Weekly Fishing Report

With the onset of stable weather, fish are transitioning into their fall patterns, resulting in a good and improving bite from musky, walleye, bass, northern and panfish, in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.

An even weather pattern means steadily improving fishing action in the Eagle River area. Water temperatures are reaching a transition point and fall fishing patterns are emerging.

Musky are quite active in the Eagle River area. With water temps approaching less than 60-degrees it is definitely time to "soak a sucker." Use an 11 to 13 inch sucker, because the bigger bait doesn't necessarily mean bigger fish. Bigger suckers put more space between the trebles on your quickstrike rigs and that can easily spell: "M-I-S-S." Work areas 8 to 15 feet deep, using a dipsy sinker to keep the bait down. Run the suckers about a foot off the bottom. Then cast twitch or crank-baits, mid-sized plastics (Storm, Suzy's, Bull Dawgs, Live Action, Swim'n Joes, etc.) and vary the retrieve. Oddly enough, work the cloudy days with topwaters and jerk baits. A lot of musky are still hitting at boatside, so keep the figure eights going. For a change up during bright days work (jig) the bigger plastics and Fuzzy Duzzits in and around the deep holes.

Walleye are deep over sand flats, near transition areas of sand to rock or gravel in the Eagle River area. The walleye are hitting crawlers, larger minnows or small suckers, and are also falling prey to jigging spoons like a Sonar, Clear or Swedish Pimple. A lot of nice fish are being taken. Low light periods still find the walleye around the greenest cabbage and coontail, where a jig and a minnow is the preferred bait.

The northern pike in the Eagle River area are hitting suckers or chubs. A swimming jig head or tube jig rigged with these and pulled around the weeds are producing hits. Weedless Daredevles tipped with a plastic trailer are also proving attractive.

Bass in the Eagle River area are now deeper, especially the largemouth. The shallow structure largemouth bite is about over with the fish moving to greener, denser weeds in deeper water. That depth is relative to the lake, but averages 8 to 12 feet. Weedless worms and spoons are finding these fish just outside the edges. Smallies are still quite deep and if you locate even a subtle hump or rock pil on the bottom, fish it. A whole crawler is still the best bet, but Gulp!, PowerBait and Bucher Finesse worms are working, too.

Panfish are still hiding in the weeds in the Eagle River area. Small plastics on a jig or a mid-sized minnow are pulling bluegill and perch in waters to 10 feet. Crappie are scattered, and suspended, with small fatheads, tubes or Powerbait grubs being productive.

(Report for the Eagle River Chamber of Commerce based on Creative Brilliance interview with Mike Michalak of Guides Choice Pro Shop).