Rock River hits 41 Degrees today

From the USGS....

Time to fish!

Upcoming dates, fishing report 3-2-12

First...a reminder that gamefish season closes on Sunday, and here's what the DNR had to say yesterday:

Waukesha County - Recent warm temperatures are causing unsafe ice conditions on many local lakes. Shoreline ice on local lakes has deteriorated considerably in the past week and access is becoming limited. Anglers are reminded to always check current ice conditions before attempting access. Anglers are also reminded that permanent ice shanties must be removed by Sunday March 4, but are strongly encouraged to remove them earlier due to deteriorating ice conditions. The southern game fish season also closes on Sunday March 4.

In terms of fishing: The Milwaukee Harbor has been providing consistent action. The Wisconsin River in the Dells has been very productive some days, less so on other days, but the walleyes are biting in the deep holes.

Closer to home: The Rock River in Jefferson-Ft Atkinson is open. The water is very low, so watch your lower units. People are reporting lots of rough fish, but the walleyes haven't moved in. I expect that to change when the weather warms up after this snowfall.

Cheers,
CT

Flows and Temperatures are increasing:

Rock River fishing is set to get started:

Just need the weather to stabilize a bit. Stay Tuned.

Early Trout Season

Early Spring Trout Season starts this weekend. Details from the DNR here.

Fishing Report 2-20-12

Ice fishing continues in our area, but be careful, more people went through on Beaver Dam this weekend. I imagine ice conditions to be getting worse each day, especially with daytime temps into the mid-to-high 40s.

Fortunately, open water fishing is starting. The Wisconsin River in the Dells is giving up keeper walleyes already. John Gillespie's TV show was there this weekend, and anglers are heading out. The water is still very cold, and still fishing with live bait appears to be the best way to catch fish.

Closer to home, reports on Lake-Link are indicating sections of the Rock River are opening up. Unless winter decides to drop back in for a visit, the river should be open for fishing soon.  Obviously it is very early, but that's no reason not to check out my post on Rock River Information Resources. If the weather holds, I hope to be out next week for an initial scouting. The graphs show low water, light flows and very cold temperatures. A good solid rain will get the Rock pumping, and the fish will start biting shortly thereafter.

If you're heading out on the ice, its time to start moving toward marshy areas in search of monster pike. It is still a bit early, but with ice conditions what they are, your opportunities will be limited this season. Big Bait in shallow marshy areas is a winning combo for big pre-spawn pike. Golden Lake, The Crane's Nest, Whitigers Bay or Tierney on Okauchee, all of School Section, the western flat of Lower Genessee, outside of the channels on Nag and the northwest corner of Lower Nehmabin are tradtionally the best spots to ice a trophy.

Good Luck,
CT

Rock River Resources: Spring 2012

Each spring, I make a post that sums up your Rock-River resources.

 Fishing Report Links:

Lake-Link: Jefferson Dam Thread

Lake-Link:Fort Atkinson Thread 

Lake-Link: Watertown Dam Thread

Lake-Link: Blackhawk Island Area Thread

Lake-Link: Indianford and Jefferson Dam Thread 

Water Resources Links:

 

USGS Data For Ft Atkinson

River status at Jefferson

River status at Ft Atkinson 

Rock-Kosh Lake District

Public Boat Launches:

Riverview Drive (At Jefferson Dam)

K-Mart

Water Street

There's also a new boat launch by the dam in Jefferson:

(Thanks to Lake-Link's Backwoods43 for the map image)

Links to JSOnline Articles about Fishing the Rock River in Springtime:

St Patricks Day in 2009

Early April 2008

Link to the fish passage camera:

At the Jefferson Dam

What's happening....

My son Shannon had a half day of school today, so we did what a father and son should do on a snowy day, we went to State Fair Park to the 20th Annual Milwaukee Muskie Expo.

Met and talked with lots of people. Saw a really innovative piece of boat hardware in the MACCCCS Inc Net Holder. It's not available yet, but the display and demo were impressive.

Lots of interesting tackle. Rollie and Hellen's have a huge booth again this year. Also got a chance to chat with Beaver from Jerry's Sport Service about a new boat. I'm considering upgrading to a Lund Impact, to expand my guiding options.

One of my favorite musky lure outfits, Thuja Lures wasn't at the show, but Charlie did send over some  a picture of his new topwaters today. He's been working closely with the folks over at Smokey's to refine his process and colors. Check these out.....

I've had good success with Thuja topwaters on our local lakes, especially on Okauchee, Garvin and Oconomowoc Lakes. They are handcrafted wood designs, so they have some mass, but I like the size profile and the action on the ones I have, especially my Bog-Hog globe.

Stay warm and safe....open water is just around the corner.

Cheers,
CT

Ice Fishing this weekend (Fishing Report 2-3-12)

Everyone,

Lots of jamborees this weekend, and ice conditions are getting pretty sketchy. Just be careful if you're heading out.

Panfish are biting a couple times a day in green weeds in 4-8 feet of water. Smaller seems to be the operative word for presentations this season.

Pike are still biting aggresively, especially the smaller fish. This is classic pre-spawn behavior. Look for them on the edges of weeds or adjacent to drop offs. Medium shiners or suckers will do the job for the aggressive fish, but dead bait is catching the larger fish. I recommend a 2-1 Livebait-deadbait spread on your tip ups.

I have heard the best reports from people on Okauchee, Moose (be super careful), Golden, Silver, Pretty and Forest. Nag has also been pretty active, as have the Nashotah and Genessee Lakes.

Open water fishing continues to be hot in the Milwaukee Harbor. Browns and Lakers are being caught by boat and shore anglers.

The Rock River is still iced in, but if you want to give the Wisconsin River a try, people heading out below the dam have been catching some quality fish. Last reports indicated the river was open from the dam to the cables, and that some nice pre-spawn fish were being caught out of slack water.



If you're heading out this weekend, feel free to call or email me for up to date info.

Good Luck. Be Safe and Cheers.
CT

Public Service Message---The Update

Update (2-1-12): The folks at Lake-Link.Com are now rethinking the event on Delevan a bit. 

New Details are available here.

I'd be real careful if heading out to any of the Jamborees scheduled for this weekend.

Public Service Message

Lake Link.com's Jamboree is this weekend. With the weather being as unseasonal as it has been, lots of anglers are asking about ice conditions on Delevan.

Here's a post they put up this morning.

Cheers,
CT


PS. Dave Duwe knows his stuff, but after a couple of days in the 50 degree range, there's no way I'd be heading out there. Be safe.

Shaky Ice Conditions

It's always better to be safe than sorry, especially when ice fishing. Lots of people are pressing their luck right now and men and gear are going through.

Madison area lakes are being declared unsafe by the DNR, and UW-Madison has warned students about fishing in the area in front of the student union.

Closer to home, atv riders went through on Okauchee last night. Temperatures this week are projected to be in the mid 40's at times, so there's going to be movement in the ice that's there.

Stay safe if you're heading out.

Cheers,
CT

Fishing Report 1-20-12

Here's some info from Greg at Musky Mikes. Looks like most people are hitting the smaller lakes. Becky Smith's report at her shop's page from earlier this week (dated 1-18-12) says pretty much the same thing.

My info isn't much different. Because of ice conditions before the freeze this week, most people have been out in the protected areas/shallow bays/small lakes. Now that we've had a solid deep freeze, expect to see some movement to bigger water.

Stay safe. The snow is covering up some sketchy ice. Standard rules apply: PFD, Buddy System and spud bar use.

Here's what I got in over the last two-three days. Getting a little more specific info this week.

Okauchee: Icehouse has between 3-8 inches. Pike have been very good along the south shore cut, just past the drop off. A few larger pike have come off the deeper water around the sandbar-roadbed area at the mouth. A few crappies are in the deeper hole just inside the bay. Bluegill action has been spotty.

