October Reports

I was out on the river Sunday afternoon from 12:30 to 5 PM. Boat traffic was a bit heavier than expected, mostly pontoons and power boats. Tried a jigging pattern from VFW to Kosh. Only fish caught were just down from the VFW but they weren’t walleyes. 1 sucker, 1 sheephead, 1 buffalo and a 24″ northern. The carp was easily over 40 pounds, probably the biggest fish of my lifetime. It was definitely heavier than my 4 year old. All fish caught jigging with 3/8 oz. knuckle ball and Gulp! 3″ minnow in 8-9′. I only saw one other guy boat a fish but I couldn’t tell what it was. I did make a trolling pass on the lake but couldn’t buy a bite. Nice day to be on the water though.

Yeah when we were by the power lines jigging a carp was swimming in cirles and make a nice wake. We were waiting for it to jump in the boat with us. Would have hurt bad.

OK Fellas..what’s up with no reports from the past week. Jeff, Diesel, Databoy, Lou…..you guys have lock-jaw, or what?? If you’re wondering, my excuse is that I was catching fish on the Wisconsin River at Petenwell, but back to local waters after this coming weekend. Looking forward to a good fall on the Rock.

How dare you go out somewhere other than the Rock.

Plan to try and get out friday again in the afternoon. Hopefully the fish will cooperate this time.

Oh yeah forgot my Jeff call

Here Jeffy Jeffy Jeffy!!!

Maybe we will see him this fall

D

Good luck on friday…warm them babies up for me. I’ll be in Chicago all week, work on weekdays, and wedding/family stuff on weekend. But that’s it as far as I know now, so I’ll be on the Rock making up for some lost time afterwards, I hope.

I didn’t get out either this past weekend and have family obligations next weekend too. I actually tried to get out but locked my keys in the truck at the boat ramp. By the time my wife showed up with the extra key I lost my desire to fish and went back home to watch the Packer collapse.

You call

How ya been Jeff?

Z-man and I were talking about how we miss your reports.

Looking forward to seeing you on the river spanking everyone (including me) on the walleye.

Probably will not get out Friday now. Hopefully family plans will change. Maybe the weekend.

BCNU

Hope to get back on reports soon.

Will be out Sun morning. Will post results.

D

Just got back. Left the house early and got on the water by 7. Thought I would try the lake for a couple hours then the river for a couple of hours. Trolled for about 1.5 hours with nothing to show for it other than a near collision as this guy who was long lining and was not looking where he was driving and only watching his lines. I turned to get out of his way only to watch his path adjust to still have a collision. I am yelling to get his attention. He is with 75 feet when I am giving it the gas as I am in escape mode at this point. He yells to me you getting anything?

About 6 other boats trolling. Saw no fish caught at all.

Lake temp 41 to 42 degrees. What a drop in two weeks.

Headed to the river and saw about ten boats doing Rock River combat fishing. I joined the conga line at the power lines and “POW” 15.5 incher on plastic (Yes Z-man, you favorite lure – Paddletail). Then a shortie on jig an minnow in 8-10 FOW. Then a hit on the dead stick. I am think nice action. Finished the drift and started over
a couple short hits. Third drift nothing.

Moved up river to the bypass. Nothing and no one fishing there. Moved to VFW. Three boats there and a couple smaller walleyes caught. Heading in after that at 1100.

River temp 42 to 43. Lots of boat traffic and many of the regulars out now.

Overall a little slow but considering the nice day an crisp air. A good day.

One legal and three other caught by me. One boat had three legals but they worked for them.

D

Thanks for the report, Diesel. Sounds like the bite is beginning. That is quite a big change in temps over the past couple weeks, like you said. Finally have a few weeks with no travels planned, so gonna try to make it out mid-week for a few hours in pm….time to put that tried-and-true paddletail to work.

finally posted couple pics from Petenwell two weekends ago…check out the plastic/fish shots for a goliath gill, and a fat eye on the Wisconsin River thread. More coming from the Rock, after I catch them that is….stayed tuned.

Made it out for two hours Sunday and caught two keepers and six shorts. All caught on live bite and 3/8oz zone-r’s in the channel edges. The bite is on and next time out only ringes and paddle tails.

Glad to hear you made it out Jeff. Sounds like you are starting strong out of the gates.

Not to much time for fishing this weekend. four day CWD hunt. Got nice 9pt Friday morning and just resting up after the long drag and will get right back at it. Need one more deer.

I have heard the fish our feeding.

Could have used some gps coordinates yesterday, Jeff. Managed to boat 7 eyes, with three 16 inch eaters in the mix, but the bites and fish were far and few between. Hit the normal milk-run spots, plus a couple others, and picked away at a few, but no reproducible consistency. Other than a couple carp, and no white bass, that was it. but, it was a great day to be on the water, a very peaqceful stretch of the river at this time of the year. Gonna have to keep at it, cuz thinking we’re gonna see a big improvement soon. Oh yeah, half the fish and bites came on paddletail, other half on jig/leech.

Here’s a late pic of Friday’s catch (and Sunday’s dinner). Anyone brave the rain and cold over the weekend?? Going to try to get out again later this week.

May try to get out as well since I have some extra hours earned from todays boondoggle in IL.

DC

Made it out today with a buddy, and we did OK, but still not the fall bite I’ve come to expect. Together, we boated about 20 eyes and sauger, with 4 legals from 16 to 19.5 inches. No clear bait of preference, although 3 of the legals came on a paddletail, other on jig/minnow. Undersized hit both as well. depth was 9 feet on most, and again, fish were scattered in a few of the milk run locations from VFW to mouth. Had a great sunset to end the day, and actually, it was the only sun we saw today, for about 10 minutes before sundown. Pics of the sunset, and and fish to follow.

Oh what a difference two days make!!

Got out early again to get home to the honey do list. A buddy joined me this time. Launched at about 630 and headed up to VFW drifted with river rig sitter pole. Plastics and jig and minnow. Nada. Worked all portions of the hole. Shallow deep nothing. Moved to stink pipe. The same. Moved to blackhawk. Lost of boats in an out but only saw one fish caught. We caught two smaller fish. One 14.999 incher and my buddy reelled up a whopper “5 incher”. NEW RECORD in my boat .

Both fish actually snagged and released. Fish are there but were tight lipped. Left the water at 1130 along with about 4 other boaters.

Very slow all around. Water temp 40 to 42 degrees.

Derek

….and here’s a pic from Friday of the 19.5 and the paddletail he favored.

….and another of our only glimpse of the sun for the day, but what a glimpse! The sunsets at the mouth of Kosh are often quite a sight.