Spring Update

Greetings!

It is quite chilly out this morning...unusual for Memorial Day Weekend! This weekend we are welcoming back many of our return guests, and welcoming new ones as well. Today is the Classic Sled Roundup and Swap at the St. Germain Community Park. Come on out and take a look or do some swapping! I was able to get a sneak peak yesterday evening at a few of the vintage snowmobiles that were going to be on display today. How exciting and great to see a Ski-Doo from the 60's!

Below is the weekly fishing report for those fishing enthusiasts! (Report based on Creative Brilliance interview with Mike Michalak of Guides Choice Pro Shop).

(VILAS COUNTY) -- as of May 27, 2007:

(Head): Very good musky opener, with strong walleye, smallie, northern and crappie bite in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.

The all around "fishing grade" in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area right now is an "A minus," and the only reason it's not a "straight A," is because of the wind conditions, not the fishing action. Savvy anglers used wind socks, cast into the wind, and anchored. Drifting was not the way to go.

The musky opener produced good numbers of fish, including some into the mid 40 inch range. Most of the fish are females and many look "beat up" from the spawn. The secret to success at the opener was boat control, because of the wind. The muskies were suspended at varying depths depending on the lake, and were mostly weed related. For instance, in 25 to 30 feet of water, the musky are in the top third. On shallower lakes, anglers were getting hits in water as shallow as 2 feet ­ indeed, a good number of walleye anglers who were fishing 5 to 6 feet got musky hits. A variety of shallower running smaller baits (six inches or so) worked, including swim baits and plastics, such as Suzy Suckers, and Storm Kick'n Minnows. A slow retrieve is a must right now.

Walleye are around new coontail in 5 to 8 feet of water, in areas just adjacent to deep water. Good action, and some nice sized fish are being caught. Use a jig and a minnow.

Catch-and-release smallie action is still off the charts. Anglers are getting lots of hits both deep and shallow. Fish deep sand or rock bottoms using a leech. Anglers going shallow (the smallies are just starting to bed on some lakes) are having big success with small spinners, plastic worms and tube jigs in crayfish hues/patterns.

The northern bite is great. Fish 4 to 7 feet of water in and around emergent weeds. Most anything that is tossed is getting a hit, and the nice thing about it is that not only is the action good, but nice sized northerns are being caught, averaging 26 inches.

The crappie are done spawning, and have moved out to deeper water, where they are suspending at varying depths on the water column. Use electronics to locate a school, and be prepared to move around a great deal, just as the crappie are doing. Best action is coming from crappie minnows.

Stay warm and dry today!
-Bess