Musky Shop Northwoods Fishing Report: Late December 2024
Greetings Everyone.
We hope all of you had a great Christmas and a Great New Year. We also hope each of you will catch the largest Musky of your life this year.
Ice Fishing in the Minocqua area has been good. Most lakes in the Northwoods of Wisconsin have approximately 7-10 inches of ice with minimal snow cover, so ice travel is pretty straightforward. Many Panfish and Crappie have been caught in the 6–12-foot range, where one can find some weeds, wood or any type of cover. Soft plastics, Crappie Minnows, Rosy Reds, and Wax Worms have worked great.
Northern Pike have been being found basically wherever one can find some good weeds or wood or both. There again, the 6-12-foot range has been very good. It seems like the lakes with a bit darker water have been best for Pike. Tip-ups with Northern Pike minnows, Medium Golden Shiners and Large Golden Shiners have been a great way to catch some really nice Northern Pike.
Walleye Fishing on the Willow Flowage and Rainbow Flowage has been outstanding. Jigging Medium and Large Golden's has been great, as well as Walleye Suckers and XL Fatheads.
On the Flowages, walleye have been located where there is good cover, such as weeds, wood, and rock. Walleye's will move in and about those areas. The 8–17-foot range is great. On the deeper, clear-water lakes, walleye are again hanging where there are good weeds or rocks. In daylight, one will want to fish a bit deeper as the walleye will slide deeper. Deep rock reefs in the 20–35-foot range and deep weed edges in the 15–22-foot range are suitable for daytime fishing.
Now, at dusk or evening, when Walleye fishing on the clear water systems, they will slide up onto the high shoulder, if you will, on one of the rock reefs, and some will slide all the way to the top of the reefs as well. So be a bit flexible to find them, but in most cases, this is where they will be in the evening/low-light conditions. For those Walleye hanging near the weeds, covering the deep weed edge or there again, be a bit flexible. They may slide up into the weeds more after dark, so one may need to slide a bit shallower. Jigging Medium and Large Golden Shiners, as well as Walleye Suckers, would be an excellent choice for live bait. We have a great selection of Fresh Live Bait in Cold, running-well water, so the live bait is always fresh and lively.
Well, that's it for now. Please let us know if we can be of service to you, as it will be our pleasure. Thank you very much for your business and support, which we greatly appreciate.
Good Fishing, and God Bless, Jim Stewart