Okauchee: Bay Five Ice goes from solid to sketchy, especially in areas where the current is directly flowing in and off of the main channel. Pike have been very active, but smaller. Bluegills are biting a couple times a day, and stacked up over the larger brushpiles/wood laydowns. No word on crappies.

Golden: Pike are active on the south end. Ice on North end was shifting some, and a little thin in spots. Panfish would bit if you could find them, but the larger schools of keepers are suspending off the deep weed edge areas in 15 FOW.

Silver: Lots of people have been out, but reports have been a little thin in terms of action. Smaller gills and a few undersize pike. One guy I talked with, who is a pretty reliable source said he couldn't keep the bass off his tip-up minnows the other day, but he never caught one over 12 inches.

Kessus: Other than reports of a monster pike (it gets a little bigger each time I hear a different person talk about it now-it went from a 36" to a 41" in a matter of minutes) that have been making the rounds, bluegills seem to be the hot action on Kessus. Shallow ends of the bays and the marshy area have been productive.

Nagawicka: Kettle...I know its been busy, but none of the people I have talked with have been out there. Becky's people at Dick Smiths or Greg at Musky Mikes will have better information.

Ashippun: Always a winter sleeper, Ashippun has been providing some decent action for pike. Ice reports are that it goes from solid to thin in a matter of feet, so be careful, but look for pike in the reedy area near the launch. Gills and crappies have been out deep and on the bottom.

Good Luck...and be safe...
CT

PS...scroll down for a special offer for this year's open water season.

2012 Bookings -Special Pre-Season Pricing

I like to use this blog to share information with local fisherman, but part of that process is the guiding that I do.

I'm currently looking ahead to this open water season, and while I have several trips booked with my year to year regulars, I'd like to take this opportunity to extend a special deal to anyone interested in a fishing trip with me during the open water season.

If you book a date with me for this season before March 15th, I'll take you on a half day trip in April-September (5-6 hours) for just $200. The trip will be a multispecies outing on a body of water we agree on, and you have to send me a check or paypal me a deposit to hold your day.

I'll entertain specific requests for individually, but I'd like to think of these trips as a "fishing lesson" as much as a guided outing. Don't mistake my intentions, we'll catch fish when we go, just like anytime you fish with me.

Other guides in our area specialize in taking you out to catch fish their way, (typically slow trolling with live bait) but I recognize that the real service I can provide you with is to teach you how to catch fish on our local lakes. That's a little different than what most guides do when you are out with them. But the best service I have provided to clients in the past, whether on the water or in the baitshop has been to share my knowledge with people in order to help them improve their own skill sets.


If you're interested in booking one of these trips at the special price (about 20% off last years rate), email me or give me a call.


Cheers,
CT

Fishing and Ice Update 1-13-12

Not much new to report, but before I get to it, just a word of caution about the ice. Last nights snow is going to cover up some questionable ice. It will be colder now (no more 60 degree days in January) so the ice will firm up, especially during the cold overnights, but until we've had a little more of this seasonal weather, continue to be careful.

One of the most common places people go through is near the shore where people are entering or leaving the ice. These places get alot of foot traffic, and can be soft even with surrounding ice being plenty safe. I went through one year as the last guy in line after a group walking off all used the same spot to exit. Take it from me, going through is not only scary and dangerous, but a cold and wet walk back sucks big time.

In terms of fishing, I'd stick to the smaller bodies of water. Bluegills seem to be moving a bit, so be ready to be portable, but shallow bays with green weeds will have active fish. Bay Five and just off the sandbar in Ice House have been giving up some keepers, as well as Forest, the west cut on Moose, Silver, Golden (South Flat), Middle Geneesee and School Section. Lots of people have been talking about the Kettle on Nag, but it's been hit or miss by the sound of it. Gills love teardrop jigs with waxies or spikes, but wigglers on a tiny hook can really grab some short biters. I'd try to fish just above the weeds, but consider using a spring bobber for light biters.

Crappie are moving into areas adjacent to current. This is a seasonal pattern for winter crappies here. Look for shallow depressions or holes just off the main current area. Green weeds or shallow sand grass will pull them in, but fish attractors, stumps or laydowns will likely have some active fish. I heard some good words about crappie on Golden and Okauchee, but it sounded like the hotspots the last week were Lower Nehmabin and Upper Nashotah.

As for pike, tipups with medium sized live bait (shiners or suckers) will generate the most action. Deeper areas of weed flats will be holding some fish, as well as the first break line into deep water. You might also find some yellow perch in the same areas. Be careful as you head over deeper water, but that's where the big girls are hiding right now. Smelt works awesome this time of year, but when you put your spread out, try both live and dead bait as some days the fish prefer one over the other. I usally try to go 2-1 favoring live bait per three tipups and then adjust as the fish tell me what they want.

Walleye were biting great in the Dells, but you'll need the boat if you're heading up that way. A few fish are also being caught off the walls along the open water areas of the Rock River in Jefferson and Ft Atkinson. Closer to home, the nearshore areas of Lac Labelle and the shallow flats off the park on
Fowler both gave up some fish according to my sources.

Speaking of the boat, Ben Kueng is still guiding in the Milwaukee Harbor area. It sounds like the fishing has been pretty good, although I don't know how long it will be that way. If you're interested in heading out with him, there's a link to his website on the right hand column. That's fun fishing out there for sure, but I don't guide out there. He's a great guy, and make sure you tell him I sent you his way.

If the cold sticks around, expect things to get very good over the next week to 10 days. More people will be out, and better info comes in then.
.
Good Luck and Be Safe,
CT

Update: Looks like Becky Smith just did an update at her report as well. You can check it out here.

Fishing Report 1-7-2012 (Yes I'm Back)

Sorry I have been away. I'm back, and thanks for sticking with me.

Well its pretty nice outside, and that has put a little damper on the fishing. Don't get me wrong, the fish are biting just fine, its just that the ice conditions have been very spotty on area lakes.

Several lakes have people out, but I would still exercise some extra caution if you're ice fishing locally. PFD, the buddy system and a spud bar are all excellent tools you should be using. Stay away from deep water, and especially from moving water/current areas that look a little sketchy.

Fox, Nagawicka and the Genesse Lakes have been pretty active.

Panfish are biting a couple times a day. On high pressure days, the fish are suspending over bottom structure or fish attractors. You'll need electronics to fish these effectively. On the low pressure days, the fish have been tight to the bottom. Smaller jig, bigger bait presentation is always good for early ice, and it seems to be working right now. Watch for light bites, and vary your jigging stroke till you find the right move to trigger the bite. Then repeat.

Pike are biting, but it seems like the most active fish have been smaller, more aggressive fish. This is typical of this time of year, as smaller buck male pike go on an early pre-spawn feeding binge. If you're using a tip up and consistently catching smaller pike, move out just a little bit deeper and set back up. Shallow water and green weeds will get you some action, but the larger pike are probably still using the first deep break and the sandgrass. The closer we get to spring, the closer you should move to shallow marshy areas.

Walleye have been biting, but in a feeding window in the evening. I'm not sure about a morning feeding window, but everyone I have spoken with (ie the other guides and the network of old fisherman I stay in contact with) has been talking about an evening bite. According to information I'm hearing, 8-12 and 12-15 feet (where there is safe ice) has been on fire. Go big with your bait though, it seems like the larger shiners have been better than suckers or smaller shiners.

More as it comes in. I suggest checking with the local shops for ice conditions on a daily basis until our weather decides to catch up with the season.

Cheers
CT

Success

I successfully defended my dissertation yesterday.

Fishing reports will resume next week.

Cheers
Dr. Christopher Terry, PhD

Gone Fishin'....

Well, not really.

As many of you know, I'm a candidate for a PhD at UW-Madison. I've been doing graduate work in Communication Law and Policy for several years, and I'm nearly done. In fact, one week from today, I will defend my dissertation, and assuming everything goes as planned, I will be Dr. Christopher Terry by this time next week.

