• Hi folks this is Minocqua fishing guide Dave Lang with your Monday August 25^th Great Outdoors fishing report.  This past Friday and Saturday I had the pleasure of fishing with Scott Kamish, James Siebert, Michael Baumghart, Bob Hartmann, and Ed Diamond all from Western suburbs of Chicago.  With two boats we headed out for a morning on the water.  When we met back at the dock at 10:30 we had a great mixed bag of bass, pike, and walleye.  All fish were caught working weed edges from 9 to 20 feet.  The bass seemed to have a preference for leeches and crawlers.  Most of the pike were caught on red tail chubs, we did catch a number of under size bass on red tails but only one legal along with one walleye on a red tail chub. All fish were caught using 1/16 or 1/8 oz. jigs.

  Saturday morning we met at Great Outdoors Sports Shop at 6AM. and headed out to the Minocqua Chain.  We split up with one boat fishing Kawaguesaga and the other Minocqua. We had a great morning fishing weed edges with jigs tipped with redtails, crawlers, and leeches.  That morning Minocqua proved to be the more active of the two lakes, and red tail chubs produced better than crawlers or leeches.  The guys produced a beautiful stringer of bass, pike, and walleye that were kept for a fish fry.  They also caught and released one musky just to add a little icing on the cake.

  That’s it for now folks be sure to stop into Great Outdoors Sports Shop for the best bait in town and up to date fishing information remember

  KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD

  DAVE LANG

  GOOD LUCK FISHIN

   

   

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• 8/19/08 Hi fishermen, from the shores of Lake Minocqua.  The summer patterns still are producing fish.  Last Monday I fished with Bump Waghorne and his two daughters Sierra and Savanna ages 6 & 8.  The girls needed some help with casting but they did a great job fishing.  The girls caught a mixed bag of bass and pike catching the biggest fish of their lives.  Tuseday I had the pleasure of fishing with the Fox Hut Clan from Gunlock Lake led by Harold Fox [82 years young].  We had two guide boats and headed out to the Lac Du Flambeau Chain. I fished with Harold and his daughter in-law, Tammy from South Bend IN.  It was a catch and release day and we put together a nice mixed bag of bass, pike, walleye, and even perch. Thursday I had the pleasure of fishing with Michael Bauer of Milwaukee and his sons Richard and Christopher ages 6 & 8.  The boys had never fished with jigs before but they picked it up quickly and caught a nice mixed bag of pike, bass, and walleye.  When the morning started, the biggest fish Richard ever caught was the size of his hand, he broke that record many times that morning finally catching the fish of the day a 28" pike.
• I am still fishing weed edges in 10 to 18 feet of water with 1/16 oz weedless jigs.  I have been using redtail chubs because they are easier to cast and you aren't bothered by pan fish steeling your bait.  My friend, Tom Schodren has been fishing the same pattern but using leeches with equal success.  That's it for now, good luck fishin and remember
• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• DAVE LANG
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• 8/8/08 Hi fisherman from the shores of Lake Minocqua.. July was a busy month in the lakeland area as usual the heat and bright conditions takes it's toll on fish activiy.  The best plan is to get out early in the morning and hit lakes with less boat traffic.  I have been meeting my cleints at 6:00 AM and fishing 1/2 days which means we are off the water before noon.  Fishing has been good with the best action being Bas and Pike with some Walleye thrown in.  I have been spending a lot of time on the Lac Du Flambeau Chain, remember that size limits on the reservation are different than on Wisconsin waters so check before you go out.  Most of my action has been fishing weed edges from 9 to 14 feet deep using 1/16 oz. weedless jigs tipped with crawlers or red tail chubs I take both because the preference changes from day to day.  Leeches have been a distant third.  For the hard core walleye angler I have had action on deep clear lakes fishing 20 foot humps surrounded by 60 feet of water these walleyes have come from as deep as 40 feet.  This type of fishing calls for 1/4-3/8 oz. jigs, best action has been on crawlers.  This continues to be a slow year for musky action, I have not had any musky trips for a few weeks but the reports I hear continue to be slow.  Kevin from Great Outdoors Sports Shop on highway 51 in Arbor Vitae had reports this pass week of a 48 and a 47 incher being caught on area lakes.  With the weather starting to cool down in the evenings fall patterns for walleyes are just weeks away, this is a great time to fish for eater size walleyes on rock humps and deep holes depending on the lake you are on.  That's it for now remember
• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• DAVE LANG 
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• 7/7/08  Hi fisherman from the shores of Lake Minocqua.  It was a great 4 th weather wise and the boats were out in force.  Saturday my friend Norm McDougall of Wheaton IL., Tim Ash of Chippewa Falls WI.,Tom Schodren, and I guaranteed fish for dinner and headed out to show our wives what great providers we are.  Yes, we did have enough fish for 4 families that night, but it wasn't easy.  We threw back the bass we caught, kept the pike and didn't catch a walleye.  The pike bite remains best on 4 inch red tails behind a 1/16 oz. jig with fire tiger the best color. These fish are not agressive at all and are hitting like walleyes, even dropping the bait sometimes.  Stormin Normin caught the biggest of the day but we all know some of the bite offs we had were bigger.
• Today I had the pleasure of fishing with Ryan Orthro and some of his family.  We were targeting muskies on Minocqua Chain as they are spending a week on Minocqua.  I thought the day was a success when a nice fish hit a small perch colored suick. It was a disappointment when Ryan brought a big pike to the boat, a beautiful fish but not the spieces we were looking for. That's it for now good luck fishin and remember.
• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEEN IN YOUR ROD
• DAVE LANG

