Fishing Report: Still plenty of great hardwater panfishing to be had

NORTHERN WISCONSIN – Last week was one of those gut-punch late winter weeks, with that big snowstorm we got at the start.

We saw a limited number of anglers, as that snow was a barrier for many. We had a couple of decent days after that, but not enough to really change the conditions on the lakes and shorelines much.

The temperature looks to be generally trending upwards on that spring rollercoaster now, with no big snow in the forecast, so the snow that we got will continue to get knocked down. Ice is holding, but it’s definitely getting sloppy in some places, with layers of snow, slush and pitted ice on top of the solid base.

Perch fishing has been pretty good area wide. These fish will be very active over the next few weeks as the weather warms, leading up to the spawn. Anglers are reporting decent catches of nice-sized perch using small minnows and waxies. You will find these fish in many different spots in the weeds and on deep mud flats, so you may have to do a little searching to find them.

Crappie action has been decent. These fish are hanging in schools in the deeper water on most lakes. Small minnows rigged on tip-downs usually work best for deep water crappies at this time of the year. You’ll find these fish anywhere from right on the bottom to suspended at different depths in the water column. Late afternoons and evenings have been the best time to catch crappies. Start fishing right off the bottom and move up in the column if you’re not having luck.

Bluegill action has been fairly slow. On some of the deep, clear water lakes you can find them suspended in the deep holes. Small jigs tipped with waxies or plastics work best in these situations. On shallower lakes, anglers have had some limited success catching bluegills in the weeds. Overall, bluegill action will increase with warming temperatures. Hopefully we will start to see that happen over the next week or two.

Let’s all collectively wish for some nice, “normal” spring weather moving forward. In the meantime, there’s still plenty of great hardwater panfishing to be had. The cold nights firm things up and make mornings the easiest time to move around. Get out there while you still can – this is panfish season, and there is nothing like a meal of bluegill, crappie or perch (or a bit of all three) straight from the ice at this time of the year.

Good luck and good fishin'!