I apologize for the lack of reports, I've just been crazy busy with everything involved with this major, no epic life event. I'll get back on the horse in a week or two, until then...stay safe.

Cheers,
CT

Big Fish Time: Fishing Report 11-12-11

It is, as they say, on.

Lots of big muskies are being caught. Look for them in weeds in 6-15 feet.You can catch them throwing big cranks, jerkbaits, bulldogs or bucktails, but the biggest suckers are cathing the most fish. Okauchee has been red hot. Pewaukee has been touch and go, but on when its on. Garvin and Oconomowoc are giving up steady action. Lac Labelle and Fowler have been slower, but a few fish are still being caught.

Smallmouth fishing has been exceptional this fall. Long lining with live bait on slip sinker or split shot rigs has been the most effective, but a few nice smallies are coming in on big white-deep-diving crankbaits at the end of mainlake points.

River Walleye fishing has been great on the Wisconsin, Fox, Wolf and Rock Rivers. Close to home, Jefferson and Ft Atkinson are giving up a mixed bag of walleyes and whitebass, but the river is very low, so watch your lower unit.

Good Luck,
CT

Fishing Report 10-26-11

Halloween is near, time to trick a musky with a huge sucker on a quick strike rig.


A few of the lakes are showing turnover signs, but the water is starting to clear up a bit. Cooler nights ahead will finish the process.

Musky Fishing continues to be good. White continues to be a hot color, with perch patterns close behind.  Some of the guides are reporting consistent action, with the majority of fish being taken while floating suckers on quick strike rigs. Pewaukee is going steady, but the bigger fish haven't turned on as of yet. Slower action on Okauchee, Fowler, Lac Labelle, on Oconomowoc. Garvin has given up a few fish since the cooler weather set in, and they have all come on the south weed-flat drop-off.

Fall Smallmouth fishing is in full gear. Drifting with live bait on a split shot rig is producing, as is cranking open water structure with white or chartreuse crankbaits or spinners. Oconomowoc, Pine and Nag are all happening right now, as are the lakes in the Madison chain. Deep, but still green weeds is the pattern. Fish are coming as deep as 30 feet on live bait.

Pike fishing is about average for this time of year. Spinners, crankbaits, stickbaits and live bait rigs are all producing at different times. The better fish are coming from the rivers or smaller lakes, like Ashippun, School Section, Pretty and Lower Genessee. Golden is usually pretty good about this time of year, but I haven't heard anything specific.

Walleye are biting on the Rock, Wisconsin and Fox Rivers, but the action has been inconsistent. Low water is hampering the bite, although a decent number of larger walleyes are being reported. Slow drifts with live bait, especially larger fatheads or small suckers have been the most productive. Slow and steady wins the race.

 Good Luck, and continue to check in with your local bait shop for changes to day to day conditions.

Cheers,
CT

Now...its time (Fishing Report 10-20-11)

Well gang,


I was really enjoying our fall weather, but it was making fishing a little complicated. With the dramatic shift in the weather over the last couple of days, things get simpler.

First off, live bait. If you're fishing for bass, pike or walleye, plastics, cranks and spinners will work, but now is really the time to make the switch to using oversized live bait. Big shiners(if you can get them) or small suckers. I like both lindy and split shot rigs as a presentation. Catching a drift while long lining live bait is a surefire tactic. Look for deep water adjacent to shallow structure. If the fish aren't on top of the bars, look for them in deep water just off the shallow stuff. The downwind side of points, where deeper water touches the long edge of a point will really concentrate fish.

The other advice I have this time of year to focus your attention on the bigger lakes. I much prefer to fish Okauchee, Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, Nag and Lac Labelle this time of year. One there's no boat traffic, but two there's also more big fish to chase. My fall sleeper lakes are Pretty and Lower Genessee, both of which have huge pike.

Musky fishing has been slow and steady, but the cooler weather will turn things on quick. The water has been hovering in the low 60 degree range, but expect that to change quickly as the nights get cool. Now is the time to bust out the preposterously large jerkbaits, "pounder" bulldogs and the huge cowgirls you keep in your box. And if you're going out, never leave the dock without a sucker on a quick strike or lift-off rig. Now is when the sucker bite will really pick up.  Don't be afraid to ask for the biggest ones in the tank at Mikes, Dick Smiths or Smokey's when you drop in.

Look for musky in what's left of the weeds. If you see ciscos popping up, you're in the money zone, but look for weeds along rock bars and drops for some action. On sunny days, you will find a few musky patrolling the rock or sand shallows to feed on yellow perch.

Pewaukee has been slow, Okauchee even slower, Oconomowoc and Lac Labelle have been Okay. I heard of two high 40 inchers out of North Lake and a solid 46 out of Fowler. I'm sure all the lakes will turn on with the rain and cooler temps.

Good Luck, and be safe.
CT

Fishing Report 10-12-11

Just a quikie today, conditions are about to change and I'll have a full report up for the weekend.

Musky are moving, but many fish are still holding in 12-18 FOW. Fish are coming a bit shallower on Pewaukee by most reports, and deeper on Fowler, Lac Labelle and Oconomowoc.

Okauchee has been the most consistent according to the information I am getting, and lots of fish are being moved off the rocky areas near the Party and the North East Island. A couple of people seeing reported a large fish (50 inch class) moving around on the flats in Stumpy Bay on the warmer, but cloudy afternoons the last week.

Walleye fishing is still slow on the Rock River between Jefferson and Blackhawk Island, but a few whitebass and catfish are being caught. The Wisconsin River in the Dells has seen activity pick up, but the warm temperatures are holding up the usual fall fishing. Local lakes have been giving up a few walleyes, but reports from Labelle, Nagawicka, Pine and Oconomowoc all report spotty fishing.

Pike have been slow, but the smaller lakes like School Section, Pretty, Lower Genessee and Ashippun have been producing.

Crappies are on the fall bite. Look for them along green weed edges in 8-15 FOW.

Water is in the low 60's on all area lakes. I'll check in after the weather with updated conditions.

Fishing Report 10-3-11

If you're thinking about heading out for a last go of it, this looks like the week to do it. The weatherman is calling for a period of stable weather, with decent afternoon daytime temperatures. The fish will be feeding, of that, you can be sure.

Concentrate on shallow structure that is adjacent to deep water. Rocks, gravel and sand that are shallow, but close to deeper drops will really pull in fish right now. Baitfish will be moving to the rocks, and the perch and juvenile bluegills will follow them in. Bass, Pike and Walleye will be right behind.

Here's what I would do. In the morning, fish tight to weed clumps, flipping or pitching, or using one of my favorite fall baits for fishing tight to cover, a buzzbait. You'll be able to grab a mixed bag of gamefish doing this. As the sun comes up, start moving off the sand/weed areas and looking for fish in rock/sand transition areas. Swimbaits, grubs and tubes are awesome for picking fish off the rocks, but if the action is a little faster go with a spinnerbait or a lipless crankbait.

If you're musky fishing, look for fish starting on the deep weed edges in 10-12 FOW. Casting with gliders, bucktails, cowgirls or jerkbaits can really produce, but we're really getting into sucker fishing season now, and you should always have one out. As the day goes on, start looking for fish to move into weed pockets to forage, and don't be afraid to look for fish in shallow water.

Around the area, Okauchee and Pewaukee have been outproducing Oconomowoc and Lac Labelle, but everything should be rolling this week.

Bass fishing has been good on Pine, Nag, Okauchee, Forest (yes Forest) The Genessee Lakes, Pretty, Golden and Silver.

Pike have been biting on Kessus, Nag, Ashippun and Pretty.

Walleye Fishing has been steady on Pine, slow on Lac Labelle, and about average on Oconomowoc. A few fish are being caught in the Dells, as well as the Rock River, but reports have been sketchy as more people are in their duck blinds or tree stands than fishing right now. No word yet on Fall whitebass, but stay tuned.

