On the water....

I have been out a bunch lately. Summer patterns are in full effect, although getting sporadic reports that people are having trouble patterning fish this season. Given the crazy weather we have had, I'm not surprised to hear this.

The best advice I can give is to stick to your guns, but understand that a little adjustment, a tweak here or there might be necessary. It has been hot  (as in temperature), and the fish are biting, but slowing down and being a little more methodical about your approach might be necessary.

For example, I'm catching lots of fish off the traditional mid-depth break lines (classic early to mid summer pattern), but I'm making a little adjustment to fish on the deeper side of the break, and to slow way down. The fish are where they are supposed to be, but a slower approach is triggering bites....which if you put two and two together...warm weather/sluggish fish...makes perfect sense.

Here's some pictures. Averaging better than 50 fish a trip on Silver right now.

Jay with a nice one from this morning.

 Mike with a nice one from Golden Lake early this morning.

Patrice with one of more than 50 from Mid-Day on Friday.

My academic mentor, Bob Drechsel with a Silver Lake bass..caught on the first cast with his shiny new St Croix.

Operation: Dry Water

Looks like the DNR is going to be out in force this weekend. Even if you're not drinking, you might want to double check that your carrying all your safety gear, that it is in working order and easy to access, and that your battery terminals are covered.

From the DNR:

Conservation wardens to enforce safety by stopping impaired boat operators

If you are on Wisconsin waters this weekend, you will see Wisconsin’s conservation wardens and local boat patrols looking for impaired boat operators whose blood alcohol level is over the state limit of 0.08 percent. This weekend event is part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign slated for June 22 - 24.

“We want to enhance everyone's safety by removing intoxicated boat operators from the water. We hope to educate as many boaters as possible about the hazards of operating while intoxicated," Roy Zellmer, Department of Natural Resources boating law administrator, said.

A boat operator or passenger with a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit runs a significantly increased risk of being involved in a boating accident. When impaired by alcohol, boating accidents are more likely and more deadly for both passengers and boat operators, many of whom capsize their vessel or simply fall overboard.

Operating while intoxicated is a primary contributing factor in nearly one in five boating fatalities nationwide, and Wisconsin’s conservation wardens and boat patrols are committed to enforcing laws against this high-risk behavior to protect everyone on the water.

Boaters found operating a recreational vessel with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher will find their voyage terminated and they will be removed from the water for everyone's safety.

Last year, Wisconsin’s conservation warden service and local water patrols dedicated 1,684 hours and contacted 1,870 boaters during Operation Dry Water. There were 14 arrests of boating under the influence and 162 other boating citations issued along with 599 boating-related warnings.

Operation Dry Water, a multi-agency, education and enforcement initiative launched by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators in 2009 in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, puts thousands of local, state and federal marine law enforcement officers on the water nationwide the last weekend in June to give operating while intoxicated enforcement high visibility during the peak
boating season.

"Boaters who choose to operate while intoxicate will face the consequences of that decision," Zellmer said. "We want recreational boaters to enjoy themselves, but there will be zero tolerance for boating under the influence.”

Operation Dry Water is a joint program of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard. For more information, visit www.operationdrywater.org. For more information on boating in Wisconsin, search for "boat" on the DNR website.

Help me out.

Last year, I entered a contest put on by Lurenet.com for Father's Day. I told the story of how my Dad and I were together in Canada when he caught his largest Northern Pike ever.

This year, I've entered a similar contest from FLW along the same lines. I'm in the final five, and I need your help to get me to the top.

Can you take a minute...and go vote for my photo? Vote for "A fisherman and his dad"

Thanks,
CT

Father's Day Outing...with my kids.

Look at that grin.....do you think he'll be fishing like his dad?

Gathered up my older son and daughter for some quality time with dad. My kids love to fish, but like most kids their age, have a built in time window for attention.

