:30 fished only 2 half hour and with the wind we caught 6 keepers two overs and 3 slots all on gravel bars and 3/16 jigs and crawlers. Thanks everyone was a pleasure fishing with you! I have 1st 10th starting after 10 am 12th 13th 20th 21st and 22nd text me to get out on the water 715-614-1367.
Today it Tom the Tom in the boat for walleyes. Tom started out with a short walleye then a few minutes later we had a couple of 16” walleye’s. We only fished for half a day with Curtis Hobbs jigs ( 478-308-9505 ) on gravel bars in a few places. Older Tom caught the two biggest walleyes a 24 1/2” and a 26”. We ended up getting off the lake as the rain was coming down the lake. We had 7 keepers 2 overs and a few slot fish. Thanks guys as always it was fun fishing with you both. I have the 28th still open this month and the 1st 4th 6th half day afternoon on the 10th in the first two weeks of July. Text me 715-614-1367 thanks
Thursday 6/25/26
Flats of jumbo Canadian Nightcrawlers are now $59. Count is approximately 500 worms. That's about $1.50 per dozen. Our part to make fishing more affordable.
Lots of cool weather and rain lately. No complaints here. We need that rain. The cool temps kept the fish buried in the weeds and wood for the most part. But warmer weather is on the horizon. Pretty weird the other day with clients. 46 degrees at the morning launch but with no wind and clear skies we were sweating like it was 80. Only in the northwoods, eh?
Although a lot of folks love to use minnows this time of year it seems that crawlers and leeches work the best in my boat. In fact the leeches have been beating my favorite crawlers almost every time out now. And as far as using them under a slip bobber nothing beats a leech for swimming action to lure the fish to bite. Still, working a half a crawler on a 1/16 oz jig thru the weeds slowly is deadly. You can actually do the same thing with a plastic worm or minnow. Paddle-type tails are my favorite.
Crappie are in their summer pattern being suspended over deeper water. Just run a small piece of plastic with a twister tail or paddle tail over them and you'll catch them. They are spooking very easily so be prepared to cast 40-50 feet away from you to get them. This is where the Livescope will come in handy to find them.
Bluegills and sunfish are everywhere. Chunks of crawlers or wax worms will catch them all day. They love hiding under the boat. Although the bigger ones act like crappie and are spooked easily. Again, cast a long ways out to get them.
Walleyes are active in the deeper water off the weed edges. Jigged crawlers, leeches or ribbed-worm paddle tails with catch them. Find them deeper in the sunlight and shallow in the moonlight.
Bass are a blast right now. There are 10,000 different ways to catch them. Try them all and you'll have a ball. My favorite is throw plastic worms through the weeds for the large mouths or around the rocks for the small mouths.
Perch are very active especially on the flowages right now. Half a crawler on a 1/32 jig will put more than a few in your boat. Find green weeds or deep wood and stumps.
Spinner baits and top-water lures will net you fish almost anywhere you go now. I always tip my spinner baits with some type of plastic tail. Doesn't seem to matter much with color or size. You just want to increase that profile a bit.
Both the Rainbow and Willow flowages are down between 1.5' and 2' below capacity and are knocking off the dust of water temps in the 70's. That dark water is always a good ticket to success especially when the sun shines. Most lake water temps are in and around the upper 60's or lower 70's now. That will greatly increase if we get those 80 degree temps next week.
ON A SCALE OF 1 to 10, HOW THEY HITTING?
Walleye 7 (low light), Northern 4, SM Bass 10, LM Bass 10, Musky ??, Perch 9, Crappie 7, Bluegill 10, Rock Bass 10
OUR BAIT REVIEWS: This bears repeating. Although I have not used them, the fuzzy baits seem to be all the rage right now. Kind of expensive but they are flying off the shelf. Basically they are round balls, nut shaped or wacky stick plastics with lots of plastic hair-like pieces sticking out. The idea is when they are sitting on the bottom or in the water column those hair-like appendages won't stop wiggling and draw in the fish like flies.
Enjoy your time in the northwoods and please slow down and be kind and be safe so you and others can do it again next year.
I'm still taking in a bunch of guide reservations right now. I have some availability all summer. Call me on my cell at 715-892-2751 and we'll get out and definitely have some fun.