I apologize for the late post. I filed a report at the regular time, and I didn't notice that Blogger had spit it out. If you're ever looking for up to date info, just shoot me an email or give me a call, and I'll tell you what I can.

Cheers,
CT

PS. Congrats to the Badger Fishing Team who took second in the Big Ten Tournament over the weekend.

Fishing Report 9-23-11

Well gang the Musky are biting and the days are getting short. It is fall.

Water temps are in the low to mid 60's. The weeds are still very green, and thick on most lakes. Fishing  is picking up as the water cools.

Bass and pike continue to relate to shallow weeds. Weeds on shallow flats are being used by active fish a couple times a day to feed and as ambush points. There's lots of baitfish and small bluegills swimming in the 3-8 foot depths, and the bass are feeding heavily on this batch of fish. Floating minnow baits or lipless crankbaits are catching these fish. On cooler, cloudy days, fishing tight to the weed clumps with shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits can be very good. Bigger fish can be caught flipping and pitching jigs to weed edges.

Musky are moving from the deeper water and are holding on the weedlines, but a great place to connect with a fish is an area where you find the combination of weeds and rock, near where deep and shallow water converge (ie points and bars that stretch out to deep water) Some nice fish are being moved off very shallow along rocks with visible baitfish. As the daytime temps continue to cool down, expect the action to pick up dramatically. Gliders, swimbaits, bucktails and suckers on a quick strike rig have all been producing. Gold blades continue to produce for me this season.

Bluegills are starting to pile up in weedy areas in 6-12 feet of water. Plastics tipped with wax worms are your best bets. Be ready to move in or out depending on conditions, but keepers will be a couple feet above the edges of deep structure. Expect the crappie to move in as the water temperature continues to drop, if it stays cool this weekend, areas with current will see some schools of nice crappies move in.

Walleye  are moving shallow in the morning and the evenings. Minnowbaits, shiners or suckers, or spinner harnesses have been producing. The Rock River is still low, but I'm starting to hear that it is giving up some walleyes, especially in the Blackhawk Island/mouth area.

Good Luck,
CT

Fishing Report 9-16-2011

Well gang, if you've looked out your window, you may have noticed that conditions are rapidly changing. The warm days and cooler nights are forcing fall conditions into play. This makes giving you up to date information on fishing conditions a little tougher than normal.

Ahead of the cold front, water temps were in the mid 70's, this morning, some of the shallow water was in the high 60's and giving off heat. And while the days will be sunny and warm, the nighttime conditions are going to be increasingly cooler.

Look for fish to move into shallow areas a couple time per day to feed. Unless chasing walleyes on deeper structure, or suspended crappies, I'd move into the 12-15 foot depth, and work my way shallower from there. Typically, rock/sand transition areas are where I do the best this time of year. I'd also consider moving from plastics to live bait or crankbaits. I'll still use plastics this time of year, but I move away from smaller finessee jig or wackyworms, to big jig/chunk combos, skirted grubs and flukes. Moving around to find active fish is always key this time of year, your best clue that you're in the right spot will be the presence of visible schools of baitfish.

For now, look for panfish to move out of the deeper water and up to the ends of points. Bluegills will be around the end of shallow points that border much deep water. Drops that go rapidly from 6-8 to 12-15 FOW can really concentrate active fish. Crappie continue to suspend along weedlines, but they will move in tighter to shallow weed clumps as fall continues. Lakes like Pine, Lac Labelle and Oconomowoc with fishable perch populations will see that bite turn on over the next for weeks.

Bass will start feeding heavily over the next few weeks. Traditional techniques like wacky and jig worms will catch fish, but consider moving toward faster presentations like spinner and crankbaits. Wide wobbling shallow runners, or shad rap style, white, shad or baby bass colored crankbaits are fantastic options this time of year. Look at shallow weed/rock or weed/sand transition areas first, then move up onto the rockbars and fish them hard. Larger minnows or small suckers will outproduce nightcrawlers this time of year.

Walleye: The bite maybe tough, but slow trolling with live bait rigs is the superior daytime option for local lakes right now. Split shot or lindy rigs pulled around the edge of shallow structure, or drifted across sand flats will produce, but expect the bite to be a little spotty at times.

Musky: As the water temps cool, activity will pick up. For now, casting over the weed edges is probably the best option, but don't over look isolated pieces of shallow rock structure where active fish will come into forage, especially in the later afternoons. Now is certainly the time to drag a sucker while casting, and remember to do a figure 8 on EVERY cast.

Check back in this week, I'll post something after the cold front goes through.

Cheers,
CT

Shameless Self Promotion Post

I have a select set of weekday and weekend openings for guided fall fishing trips for bass, walleye and/or musky.

If you're interested in one of these openings, please contact me via email for a special rate on half and full day trips.

Cheers,
CT

Fishing Report 9-9-2011

Fall is upon us. Fishing will be great for the next 4-6 weeks.

Look to shift your fishing hours with the shorter days. Often the best bite is in the middle of the afternoon.

The water is in the low 70's on most lakes in our area. Weeds are still green for the most part and the fall algae blooms are starting to clear up. There are schools of bait in both deep and shallow water, both of which are drawing attention from the gamefish right now.

Largemouth are holding along clumps of weeds on the shallow flats, with a few still chasing bait along the deeper weed edges. Smallmouth are relating to weed clumps near or adjacent to rocky and sandy areas with a drop off. The deeper fish will bite best when they make a move into the nearby shallow water, typically something they will start to do a couple times a day. When the water and air temperatures begin to cool down even more, a good number of fish will use shallow rocky areas that get some direct sunlight in the early afternoons.

Your best lure options right now are wacky worms, large jigworms, skirted grubs, jig/chunk, texas rigged plastics or lipless crankbaits. Smaller, wide wobbling crankbaits can also produce. Wacky worms and skirted grubs are great around the rocks. Jigworms, texas rigs and jig/trailers are great around the scattered weeds. Lipless crankbaits are great in both areas. Browns, greens, orange or black are usally the best colors for plastics (pretty much as they are all year) but white, shad, bluegill or silver colored crankbaits can really produce during the September stretch. (PS I love small, shallow running white crankbaits this time of year)

Walleye: Stick with live bait unless fishing over submerged weeds in the evening when you should consider throwing minnow-baits like rapalas and rouges. Look for walleyes in the sandgrass or along breaks in the weeds in 10-15 feet. Some fish will be deeper or shallower on our local lakes, but the best approach to locating fish is to slowly troll with a slip-sinker or lindy rig with a big minnow. As the nights stay cool and bring down the water temperatures, fish may start to move shallow during the evenings, and look for these fish in weeds in 6-8 FOW.

Northern: Have turned on recently, and have been caught in solid numbers. For bigger fish try crankbaits in bluegill, perch or white/shad color patterns. Hot N Tots, wiggle warts and the rapala deep divers are my favorites for trolling, while Norman D-22's or lipless crankbaits are better options for casting. (Again, white or a natural pattern with some white and green are my absolute go to crankbaits this time of year)

Musky: The fish are starting to make fall transitions, but the action was still a little slow. I'd expect that to make a rapid change after this week's cooler weather. Most fish are being reported from 10-15 feet of water.

Good Luck
CT

Fishing Report 9-1-2011

Welcome to September.

Fishing is going strong overall, but day to day there have been challenges. This is typically a period of unstable weather, which makes patterning fish hard from day to day.

Panfish have really slowed down over the last two weeks. Crappie and bluegill continue to bite along weedlines or suspended out over deep water. Plastics tipped with live bait, tail hooked minnows and leafworms fished vertically or with slip bobbers will produce, but you may have to put in a little time to find the keeping size fish. Evenings have been better, as is typical for this time of year.

Largemouth continue to run late summer patterns. On the hot sunny days, look for them around docks or slop, or out deep. On the cooler cloudy days, look for active fish in sand/rock or rock/weed transitions in 4-8 feet. Topwater bite will be good, especially early in the morning.

