Fishing Report 5-14-21

Hey gang,

The weather is finally stabilizing, and things are starting to happen. Should be a great week to 10 days on the water, but as things settle in, be ready to adapt on the fly. Fishing will be consistent day to day, but you may need to adapt to changing conditions by altering your presentations.

Water temperatures vary greatly between main lake areas (in the mid 50's) and protected bays (in the low to mid 60's) on most area lakes.Weed growth is way behind normal again this year, which means if you find some good weeds, fish them, especially if they are near a rock or sand transition...or on the end of mainlake points.

Musky activity has picked up on our local lakes since the opener, especially on the windy days. A solid shallow pattern has been working for anglers who put in the time. Look for fish on the shallow weed flats in 6-10 feet of water. Scattered weedclumps with visible baitfish or panfish are high percentage areas right now. A few fish are also using the first deep break in 12-18 feet of water where new green weeds have started. Gliders, swimbaits, bucktails and jerkbaits have all been consistent producers.  When in doubt--go shallower.

Northern Pike have been using the areas where there is new weed growth, especially on shallow flats or around the ends of points where panfish are staging. People targeting bass have been catching a number of pike ranging from smaller snakes to quality 30+" fish. Spinnerbaits,small bucktails, lipless crankbaits, floating or suspending rapalas and buzzbaits will all catch fish in the shallow water when fished around submergent green weeds. Large shiners or small to medium sized suckers suspended underneath a float, longlined on a split shot rig, or fished deep on a slip-sinker setup are your best options for live bait. When in doubt- silver is better than gold.

Walleye have been active in cycles that match our current weather patterns. Some fish are patrolling the shallows in the morning and evening hours, but the bulk of the fish are holding around rocky points and mid-depth weeds in 8-12 feet of water. Crankbaits like rapala shad raps are catching fish, but controlled drifting with live bait has been the best approach. Slow and steady have been the operative words...keep that drift under control and under .8 mph when possible. A nightcrawler, leech or small sucker on a lindy rig or long lined split shot setup have been the most consistent producers. A few fish are being caught around weeds using jig and plastic or jig and minnow combinations. When in doubt, slow down.

Largemouth Bass Fishing for bass has been spotty with the inconsistent weather and some days are much better than others. A few fish are up shallow to spawn, but the bulk of the fish haven't moved in yet...although as we get some warmer afternoons the next week, that will change quickly. Flats adajacent to spawning areas still have lots of (smaller) schooling fish.  Look for bass around shallow weeds, wood laydowns or docks. Rocky areas, especially points adjacent to deep water have been holding the big fish. Wacky worms, texas rigged lizards or stickbaits, lipless crankbaits, and jigs with a chunk or craw trailer have all been producing. Nightcrawlers or large leeches on a lindy or split shot rig or large shiners under floats fished around piers or along rockbars have been catching a few fish. When in doubt: slow down and fish the edges of any shallow green weeds.

Smallmouth Bass  Fish are patrolling the shallow bars in small schoola a few times a day, especially on the warmer sunny afternoons. Lots of fish are suspending in deeper water just off of shallow structure or along the sharper breaklines. Rocky/sand transition areas have been holding some fish who are foraging for craws, especially in the morning. Suspending jerkbaits, tubes, wacky worms, swimbaits and lipless crankbaits in a crawfish pattern have all caught fish. When in doubt...throw a grub.

Crappie Look for them around shallow cover in 2-8 feet of water. Tight-lining over deeper wood or weeds in 8-12 feet has also been effective on some lakes. Tail-hooked fatheads, plastics or hair jigs tipped with a waxworm are your best live bait options for crappies. Strike zones have been relatively small, so try to make accurate casts when setting up your presentations. When in doubt-Pink head/white body.

Bluegills are beginning to move into the shallow water on many area lakes, but the better sized fish have still been coming from anglers targeting them in a little deeper water. Shallow fish will be near sandy bottom areas with scattered weed growth, but if you just want the kids to catch a few fish, try fishing around any piers that are in the water adjacent to deeper water (6-10 feet). If you want to target eating size gills, tightline vertically while drifting along weedlines in deeper water (as deep as 22 feet) or look for them on the end of sandy/gravel points in 12-15 feet of water. Small plastics tipped with waxworms or spikes, panfish leeches or redworms are your best live bait options.

Catfish are being caught on the Rock River. Cutbait, stinkbait and nightcrawlers fished around the heads of the deeper holes has been producing some keepers. The area between Watertown and the Jefferson Dam has been red hot the last few weeks.

Trout stocking was a sucess this year on out local waters, with plenty of catch and keep trout still available. Look for these fish in the deeper water basin or deeper pools on the creeks. In the area lakes, they can be anywhere from just below the surface to 25 feet down over deeper water. Tightlining or slip bobbering with small minnows or redworms will catch fish when you find them.


Good Luck Out There.
Chris Terry

Fishing Report: 5-7-11

 Hey gang,

Despite the lousy weather, I was out multiple times this week. Water temperatures vary greatly between main lake areas (in the 50's to low 60's) and protected bays (in the low to mid 60's) on most area lakes. 

Hot tip: if you find can some good weeds, fish them!

Musky fishing has been pretty slow by most reports, but there's not been many people out either. Look for fish on the shallow weed flats in 6-10 feet of water. Scattered weed clumps with visible baitfish or panfish are high percentage areas right now. A few fish may be using the first deep break in 12-18 feet of water in areas where some new green weeds have started. Most positive reports I heard back this week were with people using downsized baits, but heard reports of plenty of lazy follows--so watch those figure eights closely...gliders, small bucktails and swimbaits all generated some action, but white with gold blades seemed to be the hot (est) ticket.

Northern Pike  are still scattered on shallow flats where there is new weeds. Anglers targeting bass or musky have been catching a number of pike ranging from smaller snakes to quality 30+" fish. Some of the larger pike are using the deep weedlines in 12-18 feet, but the bite has been hit or miss. Keep it simple: spinnerbaits, small bucktails, lipless crankbaits, floating rapalas and buzzbaits will all catch fish in the shallow water when fished around submergent green weeds. Large shiners or small to medium sized suckers suspended underneath a float, longlined on a split shot rig, or fished deep on a slip-sinker setup are your best options for live bait.

Walleye have been biting, but I haven't been chasing them...so take this info with a grain of salt. The bulk of the fish seem to be holding around rocky points and mid-depth weeds in 8-12 feet of water. Crankbaits like Rapala shad raps are catching fish, but controlled drifting with live bait is usually a great approach, epecially on windy days. Slow and steady have been the operative words. A nightcrawler, leech or small sucker on a lindy rig or long lined split shot setup would be the first thing I'd throw right now. I heard of a few fish are being caught around weeds using jig and plastic or jig and minnow combinations. Could be a great weekend for fishing in the late afternoons and evenings with floating minnow bait around any mid-depth structure or weeds.