Hit Moose to stay away from the pleasure boats. Didn't make a big deal out of it. One rod each, set up for catching panfish in the shallow water. (Small bobber, split shot and panfish hooks with live bait)

With kids, faster action always trumps size.

Shannon (Age 5) with the first fish of the day.

Shannon with a nice bluegill.

Quinn (Age 3) with "the fish that kept splashing her."

Fishing with dad this weekend? Try these helpful links.

Shore Fishing Locations:

DNR Site For Waukesha County

DNR Site for Milwaukee County

Becky Smith's List of Local Shore Fishing and Boat Rentals


Other Useful Links
DNR Equipment Loaner Program

DNR Site for Maps of Trout Streams (Direct link for Waukesha County is here)

DNR Site for Boat Launches in Wisconsin

Have fun this weekend.....

Fishing Report 6-14-2012

Middle of June already....

Conditions have stabilized into early summer patterns. The only two items of note are that the water is a little cooler than normal and weed growth is far ahead of normal.

Panfish are close to done spawning on most of the lakes. You may find some stragglers here and there, but the bulk of the nesting activity is over. Time to start looking for panfish suspending off the ends of points or off weedlines. 12 feet down over 15-22 FOW is a good starting point. I like to fish vertically for these fish, although slip bobbers can really produce. If you're on fish, but they're running small, try getting you bait a foot-18inches deeper...the bigger fish are traditionally at the bottom of the school.

Largemouth Bass fishing has been above average. The shallow fish are moving into traditional spots: slop, docks and shallow rockbars and the larger fish are recovered from the spawn. On bright sunny days, fish tight to cover...flipping into weed pockets, or texas rigs on deep weed edges can really produce. On the windy days, try crankbaits or spinner baits on edges or transition areas in 8-12 or 12-15 FOW. I'm catching a bunch of fish on black w/red flake plastics as well as smoke colored flapper grubs. Natural colors (browns, pumpkins and greens) have been better for the jig/chunk-jig/craw combos.

Smallmouth are biting, but the bite seems a little inconsistent by most reports. Some days you can knock them dead, some days they have been a little scarce. Stick to the plan...look for them on top of mainlake structure and points early and late, and look for them in deeper water during the main part of the day. White deep diving crankbaits have been hot, as have smaller (3") tubes in watermelon red, and I wouldn't overlook a traditional approach: size 9 or 11 floating rapalas in a silver/black pattern.

Northern Pike continue to bite. Shallow fish are actively chasing buzzbaits, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits, especially on the shallow-flat areas with scattered weeds. Out deep, slip-sinker rigs with small suckers or the biggest shiners have been red hot for larger fish. Okauchee and Fowler have put out some nice pike the last week, but some of the smaller lakes (School Section/Pretty/Moose/Emily) are also producing.

Walleye fishing has slowed down as the fish have moved out deeper. If you've been catching eyes at one depth, look for them in the same areas but at the next major depth contour. Deep weeds seem to be key, but a few people have been catching them off of deeper sand. Nighttime trolling bite should pick up this next week if the weather stays stable. Pine and Oconomowoc had the best reports. Koshkonong has a very low water level right now, and it is impeding the fishing out there some.

Musky fishing has been pretty good. Bucktails are catching/raising some decent fish along mid-depth weed breaks while crankbaits/jerkbaits are raising some fish off the first deep break. Pewaukee has been solid, although all reports have heavy mats of weeds floating in many areas. Oconomowoc has been better than Okauchee, and Lac Labelle has been better than Oconomowoc...no direct word on Fowler or North lakes from this past week. 

On the shore fishing front...some gamefish and smaller panfish were caught at the Moose Lake and Ottawa launches...and some decent panfish have been caught from Forest Lake in Nashotah Park. White bass run in Jefferson/Ft Akinson is winding down, but catfish have been caught out of the deeper shoreline holes from the Crawfish and Rock Rivers. I'll have more next week on the shore fishing around the area...so stay tuned.

Good Luck, and take Dad fishing this weekend.

