Here's what George Langley of the Eagle River Fishing Guide Association, is reporting about fishing in the Eagle River area:

FISHING WITH THE GUIDES

10-26-09

by George Langley

We have certainly had our share of inconsistent fall weather, as we've had some snow, rain, nice days and a lot of wind. This is all par for the course in October up here. This week promises to be a nicer period to get out on the lakes, with at least some reduction in that hated east wind and some warmer temps for a few days.

Water temps are now down in the lower to mid 40's on most lakes. Turnover is a thing of the past, and the lakes are all "gin clear". We have even has a small rise in the water levels on some area lakes, as the last round of snow & rain gave us roughly 2 inches in the area. It is fall trophy time!

Walleye have been hitting pretty well throughout the area, but with windy conditions it has been tough fishing for them. The bite now is definitely on jigs & minnows, with large fatheads being the favorite minnow. On the Chain the holes have been producing best, but some bigger fish have been caught on the deep weed flats. Concentrations of good numbers of fish seem to be in almost every hole on Catfish, Cranberry, Yellow Birch and Eagle. On the bigger, deeper lakes there is a drop-off pattern, with fish feeding in 18 to 30' of water on hard bottom edges. Some anglers prefer larger minnow when fishing these lakes - such as redtail chubs. As we said earlier, the wind has been making it tough to get out to some of these spots on the big lakes, with tough boat and line control on these windy days.

Musky have been streaky. It seems every group we talk to have a different "take" on the fishing. At this point, it hasn't been a great trophy fall, but there is still time to have a great year from the standpoint of serious fall musky fishermen. Sucker action has been good for the most part, but that east based wind last week slowed things down a little. We can start thinking a little about the Cisco spawn, as the fish start to gather near their spawning flats soon.

One of the surprising things about fall fishing is the number of very large smallmouth caught by musky or walleye anglers. It is a great time to fish for these guys in the deeper weeds with large minnows.

There are very few panfish anglers out there at this time of year. Most seem to be content to just wait for the ice fishing season, which isn't that far away.

Good luck and good fishn'

For more information about fishing the Eagle River area call us or visit our website.:

*George Langley, Eagle River Fishing Guide Association,        715-479-8804;

www.eagleriverfishingguides.com

OCTOBER 2009

NORTHWOODS REPORT

Fall is in the air as the color change is happening. By the first week in October the color will be between fifty and seventy five per cent. This is a gorgeous time to be in the Northwoods. The wildlife is preparing for the winter season and they are on the move. Hiking in the color time and viewing these animals is a real treat. Blueberries are at the end of the season but some patches are still offering this delicious fruit.

The weather this year has been a real challenge for fishermen, but with some thinking and trial and error, fish can be caught. First, the waters were warm and the fish were in shallow water. Then the temperatures were below average in August and the fish started to go into in a fall pattern and moved to deeper water. In September the weather turned warmer and the water temperatures went up and the fish moved back to shallow water. October temperatures will cool down and the fish will move back to the deeper areas of the lakes.

I look for the fishing to get better as the water temperatures cool and after turn over the fishing will be very predictable. Turn over is when the water temperatures are the same from surface to bottom. A good indicator is when the lakes are very clear. This is a trigger to the fish that they must feed heavily for the winter season.

Archery deer season and the bear season is now open and hunters are out looking for their winter food supply. Enjoy our fall season in the Northwoods.

Keep a tight line,

Yukon

715-479-3219

www.yukonjackegv.com

*Yukon Jack Outfitters,

1857 Scattering Rice Lake Rd.,

Eagle River, WI  54521,

715-479-3219; website: www.yukonjackegv.com

We can honestly say that there is no place on earth with as much variety of fishing opportunities in freshwater fishing. With literally hundreds of lakes of all sizes, and miles and miles of trout streams, plus the fishing in the Wisconsin River, you could fish every day of the open water season and never hit the same water twice. We have great fishing for trout, musky walleye, smallmouth & largemouth bass, northerns and all types of panfish. You can catch most of these species within the city limits of Eagle River.

Musky fishing is spectacular, with people travelling from all over the world to fish these great gamefish. The action starts on the Memorial Day weekend - and there is good fishing for them right from the start. Our variety of musky waters run from the Wisconsin and Eagle Rivers to lakes running from 50 to 4,000 acres. We also have a great variety of dark and clear water lakes for all weather conditions.When you are thinking musky you may want to fish them in the summer while on a family vacation. At this time of the year surface baits provide heart-stopping action - and you can fish early and late in the day while still boating or otherwise enjoying life with the family. One great thing to remember about musky is that they hit at any time - not just at a particular time of day, Fall musky fishing is the best of the trophy time, with numerous huge musky caught (and usually released) every year. This is the time that our many excellent area guides are very busy with musky clients.

Walleye fishing is also good, especially in the spring and fall. Our game fish season starts on the first weekend in May and the walleye are active from the start. Most opening weekends find some of the best fishing of the year, with the fish still in the shallows from spawning. May is a great time to fish walleye with light tackle along the shorelines. June finds the fish moving deeper, with good action experienced in deeper weeds and on mid-lake structure.
As the summer vacation period happens our guides will still find these great tasting fish daily, and many a vacation has been enhanced with an evening meal of fresh-caught walleye. They are located deeper in the summer, usually around mid-lake bars and reefs.
Fall walleye fishing is great, with days of 10 - 30 walleye not uncommon. This is the time of the year for fishing with jigs and larger minnows for big fish. You can also experience fine artificial bait luck at this time of year with crankbaits.

Northern pike abound in this area also, with a variety of lakes for these fish. We do have some trophy water for these fish, although most of our lakes contain mid-sized fish in good numbers. This is a great gamefish to introduce to you children to fishing for while on vacation, because of their aggressive nature and abundance.

This area has not been previously known as a hotbed for largemouth bass, but it is a real "sleeper" area for these fish. You will experience a huge variety of conditions and types of fishing for them, from 20 acre ponds to 2,000 acre lakes. More and more our guides have learned to take clients to out-of-the-way small bog lakes for these fish. Fish to 6 pounds are not uncommon, but most fish run in the 2-3 pound range.

Smallmouth bass are a different story - we have some of the best smallmouth fishing in the world right here. Catches of 50 fish a day are not uncommon, and many trophies are taken yearly. The smallies hit right from opening day on - and it again is a wonderful way to introduce your friend or children to gamefish fishing with a certainty of success. Another way of enjoying fishing for smallmouth is to flyfish for them. This is becoming a much more popular sport yearly. Many area guides have become adepot at this type of fishing.

Out trout fishing is also varied, with both streams and lakes available. The experience of wilderness fishing for trout along our hundreds of miles of streams is a great way to spend a summer day or evening. Most area streams are small, but loaded with fish. A number of our rivers or streams can be canoed.There is a good number of lakes and ponds for trout fishing also, and these fish are noted for hitting all season long.

One of the great benefits of coming to this area is the variety - there is ALWAYS some type of fish active and hitting. Bring a variety of rods, or just hire one of the many local guides and they will provide equipment for you.

Good luck and good fishing!