Largemouth Bass  Lots of schooled up prespawners, but spawning activity is limited. Functionally still early. Shallow flats outside of the spawning coves still have lots of smaller but schooling fish and remember in areas with consistent depth, not all of the nests will be on the bank. This week I saw plenty of people beating banks with plastics and spinnerbaits when there were active fish on the flats nearby. Look for bass around shallow weeds, wood laydowns or docks. Rocky areas, especially points adjacent to deep water have been holding fish. Wacky worms, texas rigged lizards or stickbaits, lipless crankbaits, and jigs with a chunk or craw trailer have all been producing. Nightcrawlers or large leeches on a lindy or split shot rig or large shiners under floats fished around piers or along rockbars have been catching a few nice fish.

Pro-Tip: Some serious downsizing of my presentations put some quality fish in the boat for me this week.


Smallmouth Bass  Fish are patrolling the shallow bars in small schoola a few times a day, especially on the warmer sunny days. Lots of fish are suspending in deeper water just off of shallow structure. Rocky/sand transition areas have been holding some fish who are foraging for craws. Suspending jerkbaits, tubes, grubs, wacky worms, swimbaits and lipless crankbaits in a crawfish pattern.

Crappie are still spawning. Look for them around shallow cover in 2-8 feet of water. Tight-lining over deeper wood or weeds in 8-12 feet has also been effective on some lakes. Tail-hooked fatheads, plastics or hair jigs tipped with a waxworm and rosie reds are your best live bait options for crappies. Strike zones have been relatively small, so try to make accurate casts when setting up your presentations. The bite got hot for a couple hours, but was pretty cold otherwise.

Bluegills are beginning to move into the shallow water on many area lakes, but the better sized fish have still been coming from anglers targeting them in a little deeper water. Shallow fish will be near sandy bottom areas with scattered weed growth, but if you just want the kids to catch a few fish, try fishing around any piers that are in the water adjacent to deeper water (6-10 feet). If you want to target eating size gills, tightline vertically while drifting along weedlines in deeper water (as deep as 22 feet), look for schools on the end of sandy/gravel points in 12-15 feet of water on in shallow areas with current. Plastics tipped with waxworms or spikes, panfish leeches or redworms are your best live bait options.


Catfish are being caught on the Rock River. Cut-bait, stink-bait and night-crawlers fished around the heads of the deeper holes has been producing some better sized keepers. T

Trout:  Stocked lakes were solid producers during the first week. Opening weekend was busy, but pressure dropped way off during the weekdays with the piss-poor weather this week. Gold ice fishing jigs tipped with live bait was the best option when I was on the water, but the fish were still a little spooky, and we did better tightlining than with bobbers.


Good Luck Out There. Give Mom some love--->take her fishing on Sunday.
Chris Terry

Tuesday Night Big Bass League on Okauchee

 Hey gang,

Musky Mikes announced this week they are no longer running the Tuesday Night Big Bass League, originally started by Musky Mike himself. The Tuesday Night tournament will continue, but will no longer be a league run by the baitshop. It's a big bass-jackpot format. It'll be run out of the Hideaway, and sign up/check ins will be at the dock.

Details below from the group's Facebook Site:

Tournament site . Hideaway Bar And Grill

Tournament time: 6pm - 9pm* (Tournament will end at 8:30pm later in the season due to low light conditions. )

Tournament entry.  Entries will be accepted the night of each tournament at the tournament site. 5pm till take off. Permit cap is 90 anglers.

First Tournament will be May 4th.

$20.00 entry fee per angler.

Top 3 big bass paid each regular season Tournament. 

Payout 

1st = 50% 2nd = 30% 3rd = 20%

Example Payout based on 50 entries. 

1st = $375.00 2nd = $225.00 3rd = $150.00

$5.00 per entry will be set aside for permit fees, end of season championship and top 3 big bass payout at the end of the regular season. (Permit fee is $25.00 per regular season tournament $50.00 for the end of the season championship. )

End of the season big bass payout. 

You can fish one Tournament or every one to win . You will however need to fish 3 tournaments to take all 3 spots.  End of season championship. September 11th. Time to be determined. 

Payout to be determined by participation throughout the season. 

You must fish at least 8 tournaments to qualify. Each qualifying angler will have the same amount of money invested. Angler investment will be based on 15 tournaments $75.00 total. 

Entry example.

10 tournaments fished= $50.00 invested

5 tournaments missed = $ 25.00 short. 

You would have to pay $25.00 to be eligible to fish. 

Rules

Local lake and all DNR rules apply. 

Any violation will result in disqualification. 

No passing in the channel after take off.

Weigh in your own fish. 

Have fun.

Unstable, warm and windy weather on tap for the opener.

Buckle up, Buckaroos. Going to be a bit windy this weekend.

Source:Wunderground.com

In other opener news: There was a great talk on the D&S Facebook Live Site last night on tips for the Madison Chain. Check it out Here 

D&S primary website is here: DSBait.com 

Closer to home, the friendly folks at Dick Smiths, in the happy barn have their opener report up:here

Don't forget your fishing regs: https://widnr.widen.net/s/xvldvfnblh/fishregselectronic2122

Fishing Opener: 2021 Preview

Hey gang,

 Here's what to expect when you hit the water for the opener.

1.) Water temps in the mainlake areas in the mid to high 50's to low to mid 60's in protected areas. 

2.) Limited new growth of weeds, and a few less than average piers are in. 

Shallow dark bottom bays will be where most of the action is this weekend. 

The DNR's Places to fish page is here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/anglereducation/wheretofish and the shore fishing map is here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/sites/default/files/topic/Fishing/AnglerEd_AccessibleShoreFishingSites.pdf

Accessible fishing pier list for Waukesha County:

DNR Boat Landing Resource is here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/lands/boataccess.html

There's information on several local lakes and includes picks for panfish, bass, walleye and musky fishing opportunities this year.

Panfish: Crappies and Bluegills have transitioned into shallow water, and the bite has been steady on the sunny or warmer afternoons. Primary pattern working for keepers is to find the schools that are relating to weed clumps in shallow water, but talking to folks on the water, the bite has been inconsistent, and with fishing pressure very high these days, you might need to get away from the crowds.

Newer, green weeds, reeds or small wood laydowns are attracting the most fish right now. For crappies try small fuzzy jigs tipped with waxworms, small fatheads or rosie reds. Bluegills have been biting on plastics tipped with waxworms or spikes, as well as redworms, leafworms or pieces of nightcrawler. If the bite is tough, downsize your presentation to an ice fishing jig or #10 or #12 red hook, and keep the bait above the fish (this is key for a tough bite!)

Hot tip: Sunken trees and cribs in deeper water that is close to a shallow drop are holding better size fish right now.