Cheers,
CT

Father's Day is right around the corner. If you're looking for a special gift for dad, why not get him a fishing lesson or guided trip. He doesn't need another tie anyway.

I have a special rate going $50 off a half trip...and I'll extend that to any certificates purchased as Father's Day gifts.

Email me  or call me 262-893-2183 For Details.

Fishing Report 6-8-12

Early June fishing is in full effect.

Right now most lakes are in the low to mid 70s. Weed growth varies from lake to lake, but is advanced for this point in the year.

Bass Fishing has been steady, producing some quality bags of fish. Fish are starting to move into an early summer pattern, with lots of areas and techniques producing. On cloudy days, topwater and crankbaits are catching lots of fish over open water areas, especially weed patches on the mid-depth flats in 6-12 feet of water. On sunny days, especially those with lots of wind, fish are tighter to cover or using shallow rock bars in 3-8 feet of water. Plastics, flipped, skipped, pitched, wacky or texas rigged are great ways to target these fish. Live bait on slip sinker rigs are catching some nice fish for anglers making solid drifts over productive areas.

Pike fishing has been solid and steady, with lots of quality fish coming in. The number one way to catch pike right now is a small sucker or medium to large shiner on a slip sinker rig with a flourocarbon leader. Drift along the deeper edges of weeds and you'll find some fish. Lipless crankbaits, buzzbaits and spinner baits are also producing, especially in the shallow water.

Musky fishing continued to be steady last week. The larger fish have started to move out to the breaks, but there's still a solid number of fish patrolling the shallow water, feeding on schooled up panfish.

Walleye fishing has been pretty good, but much better on cloudy or windy days. Fish on Lac Labelle, Oconomowoc, Pine and Fox Lake are still using shallow weeds and weed edges. Jigging with live bait or drifting with lindy rigs/ spinner harnesses has been productive Trolling with Shad Raps is picking up on both Winnebago and on Koshkonong. Slower speeds over the deeper part of the basins appears to be the trick. Pulling boards is working, but more than one angler has reported doing much better with hand held rods.

Bluegills are spawning on most area lakes. If you're looking for action, areas of beds can be found in the shallows, but if you want some bigger fish, move out to 9-15 feet of water and look for beds in gravel and sandy areas. Vertical fishing with a split shot and live bait rig works great, as does pulling a 1/8 ounce lindy rig with a short leader through likely areas. (Try panfish leaches or leafworms) It's not the bobber approach which works great in the shallows, but it can really produce some quality keepers.



Good Luck,

CT

Sunday-Monday: On The Water

Sunday: Silver Lake.

Ended up with 52 fish...including a crappie, a couple of Rockbass and 49 LM 9-18."

Fish were in the usual spots...drops/edges of the flats and the deeper weeds. Water was 67 when I pulled the boat.


Then out this morning on Golden for an early run, fished 5:30-9:30.

Fairly typical morning. Caught 16 LM all 12-16inches, plus a couple of small pike (around 22inches).

Lost a really big bass right by the boat...ran straight at me and I just never got a good hookset. One of the bigger fish I have seen on Golden this season.

Tired and true approach: Flipping holes in the grass beds, texas rigs on the weed edge and wacky worms in the shallow flat areas. Nothing stuck out as far as the pattern. Caught some fish tight to cover, caught some others chasing bait away from the bank. A couple of the larger bass spit up some juvenile panfish on the way in.

Water was in the high 60's.

Moved over to Silver just before 10am as the bite had dropped off a little on Golden. Just like yesterday, started picking up the Silver Lake special LM size class right away.

Despite the east wind, fish were very active, and a bit deeper today. 6-8 FOW was the best action. We caught some deeper and some shallower, but the fast action was in that range.

Caught 37 (4 were 14+) between 10a and about 1pm. Hit one school and caught fish on 7 consecutive casts. Action was fast and furious at times. Had six double headers.

Empty panfish nests all over the shallow water.


