Steve Suman
Rain is falling and will continue to fall (maybe) through Tuesday night. Sunshine returns Wednesday thru Friday night, then rain Saturday night thru Sunday night. Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, shows sunny and 50 degrees. Temperatures are mild, with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s, and lows in the upper 20s to low 30s.
“The Quiet Lakes’ area received some much-needed rain and a dusting of snow for Halloween,” says Greg at Happy Hooker. “It appears the lakes will not cool quickly, as they hover around 50 degrees, with overnights at or above freezing.
“Musky anglers are struggling to get fish in the bag, even with live bait. There are reports of muskies in super shallow water that want nothing to do with any bait, live or artificial. Try anything and everything, including dive-and-rise and glide baits, and bigger rubber baits while dragging suckers off the back of the boat. Look for still green weeds, work the inside edges, and then move to deeper water.
“Walleyes have almost no anglers fishing for them, but the fish should be on deep edges given the water temperatures. Jigging walleye suckers or fatheads is the first method to try. Around dusk, fish move into shallow water and on top of ledges or shallow, sandy shorelines.
“Northern pike should be in the same areas as muskies, and eating similar baits, but have not heard anything on a specific pike bite.
“Crappie and perch will be around shallow weeds, but then start moving deeper as the water cools and we lose daylight. Crappie minnows on jigs should work for both. For bluegills, use waxies and plastics on small jigs.”
Jarrett at Hayward Bait says muskies are moving onto shallow weed flats, chasing small panfish, bass, and walleye.
“Anglers should target 5-15 feet with Bull Dawgs, Medussas, bucktails, glide baits, and stickbaits. A few fish in deep basins are chasing crappies and walleyes. Suckers and Red October tubes fished vertically work well in deep water.
“Walleyes should also split, with many moving shallow, chasing panfish into the last healthy weed growth. Walleye suckers, small swimbaits, and jerkbaits work well. For deep fish, live bait rigs on the bottom or slow pulling drop-shot rigs with plastics can work very well.
“Northern pike are moving into shallow back bays adjacent to weedlines and cover, following baitfish into the remaining green weed growth. On cool days, fish could be warming themselves in the fall sun in as shallow as 2 feet. Live bait, jerkbaits, swimbaits, and spinnerbaits are all great options this time of year.
“Crappies are basin bound, wandering deep water in search of food. Look for fish in 15-35 feet. In this early cold water, basin fish should be near bottom where oxygen is still plentiful, especially on waterbodies starting turnover. Fatheads on jigs or slip floats, plastics on small jigs, and small crankbaits should work well.
“Bluegill fishing is good in weedy areas, but not much for size or consistency.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses muskies per acre for the Muskies Inc. fall tournament.
“Each October, our excellent local chapter of Muskies, Inc. hosts its fall tournament. Hundreds of anglers come to try their luck on some of our most prestigious local musky waters. We have almost 40 years of records of fish caught in this tournament, allowing us to answer some interesting questions about which local lakes have produced the most success.
“The Chippewa Flowage has produced the most tournament fish, with 429, which is not a surprise. The Chip is a great musky lake, and at 15,300 acres, it is much larger than all other lakes in the tournament. The next closest in size is Lac Courte Oreilles at 5,139 acres.
“When it comes to which lakes produce the most muskies per acre, the Chip drops down the list and a few mid-size, top producing lakes, rise in the rankings. Sissabagama has produced the most tournament muskies on a per-acre basis, followed by the Spider Chain, Lost Land, Teal, and Lake Hayward ‑ one of the smallest lakes in the tournament.
“The Chippewa Flowage scores much lower by acreage, along with some of our other large, low-density trophy waters such as Round, Lac Courte Oreilles, and Grindstone.
“When I ran the number of total inches of musky the tournament has produced, based purely on total inches, the results look largely similar, with the Chippewa Flowage and Spider leading the way. When standardized for acreage, the rankings look very similar to those listed for total muskies per acres, despite some slight differences in the average length of muskies each lake produces.
“Records from this long-running event provide some insights on how our musky fisheries are doing, along with an entertaining look at our musky fishing culture.”
Trapping seasons opened November 2 for beaver, mink, muskrat, otter, and for non-resident raccoon trappers.
Woodcock season closed November 4. Crow season is open November 23 through March 26.
The first half of elk season in the Clam Lake management zone closes November 10. Unsuccessful elk hunters have a second go at it from December 12-20.
The application deadline for spring turkey and fall bear harvest permits and bonus points is December 10.
Fall turkey season in zones 6 and 7 closes November 22. The season in zones 1-5 runs through January 5. Bonus authorizations ($10/residents; $15/nonresidents) are available at one per person, per day, until the zone sells out or season ends. Bonus permits remain available as follows:
- Zone 1: 800
- Zone 2: 750
- Zone 3: 564
- Zone 4: 664
For more information, search “turkey hunting” on the DNR website.