Smallmouth fishing has been spotty. If you can find some active fish, you can do well, but making that connection can be a tough nut to crack. Look for them around the edges of the shallow structure like rock bars or sand/rock transition areas. The fish will be deeper than you think they should be in most cases. Jigworms, grubs, minnowbaits and small white crankbaits can be dynamite.

Pike fishing has been slow, but steady. Lots of undersized fish are being caught in the shallow and mid-depth areas. I'd consider moving out deeper and using live bait on a slip sinker rig, trying to connect with active fish in 18-22 or 22-25 feet of water.

Musky are getting more active, but anglers are still reporting lots of lazy follows. Gliders, bulldogs and cow-girls have all produced in the past week, but most of the fish are mid-30's to low 40 inch fish. AS the water begins to cool, the action will pick up considerably.

Good Luck,
CT

Fishing Report 8-19-11

Hey gang,

I have been out quite a bit lately, and I've hit every one of the lakes I regularly guide on over the past two weeks. The signs point to an early and cool fall, and the fish are already making moves towards late summer-early fall patterns. That might not sound like a big deal, but the action is at least a couple of weeks ahead of the "traditional schedule."


The water is in the mid 70's on most lakes in our area. The most important factor right now, other than bright sun, is the quantity of baitfish. Huge schools of bait are running at, or just below the surface in both deep and shallow water, both of which are drawing attention from the gamefish right now.

Largemouth are holding along clumps of weeds on the shallow weed flats. Others are still hanging along the deeper weed edges. The majority of the fish are being caught out of 6-10 FOW, deeper fish are coming as deep as 25 FOW. Jigs, small crankbaits, texas rigs and wacky are all catching shallow fish. Swimbaits, deep running crankbaits and drop shotting are the hot bites for deep water.

 Smallmouth are relating to weed clumps near or adjacent to rocky and sandy areas with a drop off. The deeper fish will bite best when they make a move into the nearby shallow water, typically something they will start to do a couple times a day. When the water and air temperatures begin to cool down some more, fish will use rocky areas in the early afternoons.If you can't find fish on top of shallow structure, look for them to suspend in deeper water nearby.

Walleye: Stick with live bait unless fishing over submerged weeds in the evening when you should consider throwing minnow-baits like rapalas and rouges. Look for walleyes to be in the sandgrass or in breaks in the weeds as deep as 35 FOW during the day. Some fish will be deeper or shallower on our local lakes, but the best approach to locating fish is to slowly troll with a slip-sinker or lindy rig with a big minnow or small sucker.

Northern: Most northern caught this time of year are caught while targeting other species, especially bass and musky. But they can still be caught and in good numbers. For bigger fish, try Deep diving crankbaits in bluegill, perch or white/shad color patterns. Hot N Tots, wiggle warts and the rapala deep divers are my favorites for trolling, while Norman D-22's or lipless crankbaits are better options for casting.Get adjacent to the deep weedlines, and get your baits at close to the defined edge as possible.

Musky: The fish are starting to make the transition, but the action is still a little slow. I'd expect that to make a rapid change after this week. Most fish are being reported from 10-15 feet of water but the shallow bite shouldn't be overlooked. Casting bucktails, gliders, swimbaits or jerkbaits all will draw some attention, but don't forget to keep a sucker or two out on a quick-strike rig. Many fish that follow a bait to the boat will turn on for the sucker hanging nearby.

-----
Around the area:

Okauchee: Bass fishing is great, with lots of nice fish coming in. Shallow and deep patterns are producing. Musky fishing has been slow, but as fish start to come into the shallows to feed, it is likely to pick up. Pike fishing has been average, the deep weedlines have been the best, especially in Stumpy and just off the north flat.

Oconomowc: Bite is very good early and late, but action can be slow on the bright sunny days. Look for fish a little deeper than normal. Smallmouth and Largemouth action has been very good, pike has been good, but lots of smaller fish are being caught. Musky are feeding in the shallows, but lots of lazy follows continue to be reported. Walleyes are very deep, look for them in the sandgrass between 18-22 FOW, but as deep as 35 FOW.

Garvin: Panfish has been good, pike slow, musky has been great.

Silver: Bass fishing has been very good, and some keeper sized fish are being caught. Panfish have been slow.

Golden: Bass and pike have been very good early and late, with a drop off around 10am. Panfish are schooled up and suspended in deeper water.  Crappie are biting along the weedlines.

Moose: Pike fishing has been fantastic. Live bait rigs trolled just off the breaks has really been producing, especially with shiners. (Not fatheads!)


Good Luck
CT


Next Local Fishing Report will be posted on 8-27-11, but drop by for reports from my trip up north.

Huge Tiger Musky Caught in Minnesota

Check this fish out:

48.5" x 28.5" 

More Pictures at www.thenextbite.com

Fish Pictures

I frequently hear from readers of this site that I don't post enough pictures of the fish I'm catching with people.

Fair enough: Here are Kristen and Matt Weir, with two of the more than 30 bass we caught on a half day trip last week.

Cheers,
CT

Fishing Report 8-11-11

First, a reminder about Musky Mikes Northern Pike Tournament on Sunday on Okauchee. Information is available here.

Fishing is picking up as the cooler weather has set in. I have done a bunch of trips over the last 10 days and the gamefish activity is getting much better. The best bites are the early and late feeding periods, but with a little work, you can have steady action all day long. It's been a tough year in terms of bigger fish, but the last couple of trips we've really been catching some nice fish, in addition to solid numbers of smaller ones.

Panfish activity is still happening in the deep water. Look for them in 20+ FOW, and suspended about half way down. Areas where a deep weedline touches a deeper drop-off (like a deep point for example) are really holding some nice schools of fish. Tightlining with live bait, or slip bobbers is you best approach, and night fishing with lighted slip bobbers has really been a solid (but not to often talked about) way to get a limit of nice keepers. Plastics tipped with live bait, leeches or leafworms all seem to be the meat the bluegills are after. Crappies are suspending over deep structure, live cribs, and slip bobbers with tailed hooked minnows is producing.

Largemouth bass action has gotten red hot over the last two weeks, but there is hot and cold streaks throughout the day. Look for feeding periods from just before sun-up until about 9:30, and then again from about 4pm to just after dark. The fish are actively chasing bait during these periods, and can be caught on grubs, ringworms, flapper grubs, and jigworms. Topwater action can be had, but the bait they are chasing is on the small side, so go with a small pop-r, skitter pop or something similar. After the initial feeding, look for fish to get tight to shallow cover, docks or weed edges, and then chase them down with wacky, tubes, and jig/craw combos. On bright sunny days, the slop bite has been producing, but personally I'm only catching smaller fish out of the slop right now. Best bite has been on shallow weedflats with scattered cover, where you can visibly see baitfish schooled up and swimming around. Today I caught fish at essentially every depth between 18 inches and 22 feet.

Smallmouth action has been a little slower by most reports. They are still biting, but like the largemouths there's periods of time during the day f active feeding. The crayfish are not in full molt yet, and when that starts expect the smallie action to go gangbusters for 10 days-2weeks. Right now you can catch some smallies on the flats and mainlake structure, especially along the drop-off edges, or suspended off the breaks in deep water. Tubes, wacky, grubs and soft jerkbaits are all producing the shallow fish, while suspending jerkbaits and crankbaits are catching the deeper fish.

Northern action has been slow, but I haven't been actively targeting them, so take that with a grain of salt. Look for them on deep weedlines, or suspended in very deep water. If you're fishing the tournament, I'd go with a slip sinker rig, with a florocarbon leader, and drag sucker or big shiners (the biggest you can find) along the first break off the deep weedline.

Musky action has been slow and steady, and the best action has been on Oconomowoc and Fowler. Look for fish to be in 15-22 foot of water. A few fish are foraging and eating juvenile perch, especially in the morning, and shallow rockbars, points or shorelines with easy access to deep water have some fish making feeding runs.

