Fishing Report 5-29-15

Hey gang,


I was out a bunch this week: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday-I was on Lac Labelle. Fishing ranged from decent (Tuesday) to Tough (Wednesday). Weeds are starting to come up, but are still subsurface in most areas. Found some decent action in 8FOW and again in 15 FOW and again in 26 FOW. Fish were biting light, but beyond that it was hard to pattern them.

Took Thursday off, but was out for a bit today on a couple of the smaller lakes...pretty much the same story.

As you might imagine, the drastically cooler weather this weekend might make for a tough bite, especially for guys fishing the bass tournaments on Pewaukee and Okauchee. The Okauchee Public Launch is now closed, and the launches at Lower and Middle Genessee will be closing soon.

Around the area...Panfish, especially bluegills were getting ready to spawn on many local lakes. Some fish were starting to make nests in the shallow sand, but I'd expect that activity to slow down substantially. Look for active fish along the inside edges of weedlines at the end of points, a key staging area for panfish before the spawn. Crappies were awesome, especially early in the week when the weather was stableattractors/brushpiles...I heard some decent crappies were coming from Ashippun, Upper Gen, Forest and North Lakes...but reports about panfish have been limited this last week. Bluegills were good on Okauchee/Garvin, Oconomowoc, Middle Gen and Golden.

Largemouth bass are more or less done with their spawning activity. Lots of fish are still schooled up and chasing bait on the shallow to mid depth weed flats with scattered cover which is classic post spawn behavior, so expect to catch lots of smaller fish. Weeds=fish right now, and with the limited number of weeds around, you can find schools of fish in the weeds you find. The cooler weather will slow bass activity, but if you can find some fish...presentations made slow and very tight to cover (like flipping or texas rigged lizards for example) will still catch fish. If the wind is laying down, one of my better tricks for these conditions is to twitch a size 11 floating rapala minnow, pop-r or pop-x around shallow structure/cover. After the cooler weekend, if we get some sunny days look for some quality fish around rock bars or points where skirted grubs or tubes will really shine. Pretty much any lake, but consider getting off the bank and look for fish on mid depth flat areas (areas like Stumpy Bay on Okauchee, Kessus, North, Lower Nashotah, Fox, Emily, Eagle Spring, Pretty and Forest)

Smallmouth were finishing up the spawning ritual. Could be a tough bite until conditions stabilize mid next week. You'll be doing some hunting, so I'd throw spinnerbaits and grubs for smallmouth but a crawfish pattern crankbait bounced through the sand and rock transition areas in 8-15 FOW might just be what "Dr Chris" ordered. (Yes, I'm actually a Doctor.) Try Oconomowoc, North, Lac Labelle or Beaver Lakes.

Northern Pike are less effected by the weather than most other gamefish species. If the bite is tough, throw spinnerbaits, buzzbaits or lipless crankbaits around shallow patches of weeds for some action. Bigger fish can be taken on slip sinker rigs tipped with larger bait. Buzzbaits will trigger some action fish, or consider a jerkbait like a rouge or husky jerk. (Golden, Fowler Moose, Pretty or Kessus)

Walleye: Biting on live bait and smaller plastics, but the bite has been tough and patterning fish nearly impossible. Weeds in 8-12 FOW if you can find them, or sand flats in 20-25FOW. I'd stay finesse with slip bobbers, small jigs or light slip sinker setups for the weekend and the early part of the week, but if things warm up...it is primetime for floating or countdown minnow baits. (Lac Labelle, Druid and Oconomowoc)








Musky has been the story of lazy follows. Fish are active, but catching them has been tough. Look for musky fishing to really pick up after this front goes through.

Around the area: Whitebass are still biting on the Rock River below the Jefferson Dam, but the bite is almost done. Catfish has been slow and steady  Trout are still coming, although in limited numbers, from the stocked lakes and ponds.

Good Luck...stay warm and dry...better weather will mean better fishing.