Trout: Stocked trout fishing is always very popular for opening weekend. Here's a an earlier post on the stocking of our local lakes and the complete DNR list is available here.

Stocked trout are easy to catch before too much pressure gets put on them. Watch for them swimming in groups just below the surface and cast ahead of them. They'll hit a variety of tackle/bait options but the use of gold really will help. I typically use a gold ice fishing jig with live bait under a small balsa bobber.

LM Bass: Largemouth are in an early prespawn pattern. Small schools of them are chasing baitfish in the shallow water.  For larger fish look for LM to be along the first drop offs, major points or at the edges of shallow bays. Later in the day they may move to the backs of spawning coves.  Texas rigged plastics, wacky worms and jigs with a chunk trailer will be good options if fished very slowly. Slow rolling spinnerbaits, jerkbaits or ripping rattletraps around weedy cover could produce some reaction strikes.

I've been making good use of the new catch and release season, and although you have to grind for them, the fish are where they are supposed to be.

Hot tip: Flapper grubs on a 1/8ounce jig head cast and slow counted around weed clumps on shallow flats near spawning areas....I'll just say, you can thank me later.

SM Bass: Smallmouth remain in deeper water for the most part, although a few have been seen making foraging runs into rocky areas during the middle part of the day. Look for them to be suspended in the water column in deep water near points and other rocky structure. Suspending Jerkbaits, swimbaits, slow rolled spinnerbaits or twister tail grubs in natural pattern are good options for chasing suspended smallmouths. If you can find some fish on the rocks, Bitsy Bugs with a small plastic trailer, ned rigs or soft jerkbaits can get interesting pretty darn quick.

Walleyes are  roaming shallow flats chasing baitfish. This indicates typical post-spawn behavior patterns, which matches the water temperatures on our local lakes. Bottom bouncers with spinner harnesses, lindy rigs and jigs will all catch these fish.  Look for walleyes to relate the edges of shallow water, but especially at the junctions of rock/sand transitions. I'd run live bait rigs to find fish, then fish an active area hard with crankbaits like a Shad Raps or Frenzies, husky jerks or floating rapalas.

Best lakes for walleye: Lac La Belle, Pewaukee, Pine and Oconomowoc. A few fish are still being caught on the Rock and Crawfish Rivers. Note: Each lake in our area has different regulations for walleye size/bag limits...make sure you know what's what for where you are fishing.

Northern: Pike are past their post spawn blues and are feeding aggressively. Typically with these conditions small pike will be all over shallow water and you can expect the big pike to be relating to the first break. We've been picking up some incidental pike was bass fishing the last couple of weeks.

This is prime time to chase pike with live bait. Use slip bobbers and suspend large shiners and suckers around weed edges or near areas with visible panfish. Casting with lipless crankbaits, buzzbaits, spoons or spinner baits, especially around shallow weeds on the edge of the sandy flat areas can be dynamite. 

Musky: The fish that seem to be chasing active baitfish are relating to green weed growth in mid-depth water. You never lose out by floating a sucker or the largest shiners you can buy. I'd downsize my presentation, stick to jerkbaits, gliders or smaller bucktails for the opener this year, and concentrate your efforts on any scattered weed clumps you can find. 

Advice from me: Slow down, be methodical when working an area and be ready to make lots of casts to get neutral fish to bite.

Trout: The DNR did stock trout in the usual area lakes: Note that some lakes got different species of trout this year. (Like Lower Gen)

Full List Here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/sites/default/files/topic/Fishing/CatchableTroutApril2021.pdf

New to the area or just moved to an area lake? Want to learn some simple tactics to increase success when fishing? -> I have openings for guide trips or fishing lessons during May and June. Email me for more information.

Good Luck. Be safe out there and I'll see you on the water.

Cheers,
CT

Fishing Reports: 4-9-21

 And we're back in action.

Water temps are in the mid to high 40's on our area lakes. Warm water is where it is at for panfishing right now. If you can find those rare spots where water temps are in the low 50's, you'll find consistent action.

Panfish are starting to make a move into the traditional shallow water areas on area lakes.  Sunny afternoons with a south or southwest wind will provide the best action until main lake areas catch up. Remember: North facing areas will be warmer, and fish tend to congregate in these areas early on. Current, in the form of a creek channel, or river area will help as well. Boat Channels, Sand Bars and isolated bays are great starting points.

For now, focus on the green weeds in shallow protected bays with a northern bank. Concentrate your efforts on the patches of weeds, using live bait suspended under a bobber. Keep your bait just above the weeds, and any visible fish that you see. I like to use waxworms or spikes on a small red hook, or small/crappie sized fatheads-hooked in the tail, underneath a pencil bobber with just a split shot or two to keep the bait down. Be ready to start using plastics, especially for active fish, but for now, I'd start with the live bait and move to plastics later in the day.

Be ready to sort through smaller fish to get keepers, but understand that there's some quality keepers to be had very shallow right now. Current, green weeds or reeds and shallow submerged wood are great places to start. Fish be concentrated in small, specific areas for the next week.

Making use of our catch and release bass season that was new last year? Then you want to have three baits tied on when you hit the water this weekend.

1.) Jerkbait...the old size 11/3 hook floating Rapala really shines in cold water, but I caught some (smaller fish) this week on a perch colored 110 fished around the ends of points outside of spawning areas. The bait had to be sitting dead still to get a bite, but it did produce for a couple of hours ahead of the rain.

2.) Flapper grub...continuing with the old school theme...the slow fall/gliding action of the flabber grub is a sure winner in early season cold water. Flapper grubs are a lost technique...they're not flashy or fancy, but the cobra head style body on a light jighead looks just like the juvenile panfish that are starting to get active. It takes patience to fish one, but it will produce...especially along shallow weed/rock transitions where there are visible panfish holding. Although a Kalins or Zoom grub will work, the irregular fall and shape of the flapper is far superior in under 55 degree water. I usually use a 1/16th ounce unpainted ball head jig with a larger (size 1) hook for fishing them, but it was windy out when I was out this week so I used a 3/32 mushroom head and it worked just fine.

3.) Rattletrap (lipless crankbait)....the old saying still applies...there is only one color of rattletrap that matters: silver sides/blue back...unless its spring, then a red one is a solid choice. 

Saftey note: Pike are recovering from the spawn and will viciously attack a chrome rattletrap right now. You have been warned.


Around the area: The Rock River remains fairly low, and while there's some current, the bite there has been very inconsistent. Walleye are mostly done, there's been no significant whitebass movement, and a few cats and sheephead are being caught on the edges of the deeper holes.

As of this week there were still a bunch of walleyes and muskys below the Oconomowoc Dam if you want to dream a little dream about the season ahead.