Cheers,
CT

Fishing Report 5-31-12

First off: It's the annual free fishing weekend this weekend. You don't need a license to fish this weekend.

Second: Okauchee has at least one tournament this weekend. A WABTA bass tournament on Sunday, but posts on Lake-Link suggest there's also a tournament on Saturday.

Onto business:

As you might imagine, the drastically cooler weather has reduced fishing activity greatly. I assemble my weekly report from my own on the water experience, but also from a network of people who I maintain contact with about local conditions. Since the major cool-off this week, I've had less than half of my usual talks with people. So take what I have with a little grain of salt.

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 have been hit or miss locally all season, but with the low overnight temps and dropping water temperature....I'd expect the bite to drop off even more. Some crappies can be caught off deeper fish attractors/brushpiles...but fishing vertically, tightlining tail hooked crappies minnows is probably your best approach. I heard some decent crappies were coming from Ashippun and Pine...but reports about panfish have been limited this last week.

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. Baitfish remains the key factor on fish location by every report I have gotten. 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 rigs 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. This is also prime time for live bait presentations, especially larger shiners or small suckers on a slip sinker rig.

Smallmouth were finishing up the spawning ritual. Could be a tough bite until conditions stabilize a little, but when the bite is tough sometimes your best approach for brown bass is to get unconventional. I'd throw spinnerbaits and crankbaits for smallmouth, especially around the deep edges of transition areas. Crawfish pattern crankbaits bounced through the sand and rocks in 8-15 FOW might just be the ticket to stick a big fish this weekend.

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.

Musky/Walleye: I wish I had more to report. I haven't heard anything this week from my usual sources, and I've been chasing largemouth when out.

Around the area: Whitebass are still biting below the Jefferson Dam, but the bite is starting to slow down. 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.

Fishin' Spots....Lake Country Reporter

Not sure I buy everything in this article, but at least it is a decent reference point for the upcoming Free Fishing Weekend.

Check it out here.

June Dates

Due to some cancellations and rescheduling of a couple of repeat customers to later in the summer, I have some dates available between the 6th and 15th of June. This stretch is traditionally a fantastic time of year to fish on our local lakes.

Typically, I'm not available during this time, as I have annual, repeat clients that book my available days.

I'd like to fill these dates if possible, and I can do half or full days. I'll sweeten the pot with a special rate: $200 for a half day (4-6 hours)  $300 for a full day (7-9 hours). That's $50 off my usual rates.

If you're interested Please send me an email.

Cheers,
CT

Golden Lake 5-25-12

Out this morning for a bit before the holiday weekend. Hit Golden.

Boats out already when I got to the ramp just after 5am. Lots of people chasing panfish. Didn't see too many keepers in shallow, but talked to some folks that were getting some nice ones out a little deeper.

For me, bass fishing. Caught a few on a wacky, a few more flipping/pitching, and a decent batch on a jig worm.The jig worm fished over and through patches of scattered weeds on flat areas continues to produce numbers. I caught fish on five consecutive casts this morning.

Ended the day around 11am with 20 bass in total. 13-15" was pretty consistent for size (Typical for Golden) but did have a couple around 17" and a nice 19.5" as well. Fish were away from shore, chasing baitfish in the scattered weeds. I would have caught more, but took me a bit to hammer in the pattern with a couple of depth adjustments. Water was 67-70 degrees, which was much cooler than I thought it would be.

Have a great holiday...and thank a vet for their service.
Cheers, CT

Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report 2012, Okauchee, WI Area

Make sure to thank a vet this weekend.

Overall, water temps are back in the Mid to high 6o's in Main Lake areas, while some bays are in the Low 70's. Weedgrowth is far ahead of normal for this time of the season, and Mayflies are in the middle of the hatch on a couple of area lakes.

