Fishing Report
7/21/15
The hot heat and humidity are here, and one may think of wanting to spend time on the lake swimming, or doing water sport activities before fishing to beat the heat. In recent history though, fishing heats up with the weather as well.
In years past, I have personally had great luck in the hot humid days of summer. The walleyes really congregate in certain areas, and there can be plenty of “dead” water so you need to find the fish. Once you do, there should be a good school of them to catch. In the summer heat, fish will use the vegetation to hide from the heat, as well as deep structure where the water is cooler. Live bait is my favorite go to tactic. Make sure to keep the live bait fresh and active. With my leeches, I like to use a “leech tamer” to add a few dozen leeches in for the day. I will throw that in my livewell and pump fresh water into that all day. It will acclimate your leeches to the lakes water temperature, and it seems to keep them very active, rather than having them sit on cold ice all day. Keeping crawlers cold and firm is also crucial. As soon as they heat up, they will turn soft. Keeping them to a nice firm figure will make them look more plump and a better meal for the walleye.
The largemouth bass are hiding in stumpy areas to combat the hot heat. The stumps provide overhead cover for them. When locating these stump fields, work them over well. Plastics are a great go to lure right now, and also will help keep you from snagging. The plastics will allow you to put the bait right in front of the fishes mouth and entice them to bite. For the smallmouth, check deeper rock structures for fish. These fish will pick a certain area of the hump to sit on so make sure to work over the whole thing. When you catch one, make sure to stay in the general area as there will be others near by.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
7/7/15
It’s hard to believe that the 4th of July has already passed us, and sadly we are heading the other way on the fishing calendar now. The dog days of summer are in front of us before the fish start to eat heavy again for the fall feed bag. The lakes were busy with boat traffic and fisherman over the holiday weekend, but the fish were still biting great.
The walleyes were on a hot bite and where they were found over the weekend is many times where they will spend their summer time haunts at. Hard bottom mid lake structures held the fish this weekend. The fish were very aggressive even with the boat traffic. Live bait was the go to tactic when searching for fish on these structures. Many times you will find these fish in very specific areas on a structure. Also, not all structures are created equal so make sure to scan these areas over by graphing them on your electronics. Do not spend time fishing an area that you aren’t marking and catching fish. This time of year many of your big walleyes will start to suspend and start eating baitfish that hold over the deep water basins in the lake. Trolling stickbaits or shad raps can catch some fish, but you will be targeting bigger fish, so your catch numbers will be low.
Panfish can be caught on the edges of weeds and also on downed timber in a little deeper water. Look for cribs and underwater structure and the fish will be congregated on them. Bobbers tipped with live bait increase your odds to catch them. Move around to find the aggressive feeding fish and work them over to find the bigger fish.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
6/30/2015
The lakes around the area are going to be busy this week with the holiday weekend. Fish are going to be pressured from extra boat traffic, and more lines in the water as anglers test their luck. One thing we all need to remember is the water is public, and we need to respect boaters, anglers, and anyone enjoying the lake as a whole.
Walleyes can be found along the weed edges in 10-14 feet of water. On a sunshine day, the fish will be up tight buried in the vegetation as they are in search of shade and staying out of the hottest part of the water. On a windier day, the fish will be running in and out of them as they are hard searching for an easy meal. Fish can also be taken on mid lake humps in similar depths. They will hang on the edges in slightly deeper water during the day but will come up to feed in the morning and evenings. Take advantage of this feeding window by dragging lindy rigs, or casting slip bobber rigs with leeches or crawlers.
You will find large-mouth bass on the weed edges as well. Searching for underwater stump fields, or woody debris will also be holding fish in the hot sun. Casting plastics is a great go to tactic this time of year. Color can be a big factor at times, so make sure to switch out colors, or have you and your partner with a different color and profile bait to see what the fish prefer for the day.
Good luck fishing, have a fun and safe 4th of July! Remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors, they will appreciate it for a lifetime.
6/16/2015
With the weather in the 70’s during the day for the next week, what could be better than sitting out on the lake catching some spawning gills, or chasing some bigger game fish? Select harvest on the bluegills is always a good idea so we can have plenty of fish to catch for the future.
The big gills are still on beds on many local lakes. Periods of some rain this week may slow that down or can push them in a bit deeper water temporarily. If that happens, fish slightly deeper in four to six feet of water and the fish will be staging just outside their beds. If you find some high pressured fish, try something different. Use a plain hook and a small sinker, but leave the bobbers at home. Cast it into the shallows and slowly jig, or slowly swim the bait back. You will be surprised how effective this can be.
The bass are being found in shallow water right now. Casting cranks into these shallow areas with hard bottom is a good choice, and if you are finding them in the weeds, top water baits are a hot ticket right now. The top water bite is by far the most exciting when it comes to bass fishing, just make sure when the fish takes the bait, you wait till you feel the fish before you set the hook. Too many people make the mistake of setting the hook at first sight of the fish taking the lure. Wait for the weight of the fish, set the hook, and your top water success rate will increase.
