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
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Friday, December 16, 2011
Success
I successfully defended my dissertation yesterday.
Fishing reports will resume next week.
Cheers
Dr. Christopher Terry, PhD
Fishing reports will resume next week.
Cheers
Dr. Christopher Terry, PhD
Thursday, December 8, 2011
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
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
Saturday, November 12, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
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
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
Thursday, October 20, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, October 3, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, September 23, 2011
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
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
Friday, September 16, 2011
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
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
Friday, September 9, 2011
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
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
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
Thursday, September 1, 2011
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 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
Friday, August 19, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Huge Tiger Musky Caught in Minnesota
Check this fish out:
48.5" x 28.5"
More Pictures at www.thenextbite.com
Sunday, August 14, 2011
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
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
Thursday, August 11, 2011
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 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
Thursday, August 4, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
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