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IN-STORE & WEBSITE SPECIALS
Flats of jumbo Canadian Nightcrawlers are now $59. Count is approximately 500 worms. That's about $1.50 per dozen. Our part to make fishing more affordable.
FREE Line (braid or mono) with any Reel or Reel and Rod Combo purchase
Early season specials, up to 50% off
Right now for live bait we have Wax worms, Red/White/Multi Colored Spikes, Crappie Minnows, Regular Fatheads, XL Fatheads (Tuffys), Blacktails, Redtails, Muds, Walleye Suckers, and a bunch of leeches and jumbo night crawlers. Leeches will be by the dozen, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 pound. Crawlers will be by the dozen, 2 dozen, 100 count and 480 count flats ($59).
BAIT SHOP HOURS
Monday thru Thursday 5am to 7pm
Friday 5am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday 5am to 6pm
Business has been fabulous but Linda and I are ready to jump into retirement. WE ARE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! If you have an interest in owning and operating the largest non-franchised bait shop in Wisconsin and making a living while doing it, call Jeff at 715-892-2751. We'll give you all the help you need to succeed in the beautiful northwoods of Wisconsin.
Jeff Bolander, Dewey, Catchem and How Bait Shop and Guides
715-892-2751 cell
715-358-5130 shop
www.DeweyCatchemAndHow.com
Flats of jumbo Canadian Nightcrawlers are now $59. Count is approximately 500 worms. That's about $1.50 per dozen. Our part to make fishing more affordable.
Lots of cool weather and rain lately. No complaints here. We need that rain. The cool temps kept the fish buried in the weeds and wood for the most part. But warmer weather is on the horizon. Pretty weird the other day with clients. 46 degrees at the morning launch but with no wind and clear skies we were sweating like it was 80. Only in the northwoods, eh?
Although a lot of folks love to use minnows this time of year it seems that crawlers and leeches work the best in my boat. In fact the leeches have been beating my favorite crawlers almost every time out now. And as far as using them under a slip bobber nothing beats a leech for swimming action to lure the fish to bite. Still, working a half a crawler on a 1/16 oz jig thru the weeds slowly is deadly. You can actually do the same thing with a plastic worm or minnow. Paddle-type tails are my favorite.
Crappie are in their summer pattern being suspended over deeper water. Just run a small piece of plastic with a twister tail or paddle tail over them and you'll catch them. They are spooking very easily so be prepared to cast 40-50 feet away from you to get them. This is where the Livescope will come in handy to find them.
Bluegills and sunfish are everywhere. Chunks of crawlers or wax worms will catch them all day. They love hiding under the boat. Although the bigger ones act like crappie and are spooked easily. Again, cast a long ways out to get them.
Walleyes are active in the deeper water off the weed edges. Jigged crawlers, leeches or ribbed-worm paddle tails with catch them. Find them deeper in the sunlight and shallow in the moonlight.
Bass are a blast right now. There are 10,000 different ways to catch them. Try them all and you'll have a ball. My favorite is throw plastic worms through the weeds for the large mouths or around the rocks for the small mouths.
Perch are very active especially on the flowages right now. Half a crawler on a 1/32 jig will put more than a few in your boat. Find green weeds or deep wood and stumps.
Spinner baits and top-water lures will net you fish almost anywhere you go now. I always tip my spinner baits with some type of plastic tail. Doesn't seem to matter much with color or size. You just want to increase that profile a bit.
Both the Rainbow and Willow flowages are down between 1.5' and 2' below capacity and are knocking off the dust of water temps in the 70's. That dark water is always a good ticket to success especially when the sun shines. Most lake water temps are in and around the upper 60's or lower 70's now. That will greatly increase if we get those 80 degree temps next week.
ON A SCALE OF 1 to 10, HOW THEY HITTING?
Walleye 7 (low light), Northern 4, SM Bass 10, LM Bass 10, Musky ??, Perch 9, Crappie 7, Bluegill 10, Rock Bass 10
OUR BAIT REVIEWS: This bears repeating. Although I have not used them, the fuzzy baits seem to be all the rage right now. Kind of expensive but they are flying off the shelf. Basically they are round balls, nut shaped or wacky stick plastics with lots of plastic hair-like pieces sticking out. The idea is when they are sitting on the bottom or in the water column those hair-like appendages won't stop wiggling and draw in the fish like flies.
Enjoy your time in the northwoods and please slow down and be kind and be safe so you and others can do it again next year.
