Anglers looking to cash-in on excellent multi-species action should consider wetting their lines in the Wausau area right now. Crappie fishing has been terrific the past week with excellent numbers of fish available. As they continue to make their way toward spawning areas, look for high concentrations of fish holding in deep water adjacent to these grounds. Slip bobber and minnow combinations are a fine choice for these deeper fish as are small countdown style crankbaits. With the continued warmer weather, the crappies will continue to slide shallow, frequenting downed trees, stumps, and log jams as they look to spawn. Again, live bait is an excellent choice as is fishing small in-line spinners or spinnerbaits in and around cover.
The top-notch smallmouth fishery that is the Wisconsin River system is also producing large numbers of quality smallies as they also look to spawn. Key on shallower hard-bottomed areas and explore them with lipless crankbaits or in-line spinners until fish holding sections of shoreline are located. Tubes rigged Texas-style are a fine choice once numbers of fish are located, and may be utilized to thoroughly work a spot to contact as many fish as possible.
Northern pike are greedily attacking lures fished over and through the newly emerging weeds found in many of the backwaters and bays of the Wausau area. Water temperatures are such that many of trophy female specimens are still shallow and active before making their hiatus for deeper water as surface temperatures rise to summer conditions. Look for sunny days to produce the best action right now, with the bite best often during mid-day hours.
Walleye fishing has been consistently good, with more fish showing up in their deeper water haunts with the post-spawn transition completed. Slip-bobbers have been accounting for many walleyes as has the reliable jig-and-minnow combination. Stretches of river channel containing sharp irregular breaklines or submerged wood are excellent places to start. Don't be surprised if you boat several bonus slab crappies as they have been frequenting many of the same areas.
Next Saturday begins the 2008 musky season for Northern Wisconsin and should again begin in a banner way in the Wausau area. Unlike many deeper, clearer lakes to the North, the Wisconsin River system in and around the Wausau area will have temperatures that should find the king of freshwater actively chasing down a variety of presentations. Good starting points are the newly emergent weed beds and shallow to midrange depth wood cover on the lakes with the aforementioned structure types adjacent to current breaks good on the Wisconsin River itself.
Joel DeBoer