Bluegills are starting to congregate in shallower water. A few nests are starting to appear in the traditional sandy and gravel areas.Look for them in 4-10 feet of water, and be ready to move shallower as the temperatures warm up. Current areas and spawning areas (like sandy or gravel areas) will have fish nearby. Waxworms, butterworms, redworms and plastics are taking fish, but bigger gills have been hard to come by in any significant number. (Try Okauchee, Garvin ( red hot!), Golden Nagawicka, Upper and Middle Genessee, School Section, Ashipunn, Pretty, Phantom and Lower Nashotah)

Crappie fishing has been slow, but can be great on any given day. Most crappies are in shallow bays near weeds, wood laydowns or reeds. Some fish are still spawning (you can tell by how black the fish turn this time of year). Minnows, hooked through the tail on a small hook (#8 or #10), waxworms and plastics have all been taking fish. With the temperature set to warm back up for the holiday weekend, expect crappies to be very active on area lakes. (Try: Okauchee (especially the North Flat, Bay Five and the Crane's Nest), Garvin (North End and Wood Laydowns), Kessus, Nagawicka (Channels), Golden, Silver, and Pine.

Largemouth bass are post spawn for the most part. Anglers are catching fish targeting them in shallow water, but a few fish are still being caught off the open areas on flats with scattered weeds. It might be hard to consistently find bigger fish, but on warm afternoons, the action could be good. Shallow water presentations like jig and chunk or craw, wacky, texas rigged lizards, spinnerbaits or lipless crankbaits will all catch fish right now, but don't overlook smaller topwater presentations. Live bait, nightcrawlers, leeches or small suckers are your best bet. (Try: Okauchee, Lake Five, Oconomowoc, Pine, Lac Labelle, Kessus Nagawicka, Silver, School Section, Golden, Fox or Emily)

Smallmouth bass have been active, and a few anglers are reporting nests on many area lakes. Rock structure, scattered weeds on sand and major points are all holding fish. Expect them to be a little spooky, especially in the shallow water on sunny days. Skirted grubs, jigworms, jig and craws, tubes, and soft jerkbaits are all catching fish. Go natural with your color choices this weekend. (Try: Oconomwoc, Pine, Lac Labelle, Nagawicka, Pewaukee, Lower Nashotah and the Nemahbin Lakes.)

Walleye have been active, but keepers have been inconsistent. I've heard som scattered chatter about some keepers being caught in 8-12 feet of water. Slip bobbers, Jig and minnow, jig and leech, and split shot rigs with nightcrawlers or small suckers have been the best way to target eyes. In the evening, a few anglers are catching fish by working rapala minnow baits over weed clumps. This weekend should be red hot for walleyes, especially in the evenings. (Try: Oconomowoc, Lac Labelle, Nagawicka, North, Pine and Fox)

Northern Pike fishing has picked up with the warmer weather. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, lipless crankbaits, or suspending jerkbaits (like Husky Jerks or Rouges) are catching fish around shallow weed clumps, or at the edges of coves and marshy areas. If chasing pike with live bait, look for them in 6-12 feet, using small suckers or large shiners on a slip sinker rig. (Try: Okauchee, Kessus, Garvin, Nagawicka, Pine, Fowler, Golden, School Section, Emily)

Musky Fishing has been slow and steady. There are lots of fish in the shallow water chasing, and a few are even being caught on topwaters, but the most consistent action has been coming in 12-18 feet around mainlake structure. Gliders, jerkbaits, swimbaits and bucktails have been productive, but many anglers continue to describe lots of lazy follows, so having a sucker out on a quickstrike rig is a great idea, and figure eights are required on every cast. Gold blade/balck skirt seems to be the color of the season, but white/copper combos have also been catching a few. (Try: Okauchee, Pewaukee, Fowler and Lac Labelle) 

Around the area: Fishing on the Rock River has picked up again, and anglers are still catching a few whitebass south of Ft Atkinson, and catfish between the Jefferson Dam and the mouth. The action has been good when its on, awful when its not.

Trout fishing in the stocked lakes and ponds continues to be good.  Lower Genessee, Ottawa and Lower Nashotah continue to give up fish. Water levels are way down in Lower and Middle Genessee.

