Rivers Open!

Landings at Blackhawk Island are open! Also Hwy 26 is within a day of opening up, very little ice near shore! Time to get jiggy wit it!

carpking:

I went over the Rock on Sunday in Fort on my way to Madison to meet with some friends and saw there were some small bergs floating. Otherwise it looked like it is ready to go. I was hoping to hear some of ya were out there chasing ‘eyes.

Mark

Is the bark open yet?

The river between the Bark and 300 yards or so below Roberts street bridge has been open for the better part of 2 weeks now.
Sunday the river from K Mart to the mouth was about %80 ice covered. Monday the river was about %80 open after Sunday nights rains from K Mart to the mouth. You could easily manuver a boat the whole way if you wanted. Tuesday afternoon the winds let up so the bergs that were pinned against what ice was/is left along the shores was comming down in great number. Enough so that I would’nt want to be out in a boat. Not worth getting torpedoed or blocked from getting back to a ramp.
Today the river is pretty much skimmed over again to the point that it would NOT be worth the hassle to fish assuming you could even find an open spot to fish. I WAS planning on taking the boat out today but after seeing what shape the rivers in currently quickly forgot that idea.

Though I did’nt go down there I imagine the mouth is probably pretty well backed up with bergs today.

I’ve been fishing off the wall in town 4 times in the last week or so with nothing to show for my efforts save some lost jigs. LOL Hav’nt seen or heard of anyone else doing anything either.

when the bark is ice free about a mile up it’s great fishing. anyone else fish up in the bark with a boat?

I’ve fished cats from Fort to Princes Point ( near Whitewater )then up the Scuppernong river from there. Also used to do a lot of Duck hunting on the Bark.

Do you fish eyes up there too then ? I’ve thought about it but have never tried it.

Last springs flood sure made it tough to get up there last summer/fall. The winter draw down for Kosh pretty much made it inaccessable by boat by the time fall rolled around. LOTS of canoers/kayakers use the Bark the last few years now. That’s fine but it can be a pain if you happen to get to the launch at the same time as half a dozen paddlers get there. They are almost as bad as being swarmed by a of popcorn ducks at times.

I have a mud motor so I run up there all the time. theres a good spot for walleyes up there in the spring. If you see a lowe roughneck with a mud motor at the fort boat landing stop and say hi.

You would’nt happen to have bought that motor at Marine Pros in Whitewater would you ? If your the same guy I’m thinking of we may have met. Have you ever launched out of Burnt Village ?

nope. 29 kaw. mud buddy. maybe I will come up this weekend and open the river up for you guys. spent all last weekend breaking ice in newville for the carp fishermen. fun sliding across the ice then breaking through

drove past Newville yesterday, and river was wide open. No boats, though, cuz it was snowing pretty good.

Took a spin today checkin out the Bark. From what I saw it’s open to Princes Point. Still ice on both sides of the river but you could get a boat through if you wanted.

Been pretty quiet on this thread ………shhhhhhhh……anyone been out??? Newville, Blackhawk, anywhere??? Promise I won’t tell.

Come on guys. I have to live through you since I am stuck changing diapers

Well…ok! I have been sneaking to a spot south of Janesville catching eyes from shore. 1/4 knuckleball with a superdoo on it. The water is high and fast and any little current break is holding walleyes it seems. These have been some of the biggest walleyes I have seen from this stretch of river in 30 years! Unfortunately I was caught by other fisherman and will probably not be able to fish it anymore….funny how public boat landings are so obvious! The good news is….starting next week I will be fishing Newville area up to whatever ice is left! That help any diesel?

I’ll be there also Carpking, see you on the water.

Well, if the moon and Pluto line up right tomorrow nite, then this guy may be launching at Newvill on Thursday….we’ll see, and we’ll report if we do.

,,,,,,Good luck Ed, be safe

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Well, if the moon and Pluto line up right tomorrow nite, then this guy may be launching at Newvill on Thursday….we’ll see, and we’ll report if we do.

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Good Luck Ed,

Stay warm and safe. I am looking forward to reading your report. Let’s start the year off right. I did my part adding to the fishing populous.

So you think I am proud dad yet?

DC

Just a little strategy for you, Diesel….get a few more of them babies brewing, and your wife’s gonna be begging you to go fishing and leave her alone. It worked for me, but took five kids.

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Just a little strategy for you, Diesel….get a few more of them babies brewing, and your wife’s gonna be begging you to go fishing and leave her alone. It worked for me, but took five kids.

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