The leaves on the trees have disappeared, the water temperatures have continued to drop, and we've even had snow on the ground ' its official, winter is approaching fast! Plenty of good open water angling opportunities await fishermen in the greater Wausau area, but we're running on borrowed time.
Walleyes continue to move towards wintering areas, and although the bite is not fast and furious, anglers are finding good numbers of fish and scoring consistently by fishing slower than in weeks past. Live bait presentations have been tops during the chilly air and water temperatures with jig and minnow combinations or live bait rigs becoming a staple in local arsenals. Probe deep holes, channel sections, and river bends to find numbers of fish; pay close attention to your locator as the fish have been tight to bottom. Sucker minnows, fatheads, and chubs in the 3'-5' range have all been effective and should be worked in a slow but thorough fashion. Stinger hooks on jigs have been a good bet as bites have been shorter and more subtle of late.
Rightfully regarded as the king of freshwater, the heaviest muskies of the season in addition to some true trophy-class northern pike continue to wear the feedbag in our area. As with the walleyes, live bait continues to be an excellent choice. Large sucker minnows on quick-strike rigs are an excellent choice and will produce fish of both species. It's a good idea to run multiple lines, varying the set depth of each to search the water column more efficiently. Large jig heads tipped with sucker minnows are also working well and can be either cast or jigged vertically near deeper wood or rock structure. While live bait has been hot, both pike and muskies are still readily taking both deep-diving crankbaits and oversized rubber baits. With the artificial lures, more natural patterns such as perch and sucker patterns have been working the best.
A veritable fisherman's paradise, the North-Central Wisconsin region is also home to some fantastic hunting opportunities. With the rut in full swing, whitetail deer hunting is offering archers ample opportunity at this large game animal, including some true monster bucks. Small game hunting in the countless forests and fields of the area is a sure bet for plenty of sporting opportunities, while water fowl hunters continue to boast impressive harvests.