If you're in town for the holiday and want to talk some more specific tips, email or call me.

Have a great holiday weekend. Again, thank a vet.
Cheers,
CT

Saturday 5-19-12

Well gang,

Things didn't quite go as planned today. I had arranged to take out a new client on Oconomowoc this afternoon, but it didn't happen.


As I was approaching the launch/dam area, I saw the Flight for Life Helicopter landing on Hwy 16 just past the dam. As I got closer, I saw tons of emergency vehicles.

Here's why: (Photos from Lake-Link.com)

Story from Channel 12 is here.

Fishing Report 5-17-12

The fishing has been very consistent the past week.

The relatively stable weather (and yes I remember the thunderstorm) has pushed the fish into a full spring pattern.

Condition wise: Weed growth is way ahead of itself this year, and water temps are ranging from the low to high 60's. You may find water as warm as the mid 70's in some darker bottom/shallow areas, espeically along windblown areas on the smaller lakes.

Panfish are moving into shallow cover in significant numbers. Wood laydowns, reeds and shallow clumps are starting to attract schools of fish. Crappie can still be seen congregating in the shallows around wood, while schools of bluegills and some yellow perch are starting to pop up around other types of shallow cover. If you're catching smaller panfish, move out just a little deeper and you'll probably find what you are looking for. Garvin has been on fire, but Ashippun, Golden, Silver, Middle Genessee, Forest and Moose have all been very good.

Largemouth bass fishing was fantastic the past week. Lots of male fish are up on the nests in shallow water, and many females spawned in the last few days, but there are lots of quality pre-spawn fish patrolling the shallows and foraging right now. Two pieces of advice: 1.)...beating the banks may find you a quality fish or two, but out over the flats with scattered cover will be more consistent. 2.) ...look for visible baitfish where you are fishing. If you're not seeing schools of shiners or juvenile panfish in the weeds or wood you are fishing on....you're not going to catch as many fish. I'm still working two patterns...a jigworm (alhtough a pre-rigged worm would work well, as would a smaller topwater bait) away from the bank, and a jig and craw in tight closer to cover. Wacky rigs and texas rigged lizards are also catching fish consistently...but natural colors seem to be outproducing the typical black/blue spring approach. Okauchee, Oconomowoc, Ashippun, Nag, Lower Nehmabin, Upper Genessee, Golden, Silver, Kessus and Moose have all been good.

Smallmouth fishing has varied lake to lake...primarily on the water temperature differences between our local bodies of water. Warmer lakes have fish on their nests, while the cooler clear water lakes still have lots of fish schooled up and on the pre-spawn feed. Keep it simple, play the water temperature game. Look for active fish in shallow rocks or sand. Patrolling fish will feed, fish holding tight to cover or the bottom are less likely to do so. This is a great time to use skirted grubs on a football head jig for shallow smallmouth. Pewaukee, Oconomowoc, Lac Labelle, Beaver and North have been the best.

Walleye fishing: Not much to report. Anglers who are chasing walleyes right now report finding them in shallow weeds in 6-8 FOW, or off the first break in 12-18 FOW. Finesse live bait rigs or small jigs tipped with leeches seem to be doing the job. Lac Labelle is always a solid bet for action, Oconomwoc, North and Pine are better options for keepers.

Northern pike have been active on most area lakes. Lots of smaller fish are being caught in the shallow weeds using spinners, buzzbaits lipless crankbaits, and minnowbaits. Bigger pike have been a little harder to come by, but dragging live bait-small suckers, chubs or large/jumbo shiners with a slip sinker rig off the first deep break is still finding a few quality fish. Watch for baitfish, and be ready to cover some water. Kessus, School Section, Nagawicka, Okauchee and Fowler have been fantastic, but don't overlook sleepers like Ashippun, Golden, School Section and Pretty.

