Fishing Report 4-10-15

Well gang, it looks like I can finally pick up the torch and start giving out the info you have been craving...open water fishing is fuly upon us.

The local lakes are starting to turn on. The rain helped with the water levels, but did dirty up the water a fair amount.

Panfish, especially crappies, are starting to stage in shallow water. Look for these fish in dark bottom areas: small bays, boat channels or flooded marshy areas with standing reeds.

The fish will be spooky, but if you stay back and cast into them, you should have some success, especially with the warm afternoons ahead. The best fishing can be anywhere from 18 inches to 12 feet deep, but protected areas with dark bottoms are going to have the most active fish.

Kessus, Golden, Lower Nehmabin, Pine, Ashippun, Middle Genessee, Fowler, Garvin and Okauchee will all have active crappies. Tail hooked fatheads, waxworms or spikes on an icefishing jig, crappie sized tubes or marabou jigs will all produce. Remember to keep you bait just above them if possible, crappies feed up. Reeds, wood laydowns and submerged wood will all hold fish during the day.

Bluegills are starting to move shallow, but the on again, off again spring has slowed the transition somewhat. I'd look for them at the mouths of coves, or at the end of points adjacent to the shallow warm water areas holding crappies right now.

River fishing is still going strong on the Fox (Depere), Wisconsin (Dells) and Wolf Rivers. Closer to home, the Rock River is still giving up some quality bags of walleyes. White Bass are not yet running in strength, but another batch of rain will likely bring them in.

Good Luck out there...and be safe.