Good Luck,
Cheers.

CT

Fishing Report 8-4-2011

Its a nice cool morning as I write this today. If this weather stabilizes some, expect fish activity to pick up. Right now water temp is as high as 87 degrees, practically a stir fry. The hot days we've been having mean that mornings and evenings, have been the periods of time of active fish feeding.

Anglers are still catching a mixed bag of largemouths, and there were some monsters taken in the Okauchee tournament on Sunday. Deep weedlines in 12-18 FOW, deep sand flats in 22-28 FOW, piers-especially with rock or sand underneath, slop and shallow bars near deep water are all holding fish at various points during the day. I'm not saying its gospel, but I would fish shallow early, and then move out to deeper structure as the sun gets up.

Texas rigs, slow rolled, spinnerbaits and crankbaits are your best options for catching the deeper fish.  10 inch power worms in black, red-shad and motoroil have been very good, as has swimming a heavy jig. Wacky, jigworms, pre-rigged worms, tubes, grubs and small crankbaits are catching fish out of the shallow water. Flipping the slop on florida rigged plastic craws isn't catching many fish, but the ones coming in have been top end for size. Personally, I continue to catch a nice batch of fish on flapper grubs fished over mid-depth weedflats in 8-12 FOW, including more than 30 caught in three hours in a little free fishing time after a guide trip this week.


Smallmouth are definitely suspending just off the structure in the deeper water. As the crayfish begin to molt over the next 15 days, expect to start seeing wolfpack groups foraging in the shallow rocks, or rock/sand transition areas. Right now, continue to fish a bit deeper, using tubes, wacky, skirted grubs and jigworms. If the bite is tough, downsize a bit. A wacky rig with a french fry in place of a senko style bait can be just the magic you need at this point in the season, and was a solid producer for me the last week.

Musky fishing slowed down with the last batch of hot weather. And let's not lie about it, this has been a tough season for musky overall. Trolling deep with big cranks and jerkbaits is still the primary pattern producing fish, but a few fish are being taken on topwaters, again early and late in the day. Gliders fished fast along turns in the deep weedlines has also been productive. Speed trolling with shortlines has been catching a few smaller (35-40inch) fish that have moved in on the shallow weedlines.

Walleye fishing has been very tough. I'd go with slip bobbers, with leeches, fished over weed edges or deep sand flats with grass. At night, back troll with suckers on lindy/slip sinker rigs in 18-22 fow, targeting areas with healthy sandgrass. Longlining spinner harnesses around structure at the depth of the thermocline will also usually produce both day an night. You might find fish as deep as 35 FOW. For now, I'd continue to target other fish, but if the days cool off, the activity should pick up quickly.

Bluegills are in summer patterns. 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. I caught several keepers this week out of weed clumps at the end of mainlake structure.


Okauchee:  If you're going out, bass are on the piers, in the slop and on the weed edges in 8-12 feet. Musky are feeding in the shallows in the morning, and then moving out to 18-22 feet. Pike have been very active in 15-22 FOW.

Garvin: Great spot for panfish. Look for the sunken wood in 10-15 feet or suspended around the springs in the deep part of the basin.  Bass are using the shallow flat on the south end and the weedline turns. Pike have come off the deep weedlines on the northwest and north east corners, and suspending over the deeper water.

Forest: Panfish and pike have been biting. Live bait over the deep holes on slip bobbers for panfish, inline spinners for the pike, bass have biting on leeches and large fatheads under bobbers, or on slip sinker rigs.

Oconomowoc: Mornings have been best, but a steady bite has been going all day. Fish are deeper than normal for this time of year. Bass are holding on the obvious structural breaks and suspending off the deep ends of the mainlake points. Largemouths are still more active than smallmouth. Northern pike are coming for those anglers who are back or slow trolling with slip sinkers baited with small suckers.  No report on Musky, which means the fishing was dead during the last stretch of hot weather.

Fowler: Small panfish are biting, a few LM were caught in the river and out of the deep slop. Pike are on the weedlines, a few trout were caught over the main part of the basin.

Lac Labelle: Walleye fishing was slow on weed edges along the 8-12 foot breaks and drop-offs in 10-18 FOW. Lots of fish are suspending about 15-18 feet down over the deepest water. Musky have moved out to suspend over deep water in the main basin, and fishing was at a standstill for them. Smallmouth have been active in the sand and rock areas in 6-10 and 15-22 FOW.


Moose:  Bass and pike continue to bite, and action has been best in the morning. Target 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 will produce if plastics or spinnerbaits aren't working.

Ashipunn: Bass and pike has been steady action. Concentrate on the visible weed patches, and work them from a variety of angles with spinners or plastics. Panfish are suspending in the deep part of the basin, about 15-18 foot down.

Golden: Bluegills are in deep water, suspending over the deep part of the basin, but holding close to weed edges and the major structure. Typically, bass have been on a deeper weedline bite. Topwaters, plastics and spinners are all producing. Pike have been biting, especially on small suckers fished along the deep weedlines and on buzzbaits fished through the weedy areas.

Silver:  Bass can be caught using plastics around the weed clumps in 4-15 feet or around piers and boat lifts. Crappies have been suspending over the east cribs, and keeper bluegills are holding in the deep sandgrass in 18-25 FOW. Water is very warm, and surprisingly cloudy with a heavy algae bloom right now.

Nagawicka: Largemouths are average, and in summer patterns so look to catch them off boat docks, in the slop and along the shallow weed edges. Pike have been average, especially on crankbaits or buzzbaits fished over weed edges at either end of the lake. No report on walleyes.

Pewaukee:Musky fishing is picking up, especially for the guides who have been trolling. Bass fishing has been very good.

Lower and Middle Genessee: Panfish have moved to the deeper water. Lindy rigging with live bait, especially dillys or leafworms or slip bobbering with plastics tipped with waxworms or spikes  has been very good for panfish. Night fishing is in full steam on Middle.

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




Good Luck Out There,
CT

Great Photo of Okauchee Lake Tie-Up

Pike vs Duck

Check out this video:

Fishing Report 7-28-11

Well gang, as the weather has stabilized, so has the fishing. If you're heading out, you can expect the fishing to be fairly typical for summertime on our area lakes.

A couple of activity notes: This weekend is the Okauchee Lake Tie-up (Saturday) and there's a bass tournament on Sunday.

As for the fishing, morning and evenings, not surprisingly, have been the best times to be on the water. Anglers are catching a mixed bag of largemouths. Deep weedlines in 12-18 FOW, piers-especially with rock or sand underneath, slop and shallow bars near deep water are all holding fish. Texas rigs, slow rolled, spinnerbaits and crankbaits are catching the deeper fish. Wacky, jigworms, pre-rigged worms and small crankbaits are catching fish out of the shallow water. A few nice fish have come out of the smaller lakes flipping (rather than topwater fishing) the slop on florida rigged plastic craws. Personally, I continue to catch a nice batch of fish on flappers fished over/in holes on mid-depth weedflats in 6-8 FOW.

Smallmouth fishing has been slow and steady this season. I think the warm temperatures have pushed the baitfish out, and many smallmouth are suspending just off the structure in the deeper water. As the crayfish begin to molt, expect to start seeing wolfpack groups foraging in the shallow rocks, or rock/sand transition areas. Right now, fish just a bit deeper than normal, using tubes, wacky and jigworms. If the bite is tough, downsize a bit. A wacky rig with a french fry in place of a senko style bait can be just the magic you need at this point in the season.

 Musky fishing has been on fire since the weather cooled off.  Trolling deep with big cranks and jerkbaits has been the primary pattern, but a few fish are being taken on topwaters, again early and late in the day. Gliders fished fast along turns in the deep weedlines has also been productive.