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• 7/3/08 5:00 AM.  Hi fisherman from the shores of Lake Minocqua.  Sorry that it took me so long to post this report.  I have been on the water and just didn't get to the computer.  Fishing has been spotty and some days you have to hit 2 or 3 lakes.  Best action has been on small to medium sized lakes.  I have been finding walleyes in 6-9 feet of water in the weeds.  Best way to fish them is with a weedless jig 1/8 to 1/16 oz. tipped with a minnow or crawler. Crawlers have been getting more action now that the water temp is almost 70.  Pike action continues to be strong.  I had the pleasure of fishing with Bill Evans of Colorado Springs and his brother Tom of Detroit MI. last weekend and even though the weather Sunday was miserable with temperatures in the low 50's and wind blowing gusts of 30 mph the guys put together a nice stringer of pike for a fish fry.  These fish were caught using 1/8 oz. jigs tipped with red tail chubs because of the wind .  Smallmouth bass action is good with fish hitting crank baits over rocky areas, my personal color choice is firetiger.  I spent Wednesday last week on the Willow Flowage and the action was great in less than 3 hours I had a limit of walleyes from 16-19 inches and a kicker Smallmouth 22 1/4 inches that my friend Dennis at Reel To Nature Taxidermy is mounting for me.  I have been hearing good reports of an evening walleye bite on both the Minocqua Chain and Big Arbor Vitae on slip bobbers. I don't have any reports on musky action but I will be fishing musky with Ryan Othrow and his crew this Monday and should have a report next week.  That's it for this morning, I'm off to chase walleyes this morning and am heading for a 500 acre lake south of Minocqua.  Good luck fishing and remember.
• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• DAVE LANG 
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• 6/12/08  Hi fishermen from the shores of Lake Minocqua.  The weather continues to play a role in the fishing action in northern WI. Best pattern still is 1/16-1/8 oz. jigs tipped with a minnow.  The secrete is to keep moving if you don't get a bite and when you do work that area hard.  Tuesday I was out on Squrril Lake with Jack Fowler and his son Andrew we spend 2 hours without a fish [that's when the guides stomach is in knots] then we hit a small shool of active fish in 3-5 feet of water.  When that shool stopped we searched out other spots until we found fish this time they were in 8-11 feet the guys put together a nice mixed stringer of walleye, pike, and perch. Somedays the pattern is no pattern and you just have to keep changing.
• I spent Friday morning on the Minocqua Chain with Roger Forsberg of Fond Du Lac WI. As I said earlier Minocqua weed growth is ahead of most lakes we caught a nice pike in weeds at a depth of 9 ft. To my surprise when I positioned the boat outside the weed edge in 14 ft. we found fish on the bare sand.  We had many bites that picked up the bait and drop it before we could do anything with them.  It was extreemly windy and we had to use 1/8 oz. jigs and I am sure that had something to do with it.  At the end of the morning Roger had a nice limit of walleyes with pike and some pan fish thrown in.  The extra fish of the day were 3 smallmouth all 20''
• We are still behind a normal year but the fish are begining to move into normal areas as the water warms most lakes are now in the low to mid 60's.  This afternoon I am heading out to Plum Lake to fish with Byron Manning and his group from Naperville IL.  They are stay on the lake for a week and want to get some info and enough fish for their Friday fish fry.  I'll let you know how we do. Until next time good luck fishin.
• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• DAVE LANG

