December Fishing Reports

Made it out Thursday the 1st for a few hours mid-day. Launched out of Kmart and fished around town trying to stay out of the wind. Seen WeFish hard at work right after I got on the river, just a quick today.

Much better action than in previous days, caught prolly 12-15 short saugers, all the way from 14.99″ down to about 8.5″ was the smallest. I also managed 3 keeper saugers at 15.25, 15.75, and about 16.5 that’ll make a dandy lunch today.

The catch of the day was this 20″walleye, the pic doesn’t do her justice, she was soooo round I couldn’t touch my fingers wrapping my hands around her belly . She was well fed and looking for another snack…. got her on a jig and minnow, actually all my fish came on minnows except for the 16.5″er that crushed a white moxie on a stand up jig. Had a couple lite bites that I missed on the plastic but really nothing compared to the live bait bite…. Water temp was 35.6* all day, fishing picked up around noon as the clouds and wind shift came in. Hoping to get out at least one more time this year but we’ll have to watch the weather, it’s snowing right now…

Launching out of Kmart, how convenient!

Thanks for posting C-guy and I hope you do get out at least one more time this year.

Sauger, the other white meat!

Nice way to start December, open water and catching eyes and the other white meat. I was out of town for a couple days, otherwise might have been there with you.

Hey did you guys see netmann posing with a big fat girl on TV last weekend for $25.

So are we talkin’ bout a mature mama walleye, or female humanoid? How bout posting the pic here, so we can determine for ourselves?

By the way, would any of you local river rats please post if the river is still boat-accessible? K-mart, by-pass, and riverfront tavern?
I see a winter-boat voyage on the horizon.

The Kmart launch was froze in last week, had to launch downtown. River was open up to the Bark when I got there, lots of ice flowing down. Broke up the ice up to the 106 bridge. Only managed 4 shorts and a 15# bugle lips… All on minnows nothing on plastic at all. Been working 12hr days but hoping to get out another time or two yet this year. I heard, but didn’t go down there to confirm, that the bar launch is open still.

I was hoping to finally get out on Monday too but with the forecasted temps I’m sure there will be too much shore ice by the end of the weekend. I guess it’s time to look for safe ice.

Merry Christmas!

We need to set a date for a SE WI GTG…. Had alot of fun last year in Racine harbor, even if the fish didn’t co-operate. Of course we need to actually get some ice first, but we should try for the end of January or first couple weekends in Feb… Any suggestions?

Sounds good to me. Can I invite my cousin Rich from chi-town if he promises to bring some of that cherry warmer-upper?

I am game.

Also, anybody do any other ice fishing. Looking to get out some this year for a change of pace. Got all the gear just looking for someone else to hang with during the slow times.

D

All boat launches open – no ice anywhere – walleyes to be had. Go get them anglers.

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Sounds good to me. Can I invite my cousin Rich from chi-town if he promises to bring some of that cherry warmer-upper?

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You can bring anybody you want if you have a jar of cherry warmer…

Im in for a gtg for sure. there is some ice angling to be done,but had to travel.Just got back for lake of the woods,and the eyes and saugers were biting.i fished with 2 friends and in three days we iced around 275 fish.i also got my personal best walleye to date a 26inch. and 3 other slot fish 22 1/2,20 1/2,and 19 3/4 . also got a few eel pout my buddy took pics,so i will post a couple when he emails them to me

Got a bonus day of open-water fishing on Wednesday. Was joined by fellow IDOer Randy W., as we launched at the Riverfront Tavern, and played from the VFW down to the head of the lake. Couldn’t find any fish in the typcial shallow-water haunts, but did pick up 18 or so shorties, with two just over 15 inches. After realizing that we wee spinning our wheels looking for the shallow bite, we pretty much stayed in the deep holes (14 to 19 ft) getting bit by the little guys, just looking for some action, figuring this was going to be our last open-water outing for the year. We were joined by two other boats who also had trouble finding the bigger fish, but did have a legal or two mixed in with the undersized. Plastic and live bait both produced some fish, but nothing consistent.
No ice anywhere on the stretch that we fished, so still some time to enjoy.

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Got a bonus day of open-water fishing on Wednesday. Was joined by fellow IDOer Randy W., as we launched at the Riverfront Tavern, and played from the VFW down to the head of the lake. Couldn’t find any fish in the typcial shallow-water haunts, but did pick up 18 or so shorties, with two just over 15 inches. After realizing that we wee spinning our wheels looking for the shallow bite, we pretty much stayed in the deep holes (14 to 19 ft) getting bit by the little guys, just looking for some action, figuring this was going to be our last open-water outing for the year. We were joined by two other boats who also had trouble finding the bigger fish, but did have a legal or two mixed in with the undersized. Plastic and live bait both produced some fish, but nothing consistent.
No ice anywhere on the stretch that we fished, so still some time to enjoy.

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What an awesome day out on the river. Sure was nice to escape the madness of recent life to experience the peace and tranquility. Could care less on the size of the sugies and eyes – to me, it really didn’t matter. Just feeling that jig tick over the bottom and to have my mind focused on something other than my mother and Brother was a real treat. Plus, if we would have stuck to the deep holes, we would have put the hammer down on way too many little fish. Thanks for the ride Ed! It was a nice treat to get into someone else’s boat and not have a care in the world.

Here’s a belated Merry Christmas wish and Happy New Year cheer to my fellow Rock river Rats, and a couple pics from last week’s outing.

Happy New Year to all

Happy New Year to you and yours.

40 degree temps this weekend should get the walleyes bitting again if you have a boat. I’m still hunting, all most to warm to hunt. Maybe get the poles out and try a few cast at the VFW and boat club this weekend. Just a few pictures to get all of you pumped for this sping. Pictures are from the Oct bite, WeFish and I fished it hard in Oct.

Anyone have any info on the Koshkonong Fisherie?

Made it out today for the last time of the year.. Put in at the Riverfront about 8am, had to break up a skim of ice before I could fish. Had my first fish within 5 minutes of starting, landed an almost 30″ northern. Picked up a few short fish each drift through, mainly saugers but also got two small walleyes. Only keeper was an 18″ sauger. I caught the northern and a couple shorts on a purple/chartruse moxie, the rest of the shorts came on large fatheads. Once I ran out of fatheads all I had left was shiners, the legal was the only fish I got on them but he just crushed it, better hit than the northern even… I only fished until 11 or so, I’d had enough of the wind by then… You know it’s windy when you’ve gotta run your trolling motor at half power to keep up with your jig going downstream .

Looking at the forcast, winter might actually be coming next week. Would really like to get out on the ice but if weather permits the boat is always ready..

Want to wish all my fellow IDO’ers a Happy New Years…