Walleye fishing has remained slow since the oppresive heat we've been experiencing started. Slip bobbers, with leeches, fished over weeds is usually a pretty good daytime presentation this time of year,. At night, back troll with suckers on lindy/slip sinker rigs in 18-22 fow, targeting areas with healty sandgrass. Longlining spinner harnesses around structure at the depth of the thermocline will also usually produce both day an night. For now, I'd target other fish.

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. I've continued to catch some quality gills in the 8-15 feet depth on a couple of the smaller lakes. (See Below)

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Okauchee: Boats, Boats and more boats will be the story on Okauchee this weekend. If you're going out, bass are on the piers, in the slop and on the weed edges in 8-12 feet. Musky are feeding in the shallows in the morning, and then moving out to 18-22 feet.

Garvin: Great spot for panfish. Look for the sunken wood in 10-15 feet.  Bass are using the shallow flat on the south end and the weedline turns. Pike have come off the deep weedlines on the northwest and north east corners, and suspending over the deeper water.

Forest: Panfish and pike have been biting. Live bait over the deep holes on slip bobbers for panfish, inline spinners for the pike.

Oconomowoc: Mornings and evenings have been best. Bass are holding on the obvious structural breaks and suspending off the deep ends of the mainlake points. Largemouths are still more active than smallmouth. Northern pike has been better than average for anglers with small suckers catching the majority of the fish.  Musky fishing was picking up, but lots of fish are still doing lazy follows, and lots of people are reporting that they are seeing fish over the tops of weeds chasing juvenile gills.

Fowler: Small panfish are biting, a few LM were caught in the river and out of the deep slop. Pike are on the weedlines.


Lac Labelle: Walleye fishing was steady, but a little slow on weed edges along the 8-12 foot breaks and drop-offs in 10-18 FOW. Musky have moved out to suspend over deep water in the main basin. White bass have been stealing lots of bait from walleye and panfisherman.

Moose:  Bass and pike continue to bite, and action has been good. Target 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 a hot tactic, especially in low light conditions.

Ashipunn: Bass and pike have been good. Best bet on Ashipunn is to concentrate on the visible weed patches, and work them from a variety of angles with spinners or plastics. Panfish are suspending in the deep part of the basin, about 18 foot down.

Golden: Bluegills are in deep water, suspending over the deep part of the basin, but holding close to weed edges and the major structure. Typically, bass have been biting best on q deeper weedline bite. 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:  Bass can be caught using plastics around the weed clumps in 4-15 feet or around piers and boat lifts. Crappies have been suspending over the east cribs, and keeper bluegills are holding in the deep sandgrass in 18-25 FOW.

Nagawicka: Largemouths are average, and in summer patterns so look to catch them off boat docks, in the slop and along the shallow weed edges. Pike have been average, especially on crankbaits or buzzbaits fished over weed edges at either end of the lake. No report on walleyes.

Pewaukee:Musky fishing is picking up, especially for the guides who have been trolling. Bass fishing has been very good.

Lower and Middle Genessee: Panfish have moved to the deeper water. Lindy rigging with live bait, especially dillys or leafworms or slip bobbering with plastics tipped with waxworms or spikes  has been very good for panfish. Night fishing is in full steam on Middle.

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




Good Luck Out There,
CT

Musky Mikes Okauchee Lake Pike Tournament

Musky Mikes is having a Northern Pike Tournament on Okauchee Lake

This is something many people have asked about doing over the years.

Rules and entry form here.

My friends at Viking Outposts have some openings

If you have the opportunity to go fishing in Ontario, I highly recommend the fly-in experience. It will be a week you won't forget.

If you're looking for a great outfitter, Viking Outposts (www.vikingoutpost.com) gets a recommendation from me.

I have fished  their outposts over the years, and every time is a trip to remember. You leave from Red Lake, and spend a week fishing a lake for walleye, perch and pike by yourself. On one trip, my dad and I caught more than 1000 gamefish in a week of fishing.

They have some late season openings, starting today.

Domain Lake July 22-29
Viking Island July 23-30

Rheaume Lake July 21- August 4
Dolphin Lake August 6- 13
Telescope Lake August 12-19

Contact them:

Craig and Roseanne 1-807-727-3461 Hugh 1-807-727-2262 Enid 1-807-727-0321

 

 

Fishing Report:7-22-11

Hope you survived the heatwave intact. That was a rough run.


Despite the heat, bass fishing has remained fairly consistent. There's an early bite happening on most lakes up until about 9:30am. The fish are then moving into the weeds, under piers or into the slop. They can be targeted around overhanging cover or weededges adjacent to deeper water.

The bite is picking up again around 3:30 and remains fairly consistent until dark. Fish are being taken in shallow water on wacky worms, (white has been a hot color) tubes, skirted grubs and shakey head worms. Deeper fish are coming on jigworms, texas rigged plastics or jigs with a craw or chunk trailer. Live bait, chubs, leeches or crawlers on a slip sinker or lindy rig have also been catching some fish as deep as 25 FOW on the clear water lakes.

Northern pike continue to bite. As is typical for this point in the season, shallow fish are still being caught on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and lipless crankbaits around shallow weed clumps on the flats in 5-10FOW. Deeper fish are being taken using live bait, chubs and/or shiners, long lined on slip-sinker rigs. Trolling deep-diving crankbaits in natural or metalic (ie shiny) patterns like the rapala DT, hot n tots, or wiggle warts around the weed edges has also been producing some fish. 18-22 FOW seems to be the hot zone for pike right now.

Walleye fishing has dropped off substantially with the heat, expect the bite to pick back up as the sun gives way to some clouds, and more importantly, some wind. The heat and sunshine are one thing, but the lack of wind during this hot streak has really pushed the walleye to low light activity cycles, and people's catch rates have dropped off. If you're going to look for them, I'd start by trolling small minnow baits around the ends of deep points and midlake bars trying to find some suspended fish, or back troll (slowly) around deep weededges in 18-22 fow with live bait.

Catfishing on the Rock and Fox has been very good, but most of the fish that are being caught are a little smaller. You want a meal...its a great option, if you're looking to do battle with a monster, you might want to wait a bit. Cutbait has been outproducing stink bait or nightcrawlers according to my sources.

Musky fishing has picked up a bit, especially early and late when people have been putting in the time. Most of the fish are being caught while trolling deep edges and over deep flat structure in 22-45 fow, but a few are still coming on topwater during low light periods, especially very early in the morning. Look for them around deep water structure, especially the deep end of long points.

Good Luck.

Cheers,
CT

Fishing Report 7-15-2011

Hey gang, the fishing has been tough with the warmer weather, but better on the cooler and cloudy days. Its the time of the year where early morning fishing is usually the best. Traditional mid-summer patterns are what's happening on the lakes right now.

Panfish have moved to deep water. They can be a little tricky to find, but if you can get on some, you won't believe the size and quantity of panfish you can pull out of deeper water. My best suggestion for you is to drive slowly just off the weedlines and the deep edges of points with your electronics on. Panfish typically school up over 18-28 FOW and about 6-12 feet down. They'll look like a cloud on your graph. Use slip bobbers or tightline vertically with leeches, plastics tipped with waxies/spikes or pieces of nightcrawler to target these fish on a drift.

Largemouth Bass are running three of their usual summer patterns. On sunny, warmer days the piers and the slop are producing. Smoke colored flappers are catching tons of fish either skipped or worked slowly along the weedlines Wacky worms, tubes and shakey heads are producing around the piers, while rats, scum frogs, strike king or zoom frogs are pulling them out of the slop. Deeper fish have schooled up on the weedlines and the end of points. Texas rigs, drop shots, crankbaits and swim baits are catching these fish. The fish on the weed flats are being taken on topwater, especially early in the evening as the sun sets. Buzzbaits, poppers and spooks are all catching fish.

