Chequamegon Bay & Hayward, Wisconsin Fishing Report 8-29-14

I can’t believe it’s Labor Day weekend!!!  Enough said…  Bob Spoerl from Waupaca, WI was staying at Angler’s Haven this week, and we spent Wednesday morning catching some nice fish, telling stories, and having a blast.  It was a beautiful late summer morning with high skies, NE winds, and very comfortable temperatures.  Water temps ranged from 70 – 72 degrees.  Bob and I put together a pretty good trip that included smallies up to 19″ and a smallie/pike double to start the day on our first spot.  We caught our fish on jigs with minnows as well as slip bobbers with minnows in 14′ – 22′ of water over both rocks and weeds.  Fish are definitely scattered right now, and they can be found in many different locations.  Keep moving to find biters, and don’t stay too long once it slows.  The smallies are feeding heavy on crayfish right now, and every one we caught had an extremely fat belly.  We also saw the the first Arctic Loon of the  year that must be making his way south.  Fall is definitely in the air…  Thanks for the great morning and great laughs Bob!!!

We had an extremely enjoyable trip on Thursday with Otis and Bev Cobb from Menomonee Falls, WI.  Light winds, pleasant temperatures, great company, and lots of active fish made for a spectacular trip that went way too quickly.  Water temperatures ranged from 68 – 71 degrees, and we found fish suspended in 14′ – 18′ of water.  We vertically fished plastics over schools of fish that we’d locate on our electronics, and the action was steady throughout the day with fish up to 11″.  Otis and Bev did an outstanding job learning how to detect the bite and set the hook.  They were pros by the end of the day and were rewarded with some nice fillets to take home for a fish fry.  I also noticed another Arctic Loon while we were traveling across the lake.  I don’t want summer to end…  Great job Otis and Bev.  You guys are awesome!!!

The streak of outstanding weather we’ve had was going to come to an end at some point…  Michel Cramer Bornemann and his son Nico had a chance to test out their rain gear on Friday.  We spent a water logged day on Chequamegon Bay chasing smallies.  Michel caught the largest walleye ever in my boat back in July on the St. Louis River.  Now he and Nico were ready to tangle with bronzebacks on the bay, and they both caught their personal bests!!!  We spent the morning in a downpour, but thankfully the fish were active.  We had a lot of action on minnows in 12′ – 15′ of water.  Every fish we caught was plump with nothing under 20″.  That was the best average I’ve seen all year!  Our largest fish was a 21 1/5″ tank landed by Nico right from the start.  We were thankful for the morning we had as the afternoon bite was much slower.  The wind laid down, the rain continued, and the fish decided they’d had enough…  It’s always satisfying to come into the landing at the end of a day in rough weather knowing that you earned every fish caught.  Michel and Nico did a great job, and I’m proud of them for sticking it out in tough conditions.  Excellent job men!  Happy Labor Day Weekend Everyone!!!