Finding the walleyes right now seems to be more of a spot on spot situation. They are sitting on certain areas, but when you find them, you should be able to catch several of them. Find some of the more developed weed structures as these will hold plenty of bait fish which is what the walleyes will be chasing. Right now several tactics are working. Slip bobbers with a leech, lindy rigs, jigging, and spinners are all producing fish. Depending on the situation and where the fish are holding should dictate your presentation.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
6/9/2015
June is hard to beat when it comes to fishing, and having the potential to catch fish. You can hit the shallows and fish are all around and many different species of them. We have some great weather coming up with a little chance of rain, light winds, so fishing should be on top of the list right now.
Cruise the shallows when looking for bluegills. The nice thing about our local area is the spawn lasts a while because have have many lakes of different sizes so they hit different water temperatures at different times. Just a small bobber and a hook tipped with a worm or waxie will do the trick.
The walleyes can be found and caught doing a few different tactics right now, but one great area to find them is in the shallow weeds. This is a great time when lots of panfish are up real shallow, and the vegetation is not to thick. Work the weed edges to find aggressive feeding fish. You’ll also find some of your fish just past the first break where the soft and hard bottom meet. These fish are staging to hit the shallows but they can also be caught by dropping lines in front of them.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
5/19/2015
We have hit a little cold front here in Northwest Wisconsin. Memorial Day weekend looks to be on the wetter and cooler side, but let keep our hopes up that the weather will change its mind.
The bass are starting to wrap up the spawning on many local lakes according to local bass fisherman. The fish have started to migrate to deeper water and the look for cover and they are putting the feedbag on to gain back weight lost during the spawn. The pan fish have already moved in to start or stage for spawning. If you find them you’ll find the largemouth nearby feeding on them. Right now surface lures and tubes are your go to options to catch these fish. As the weather stabilizes and the water temp increases, this bite will only get better.
The walleye in the area can still be caught in the shallows on hard bottom areas in low light conditions. Jigging or slip bobbers tipped with leeches are your best bet. Cast suspending stick baits over shallow hard bottom underwater structures for more aggressive feeding fish. When targeting them during the day, slide out a little deeper into the first hard bottom to soft bottom transition area and vertical jig to catch them.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
5/12/2015
The forecast looks like we have some wet and windy weather coming to us. That can make getting out fishing tough, but if the weather clears, or you feel like facing the elements, the fish will still be biting somewhere.
The bass are scattered in all kinds of depths. This makes it fun for chasing them because there are a variety of tactics you can use to catch them. You can start in the shallows by throwing some top water baits. There’s nothing more exciting when you’re bass fishing and they are hitting on top water. If you feel like getting down with a little more depth, throw a spinner. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure you’re fishing SLOW. The water is still cool and the fish don’t want speed right now. Slowdown that presentation and you’ll bag more bass.
The walleye are slowly and steadily moving deeper. You can still catch them in the shallows in low light, but slide into deeper water when the sun is still up. I like to vertical jig these fish right now as any times you will find them on the first deep break in a group of fish. When you find one, keep jigging that area as they will be grouped up. Leeches are going to really turn on now. The leeches are really working beneath a slip bobber so don’t be afraid to anchor up and throw out a few slip bobbers. This can be very effective when you find a school of walleyes.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime
5/5/2015
The fishing opener turned out to be a great weekend weather wise, and many boats took the water this past weekend. The last two openers were almost nonexistent, so it’s great to know people got back out to enjoy it this year.
It was by no means a slam dunk opener, and there were mixed reports of some guys catching a few fish, to some not catching many, or any at all. The fish are still on the shorelines and many will stay there for a few more weeks. Jigging is the go to tactic right now, but throwing slip bobbers is always a great option to catch early season walleyes. Many fish were caught in 5-9 feet of water which tells me the fish are slowly moving out deeper and deeper. Don’t be afraid to slide into deeper water and try vertical jigging. Right after a lot of boat pressure that can be a great tactic. When using jigs, a minnow is good, and while deploying slip bobbers, don’t be afraid to try those leeches.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
4/28/15
The famed Wisconsin fishing opener is just days away, and the eagerness to get the boat in the water and wet the lines are increasing by the hour for many of us. The weather for now looks great with warm temperatures, low wind, and only a small chance of thunderstorms on Sunday. It should make for a great and enjoyable fishing opener.
