Trolling on Koshkonong

This morning Bola , me and Lab Hanna Banana headed out for a little troll-a-thon above the 59 bridge. Caught just one short ‘eye and lost one whopper eye at the boat in four hour’s fishing…with Bola whining something about having to go to work just about the time we got the whole pattern dialed in.
If you want to try tolling on the west end of Kosh you might want to start out with a jointed #5 firetiger ShadRap or firetiger Wigglewart, set back 75-82 feet behind the planer boards and dragged at an actual speed over ground of 2.8-3.2 mph target water 7.4-9.7 ft. deep.
We didn’t have time to venture up into the main lake, and didn’t have time to play with trolling crawler harnesses at a little slower speed…something to explore the next time out.
The walleyes in Koshkonong don’t seem to mind all the rain, feeding aggressively in 71 degree water. Maybe this is because the fish are already wet, and once you’re wet and there is water over your head further extrapolation is moot.
got off the water about 2 pm ahead of the rain. it was HOT out there and very humid. returned to our launch point at the Anchor Inn where an icy cold Heineken had been calling my name for over three hours.
While Hanna charmed a pair of bikinied honeys on the deck of the Anchor Inn, the Heineken told me that the walleye Bola lost close to the boat was at least seven pounds–maybe closer to 12.
This is based on the way the board almost disappeared when the fish hit that jointed ShadRap and the head shaking it was doing after the board was removed. But remember, this is the Heineken talking–not me. And it was only ONE beer.
There was no second or third beer. Had this been the case one of the Heinekens probably would have sworn to the fact that not only was this fish well over 12 pounds…it had a tag from the Koshkonong bounty hunt 1997 on it’s dorsal fin !
My advice is not to listen to the beer talking–as for the lures, trolling speed, etc. you can take that information to the bank!

Thanks for the great lesson Ted . Next time I get a big one on I want you to stop the boat so I don’t do anymore whinning.

i told you trolling wasn’t that easy. 12 pounds huh? must have been the beer!!

Does anybody troll the east side of the lake near the mouth? In a week I’ll be living just a couple minutes from the launch near the 26 overpass. I now have a Lund but the drive to the west side and/or the haul across the lake with the 15 hp motor would eat up my fishing time. Anyone try the area around Carcajou?

I’m dying to get out ASAP and miss fishing the river, that’s a little too much current for me.

The east end of the lake near the mouth can be PROFOUNDLY PRODUCTIVE–just trolling back and forth out from the end of Blackhawk island!
My longtime favorite trolling route is between Carcajou and thibeau points, but with all the high water walleyes seem to be relating to current edges more now than usual.
Really want to get over to the east end and give it a shot. all the recent high water should have pushed fish back down into the lake. Where a rising river generally moves fish upstream, flood conditions tend to push them back downstream.
i suspect a fair number of fish which are normally riverine and living between Blackhawk Island and Fort are now hanging in the lake.
Check my recent post re: trolling speed etc., Also there is more info on fishing Kosh in an article I did in this month’s Wis. Sportsman.
If all else fails and you’re looking for a guide, contact either Bola or me….I have eight open days next month.
Good luck!