According to the DNR deer harvest report for Sawyer County, as of October 29, the total harvest for this season is 255 deer, including 140 antlered and 115 antlerless. These totals (subject to correction) include:
- Archery: 67 deer (39 antlered, 28 antlerless)
- Crossbow: 141 deer (70 antlered, 71 antlerless)
- Youth Hunt (Oct. 5-6): 46 deer (30 antlered, 16 antlerless)
For more information, search “deer harvest summary” on the DNR website.
Hayward Rod & Gun Club will host its annual sight-in days November 16-22, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, with experienced people onsite to provide assistance. The fee is $6/firearm. As a fundraiser, the club is selling drawing tickets for a Henry Big Boy.44 magnum lever-action rifle. Tickets cost $10 each or three for $20.
For more information, call Wally at (715) 492-0834.
Hayward Lakes Chapter-Muskies Inc. invites the public to its club meeting Tuesday, November 12, at Flat Creek Lodge. Admission is free. This is a general meeting, starting at 7 p.m., to review the tournament, discuss projects, and elect officers.
Anyone interested in becoming a Muskies, Inc. member can purchase a half-price membership at the meeting.
For more information, call Mike Persson (715) 634-4543.
ATV/UTV TRAIL REPORT
All ATV and UTV operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, who are at least 12 years old for ATV and at least 16 years old for UTV, must complete an ATV/UTV safety certification course to operate legally on public ATV/UTV trails and areas in Wisconsin. The DNR requires trail passes for non-residents and Wisconsin residents must display a registration sticker. Riders must run headlights at all times when operating. Visit the DNR ATV website for rules and regulations.
Unless otherwise posted, all county roads outside the LCO Reservation in Sawyer County are legal for ATV/UTV use. The Trail Treker app shows the changes. Trails 174 and 176 in Spider Lake Township are no longer open to ATV/UTV use. The ATV/UTV trails in Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846), Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821), and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271) are open, but CHECK NOW for current and upcoming trail and road closures atHLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report and Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance.
Fishing Report
Fishing interest is still strong for muskies, but less so for other species. Anglers are missing some great fishing opportunities with the current mild air and water temperatures!
Musky:
Musky fishing is fair, with shallow fish showing little interest in offerings. Other fish are in 5-15 feet on green weeds, weed flats, and near deep basins. Musky suckers, gliders, Suicks and similar baits, stickbaits, tubes, bucktails, Bull Dawgs, and Medussas are all good options.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is slow. Fish are on deep edges, but move to shallower shorelines and ledges in the evening hours to feed on panfish. Walleye suckers and fatheads on jigs and live bait rigs fished on the bottom, drop-shots with plastics, swimbaits, jerkbaits, stickbaits, and crankbaits all work.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is good to very good. Look for them around any green weeds, in shallow bays near weedlines, sometimes very shallow, and as always, near schools of baitfish and panfish. Northern and walleye suckers, spinners, spinnerbaits, stickbaits, and spoons can all work well.
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing interest is minimal, at best, even with the reasonably good weather. Smallmouth bass anglers are finding fish on shallow to mid-depth weeds, rocks, humps, points, bars, and around baitfish and panfish. Sucker minnows, swimbaits, and crankbaits can do the job.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good around shallow weeds and deep basins in 15-30 feet, with fish holding close to the bottom. The most productive baits include crappie minnows, fatheads, waxies, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs and/or under slip bobbers, with small crankbaits also working well.
Bluegill/Perch:
Bluegill and panfish fishing is a bit slow, but primarily due to lack of anglers. Action is good for those targeting fish around shallow to deeper weeds and in areas holding crappies. Baits of choice include waxies, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs. Try small minnows for bigger bluegills.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 2: Trapping seasons opened: Beaver; Mink; Muskrat; Otter; Raccoon (non-resident).
Nov. 3: Daylight Saving Time ended and clocks turned back one hour. (You did turn back your clocks, right?)
Nov. 4: Woodcock season closed.
Nov. 4-5: South Taurids Meteor Showers; 10-20/hr., very slow and bright, south 1-3 a.m.
Nov. 10: Elk season closes in Clam Lake management zone (888-936-7463).
Nov. 11: Veterans Day.
Nov. 12: Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. general meeting, elect officers, 7 p.m., Flat Creek Lodge (715-634-4543).
Nov. 12-14: North Taurids Meteor Showers; 10-20/hr., slow fireballs, south 12-2 a.m.
Nov. 15: Full Beaver Moon.
Nov. 16-17: Leonids Meteor Shower; 10-15/hr., very swift, southeast 4-5 a.m.
Nov. 16-22: Hayward Rod & Gun Club sight-in days, $6/firearm, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (715-492-0834).
Nov. 19: Duck season closes in Northern Zone.
Nov. 19: DNR Deer Management Unit Open House, Cable, 5-7 p.m., Norvado Building, Jeff Pritzl (920-366-3450).
Nov. 22: Fall turkey season closes in zones 6, 7.
Nov. 23: Seasons open: Fall turkey zones 1-5; Crow.
Nov. 23-Dec. 1: Traditional nine-day gun deer season.
Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Day.
Nov. 29: Mourning dove season closes.
Nov. 30: Walleye season closes on the Chippewa Flowage.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau and Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce websites, view the Calendar of Events, or call (715) 634-8662 or 800-724-2992.