Feel free to email me (catchfishwithchris@hotmail.com) if you want to chat/swap information or just to talk about fishing.

See ya out there.

CT

 

Musky Stocking with MCW today

 Hey everyone,

My son and I helped put some musky out today along with members of the Musky Club of Wisconsin.

 The club has been doing active stocking of extended growth fish in our area lakes for several years.

We met at the Okauchee launch, and five boats each took 20 or so fish out and placed them around the lake.

There will be a story in the Oconomowoc Enterprise about the stocking on Thursday. 

Time to blow off the rust

 The weather isn't making things any easier, but there's fish to be caught.

Major river areas (Dells, Depere, Winneconne) are all seeing action and giving up lots of fish. Close to home there's two games to play.

The Rock River walleye fishing has been a tough, but steady bite. I've been out a few times and I've been in touch with other folks that are regularly out in the spring. People are catching fish, but legals have been hard to come by...the bulk of the fish are just starting the move in, and the new size/bag limits have been keeping some fish out of the frying pan this year.

Jigging the holes and breaks with controlled drifts can produce. Using your electronics to find fish in the wood or in out of the current areas can also produce. I've put fish in the boat jigging, casting with plastics and pulling flies in the last week. The full moon is Monday evening, so I expect the bite and action to pick up dramatically over the next week, especially if the weather and temperature stabilizes.

Starting to hear some scattered whitebass in the river and down by Blackhawk, and I did catch a small one yesterday. The most consistent bite has been catfish.

On the area lakes, it is still very early but a few panfish are starting to make a spring transition. If the weather stabilizes and we get some warm afternoon sunshine, things will pick up dramatically. For now, look for crappies and bluegills to suspend around structure or wood in areas just outside of the traditional spring shallow bays and boat channels. A couple days where it stays sunny and a bit warmer and things will start happening quick. For now, keep your presentations small, and above the fish by 6-10 inches. Areas with current and some green weeds are a solid spot to start, and a small tail hooked minnow or a waxworm on a #10 or #12 red hook can ready do some early season damage.

I hope to be out some over the next two weeks, and I'll post as I am able. Once a week reports will start/return in mid April.

Nature takes care of itself

Hey gang,

I was out with my old roommate on the Rock River yesterday. We fished the area from the dam in Jefferson down past the Ditch and the S turn. We didn't have any notable success, but it was one heck of a day to be outside.

The water was just barely 42 degrees when we pulled out, which is usually about when things start to happen. (The wind was the real impediment yesterday)

But with the Full Moon on the 29th and the weather trend for the next 10 days....it is time to get out. Warm spring rain on the way, with three high pressure days during the Full Moon Cycle is about optimal conditions for any spring river walleye fishing.

After that, the area lakes, which are about 90% open, will be ready to start giving up some spring panfish (and if you're so inclined some catch and release pre-spawn bass fishing).

Here's my 2021 version of the annual Rock River Resources post.

For those of you who have asked, regular reports will start in mid-April as my online teaching semester starts to wind down and I can be on the water on a regular basis.

Cheers,

CT

Water level and current on the rise on the Rock River

 

With warm spring rain in the forecast for today, I thought I'd pop over and check the gauges.  It is very noticeable downstream from the Jefferson dam, but closer to the dam, conditions are still in the "very early stage".

Very soon my friends. If you're heading out, take a moment and check the new parking regulations at Blackhawk Island and remember the river now has an 18" minimum size limit, with a 3 fish per day limit.

Open Water Approaches/Rock River Spring Resources

 Everyone,

Spring has (partially) sprung, and there's glimpses of open water on the horizon.

Images on the Jefferson Dam Lake-Link Thread show the channel opening up on the Rock River below the Jefferson Dam. While it is still very, very early (and not yet ready for boats or shore fishing) the signs are that the spring runs are just around the corner.

Here's some links to get you in the mood and to keep you in touch as things develop.

Water Resources Links:

 

USGS Data For Ft Atkinson

River status at Jefferson

River status at Ft Atkinson 

Rock-Kosh Lake District

Public Boat Launches:

Riverview Drive (At Jefferson Dam)

K-Mart

Water Street  

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

St Patricks Day in 2009 (As the flood was setting in)

Link to the fish passage camera:

At the Jefferson Dam (Was offline when I just checked it)

Fishing Report 9-22-2020

Around the area water is hovering around the mid to low 60's, but even with the stable warm weather on the way, expect the shorter nights to start dropping water temps. 

Weeds are still thick, and water levels are around average for this time of year. Baitfish are still very plentiful since many of them hatched late.

Panfish have begun to transition to fall patterns. Look for keepers at the ends of long weedy points, or suspended around shallow grass in current areas. Plastics tipped with small live bait are usually solid options this time of year, but don't overlook the use of larger live bait for keepers.

LM Bass fishing has settled into a traditional early fall pattern. Fish will bite periodically through out the day, but usually in short feeding spurts, and the afternoons and evenings are the best times of day. Topwater, especially buzzbaits and poppers will pull up active fish. Fish tight to cover early with slower, vertical presentations, but get more active with your presentations around 9-10am. Be ready to move around to find active fish, but concentrate on areas with rock/weed transitions, and when you find fish in an area, work it hard as many fish will be schooled up, chasing bait.

SM Bass fishing...it is time to break out the live bait. Fish will relate to break lines, moving up to shallow water to feed, but then out to deep water between feeding runs. Deeper breaks off of points or shallow rocky areas are the best place to start. Leeches work great if you can still find them, but "walleye sized suckers", the biggest shiners you can find or chubs are worth it if you're chasing the fish of the year. Don't be shy about the size live bait or floating minnow baits (like a #11 rapala) but a deep diving crankbait in white or crawfish patterns can save a day this time of year.

Walleye fishing has been on the slow side for the last stretch of days. I expect the fishing to get better as the weather stabilizes. A few anglers have been heading to the rivers to get a jump on the fall runs, and some anglers on the Rock are reporting some whitebass are mixed in with the walleyes and cats they are getting, although it seems a bit off and on. 

Musky fishing has been a little slower than I would have expected, but is definitely starting to pick up as the water cools and the boat traffic dies down. Still a bit early for the pounders, but gliders, dawgs, bucktails and  jerkbaits are solid options, but it is the start of sucker season, so make sure to keep one out while targeting muskies.

Good Luck Out There,
CT

Fishing Report (Labor Day Weekend 2020)

Hey Gang,

 Water levels are a bit higher than they have been, and water temps are in the low to mid 70's. Weeds are a bit more sparse than usual for this time of year, the crayfish molt is wrapping up and the baitfish are on the move. The next three weeks are setting up for some great action.

