|
|
| I'll be heading up to camp/fish on Big Arbor Vitae with the wife the first weekend in June. Any reports or tips for fishing Big Arb would be greatly appreciated as it will be my first time fishing the area let alone this lake.
Any tips for Big Arb or good suggestions of other lakes in the nearby area that would be worth fishing? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 256
Location: Janesville | The center bar is always a good spot the north bat is also good. meilke bay by the the 2 boat landing is also every good all the way to four seasons supper club. It is a good lake. silver blade bucktails are good. |
|
| |
|
| Thanks for the report magnum. I'll be sure to try those spots and maybe pick up a new bucktail. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | Perch, chartreuse/black and white are the best colors for me. Center Bar, Mielke Bay and Lucia Bay should all be good at that time. All these areas have weeds. Lucia bay has a little drowned wood scattered throughout. BTW, I've done alright on those spots even on east winds and high skies, so don't let weather get you down too much if conditions aren't ideal. And a nice bonus fishery is the largemouth! I've caught 5lbers while musky fishing there. Last year there were a bunch of eagles out there. If action is slow, you could try Little Arbor Vitae (Blue Island Bay, the inlet from Big Arb, Margitan Bay). |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1168
| Get some beer, circle around the center bar, make four casts with topwater, take a drink, four casts, take a drink...rinse and repeat. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | This is hands down my favorite lake for action and I fish it well over a dozen times a year. This is where I take many newer muskie anglers for their shot a their first fish or first legal. It's not uncommon to have 4+ fish days and a shot at decent fish. I took Michael (Pikopath) from Norway there when he came to WI and I boated a fish on an 8 so he got to see his first muskie up close. He also caught and saw his first bass there. I've taken several other MF members and we have had many mulit-fish days. The past three seasons there have been over 40 fish in my boat from Big Arb, with several in the upper 40's. I've seen at least two fish pushing 50" too. Good advice from everyone so far. Hands down best bait on Big Arb is a small bucktail with a chartruese blade and tail with a purple skirt burned over the weedbeds. I have had incredible success with that color combo and for some reason they really love a Slippery Sam jr. in that color combo. Last year I started experimenting with Cowgirls and bigger baits and only boated one mid-30's on the cow girl. Perch jerks can be really good too around the denser clumps of weeds. Manta's, vipers, undertakers, and Hellhounds have worked well for me. The topwater bit can be fantastic on really warm days. This lake get's a pretty good bloom, but should be pretty clear yet. The bloom doesn't really affect the fishing too much and usually some clearer water can be had on the non windy side of the lake. Don't be afraid to fish real shallow (even less than 2ft.), especially the north end of the lake where the big weed flat along the roadway is. Run and gun with small bright bucktails and at the very least you should see a lot of fish, even several in a small area. Pick the bigger clumps of cabbage apart, and keep going back to spots you move fish at different times of the day or weather changes. Good luck, this lake never disappoints me. One last thing. Last year nearly half my fish came on figure 8's there. Make sure to do good ones every cast. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 253
Location: On the water | Derek
Now thats what I call a report on a lake. Good luck and good fishing to all. |
|
| |
|
| Thanks Medic - great info. And thanks to all others for taking the time to post. I just started fishing muskies last summer and have only caught 2 so far (37" & 42"). I'd love to hook into a nice upper 40's let alone any fish. I've been out a limited number of times this year with 1 strike and few follows. Really looking forward to this trip! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | You're welcome. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | Fished the Mielke Bay area on Saturday. My uncle had one small follow and I lost a small one. A couple bonus bass. The weeds are coming in, but are a little sparse yet. We were throwing small bucktails. Oh, and I forgot to mention in my previous post, the fish LOVE Swiss Lunker Minnows on this lake in a perch pattern (but hooking percentages suck with this bait). |
|
| |
|
Posts: 501
Location: Norway | I really liked that lake. I hade several (muskie)follows, and a hit on a jerko from a largemouth (I didnt stick it Derek, you did  ) And I will never forget seeing tons of baldheaded eagles, 2 of them fighting, that was cool aswell. What I didnt like, was the annoying flies, the one day that I chose to wear a shorts....
Michael |
|
| |
|
Posts: 425
| I will be attending the Esox Musky School this June (next week). This school will be held at the Resort on Big St. Germain Lake. I am pretty shore that we will be hitting Big Arbor Vitae.
Can't Wait!!!!
Jake |
|
| |
