Fishing Report :6-22-11

Around the Area:

The bluegills are almost done spawning. Better panfish are being caught out of the deeper sand and suspended over deeper water.

Bass are working traditional summer patterns, but the weather is making patterning fish difficult from day to day.  Docks, rockbars, slop, scattered weeds on flats and the deep weedlines have all been producing. The best bite for largemouth has been weed edges in 6-12 feet of water. Slop bite is picking up steam on many of the smaller lakes. The topwater bite has been steady, but most topwater fish are being caught before 8am on sunny mornings. Pop-R's with an orange or red belly have been producing some nice schooling fish and Redfins and jointed rapalas are catching some nice smallies.

Musky fishing continues to be very inconsistent. Some days have been very good, some have been absolutely void of fish, with very little, or any pattern to the days.  The most active fish have come on deep divers, gliders and large tubes fished along the deepest weedlines you can find. 18 FOW seems to be magic this year.A few are being caught on topwaters, especially on Okauchee and Lac Labelle.

Walleye action has pretty good with the cloudy/rainy weather. The fish are coming a little deeper since last week. Leeches under slip bobbers are catching fish in 12-15 feet, especially around weed/rock transition areas. Suckers fished on a split shot rig have been taking some better fish, especially in the late evenings. Weededges and sand grass are the areas to key on, especially in 15-22 feet of water. Lake Koshkonong has a hot bite going on in the main basin in 4-6 feet. Pulling harnesses or cranks has been giving up a mixed bag of walleyes, pike and whitebass. Most walleye action is coming at less than 2mph when trolling.

Pike action was better the last week. Fish the weed flats and outside edges with spinners or live bait. Smaller, wide wobbling crankbaits, buzzbaits and lipless crankbaits are really producing for the action seekers. Reapers, inline spinners and large jerkbaits are catching some better fish, but the action has still been slow.

Lake By Lake:

Okauchee: Weed growth is close to seasonal in many areas of the lake. Bass are into their summer patterns. A few larger fish are still feeding on spawning bluegills in 2-6 and 8-12 feet of water. Pike fishing has been steady, with most fish being caught on spinners in 6-10 FOW. Musky fishing has been slow, but anglers are starting to see more agressive fish, especially along the breaks in 12-18 feet.

Oconomowoc: Bass are moving on the breaks, and the smallmouth action is getting better. Northern pike fishing has been very good, especially on live bait. Walleye fishing has been best along major structure in the early mornings and late evenings, with split shot and lindy rigged leeches and small suckers catching the majority of the fish. Slip bobbering around weeds in 15-22 FOW has been producing a few fish as well. Musky fishing was better than average last week, with several low to mid 40's fish being caught. The hot area was the north east corner of the big lake, between the mouth and the saddle. Panfish should finish spawning this week, but a few keepers are still being caught along the breaks in the smalller lake.

Lac Labelle: Walleye fishing is moving toward its typical summer pace. Weed edges along the 8-12 foot breaks have fish on them as do drop-offs in 10-18 foot along the channel edge. Musky have been chasing, but seem to have moved out to suspend over deep water in the main basin. Topwaters are catching some stragglers on the flagpole flat and North Rockpile. Panfish and whitebass remain very slow for keepers.

Moose:  Bass and pike have been biting great. Hit the breaks and weed clumps in shallow water with crankbaits or spinners. Backtrolling with small suckers on a slip sinker rigs around the first major drop to deep water has been very, very good by all reports.


Ashipunn: Bass and pike have been biting, but the action is below average, with lots of undersize fish (especially pike). Best bet is concentrate on the visible weed patches, and work them from a variety of angles. Early morning buzzbait fishing has been catching a mixed bag of pike and bass in the morning and evenings, while twister tail grubs and texas rigs are better midday options. Look for schools of fish suspended over deeper water, and try and get them with deep diving crankbaits

Golden: Bluegills are done spawning, you may see a few stragglers, but the fish are moving out to deeper water. Bass have been biting best in the morning but are still running on the small side. Topwaters, plastics and spinners are all producing. Pike have been biting, especially on small suckers fished along the deep weedlines and on spinnerbaits fished through the weedy areas.

Silver: Water remains gin clear, especially on the east end. Weed growth has really taken off as the milfoil has entered the lake, and bass can be caught using plastics around the weed clumps in 4-15 feet. Crappies are suspending over the cribs, bluegills are holding in the deep sandgrass in 15-22 FOW.

Nagawicka: Largemouths are being caught off the docks, in the slop and along the shallow weed edges. Pike have been biting great, especially on crankbaits or buzzbaits fished over weed edges at either end of the lake. Walleyes are using rock/weed transition areas in 15-22 FOW, leeches on a split shot rig have been catching a few.

Pewaukee: Musky fishing has been inconsistent, but a few more fish are being seen. Bass continue to bite very well, especially in areas where the weed line breaks or is irregular in 8-12 foot.

Middle Genessee: Panfish have moved to the deeper water, lots of smaller largemouths are being caught around shallow to mid depth weeds. Live bait has been very good for both bass and panfish.

Rock River: the Catfish bite has been very good, and a few whitebass are still being caught near the S turn and downstream of Fort Atkinson.

If you've got specific questions: Feel free to email me.

Cheers,
CT

Awesome Fishing Weather

I wish I was out, but my dissertation is going to be keeping me busy this week. This weather is unbelievable fishing weather, and is near perfect conditions for this time of year.

Typically, with the cooler temps you'll need to fish tighter to cover. Dock fishing can be fantastic, as can probing rock-weed transition areas with a skirted grub on a leadhead jig.

One tip though....If you head out, don't hesitate to try topwater fishing, especially over flats in 5-8 feet of water. Bass, Pike and Muskies will all feed agressively, and if they see bait breaking the surface, they are sure to come to the party.

Catch one for me.

Cheers,
CT