Panfish continues to be the hot bite in the area, but the action can come in spurts rather than being a consistent all day bite. Crappie and bluegill continue to hold along weedlines or suspended out over deep water. You'll have to look around, but there's some decent bags of keepers in mid-depth weeds (8-12FOW). Plastics tipped with live bait, tail hooked minnows and leafworms fished vertically or with slip bobbers will produce. Evenings have been better, as is typical for this time of year, but look for the best bite to start to shift to early afternoon as the photocycle starts to rapidly shrink. 

Largemouth continue to run late summer patterns. On the hot sunny days, look for them around docks or slop, or schooled up chasing bait out deep in 12-15 FOW. On the cooler cloudy days, look for active fish in sand/rock or rock/weed transitions in 4-8 feet, but be ready to fish slow and tight, making ontact with cover to get a bite. Topwater bite will be good, especially early in the morning from sunrise until about 8am. After 8am, grubs, jigworms and small cranks or minnow baits can really produce. 

Smallmouth fishing has picked up as fish are starting to put on the early fall feedbag. 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 or crawfish colored 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. 

Walleye fishing: The best word is inconsistent. People still fishing at night are reporting some success off the deeper sand flat areas, but a few decent fish are being caught out of the shallow weeds very early in the morning using rapalas or similar minnow baits. Wind will help, but having a variety of live bait to try some different things can make a difference. If you find some active fish, hit that area hard from a couple of angles with at least two or three presentations. There's more fish there, but with the quantity of baitfish in the water right now, they can afford to be a little choosy.

Musky are getting more active, but anglers are still reporting lots of lazy follows. Gliders, smaller bulldogs and cow-girls have all produced limited action 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. For now, it is probably best to leave the pounders at home and stick with a smaller presentation. When the water gets into the high 60's then you bust out the armbusting tackle. Don't forget to go slow and steady with those topwaters.

See ya out there.

Good Luck,
CT

Fishing Report 8-21-2020

 
Hey gang,

Lots going on, so let's get right to it. First off, the crayfish molt is winding up. Lots of people were on some fish, but then those fish got scarce. What happened of course is the late summer molt, where the soft shells get on the shallow rocks and the feeding frenzy breaks out. Typically when a deep bite cools off quickly like that, fish will continue to bite, but they'll have a much smaller strike zone and the shallow fish will be active. But with so much food around, it means you need to slow down and be more methodical with your presentations. Fish tight to cover, and take a deep breath to slow down. Remember my rule of slowing down: If you think you're fishing slow enough, you're still fishing twice as fast as you should be. 

Panfish bite has been consistent, and some quality bags are coming in. Generically the fish are moving to weed-edges and shallow weed clumps at the end of points. Classic late summer behavior, and a bit ahead of schedule. The best fishing is on the deeper weed edge along the main lake structure or secondary points. Slip bobbers will work, but vertically fishing for the deeper fish can really produce, especially if you can find some fish suspending. Don't be afraid to use big bait, including panfish leeches if you can find them. If they're not on the ends of structure, move out to the adjacent deep water and look for them suspended at the depth of the nearby structure. ( IE: if the point ends in 15 FOW, move out deeper, but look for the fish to be down 15')

Bass are starting to school up and chase bait. (Again, this is a bit ahead of schedule for the season) Look for active fish to be chasing late hatching baitfish on shallow flats. Topwaters, jigworms, grubs and wacky worms can really catch some quality bags right now, especially if you're close to active fish. Docks and slop have been pretty hot with the warmer weather, but  flipping or working a texas rig or jig worm through isolated points and weed edges produced some quality bites for me the last couple of days.

Walleye are patrolling the flats for bait. Jigging in the weeds can be dynamite, especially early and late, but don't be afraid to work edges/drops in 18-22 FOW, or to throw minnowbaits around visible subsurface patches of weeds. Controlled drifting or back trolling with lindy rigs has been working on the windy days where jigging has been tough. Don't fish an area without visible baitfish right now, and be ready for white/yellowbass to steal lots of bait.

Pike are making an early fall move, and I saw several quality pike patrolling the shallow water in search of food when I was out this past week. Buzzbaits, spinners and small lipless crankbaits will all produce right now, but the real ticket is a slip sinker rig with heavy floro and a small sucker dragged ever so slowly through weeds in 18-25 FOW.

Musky fishing was pretty slow this past week. My regular sources all reported a tough week, but things are starting to happen.

Fishing Report 8-3-2020

The end run of summer begins and it is time to get on the water. 

As we move into August you'll find fish in the traditional summer places, but watch for them to have periods of time where they feed actively around rock bars and transition areas. The changes in the photocycle and the length of day are signals to the fish to start charging up, and you can expect to see activity levels peak and ebb during each day. After 40 years on the water, one thing I know is true: the photocycle starts dominating fish activity this time of year.

Panfish are still holding in deeper water, and will likely continue to do so for a couple of weeks. Look for them to suspend along weedlines in 12-22 feet of water, or to suspend over deeper sandgrass about 14-18 feet down over 40-50 feet of water. 

Largemouth will come in using two primary patterns at least for the short term. On the (hot) sunny days, you can find them around shallow docks, wood laydowns, slop and scattered weed clumps.  As the sun gets up, look for them to move tighter to the overhead cover, paying close attention to the shadows, but here will be periods of time during the day where their activity level will increase for a short spell. You should prepare to switch tactics (and your presentation) as they switch on and off, especially around transition areas and over flats where the topwater bite can really be fantastic, early and late in the day. 

Deeper fish will continue to use weededges and points in 12-18 feet of water, or be suspended over deep water about 6-12 feet below the surface where there's baitfish or juvenile panfish schooled up. Some fish are relating to rockbars in 5-12 feet of water as the crayfish move up for a late summer molt. Tube baits and skirted grubs are a great way to target these fish.  The fish chasing molted and juvenile craws will bite all day around rock/gravel areas, but they tend to be in groups on a certain area on a larger piece of structure. Tip: If you see carp digging on the rocks (there's usually a cloud of dust when they forage) you're probably in the right area. Some deeper fish are still being taken off the weedlines and off the weed flats by anglers flipping around heavy cover.

Smallmouth are starting the (early) fall pattern of making 3 maybe 5 shallow foraging moves each day. When you are contacting active fish in shallow water, the bite can be incredible. Topwaters, including size 9 or 11 rapalas or poppers in natural patterns can get you started, but be ready to switch to tubes, wacky, skirted grubs or twister tails as the day progresses. Note, it is less about the clock, and more about baitfish this time of year. When things are slower, look for them to be just off the first major break in deeper water. Crankbaits in white or chartreuse, spinners or live bait are better for the deeper fish. Fish the edges where weedlines touch hard bottom.  