Musky fishing has been a bit on the slow side, but some decent fish are still being caught in shallow areas close to where bass and panfish spawn. With Tournaments on both Pewaukee (Saturday) and Okauchee (on Sunday) lots of people have been out this week pre-fishing, so the fish have been a little pressured. I'd downsize your presentation a little bit, and unless your tournament fishing...I'd stick to the other bodies of water...Lac Labelle, Fowler or Oconomowoc.

Stocked trout are still being caught out of the area lakes and ponds...but if you want in on the action, best to get to it soon.

Whitebass are still being caught in FT Atkinson and near the Jefferson Dam on the Rock River. The Catfish bite has also been picking up a little bit as the water temperatures move up.

Some Okauchee Pics

Todd Lands Our First Good Fish Of the Day

Another Pre-spawn Female. Notice how far off the bank we are fishing.

Another Awesome Fish that Came on a Jigworm. Again, notice how far off the bank we are fishing.

Okauchee Trips 5-11-12

Tale of two days today.

Morning Run: Fished 8:30-1pmish. Tough bite, scratched out some LM and Pike by  mixing up presentations in areas adjacent to spawning areas. Nothing consistent about the bite: Some came on wacky-rigs, a couple more on skirted grubs, and a couple more on lipless crankbaits. I didn't see many bass cruising, but did see a mid 40's musky with a 14inch-ish bass sticking out of his mouth swimming around in upper Oconomowoc.

Switched gears about 1:30, made a move to jig worms on the open areas on the windy flats and jig and craws in close...big change. Started hitting fish almost immediately, and started seeing some quality fish as the afternoon wore on. Ended the day with several quality fish (17+ inches) including a monster thick, prespawn female LM in Tierney that was pushing 5lbs, just before we called it a day.

Caught some nice fish on a 6" jigworm with a 3/32 ounce head fishing around the scattered weeds. Casting the jigworm was the most consistent producer, especially when making some drifts on the windy flat areas in Stumpy, Whitigers, The Saddle and Icehouse. Got out of the wind in some areas between drifts, and went after the fish in the shallow grass with a Dewy Special Jig and a Yum Craw Pappy trailer, both in natural green colors.

Only thing consistent was that fish came out of areas where there were visible baitfish. No food=no fish today- a equation that was certainly true this morning, but especially true this afternoon. Better fish were away from shore, but close to scattered weeds. (Otherwise known as classic pre-spawn LM activity) Still only seeing a few beds. Warmest water was 68 when I pulled out, up from 58 this morning.

Windy, but an otherwise beautiful day. Set to be a great week ahead. Good Luck....

Cheers, CT

PS: Pictures when I can get them up.

Fishing Report 5-10-12

Finally seeing a batch of stable weather. The fishing is sure to pick up.

Reports have water temps ranging from between the high 50's to mid 60's on most area lakes, but weed growth is advanced for this time of year.

Panfish will  move into shallow areas, especially on warm, sunny afternoons. The bite can be really good, especially in the mid afternoon. Look for shallow, dark bottom bays with scattered weeds, woods or reeds. The fish may be very tight to shore, but don't overlook the first break into deeper water. In areas with current, look for schools of fish in deeper holes and outside turns, even if these areas are very small. Remember the largest panfish will always be in the bottom of the school, so if you're catching fish, but they are small, try getting your bait a little deeper. Bluegills will hit on a variety of live bait, including redworms, dillys, waxworms, spikes, or butterworms. For active bluegills, plastics will outperform live bait, and will usually help keep some of the smaller fish off your line. For crappies, tail hooked minnows, skirted grubs, road runners, or waxworms on an ice-fishing jig will really produce. (Try: Okauchee, Oconomowoc, Pine, Lac Labelle, Silver, Golden, School Section, Middle Geneesee or Nagawicka, and I'll point out that Ashippun is apparently the hot spot right now.

