Fishing Report 7-23-15

The stable weather the last week really got things going. Even on the sunny days with limited wind, the fish were moving and biting very well.





I was out on Okauchee, Oconomowoc, North, Silver, Golden and Ashippun.

After the hot temps last weekend water temps are in the mid to high 70's. Most fish are still chasing baitfish, but it is obvious a few are starting to probe rocks and sand for craws.

Bass fishing was on fire this past week. Numbers of smaller fish were being caught, but as the weather pattern picked up, some bigger fish started showing up in steady numbers. Deep weedlines out to 20 FOW are still giving up solid numbers, but the story of the week is the piers, which are finally getting consistent. Texas rigs, Carolina Rigs and  live bait rigs with leeches, large shiners, chubs or suckers for the deep fish. Wacky, grubs, skirted grubs (HOT BAIT This week) jigworms, and smaller squarebills crankbaits are catching fish out of the shallow water. Open water top water fishing has been good on mainlake and secondary points, and the slop is finally getting to where one expects it for this time of year (although I put in just a limited amount of time fishing slop this week, I did better flipping and punching than topwater.)

Smallmouth fishing was better this week, but still slow compared to LM. Fish are cruising shallow bars and grades a couple times a day. Fish tubes, wacky and grubs, or bust out the small mid-depth crawfish immitating cranks. Drop shotting was still producing. Top water fishing was picking up, especially in areas where you see schools of pin minnows. Smaller profile baits seemed a better option.

Musky fishing was picking up with the stable weather and fish continue to be very active. Points and drops with weeds nearby is where I saw most fish this week, but I have been bass fishing more this week than last.

Walleye fishing is picking back up.. Slip bobbers, with live bait, jigs with plastics or lindy rigs, fished near the weeds are producing. At night, back troll with suckers on lindy/slip sinker rigs in 18-22 fow, targeting areas with healthy sandgrass or fish floating rapalas/minnowbaits around weedclumps after dark.

Bluegills are doing their summer thing. Look for them to suspend along the weedlines or out over deeper water. 12-18 feet deep over much deeper water is a great starting point. Drifting along the deep edges with bait suspended vertically is a solid presentation option.

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Okauchee:The Tie Up is this Saturday. Public launch remains closed. Bass are on the piers, in pads and slop and on the weed edges in deeper water/along mainlake structure. Panfish are suspending deep, but adjacent to the points.

Garvin: Musky have been active, bass bite has been off and on. Bluegills suspending over deep cover on east shoreline points. Bass biting awesome on live bait fished on deep weed edges.

Oconomowoc:  Bass are tight to visible weed clumps, panfish are on the deep weedlines (use a split shot or light lindy rig and a panfish leech). Musky fishing continues to be hot, with lots of fish moving over/around the tops of weeds at the end of points.

Fowler: No reports this week.

Lac Labelle: Walleye fishing was slow, but steady. Target weed edges along the 8-12 foot breaks and drop-offs in 10-18 FOW, but be ready to move out deep o 25+. Jigs and rigs with live bait, best action has been 6-8am and again just before dark. Keepers are strickly a nightime thing. Bass fishing was better, with plenty of smallmouths being caught.

Moose:  Bass feeding shallow early, then moving out deep. Look for baitfish, and work small areas hard.
 
Ashipunn: Bass and pike were better than most lakes, feeding actively in short spirts. Concentrate on the visible weed patches, and work them from a variety of angles with spinners or plastics. Piers holding some quality fish, but way underneath. Panfish are suspending in the deep part of the basin, about 18-22 foot down.

Golden: Bluegills in deep water, holding close to weed edges. Bass- Topwaters, plastics and spinners are all producing. Pike have been biting, especially on small suckers fished along the deep weedlines and on spinnerbaits or buzzbaits fished through the weedy areas.

Silver:  Crappies have been suspending over the east cribs, and keeper bluegills are holding in the deep sandgrass in 18-25 FOW. Bass fishing was slower than normal, and the larger fish have been increasingly harder to come by.