Walleyes will continue to hold in their summer patterns for another couple of weeks, but they will quickly make a move to shallower weedy areas as the baitfish move in for their fall spawning run. For now jigging or backtrolling with live bait around weededges or drop-offs in 12-18 feet of water is a good place to start, and be ready to adjust to deeper water on sunny days or shallower on cloudy or windy days.  A few fish are appearing on mid-lake structure but many are staging off main-lake points, especially where there is bottom transitions from rock to sand or from sand to muck. Trolling with bottom bouncers and spinner harnesses or drifting with live bait rigs are great ways to target these fish.  In the very early mornings and at last light, working a floating minnow bait through the tops of weeds can put a couple fish in the boat quick, especially if there is just a little wind.

Northern pike activity has been slow and steady all summer, and I wouldn't expect that to change. Smaller pike can almost always be found in shallow water around weed clumps and inside weededges adjacent to rock bars/shorelines. Larger pike can be taken trolling cranbkaits or backtrolling live bait along deeper weed edges, especially in 12-20 feet of water. 

I haven't heard much in the way of Musky for the last couple of weeks as most folks give them the mid-summer break, but with more rain and cooler nights on the horizon, things should start to pick back up.


Good Luck and Cheers.
CT

Fishing Report 7-17-2020

Hey gang,

I hope you are all well. I know I haven't been quite as regular with reports as in the past,  but thanks to those of you who reach out about the timeline for updates. It is nice to know I'm not talking to empty space here. This blog started when I was heavily involved with Musky Mike's and guiding full time...but life has moved on some from then. I'm still around though, and if you ever need any info on the fly, you can always just email me.

Before we get Started: Handy Tip: The Okauchee Launch at the Golden Mast is currently closed.

In general terms :The unstable weather complicated fishing some this week. Fish were still biting, but activity levels and strike zone size was limited.  As we move towards the end of July and into early August look for fish in the usual summer places, but watch for them to have periods of time where they feed actively. The changes in the daily photocycle and the length of day will start to be evident to the fish, and you can expect to see activity levels peak and ebb during each day.

Water temps are in the low to mid 80's. Weed growth is at summer peak..

For now, current is your friend.The rain over the last ten days has really started some water moving, and the fish are certainly relating to the changes.

Panfish are still holding in deeper water, and will continue to do so for a couple of weeks. Look for the crappies to suspend along weedlines in 12-22 feet of water and bluegills to suspend about 14-18 feet down over 40-50 feet of water. Deeper holes in areas with current may also hold some surprising sized pannies right now. Caught some decent panfish with my son and his friend one day this week fishing tight to emergent weed clumps on the end of a shallow point....not sure if it was a pattern, but FYI. Small plastics tipped with waxie or spikes or panfish leeches are all about all you need right now.

Largemouth will continue to come in using two primary patterns in the short term. On sunny days, you can find them around shallow docks, wood laydowns (especially ones that generate some shade), in the slop and scattered weed clumps.  As the sun gets up, look for them to move tighter to overhead cover, but here will be periods of time during the day where their activity level will increase for a short period of time...maybe 45 minutes or so. Be ready to switch tactics as they switch on and off, especially around transition areas and over flats where the topwater bite can really be fantastic.

Deeper fish will continue to use weed edges and points in 12-18 feet of water, or be suspended over deep water about 6-12 feet below the surface where there are baitfish or bluegills. Some fish are relating to rockbars in 5-12 feet of water during their feeding run, before pulling off to the first break. Tube baits and skirted grubs are a great way to target these fish. Some fish are still being taken off the weedlines and off the weed flats by anglers flipping around heavy cover.

Smallmouth are making 3-5 foraging moves each day. When you are contacting active fish in shallow water, the bite can be incredible. Topwaters, including size 9 or 11 rapalas or poppers in natural patterns can get you started, but be ready to switch to tubes, wacky, skirted grubs or twister tails as the day progresses. When things are slower, look for them to be just off the first major break in deeper water. Crankbaits in white or chartreuse, spinners or live bait are better options for the deeper fish.  If you can find a school holding close to the bottom around the end of a point on your electronics, drop shot them and follow up with a grub.

Walleyes will continue to hold in their summer patterns for another couple of weeks, but they will soon start to make a move to shallower weedy areas as the baitfish move in for their fall spawning run. For now jigging or backtrolling with live bait around weededges or drop-offs in 12-18 but also as deep as 27 feet of water is a good place to start, and be ready to adjust to shallower on cloudy or windy days.  A few fish are appearing on mid-lake structure but many are staging off main-lake points, especially where there is bottom transitions from rock to sand or from sand to muck. Trolling with bottom bouncers and spinner harnesses or drifting with live bait rigs are great ways to target these fish, especially at night.

Northern pike activity has been slow and steady all summer, and I wouldn't expect that to change. Smaller pike can almost always be found in shallow water around weed clumps and inside weededges adjacent to rock bars/shorelines. Larger pike can be taken trolling cranbkaits or backtrolling live bait along deeper weed edges, especially in 15-22 feet of water.

Musky reports have slowed down over the past couple of weeks, but I suspect that has as much to do with the weather as anything. Many anglers stop chasing musky when water temps get above 80, and most lakes are in excess of that figure right now. For the next run, look for the in deeper water suspended around baitfish. Action will pick up considerably in the weeks ahead. The usual lakes have been been producing, Pewaukee and Okauchee have been slower than average all season, but are still  producing.

Good Luck and Cheers.
CT

Local Fishing Report June 29, 2020

Well gang, we're almost half way through summer...and things really picked up in the last stretch. The bite has finally stabilized and it is time to fish Around the area most water temps are in the mid to high 70's. Weed growth and baitfish populations are at about average for this time of year.

If you're a newbie or casual fisherman....keep it simple. Get some leeches or small suckers and fish them on a slip sinker or lindy rig. Just keep the line tight and put your boat around the deep edges of some visible weeds. You will catch fish.

If you're looking to cast some lures...try a lipless crankbait.  Just cast it at any weeds you see, and reel it in as fast as you can.

Panfish Looking for action? Small panfish can be caught in shallow water using a small hook, bobber and live bait, especially around docks or swim platforms. The better sized fish are being caught out of the deeper water (12-18 or 20-32 FOW) by anglers drifting and fishing vertically. If you're on a deep school, but not catching keepers, get your bait down a little deeper. Electronics are your friend when targeting suspended panfish, but nothing helps more than a steady breeze for a natural drift. I've been consistently finding good panfish action about 12-15 foot down over deeper water or on weed edges/sand grass at its deepest on long mainlake points.

Largemouth bass have moved into more traditional summer patterns.  Look for them in inside weed edges in 4-6 FOW  and the outside edges in 8-15 FOW. These fish can be caught on a variety of tackle, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, texas rigged plastics, wacky worms, jigworms, jig and chunks, skirted grubs and tubes. Piers are holding fish and the slop has been pretty good, especially in the mid-day and late afternoons. If you just want to catch fish, keep it simple...leeches, chubs or small suckers on a lindy or slip sinker rig along a deep weed edge is an easy way to put some fish in the boat on just about any area lake.