Opening day can be great, and it can also be frustrating because we don’t know exactly where the fish will be. The best we can do is start with a tactic and location, and learn from there. The last two weeks I covered tactics and How-To’s, now let’s cover what a typical fishing opener should be like. Since the ice went out earlier this year than the past two years, there will be several lakes where the fish will be done spawning, or on the very tail end. The walleyes will still be on the hard bottom areas and in the shallows. Opening morning, target rock and rubble from 2-12 feet. When you catch fish, take note of where your bite came from. If the fish are up tight, save some time and once you jig out a bit and don’t catch a fish, pitch back into the shallows where the fish are congregated. If you are catching fish closer to the boat, slide the boat into a little bit deeper water to connect with more fish.
Run through many different colors to find out what the fish prefer. I also like to run a dead stick rod in the holder when slowly working a shoreline. I put on a heavy jig for this, typically a 3/8 ounce. This gives me more chances to catch a fish, and I think many times we bring fish from the shallows out into deeper water, but due to the colder temps, they are lethargic and don’t always hit the jigging bait. All of a sudden there is a minnow just sitting there and they take it. I have caught countless fish doing this. Use a light action rod, and let the fish bend it over before setting the hook. Drop the jig to the bottom, reel 2-3 cranks up and let it sit. The motion of the boat going up the shoreline will keep the jig far enough off bottom to avoid snags.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
4/21/15
Spring weather is here. A little bit of sunshine, wind, rain, and cooling down at night. The turkeys are strutting, and the walleyes are spawning. Just over a week, and the lakes will be dotted with boats trying their luck on the fishing opener.
Last week we discussed some walleye tactics that included jigging, and slip-bobbers. This week I am going to cover cashing jerk baits.
Let’s cover a tactic that I think is very effective, but also much overlooked.
Casting jerk baits onto hard bottom shallow areas can trigger aggressive feeding fish. I have seen in many cases when you will increase the size fish you’re catching as well. This is not always the case, but your odds increase. With the ice going out earlier this year than the last two seasons, the fish will be slightly more aggressive and will be willing to hit a jerk bait.
When choosing these baits, my favorite are suspending husky jerks made by Rapala in the number 10, or 12’s. Other bait companies make these baits as well such as smithwick, lucky craft, and storm just to name a few more possibilities. Choosing colors is going to be based on the lake or the day. I will burn through colors until I find one that’s producing fish. These will vary from natural, to bright, to metallic colors.
Cast these as shallow as 1-2 feet of water. Reel a few rotations, snap your rod down to get the “jerk” motion, and let the bait sit. This pause is crucial and will actually be what triggers the bite many times. The pause should be anywhere from 1-5 seconds long. Experiment with the pause times and find out what the fish want. Make sure you bring the bait back to the boat, even while sitting in deeper water. These fish sometimes will suspend over the breaks, and I have even personally had it where I watch a walleye hit boat side. Like I said, these are much more aggressive fish.
Hard bottom areas are the best to find. Rocky points, sand, gravel, or rocky flats are key producers. Work them over slowly and you’ll be sure to add a new tactic to your tricks this year.
Good luck fishing, and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
4/14/15
The famed Wisconsin fishing opener is two and half weeks away. Boats and equipment are starting to come out of storage, the walleyes are starting the spring spawn, and preparing your gear early is going to give you a jump on this years fishing season. This weeks article is not going to cover how and where to catch fish, but I’m going to explain what I use in the first month of the season for equipment to help catch those sometimes finicky walleye.
There’s no doubt, a simple jig and minnow combination is the go to tactic for early spring walleye. It’s such a versatile presentation that can be fished vertical or horizontal, with different speeds and action. I like to have a medium action rod which gives you great backbone to set the hook, which is needed if the fish bite mid jig or with some slack in the line. I spool my reels with 6 lb mono-filament line. The meat and potatoes comes down to the jig and minnow. I choose fathead minnows when it comes to the meat, as far as the jig goes, will vary lake to lake and due to weather conditions.
When casting shorelines, I like to pitch 1/8 oz. jigs but a 1/4 oz. jig can be needed in a stiff wind. Fish are still lethargic from the cold water, so the slower the fall, the better. Vertical presentations require a heavier jig to help maintain bottom contact, which is the most crucial part. Generally I will run a 3/8 oz. jig and move around my area at a speed that keeps that jig vertical, or a slight vertical drag.
Slip bobber rigs are also a great early season tactic. Again, I use 6 lb test mono-filament line, but you can get away with a medium light action rod on these. One thing I really like to do is to add a small barrel swivel to the end of the main line, and tie on a 12-18″ fluorocarbon leader in 6-8 lb test. First off, fluorocarbon line is clearer underwater, and secondly this will keep your sinkers from sliding down which can deter fish, and cut up your line. Just make sure to put the sinkers between your barrel swivel, and the bobber. Thirdly, I like to run leeches all the time on slip bobbers because they give more action than a minnow. Leeches love to swim and spin which can cause troubles in your line. Adding this swivel will allow the leech to do his thing, and will avoid line twists. The leech should be attached by a number 6, or number 8 hook.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
3/16/15
Warm weather has started to deteriorate the ice conditions around the area. Cooler nights will slow down the melting process, but we still have some warmer days in the forecast. This time of year you need to use extreme caution when accessing the ice.
