Weekly Fishing Report

Action steadily picking up for musky, walleye, and northern in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.

Mother Nature has jolted us out of the summer-like temperatures and fall has returned big-time to the Eagle River area. The massive front setting up the cooler weather will have an effect, but as it evens out, the fishing will rapidly improve. Ånglers can expect surface temperatures to drop rapidly and finally trigger turnover. Stay tuned. Until turnover, stay on the shallow side for musky in the Eagle River area. If suckers are used, keep them in the eight-to-twelve foot depths outside the weed edges. Keep casting the jerk and twitch baits, as well as mid-sized plastics, and do a figure eight after every retrieve. As the water cools, the sucker bite will improve dramtically. As it does, begin tossing crankbaits and gliders. This is a transition period, and savvy musky hunters will adjust to the changing conditions.

Walleye in the Eagle River area, for the most part, remain deep, but target areas of sand grass in addition to the rocky bottoms. Small suckers, XL fatheads and crawlers remain the bait choices. Don't bother with leeches anymore as they stay gobbed up on the hook in the colder water.

Northerns haven't moved out of the weeds all season in the Eagle River area. Small bucktails, spinnerbaits, weedless jigs, tipped with a chub or small sucker are all producing fish.

The bass are moving more, in the Eagle River area, with largemouth going into deeper, grassy areas, in depths up to 15 feet. Start shallow in and aorund structure, with plastics and crankbaits, steadily moving deeper until you contact fish. The smallies are stil deep, over hard-bottom areas. Crawlers are best, but sinking a quick running crankbait will also work.

Panfishing in the Eagle River area is picking up, with perch sitll around reeds. Use crawler pieces or small minnows. Crappie can be found in depths to 10 feet around drowned wood or sub-surface, broadleaf weeds. Tube jigs or small plastics worked back to the boat can be used while watching a slip bobber with a small minnow. Bluegills are hiding around stringy weeds, so don't overlook milfoil. While it can be difficult navigating through some of these weeds, the fish are feeding on crawler pieces, and the more "natural" artificials like Gulp or PowerBait.

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