Smallmouth bass fishing was fairly good this past week. Fish are using rocky points and bars especially early and later in the day. Watch for current, it pulls them in to feed, but most of the fish are holding on the deep side of breaks or suspending off mainlake structure, coming in briefly to forage. Skirted grubs, twister tails, tubes, wacky worms, lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits or floating rapalas are your best tackle options, but live bait like leeches and small suckers has been working for the people doing slow controlled trolling in the deep sandgrass in 18-25 feet.

Walleye fishing has been red hot the last week or so. Fish continue to be caught along outside weed edges or off deeper flats with sandgrass. Slip bobbers or split shot rigs with live bait or suckers, backtrolled on lindy or a slip-sinker rig has been producing, but the pre-dawn and post-dusk hour has been delivering the larger fish. Fishing over the tops of weed clumps near breaklines with floating rapala minnows or rip jigging has been producing as well, especially early and late in the day. Most fish are being caught along weededges in 12-18 FOW, but I've been catching them as shallow a 7' and as deep as 25'.

Pike fishing has been about average with lots of smaller pike being reported. Active fish are using the shallow weedflats to feed on th huge schools pf small baitfish, including the recent bloom of juvenile panfish. Fish with inline spinners, lipless crankbaits, small bucktails or buzzbaits tight to scattered weedclumps in 4-8 FOW. Larger pike were harder to come by according to most reports, but if you want to chase them, try the weedline in 12-18 feet of water and fish with suckers or large shiners on a slip sinker rig, or rip some deep grass with a jig and reaper, spoon or jerkbait.

Musky: target suspended fish out over deeper on smaller lipless crankbaits, gliders and bucktails. A few fish have been caught off the weedline on larger swimbaits. Anglers continue to report lots and lots of lazy follows this season. 12-15 FOW seems to be the magic depth and weeds on the end of points have been the hotspots for action over the past 8-10 days.


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

Good Luck, and stay safe and healthy.

Cheers,
CT

Fishing Report 6-19-2020

Hey gang.

Fishing has been fairly inconsistent the last couple of weeks. Everything seems a little "off" for this time of year. Going back in the logs doesn't really have anything comparable (In June, anyway), and my logs go back a fair amount of time, covering a range of conditions. I've been out for at least a few hours most days this week, and I've had successful trips, but without fail I'm catching the bulk of my fish before 9am. I was surprised that the stable weather didn't make fishing very consistent, but that really hasn't been my experience.

That's not to say you can't catch fish, you should just plan on working a little harder for them. Fishing is always a game of averages, and right now. it isbest to play the percentages in your favor. Fish in lower light time periods, focus on protected or shady areas during the middle part of the day.

Water temps are in the Mid 70's. Weeds are quickly starting to come in. Fish were biting light, but beyond that it was hard to pattern them.

Reminder: Golden Lake's Launch will close on Monday. They will repairing the parking lot, and as I understand it, there will be no parking available at the launch for at least a week.

Around the area...Panfish, especially bluegills are finishing the spawn on many local lakes. Look for active fish along the inside edges of weedlines at the end of sand or gravel points. Most of the nests in the shallow areas have been cleaned off with so many people out on the lakes, but if you look for bedding fish in the 8-12 or 15-17 FOW range, you'll catch the bigger ones, and you'll still find fish on the beds. Crappies were a hot bite this week while weather was stable especially over the deeper attractors/brushpiles. Fish them vertical with plastics or tail hooked minnows.

Largemouth bass are still schooled up and chasing bait on the weedy flats with scattered cover,  so expect to catch lots of smaller fish in groups with some dead time between little flurries of action. Weeds=fish right now, and with the limited number of weeds around, you can find schools of fish in or near the weeds you find. If you find some fish, work them hard. That's how you'll likely to find the best success. The old maxim: Don't leave fish to find fish is very true right now.

The unstable weather on the way will likely jump start then crush bass activity for a few days, but if you can find some fish...presentations made slow and very tight to cover (like flipping or texas rigged plastics for example) will still catch fish. I've been trying to downsize to account for the tougher bite, it hasn't always worked, but it has given me the opportunity to find some fish.

If the wind is laying down, one of my better guiding tricks for these conditions has always been to twitch a size 9 or 11 floating rapala minnow, pop-r or pop-x around shallow structure/cover. After the weekend, if we get some sunny days look for some quality fish around rock bars or points where wacky, skirted grubs or tubes will really shine. Consider getting off the bank and look for fish on mid depth flat areas. That said, don't ignore the slop and docks during the middle parts of the day, especially the mid-afternoon bite from about 2-4pm.

Smallmouth could be a tough bite until conditions stabilize mid next week. You'll be doing some hunting, so I'd throw spinnerbaits and grubs for smallmouth but a crawfish pattern crankbait bounced through the sand and rock transition areas in 8-15 FOW might just be what "Dr Chris" ordered. (Yes, I'm actually a Doctor.) Don't over look a finesse wacky rig or even live bait, especially if you can find some fish out deep.

Northern Pike are less effected by the weather than most other gamefish species. If the bite is tough, throw spinnerbaits, buzzbaits or lipless crankbaits around shallow patches of weeds for some action. Bigger fish can be taken on slip sinker rigs tipped with larger bait. Buzzbaits will trigger some action fish, or consider a jerkbait like a rouge or husky jerk. Pulling steel spinner harnesses along the outside weed edges is sure to turn on soon, but I haven't spent any time doing it yet.

Walleye: Biting on live bait and smaller plastics, but the bite has been very tough and patterning fish nearly impossible. Rip jig weeds in 8-12 FOW if you can find them, or sandgrass flats in 18-22 FOW.  Live bait options: leeches, shiners or nightcrawlers are probably better on a slip sinker/lindy rig, otherwise I'd stay finesse with slip bobbers or small jigs  for the weekend and the early part of the week, but if things pick up...it is primetime for floating or countdown minnow baits. Let the fish have the bait for an extra second right now before you crack them.

Musky has been the story of lazy follows. Fish are active, but catching them has been tougher. Look for musky fishing to really pick up after this next front goes through. Most of the fish I have been hearing about have been sub 40" fish.

Fishing Report June 5, 2020

Hey gang,

As we head into the annual free fishing weekend , you're going to find a range of conditions around the area.

Water temps are in the mid to high 70's on most lakes, water clarity has been surprisingly good despite some very high water and the heavy rains we've had. What does vary lake to lake the most is weed growth.

I have no explanation for this. Some lakes have some really developed standing weeds this season, others, even ones where there's usually some solid growth, just aren't there yet. In practical terms this means it can be hard to pin down fish on the lakes with scattered weeds, as they are using different areas.