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• 6/5/08  8:30 AM Hi from the Minocqua Lakeland area.  I spent some time with fellow guide Tom Schodron scouting a number of lakes last week.  We found most lakes still in the 56-59 degree range, with the weather patterns we have the lakes gain a few degrees one day only to lose them the next.  On Big St. Germaine we found one weed bed holding active fish but the other two spots we hit had no weed growth yet.  On Plum Lake we found active walleyes in as shallow as 4 feet relating to dead cabbage weed. On Pokagama on the Flambeau Chain there was no weed growth and the walleyes and bass were relating to downed timber.  Those bass are fun to catch but remember they must be released for now.
• Sat. I had the pleasure of fishing with Kent Magnuson and his sons Dustin, and Eric from Beecher IL.  The guys put together a great stringer of walleye,(best of the day a 3 1/2 pounder caught by Dustin),pike, perch,bass,and one musky that Eric caught. They kept enough for a fish fry and returned the rest.
• Sunday I fished the Minocqua Chain with Roger Forsberg and his son Steve from Fond Du Lac WI.  Roger has a condo on the chain and the goal was for him to learn as many spots as possible.  Minocqua is ahead of most lakes with weed growth as deep as 10-12 feet.  We caught most of our fish deeper in 10+ feet.  Again the guys kept a mixed bag for a fish fry with the fish of the day being a 5 1/2 pound pike caught by Roger.
• The best pattern remains a 1/16 or 1/8 oz. jig tipped with a minnow fished very slowly through the weeds.With all the fronts that have been moving through the fish are hitting very light what feels like a weed might well be the fish of the day.
• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• DAVE LANG

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• 5/27/08  7:30 AM  Hi Fellow Fishermen.  With the improvements in weather and the water temps on the rise the fish are getting more active.  The most productive pattern has been 1/16-1/8 oz. jigs tipped with 2" fatheads.  Most of the lakes I fish have good weed growth these are just beginning to green up, until you get good green weeds search out cabbage weed because it is still standing even though it is brown.  Once the weeds green up then cootail also produces well for me.  The one exception was a trip to Squaw Lake here there was a good walleye bite on rock and there were some nice crappies mixed in with the walleyes.  These ranged up to 14" and were hitting the same jig and minnow that the walleyes were.  As you know Saturday was the musky opener in northern Wisconsin, I took a bus drivers holiday and went musky fishing with my son Jeff.  We opted out of the small action lakes and headed out to the Flambeau Chain in search of a post spauwn pig in one of the many shallow bays.  Just 10 minutes into our trip Jeff raised a nice fish on a red bucktail.  Four hours later we put the boat on the trailer with only that one fish we had covered
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• 5/19/08 7:00 AM  Hi Fellow Fishermen.  The last week saw the Lakeland area hit with one cold front after another accompanied by the usual windy conditions.  That spells tough fishing.  I was on the Willow a few days and saw the aggresive bite slow dramaticly and then come back by Friday with 6 walleyes and two pike in about three hours.  The walleyes have been males; it seems that the big females seem to still be dormant in post spawn but should get active soon.  Water temps have been warming to the mid 50's.  Sat. was Little Arb it has been producing nice crappies, some walleye and I had one 19" smallmouth.  Sunday was Squirrel Lake; it is producing good action with walleye and pike all in shallow water with a jig and minnow.  The first big weekend of the season is coming up and fishing looks to be good and the weather is improving.
• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• DAVE LANG

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• 5/11/08 Hi fisherman, this past Sat. was the 4th annual TADPOLE CLASSIC; a 1 day invitational tourament for guides from Tommy's Fishing Adventures and there wives,kids and friends.  My son David Jr., wife Dianna[Director Of Customer Relations Minocqua, Arbor Vitae, Woodruff Chamber Of Commerce] fished along with 11 other contestants.  This is not a big money tourney the coveted prizes are T Shirts for biggest walleye, most walleyes, and biggest fish. Jackie Shodron with a nice limit of walleyes took home two shirts for most and biggest walleye [20"] Rob, the new comer, won biggest fish with a 37" Northern [beginners luck]. The fishing is limited to the Minocqua Chain all fish were caught on Minocqua and Kawagasaga.  Pattern is still shallow water 9' and less with a jig tipped with a minnow.  Pictures will be posted, a great time was had by all and a fish fry followed.
• Fishing on the flowages remains good with the secrets being moving whether you are on a flowage or on the Minocqua chain. If you pop a couple of fish and it stops, move to another spot with same structure.  I have had success going back after leaving and letting the fish cool down and picking a few more.  Good luck.
• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• Dave Lang

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• 5/8/08  Hi fisherman the last three days have found me on the Willow and Rainbow Flowages with my friend and mentor Tommy Zinda [Tommy's fishing adventures].  Tommy is an expert on the flowages. We had good action trolling crank baits on 4-6 ft. breaks on the long sand bars that are so common out there.  Wednesday on the Willow, action was good in shallow water, water 3-4 ft. shorelines with a jig tipped with a 2" fathead.  Two things to keep in mind: be careful out there and watch for shallow bars and rocks leave the high speed running to those guys on Saturday morning TV. Their lower units get fixed for free.  Also it is legal to troll on both flowages and it is a great way to locate fish and then work them with a jig. Thats my report for now, I am off to the Willow for 1/2 day so that's it for now.  Good luck fishing.
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• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• DAVE LANG
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• 1/30/08 Happy New Year from the frozen shores of Lake Minocqua, it is a pleasant -22 degrees with a wind chill of -44.  With about 30 inches of ice and good driving conditions the ice fisherman are having a great season.  I worked the Chill Out Tournament on Big Arbor Vitae last Sat. sponsored by the Minocqua Chamber and Great Outdoors Sport Shop in Arbor Vitae over 200 entrants enjoyed a great day on the ice, they registered 64 fish to compete for awards and door prizes that were awarded at 4 P.M. "GREAT JOB GUYS"  For you guys like me who only fish when the water gets softer there is hope the opener is only 93 days away.