Largemouth are in various stages of the spawn. Lots of fish are still cruising the flats, while some males are up on the nests, especially in areas where the water is warmest. The bite has been inconsistent since Sunday's rain, but can be good at times. Look for LM in shallow areas with rock, sand or muck. Protected bays with wood laydowns or weeds will really concentrate fish. As the temperature warms up this week, look for more of the larger males to start making some nests around docks and other shoreline cover. Larger female fish will begin feeding on rockbars and around scattered weeds. You can use a variety of presentations to chase these fish. Flappers are a great option to find fish, before slowing down to make tighter presentations. Jig and chunks/ jig and craws/ jig and eels will catch less fish, but are a great way to catch a bigger fish, especially when fished tight to cover. Slower presentations like wacky worms, texas rigged lizards or tubes are all great for probing areas, but spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, and crawfish imitating shallow diving crankbaits will all catch fish right now. Using live bait? Leeches, nightcrawlers or large shiners are your best option. (Try Okauchee, Moose, Kessus, Golden, Silver, Fowler, Pine, and Nagawicka)

Smallmouth bass are starting to appear in rocky areas, cruising and foraging. Look for them in the usual early season spots, but don't be afraid to look for them as deep as 25 feet, where they will be feeding on schools of yellow perch. Spinnerbaits are a great way to cover water, tubes are a great way to look for fish around the dropoffs and on the shallow rockbars. Lindy rigging with large shiners can really produce some amazing fish this time of year. (Try Lac Labelle, Pine, Nagawicka, and Oconomowoc)

Walleye:  Look for walleyes in shallow water, around rocks or sand, or at the end of longer points especially early in the morning, and later in the evening. In the daylight hours, schools of fish will be cruising the sand flats in 8-15 feet of water. Live bait rigging, (Lindy rigs with small suckers!) jig and minnow or jig and leech combos, or trolling with shad or minnow imitators are your best approaches. (Try Oconomowoc, Lac Labelle, Fowler, Nagawicka or Pine)

Northern pike were chasing bait fish around shallow weeds, especially near marshy areas, and will aggressively bite spinners, buzzbaits, lipless crankbaits or live bait suspended around shallow weeds.(Try: Moose, Kessus, Okauchee, Fowler, School Section, Pretty and Nagawicka)

Musky fishing has been slow but steady for the guys putting in the time. Most fish are in 5-12 feet of water, and are biting on swimbaits, gliders, jerkbaits and bucktails. Remember to do your figure eights on every cast right now, as lots of anglers were reporting lazy follows this past weekend. Personally, I like to use smaller baits in a black and blue, or black and orange combination at this point in the year. (Try Okauchee, Garvin, Lac Labelle, Fowler and Pewaukee for Musky)

Catfish were starting to bite more aggressively on the Rock River. Look for them around wood on the bottom, or in the channel turns. Stink bait, cutbait or nightcrawlers were all producing.

Trout fishing was consistent on the stocked lakes and ponds around the area.

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There's a WABTA Tournament for bass on Pewaukee this weekend, and next weekend there are Musky Tournaments on Pewaukee (Saturday) and Okauchee (Sunday).

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The next two weeks will represent some great fishing.....get out there.

Cheers,
CT

Okauchee 5-10-12

Out today on Okauchee during the midday for a few hours. Picked up Frank, who was fishing at the launch from shore. Great guy and we had a fun, if less productive than hoped mid-day.

Moved around a bit looking for a consistent bite. Lots of little bass swimming in the shallows, saw a few on beds, but not as many as I would have thought. Lots of fish cruising still, very difficult to get them to bite.

Threw wacky, jig and chunk, texas rig and a worm rig I've been experimenting with. Best bite was on wacky, but got lots of bites where fish would only grab part of the worm.

Ended with 5 keeper sized bass 14-18in. Couple of females full of spawn, and probably had bites from another 9-10 fish, including a decent pike who took the trailer right off my jig.

Here's Frank with one of the bass.

Out again tomorrow with clients. Report to follow.

Cheers,
CT