As for fishing, it is what you would expect for early June.

After that warm weather, the panfish (bluegills anyway) have started to move up onto their beds. Sandy or pea gravel areas in the shallows will all have some panfish, but typically the better keepers come from areas where nests can be in 8-12 FOW. Lots of approaches will work, but when fishing for spawning gills remember there's always lots of smaller fish in the area. Small plastics tipped with waxworms, or a leaf worm. helgramite, on panfish leech on a small red or gold hook with a split shot or slip sinker really can get the job done, but don't be afraid to bust out the slip bobbers for deeper panfish.

People are still catching some nice crappies, but consistent numbers have been hard to produce. A few crappies are being caught over deeper water near mainlake structure, and you may still find a few spawning crappies are in shallow bays near weeds, wood laydowns or reeds. Minnows, hooked through the tail on a small hook (#8 or #10), waxworms and plastics have all been taking fish.

A handful of bass are still spawning, but not many. Topwaters and crankbaits are catching fish over open water areas, especially if you can find some isolated standing weed patches on the mid-depth flats in 6-12 feet of water. Early mornings have been tough, but there has been an amazing bite mid mornings. On the sunny afternoons, the fish have been tighter to cover in 3-8 feet of water and fishing around the docks and in the slop has been picking up a bit, especially late in the afternoon. Overall fish are shallower than you'd think they should be. Plastics: Texas rigged lizards, tube jigs skirted grubs, and wacky worms are all catching fish, as always, if the bite is tough, try a jigworm. Live bait (shiners >suckers) or leeches on slip sinker rigs are catching a few fish for anglers making solid drifts over productive areas.

Chasing smallmouth this weekend? Minnowbaits, like size 11 or 13 floating rapalas are actually a great way to catch these fish. Keep it simple, black and silver or chartruese and white are the best. If it warms up this weekend and the early part of next week, look for them on sand/rock transition areas and  target them with tubes, skirted grubs or twister tail grubs.

Walleye  are still using shallow weeds and weed edges in 6-12 feet. Slip Bobbers, jigging with live bait or drifting with lindy rigs have been productive, especially when using small suckers or leeches for bait. In the evening, a few anglers are still catching fish by working rapala minnow baits over isolated weed clumps on mainlake points and humps, but this bite also dropped off with the weather changes this past week.

Northern Pike fishing was slow, but steady. The best way to catch pike is a small sucker or medium to large shiner on a slip sinker rig with a flourocarbon leader. Drift along the deeper edges of the weeds you can find in 12-18 feet. Up shallow- Lipless crankbaits, buzzbaits and spinner baits are still producing.

Musky fishing has been slow but there's been lots of fish up shallow in the mornings. Anglers continue to report lots of lazy follows, so figure eights are an absolute necessity.

Note: If you're a novice and want to catch some fish this weekend, pick up a couple of lipless crankbaits (either rattletraps or rattling rapalas) and cast them around (but not into) any standing weeds you see. Cast it past the edges of the shallow weeds you see, and then as soon as the bait hits the water, reel quickly. I won't promise you a big one, but there will be some action.

Good luck.

2020 Memorial Weekend Preview

Headed out for the Holiday weekend?

Casual fisherman? Here's a tip to put a couple gamefish in the boat this weekend: A lipless crankbait. Go to your local bait and tackle shop and ask for a lipless crankbait. In the old days, this was a Bill Lewis Rattletrap but they come in a rainbow of shapes and colors today. But one or two, and just cast and retrieve it over shallow flat areas. Rule 1 of the lipless crank: as fast as you can reel.

Keep the net handy as you'll have a shot at a mixed bag of bass, walleye and pike depending on where you're fishing.

Conditions around the area: Right now most lakes are in the high 50's to low 60's. Weed growth is way behind. Water remains high on most lakes and local rivers after the heavy rains, so make sure to check at the launches about possible slow-no-wake conditions.

Bluegills Current areas and sandy or gravel areas will hold the most fish. Smaller gills are shallow, but if you're looking for nice gills, try 8-12 feet of water. Regardless of depth, focus on sand/gravel areas for the best success. Leeches on a split shot rig are the best way to chase larger pannies, but Waxworms, redworms and plastics are taking fish.

Crappie fishing has been hit or miss. People are catching some nice crappies, but consistent numbers of keepers have been hard to produce. A few crappies are being caught over deeper water near mainlake structure, and you may still find a few spawning crappies are in shallow bays near weeds, wood laydowns or reeds. Minnows, hooked through the tail on a small hook (#8 or #10), waxworms and plastics have all been taking fish.

Largemouth Bass  are in the pre-spawn period. Buzzbaits and Lipless Crankbaits are catching fish over open water areas, especially weed patches on the mid-depth flats in 6-12 feet of water. Fish have been hard to pattern though, and you should be ready to be flexible. Lots of fish are schooled up, but with weeds in limited supply, and baitfish schools hard to pin down this season, you might have to actually cover some water to find fish consistently. If the topwater/crankbait bite is off downsize your plastics presentations. I caught a bunch of fish on an old school floating worm this week, but covering water with a grub or small ringworm filled in some gaps. The fish are active, but can be mighty spooky under these conditions, so be ready to make long casts. Plastics: Texas rigged lizards, tubes, skirted grubs, and wacky worms are all catching fish, but as always, if the bite is tough, try a jigworm. Browns and pumpkins have been outproducing greens and watermelons for me. Live bait on slip sinker rigs are catching a few fish for anglers making solid drifts over productive areas, but try to keep your leader a bit longer to keep you bait higher in the water column.

Smallmouth Bass fishing was getting good before the rain. Minnowbaits, like size 11 or 13 floating rapalas are actually a great way to catch these fish. Keep it simple, black and silver or chartruese and white are the best. Look for them early and late on sand/rock transition areas and  target them with tubes, skirted grubs or twister tail grubs. You can't go wrong with a lipless crankbait to find fish right now.

Walleye fishing has been off and on ith the weather. With limited weeds, fish are hard to pin down. Slip Bobbers, jigging with live bait or drifting with lindy rigs have been productive, especially when using small suckers or leeches for bait. In the evening, a few anglers are still catching fish by working rapala minnow baits over any isolated weed clumps on mainlake points and humps they can find.

Northern Pike fishing was slow, but steady. The best way to catch pike is a small sucker or medium to large shiner on a slip sinker rig with a flourocarbon leader. Drift along the deeper edges of the weeds you can find in 12-18 feet Up shallow- Lipless crankbaits, buzzbaits and spinner baits are still producing.

Musky fishing has been pretty slow with the sunny days. Anglers continue to report lots of lazy follows, so figure eights are an absolute necessity, and having a sucker out on a quick strike rig is always a good idea. Topwater and jerkbaits are still catching some fish, but with weeds hard to come by, plan on covering some water.