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• Keep your line tight and a bend in your rod
• Dave Lang 
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• 2/11/08 Sunday morning temp was -22 with a 30-40 mph wind that kept everyone off the ice.  Kevin from Great Outdoors Sport Shop reports nice perch action on the mud flats on Big Arb using wigglers also some walleye action early morning and just before dark.  The Rainbow is producing some nice crappie up to 16" that's right he measured it.  One report of 2 fisherman on Minocqua catching 3 walleye 2 over the 15" mark and 3 small pike in a 3 1/2 hours all on a weed edge.  For your bait and up to date information stop in at Great Outdoors Sport Shop good luck I'll next week with an update.

• Keep your line tight and a bend in your rod
• Dave Lang
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•   4/19/08 Only 14 days to the opener! Those of you that know me, know it's like Christmas morning with presents under the tree to me.  Old man winter is finally loosening his grip on the minocqua lakeland area. According to my friends at GREAT OUTDOORS SPORT SHOP the crappie fishing is going well on a number of lakeland area lakes, give them a call for up to date information on the action and ice conditions.(715-356-6818)  The lakes are turning dark, the mill pond is black and when it goes out Lake Minocqua is only days behind.  I have 5 ft. of open water in front of my house on the east shore of Lake Minocqua.  My guess is we will have open water in the next ten days watch this site for up to date news on ice out.
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• KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD
• Dave Lang

       5/2/08  6:45 AM  LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO THE OPENER.  CONDITIONS LOOK TO BE WET AND COOL BUT US HARD CORE ANGLERS WILL BE OUT THERE.  MOST LAKES WILL BE OPEN WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, TOMAHAWK,TROUT,FENCE,AND BIG ARBOR VITAE.  LAKE MINOCQUA STILL HAS 2 PATCHES OF ICE BUT THEY SHOULD BE GONE TODAY.  THOSE OF YOU THAT FISH BUCKSKIN LAKE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A DIE OFF THIS WINTER, THE DNR WAS SENDING OUT A SHOCKING CREW LAST NIGHT TO EVALUATE THE SITUATION.  TOU CAN CONTACT THEM AT 715-356-5211. 

THE MINNOW REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN SET AND ARE NOT AS RESTRICTIVE AS THROUGHT YOU CAN GET THEM AT YOUR BAIT SHOP OR ON LINE AT FISHINGWISCONSIN.ORG.

THE LANG CREW WILL CONSIST OF 9 FISHERMEN IN 4 BOATS.  TRADITION DICTATES WE WILL FISH THE MINOCQUA CHAIN LOOKING FOR PRESPAWN WALLEYES ALONG ROCKY STRUCTURE WITH JIG A MINNOWS. 

I WILL BE BACK WITH A FULL REPORT GOOD LUCK FISHING.

KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEEN IN YOUR ROD
DAVE LANG

5/2/08  6:30 pm OH WHAT A DIFFERENCE 12 HOURS CAN MAKE. JUST CHECKED OUT BIG ARBER VITAE MOST OF THE ICE IS OUT, LARGE FLOAT IN MUDLE BUT WITH HEAVEY RAIN WE'RE HAVE SHOULD BE OUT TOMORROW LOVE TO EAT MY WORLDS.

KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOR ROR
DAVE LANG

5/5/08 7 AM HI FISHERMEN, THE OPENER IN THE LAKELAND AREA WAS VERY TYPICAL WITH WATER TEMPS IN THE LOW 40,S AND THE AIR TEMP IN THE 30'S WITH THE WIND HOWLING.  WE FOUND FISH IN SHALLOW WATER [3 TO 5 FT] USING JIGS TIPPED WITH 2'' FAT HEADS. THE FISH THAT WE CAUGHT ON MINOCQUA WERE SPAWNED OUT. PAUL PEERENBOOM WAS  THE HOT ROD WITH TWO NICE WALLEYES 3 1/2 AND 5 1/2 LBS. PICTURES ON SITE.  OTHER REPORTS WERE OF WALLEYES IN DEAD GRASS AND ON SHALLOW BARS HITTING MINNOWS AND CRANK BAITS ON THE FLOWAGES.  I AM HEADING OUT TO THE RAINBOW THIS MORNING AND WILL GIVE YOU A REPORT.

KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT AND A BEND IN YOUR ROD