I'm still taking in a bunch of guide reservations right now. I have some availability all summer. Call me on my cell at 715-892-2751 and we'll get out and definitely have some fun.
------------
IN-STORE & WEBSITE SPECIALS
Flats of jumbo Canadian Nightcrawlers are now $59. Count is approximately 500 worms. That's about $1.50 per dozen. Our part to make fishing more affordable.
FREE Line (braid or mono) with any Reel or Reel and Rod Combo purchase
Early season specials, up to 50% off
Right now for live bait we have Wax worms, Red/White/Multi Colored Spikes, Crappie Minnows, Regular Fatheads, XL Fatheads (Tuffys), Blacktails, Redtails, Muds, Walleye Suckers, and a bunch of leeches and jumbo night crawlers. Leeches will be by the dozen, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 pound. Crawlers will be by the dozen, 2 dozen, 100 count and 480 count flats ($59).
BAIT SHOP HOURS
Monday thru Thursday 5am to 7pm
Friday 5am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday 5am to 6pm
Business has been fabulous but Linda and I are ready to jump into retirement. WE ARE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! If you have an interest in owning and operating the largest non-franchised bait shop in Wisconsin and making a living while doing it, call Jeff at 715-892-2751. We'll give you all the help you need to succeed in the beautiful northwoods of Wisconsin.
Jeff Bolander, Dewey, Catchem and How Bait Shop and Guides
715-892-2751 cell
715-358-5130 shop
www.DeweyCatchemAndHow.com
Jon and Dan in my boat yesterday catching walleyes. We were in 20 to 27 fow casting 3/16 oz jigs and crawlers. They caught walleyes from 15 1/2 to 26”we caught around 15 in 4 hours mostly coming off gravel bars and some on sand. Thanks guys was a great day i had a lot of fun fishing with you.
Feels like I’m constantly retracting parts of my previous reports, just like the things I tell my wife, only this is in writing (dang!). Contrary to last week’s report, there were some Hexagenia (Mayfly) hatches on some of the flowages (especially the Turtle to the north). Must have started their two-day migration before the colder weather moved in (my excuse). More mild weather, some rain (nice, what’s the Northwoods without some more mosquitos), and a forecast moving our next 80° day into July! But enough of the complaining! Fishing has improved over last week as it seems adjustments to the cooler weather pattern have occurred. Surface temps still averaging mid-60’s, but not wavering much one way or the other, very stable.
Smallmouth Bass: Good—Very Good – Settling into summer patterns. Seems like anything “Fuzzy” has been hot either drop-shotted or fished wacky style. More along sandgrass flats and coontail edges than rock, but finding Smallies in all these areas.
Bluegill: Good-Very Good – Small plastics, thunderbugs, small leeches and worms! Reports on the beds, but others in shallow 4-8’ weeds. Not much of a popper bite, waiting for things to warm up.
Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Wacky worms and Ameoba rigs! Soft twitchbaits such as the Crush City Freeloaders, Yum Break’N Shads and tube jigs over 4-8’ weeds and around boathouses and docks. Swimming pre-rigged plastic worms also producing over weedy flats.
Walleye: Good-Very Good – Working deeper weeds of 12-16’ using big leeches or crawlers on 1/8 oz jigs or slip-bobbers with 3-4” redtails has put plenty of “eater” (15-19”) Walleye in the boat. Casting shallow running cranks along shorelines (Scatter Rap Minnows, Rattlin Rouges) has been picking up nice fish just before dusk!
Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – While working a live chub or sucker on a weedless 1/16-1/8 oz jig still good bet, action has picked up! Casting spinnerbaits, #3:#4 Mepps Aglia spinners and chatterbaits seems to be working again.
Musky: Fair-Good - Swimbaits over bucktails! At least that’s the report from the guy who picked up a Livingston Mustang from the shop at 7:30 am Sunday morning only to return six hours later to buy his wife one after she saw him boat a 44” Tiger Musky that morning! Still, good reports on bucktails (Wizards, Hunsys) and 6” Cranes and Shallow Raiders.
Crappie: Good – Move into tall weeds where casting small Beetle Spins, Crappie Thumpers, Charlie Bees and Road Runners as well as bladeless with Crappie Scrubs and twister tails picking up nice catches for those willing to cover some water.