Smallmouth bass have been a little harder to come by since the heat wave. Look for the fish that have been holding deeper to move to shallow rocky areas on cooler mornings and just before dark. Skirted grubs, tubes, grubs and jigworms. Having trouble finding fish? Use crankbaits (lipless or shallow divers) as search baits to find schools of fish. Silver and blue or gold with a black back will be the best color combo for the next little bit.

Walleye fishing is slow but steady. Fish are using weeds in 18-22 feet on most lakes. Jigs tipped with live bait or lindy rigs are catching fish, but the better fish are coming at night by anglers trolling with stickbaits, shad raps or bottom bouncers.

Northern pike fishing has been great on the weedflats and target larger fish with live bait along the deep weedlines. Lots of smaller pike can be caught throwing spinner or buzzbaits around clumps of shallow weeds, while the bigger fish are coming on shiners or suckers on slip sinker rigged trolled very slowly on the outside edges.

Musky fishing has been tied to the weather recently. The cloudy days are producing, the hot sunny days have been slower. Some fish are being caught off deep structure or while trolling. A few are being caught on topwaters near the deep weed edges on the larger flats. Crankbaits are producing the trolling fish, jerkbaits and soft plastics are catching the casting fish. Walk the dog and prop baits have been the better topwater options lately.


If you're looking for info on a specific lake, feel free to email me.

Good Luck,
CT

Fishing Report: July 7, 2011

Hey gang,

The holiday weekend and the hot weather has slowed fishing down substantially the last week to 10 days. As temperatures cool off, expect the activity from both anglers and fish to pick up. Remember, the photo cycle is shrinking, but that the sun is at its most direct over the next couple of weeks. You can really increase your success by fishing early mornings, evenings and if you can stand the bugs, at night.

Panfish Looking for action? Small panfish can be caught in shallow water using a small hook, bobber and live bait, especially around docks or swim platforms. The better sized fish are being caught out of the deeper water by anglers drifting and fishing vertically. Look for gills to be suspending about 10-12 feet down over 18-25 FOW or 12-18 over 30-45 FOW. If you're on a deep school, but not catching keepers, get your bait down a little deeper. Crappie are suspending over deep water, and along weed edges, and the activity has been steady by anglers who find the schools.

Largemouth bass continue to run traditional summer patterns.  Look for them in inside weed edges in 4-6 FOW  and the outside edges in 8-15 FOW. These fish can be caught on a variety of tackle, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, texas rigged wacky Worms, Shakey heads, skirted grubs and tubes. Piers are holding more fish with the hot sunny days, and the slop has been pretty good. Looking for some real fun? Topwaters are still catching fish over the weedflats in 5-12 feet right now, but only consistently before and at first light, and the topwater bite drops off substantially by 8am. 

Smallmouth bass fishing was pretty average this past week. Fish are using rocky points and bars especially early and later in the day. Most fish are holding on the deep side of breaks or suspending off mainlake structure, coming in briefly to forage. Skirted grubs, twister tails, tubes, wacky worms, shakey heads, lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits or floating rapalas are your best tackle options, but live bait like leeches and small suckers has been working for the people backtrolling deep sand in 18-25 feet.

Walleye fishing has been very slow with the heat. Anglers putting in time are catching a few fish. Fish continue to be caught along outside weed edges or off deeper flats with sandgrass. Slip bobbers or split shot rigs with live bait or suckers, backtrolled on lindy or a slip-sinker rig has been producing the larger fish. Fishing over the tops of weed clumps near breaklines with floating rapala minnows is grabbing a few as well.

Pike fishing has been a little below average with lots of smaller pike being reported. Active fish are using the shallow weedflats to feed on small baitfish, including a massive bloom in juvenile panfish. Fish with willow leaf spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, small bucktails or buzzbaits tight to scattered weedclumps in 4-8 FOW. Larger pike were hard to come by according to most reports, but if you want to chase them, try the weedline in 12-18 feet of water and fish with suckers or large shiners on a slip sinker rig or troll with deep diving crankbaits as close to the weedline as you can without getting hung up.

Musky fishing remains slow overall, on the bright sunny days, target suspended fish out over deeper on smaller lipless crankbaits, gliders and bucktails. A few fish have been caught off the weedline on larger swimbaits. Anglers continue to report lots of lazy follows, so keep a sucker out.
 
Lake By Lake:

Okauchee: Boats, Boats and more boats was the major report this week. Bass are on the piers, in the slop and on the weed edges in 8-12 feet. Musky are feeding in the shallows in the morning, and then moving out to 18-22 feet. Nothing substantial to report on panfish, but look for them over deeper water.

Garvin: Great spot for panfish lately with some nice keepers. Look for the sunken wood in 10-15 feet. Musky are still using the treeline break and suspending off the south drop. Based on my advice, a 47 incher was caught last week. Bass are using the shallow flat on the south end. Pike are on the deep weedlines on the northwest and north east corners, and suspending over the deeper water.

Forest: Panfish and pike have been biting. Live bait over the deep holes on slip bobbers for panfish, inline spinners for the pike. Lots of pressure as anglers moved to non-motorized waters for the holiday.

Oconomowoc: Fishing has slowed down with the bright sun and heat. Mornings and evenings have been best. Bass are holding on the obvious structural breaks and suspending off the deep ends of the mainlake points. Northern pike and walleye fishing has been best for anglers using small suckers catching the majority of the fish, pike was better than walleye during the day.  Musky fishing was slow, but lots of fish are still doing lazy follows, and lots of people are reporting that they are seeing fish in shallow water chasing juvenile gills.



Fowler: Small panfish are biting, a few LM were caught in the river and out of the deep slop. Pike are on the weedlines. No report on Musky.


Lac Labelle: Walleye fishing is moving toward its typical summer pace. Weed edges along the 8-12 foot breaks are holding fish as are drop-offs in 10-18 FOW. Musky have moved out to suspend over deep water in the main basin. White bass have been stealing lots of bait from walleye and panfisherman. Expect traffic to be heavy the next couple weeks as John Gillespie's TV show was on the lake this past week.

Moose:  Bass and pike continue to bite, and action has been unbelievable by most reports. Target 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 a hot tactic, especially in low light conditions. Mornings have been better according to my source.

Ashipunn: Bass and pike have been biting, and the action is close to average for this time of year. Best bet on Ashipunn is to concentrate on the visible weed patches, and work them from a variety of angles with spinners or plastics.

Golden: Bluegills are moving out to deeper water, suspending over the deep part of the basin, but holding close to weed edges adjacent to deeper water. Bass have been biting best in the morning, but a deeper weedline bite has been picking up. 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:  Bass can be caught using plastics around the weed clumps in 4-15 feet or around piers and boat lifts. Crappies have been suspending over the east cribs, and keeper bluegills are holding in the deep sandgrass in 12-18 FOW.

Nagawicka: Largemouths are average, and in summer patterns so look to catch them off boat docks, in the slop and along the shallow weed edges. One report has the gills still spawning, but in the deeper sand. Pike have been average, especially on crankbaits or buzzbaits fished over weed edges at either end of the lake. No report on walleyes.

Pewaukee: Boats, Boats Boats and surface weeds. Not much fishing news due to the holiday. Give in a week or two.


Lower and Middle Genessee: Panfish have moved to the deeper water with sandgrass, and largemouths are being caught around shallow to mid depth weeds. Lindy rigging with live bait, especially dillys or leafworms  has been very good for both bass and panfish. Night fishing is really picking up on Middle.

Rock River: the Catfish bite has been slow at night. Trollers on Lake Koshkonong are catching walleyes and pike pulling harnesses or shad raps around 1.6-2.2 mph. Whites are biting in the main lake, but on trollers going much faster. Perch are in the deepest part of the basin, and some nice ones are being caught.

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

Good Luck, and stay safe this weekend.

Cheers,
CT

Thanks to OFC

Just gave a fun talk to members of the Okauchee Fishing Club. I wanted to take a minute and say thanks to the members for having me.

If you want more info on the club or their upcoming meetings check out their website: OFCFISH.com

Cheers,
CT