Depending on the lake, you’re able to find fish shallow, and also find those fish deep. Finding areas where runoff is flowing into a lake can be huge. That water is warmer, and fish will congregate to that water. It may only be slightly warmer, but it’s a huge key to helping locate fish this time of year. The key is to find water that’s not to cloudy and dirty. Some fish are able to be sight fished if you can find shallow enough and clean water.
If fishing the deeper water, locate 18-22 feet of water and you should find plenty of fish out there to keep you busy. As the water pours down the holes from melting, fish will raise higher and higher into the water column. Try to catch those fish as they will be most active.
Good luck fishing, and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
2/17/15
Fishing has continued to stay somewhat slow overall. Fish are being caught, but you’re working for each and every one of them. Once we start to get some steady warmer weather, that should start a steady bite again. Things will only go up from here.
When it comes to catching crappies and walleyes, one typically targets them in low light periods, or after dark. The crappies are being very finicky, and you must work to entice each and every bite. Wax worms have been working, even after dark. I always like to have a second rod next to me with a slip bobber set up about halfway down the water column to catch those crappies that are cruising and feeding hard. Use a small treble hook tipped with a bigger crappie minnow.
The bluegills are around and biting, but you have to work for them also. Hole hopping is a good idea as you are finding the few active fish in that area, then move to find new active fish. Search for the panfish in deeper water right now in the mid lake soft basin areas. There will always be fish on the bottom, and that are willing to bite, but the farther you can find fish up and suspended are your best chances to get bit.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
2/10/15
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, travel on the ice was almost impossible with the amount of snow and slush we had. Right now, travel is very easy on the ice which is a good thing when wanting to chase finicky mid winter fish. I always like to say, stay mobile and always continue to look for the right fish you want to catch. Sometimes you need to find cover, or sometimes searching a different area in the water column is all it takes.
When chasing pan fish, this can be very critical. You might have loads of fish near the bottom that will bite and catch fish after fish, but sometimes raising that bait 8-15 feet off the bottom will find you less fish, but a more quality size structure. With the cooler temps coming, you may need to scale down the size of the jig to get bites. If the small jigs don’t work, do the exact opposite and bulk up the jig size. When being able to use a bigger jig you are able to be much more aggressive in your jigging which can entice finicky fish.
Search for walleyes in the deeper water. They will sit suspended chasing the roaming bait fish, or sit just off the edge of a sharp deep break line. The walleyes will become more aggressive as the days get longer.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime!
2/3/15
February is one of those months that can make for some tough fishing. Fish are settled in their winter haunts, and some are not to overly aggressive. Location is a big factor to help get bites
The walleyes are sitting in deep water at this time of year. Some are suspended chasing open water baitfish, while some are still cruising the bottoms chasing bait. Two ways to target these fish are with tip ups or jigging them. The best way to catch the suspended fish are to deploy tip ups with BIG minnows. These walleyes are chasing baitfish, so you want a big presentation to entice them into taking your minnow. Suspend these tip up depths throughout the water column to find out where the fish are biting. Stay in the deep water just off edges of sharp drop offs to find these fish. When targeting fish on the bottom, a jigging spoon and half a minnow will do the trick. Work the break line up and down to run into fish that are actively feeding.
The panfish are hovering over the open water basin. Swimming in schools, you’ll need to be patient and wait for them to swim through, or hole hop to stay on active feeders. Color was a big factor this weekend, and black hair jigs seemed to be a very productive color. The fish are very finicky, so make sure to keep moving that bait, and as they close in, lift the bait up a bit to make them bite.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
9/29/14
Warmer weather over the past few days has given way to more cooler temps and fall like weather. As the temperature cools, the water will follow and fish will push more and more into fall and early winter patterns. Make sure to locate fish and be aware of their locations. This will help you locate future fishing areas throughout the day. Slow presentations down more and more as the water temp cools.
The bass are locating themselves on underwater points and fast dropping areas. Target these fish throwing jerk baits and let them suspend. Throwing plastic worms for fish on the bottom will work, just make sure to have fish located. Casting jerk baits will help you cover water faster.
The walleyes are dropping deeper into the depths as the water is cooling. Locate fast dropping shorelines with hard bottom close by. Fish are being found in 24-30 feet of water around the area. Trolling crankbaits to cover water is a great tactic. If you find fish on a certain area, drop the trolling motor and vertical jig over them with minnows.
Good luck fishing and remember, introduce someone new into the outdoors. They will appreciate it for a lifetime.
—
Jordan Marsh
Marsh Outdoors
715-296-2655