Yellow Perch: Good – Bite picked up a bit. Still holding in heavy weed cover. Medium fatheads, beavertails and medium leeches are good buffet choices.
As of this writing (6/22), getting new reports of Mayfly hatches on Big Arbor Vitae, so the hatches are on the small to mid-sized lakes. Check boat landings before launching if Walleye is your goal.
Pics of the Week
Caden (5 YO) of Mequon, WI having a good time catching some Gills
Meridith Locke-Guttu from the north side of Milwaukee was lipping everything this past week, including a nice Crappie and her brother, Brendan
Jeff Springer used a 12” sucker to catch and release this 42 ½”, 38 ½# Flathead on his trip to the Wolf River last week. (Jeff, and the sucker, are from up here)
Smallmouth Bass: Good—Very Good – Settling into summer patterns. Seems like anything “Fuzzy” has been hot either drop-shotted or fished wacky style. More along sandgrass flats and coontail edges than rock, but finding Smallies in all these areas.
Bluegill: Good-Very Good – Small plastics, thunderbugs, small leeches and worms! Reports on the beds, but others in shallow 4-8’ weeds. Not much of a popper bite, waiting for things to warm up.
Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Wacky worms and Ameoba rigs! Soft twitchbaits such as the Crush City Freeloaders, Yum Break’N Shads and tube jigs over 4-8’ weeds and around boathouses and docks. Swimming pre-rigged plastic worms also producing over weedy flats.
Walleye: Good-Very Good – Working deeper weeds of 12-16’ using big leeches or crawlers on 1/8 oz jigs or slip-bobbers with 3-4” redtails has put plenty of “eater” (15-19”) Walleye in the boat. Casting shallow running cranks along shorelines (Scatter Rap Minnows, Rattlin Rouges) has been picking up nice fish just before dusk!
Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – While working a live chub or sucker on a weedless 1/16-1/8 oz jig still good bet, action has picked up! Casting spinnerbaits, #3:#4 Mepps Aglia spinners and chatterbaits seems to be working again.
Musky: Fair-Good - Swimbaits over bucktails! At least that’s the report from the guy who picked up a Livingston Mustang from the shop at 7:30 am Sunday morning only to return six hours later to buy his wife one after she saw him boat a 44” Tiger Musky that morning! Still, good reports on bucktails (Wizards, Hunsys) and 6” Cranes and Shallow Raiders.
Crappie: Good – Move into tall weeds where casting small Beetle Spins, Crappie Thumpers, Charlie Bees and Road Runners as well as bladeless with Crappie Scrubs and twister tails picking up nice catches for those willing to cover some water.
Yellow Perch: Good – Bite picked up a bit. Still holding in heavy weed cover. Medium fatheads, beavertails and medium leeches are good buffet choices.
As of this writing (6/22), getting new reports of Mayfly hatches on Big Arbor Vitae, so the hatches are on the small to mid-sized lakes. Check boat landings before launching if Walleye is your goal.
Pics of the Week
Caden (5 YO) of Mequon, WI having a good time catching some Gills
Meridith Locke-Guttu from the north side of Milwaukee was lipping everything this past week, including a nice Crappie and her brother, Brendan
Jeff Springer used a 12” sucker to catch and release this 42 ½”, 38 ½# Flathead on his trip to the Wolf River last week. (Jeff, and the sucker, are from up here)
Last couple days I had Abe, Neal and Ron on Sunday and Bob and Bobby on Monday in the boat walleye fishing. Both days were great weather walleyes wanting to bite. Sunday we went down and spent a few hours catching some crappies throwing some 1/16 oz jig and plastic . Walleye’s came on gravel bars with a 3/16 oz jigs with a half a crawler. Thanks guys you all were amazing a casting straight and long cast. I had lots of days open coming up in July and August. Text me 715-614-1367.
Well a quick one from yesterday, had Todd and Greg in the boat. Started out with Greg getting two keepers on his first three casts. We were out only three hours and didn’t move around much. Casting 3/16 Curtis Hobbs jigs 478-308-9505 with half a crawler worked tight to the bottom. We ended up with 8 keepers 4 slots and 3 overs the biggest was two 26” very nice walleyes Perfect three hour day. Thanks guys was a lot of fun. Still have the 26th and 28th of June open and the first , 4th 5th and 6th of July open and more days after that 715-614-1367 text me.
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