Hey there, Northwoods anglers, and welcome back to the LVO Sportfishing Report! I'm Tim Buffington, ready to get you dialed in for another week of fantastic fishing here in the Northwoods. If you see me around town with some serious raccoon eyes from my sunglasses, just know it means we've been spending plenty of long, successful days out on the water. As you can imagine, this makes it my wife's absolute favorite time of the year to be seen in public with me!

This past week, it was all about those big, deep, clear-water lakes and giant Northwoods walleyes! The bite out there has been absolutely phenomenal. In fact, my wife Kayli landed her new personal best this week—a beautiful 27-inch trophy!

We fished a couple of different clear lakes over the last few days and found water temperatures averaging right in the low to mid-60s. I also had a great group of guys up from Alabama who wanted to catch their first-ever walleyes. We had an absolute blast, and every single one of them landed their very first walleye! We even ran into a few hungry northern pike along the way, which they were incredibly excited about. I absolutely love guiding people and helping them make those kinds of lifelong memories on the water.

To get it done, we were snap-jigging those plastics I talk so much about. The hot ticket out there was a 3/16 oz green jig head paired with a Kalin's Jerk Minnow body that perfectly resembles a baby perch. In these clear-water weed situations, I always try to keep it natural and match the hatch, because that baby perch is exactly what those walleyes are up there to feed on.

Just like I mentioned last week, that aggressive snap followed by a strict three-second pause all the way back to the bottom is all it takes to trigger these early summer weed walleyes into biting hard.

Looking ahead to this upcoming week, if you're hitting that clear water, I expect that weed bite to stay rock solid. But keep an eye out—if these temperatures stay consistent, don't be surprised to see some of those fish start transitioning out to secondary offshore structures.

Now, if you're headed out to the flowages, things are warming up fast. I fully expect to see water temps averaging in the low to mid 70s this week, so you'll definitely want to check those main lake structures for both walleyes and crappies. Specifically, I'd be looking at humps and points in that 15 to 20-foot range.

And anglers, it is officially that time of the year on the flowages to make a total worm mess in the boat. It's a standard tradition this time of year—between the dirt, the bedding, and the rogue nightcrawlers, your boat floor is going to need a good power-washing by Sunday. But hey, that's just the sign of a successful week on the water.

Besides, a little cleanup is a small price to pay, because casting crawlers on jigs and pitching leeches under bobbers is a surefire way to catch those summer walleyes right now.

If panfish are your target, we are right in the middle of a major seasonal transition. The bluegills are just finishing up their spawn on most lakes, and this week they'll be packing up their bags and heading out of those shallow beds.

If you're looking for them, start your search on the shallow wood flats on the flowages or the first deep weed lines on the clear lakes right adjacent to those spawning grounds.

To trigger those post-spawn gills, nothing beats pitching a small 1/32 oz jig tipped with a piece of crawler or a small leech under a slip bobber, keeping it suspended just above the wood or weed tops.

As for the crappies, they have completely vacated the shallows and are settling into their classic summer patterns.

Right now, look for them to be suspending over deeper water—specifically around that 12 to 18-foot range—or tight to deeper structure edges like sharp drop-offs and river channel bends on the flowages.

They are heavily relating to the schools of young-of-the-year baitfish right now. To locate these active schools, cruise those deeper basin edges with your electronics until you see them suspended in the water column.

Once you find 'em, drifting or slow-trolling small 1/16 oz jig heads tipped with a tiny plastic paddle tail or a live crappie minnow is a deadly way to put a mess of slabs in the livewell.

That's your LVO Sportfishing Report for this week. Get out there, be safe, and enjoy another fantastic week of fishing in beautiful Northern Wisconsin!

And before you head out, be sure to stop by Aquatic Arts bait shop for all your tackle, fresh live bait, and local expert advice.

And remember, if you're ready to swap screen time for sunshine and smiles on the lake, give LVO Sportfishing a call—we are here to help at 715-612-1090, or look us up on Facebook for the latest smiles!

As always, good conservation means great fishing ahead, so don't be afraid to let 'em go so they can grow!

From LVO Sportfishing, tight lines everyone, and have a great week!

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