Rock River, April Walleye Run,(Jefferson County)

Mavzer I hate to say it, but I think it is bad. There are still some fish around but they are hard to catch. The last two years I never had to go any where else, I just fished the Rock. If I wanted walleye, catfish, whitebass, crappie, perch, northern you justed had to go fish for those fish. I have not caught a fish in three weeks. I’m ready to start lake fishing soon. I will give the walleyes and whitebass and catfish some more tries. But I like the rest of the anglers around here, ready to give up. I thought I would never say that.

Hey Jeff

Can you bring me up to date on the cause of this die off? Thanks.

The DNR said it was from to much oxygen. No snow cover with to much sun light, go figure. Lots of anglers blame it on low water levels but DNR say NO. All I know is that I feel like I have to learn a new body of water all over again. It is truly hard to catch fish this year, SO FAR.

Jeff,

If you are looking for a change of pace…. get out your chest waders and walk the busseyville creek bottoms… park at the bridge in busseyville and make sure you try that whole on the (I think it would be the north side of the road) I used to always get walleye out of there.. and then walk down towards the lake fishing the snags for cats…. fantastic action this time of year… I would use cut sucker or buffalo whatetver you can get your hands on that leaves a scent….trial… Just a suggestion… this was always kind of a honey hole for me back in when I lived in the area…. of if you like fishing small rivers. .. the yahara dam in dunkirk and stebbinsville where always good in the spring for cats… but nothing like busseyville…. anyway hope things inpmrove… later!!! MAVZER

Thanks for the info, anything is better than what has been going on here at the Rock.

Jeff,
As a wise man once said, only believe half of what you see and none of what you hear! I am of the belief that the fish kill was avoidable if we would have had higher water throughout the winter as we have had years ago. This fish kill was larger than any in recent history. Seems odd that DNR says that we had the same high oxygen levels during the same January period in the winter of 2000 and I don’t remember a fish kill like this after that winter??

I used to think DNR staff were honest but now I am having some doubts. I hope that the whole truth starts to come out on what happened this winter and more importantly that DNR looks at other options like getting rid of the drawdown. I feel that a stable water level would be better for the lake, knowing full well that we will flood when Mother Nature opens the clouds and we can’t do anything about it. Good luck fishing Kosh this year, I am going elsewhere.

I truly understand Bass423. And I don’t blame you to fish some where else. But something tell me to stick with it. And the only reason I stick with it becauce the river is right here and the way I caught fish right when the ice went out. I also saw the biggest fish caught this year on the rock and lots of them. When I get my film all used up I will post some of these fish I saw. And of course I have a few I caught also. I will keep everyone posted if the river or lake turns around. until then tight line and good fishing. think safety on the water and take a kid fishing.

Like I promised here is one of the nice walleyes I saw caught on the Rock River by Cary Tomaszewski vertical jigging in seven foot of water.

PS. This fish did not die off because of high oxygen levels. Now you now why I keep fishing the rock. There is nice fish still in the rock. More pictures still to come.

nice fish but i think they are hard to come by on the rock. not to cut on the rock but i don’t think this is a place to look for trophies. its probably my favorite river to fish but i have yet to catch one like this.

Jeff, nice fish. I think it’s time to leave those 3/8s in the box and get out the 3/4 head clunkers and wake those walleyes up!

Hi Anglers, Here are some more nice fish Cary Tomaszewski wanted to share with us that he caught first ice out on the Rock River jigging in seven foot of water. I actually saw Cary catch these fish. HMMMMMMMMMMM I wonder how Cary new about that spot . Well I’m just glad he had a great day on the Rock, they are few and in between.

Those look like some nice fish, wish I would have had a day like that. But those look like big bellied females ready to spawn, I didn’t think the females were biting much on first ice out.

You can never judge anything by first ice out. I feel most of the fish moved under the ice. Then when ice went out that was the back end of the run. Every year it is different. I will start fishing the Rock heavy again starting this weekend. The water has came up about one foot and I would say it will come up another foot within the next couple days.

whats he doing keeping all of those. thats why this fishery is going down hill. thats why these fish are far and few between.

Yes Mike I know what your thinking, We Fish and I felt the same way. But its not my place to jugde anglers. They all have there reasons for keeping female walleyes I guess. He did explain to me that those fish were the only fish he kept so far this year. May be he made a stringer mount.

hey jeff, i know he has the right to keep them but its guys like that, that make you and me suffer. i can understand a little if hes getting a stringer mount but i know those fish aren’t good table fare. it just does something to me to see beautiful fish taken out of a river to be wasted and put on the table. i could go on all night about the negatives of keeping these fish but i know you already see what i’m talking about.

Anyways, whats the latest report on the mighty rock? from what i have been hearing, its slow everywhere. i turned your buddy helgs on to them crappies. i hope he gives them a try. the action has been pretty good lately. well good luck and i hope you find some fish!!!
Lundmann23

Helgie is a good man. I’m glad you did. I will have to give him a call.

if you talk to him, let me know how he did. he said he was gonna give the lauderdale chain a try.

well guys, opening weekend was pretty tough fishing for me. we headed up to my buddys cabin near wautoma and fished three different lakes near there. couldn’t find to many fish. caught a few northerns and bass but the fishing was slow. atleast the weather was nice on saturday so it wasn’t all that bad. just wondering how everyone else did this weekend.

I went up to Spirit Lake for fishing on Saturday. It was a nice day but the big fish weren’t biting. We loaded up on some nice jumbo perch though, biggest ones were 11 3/4″. We caught enough 10″+ to make a nice dinner. The walleyes haven’t seemed to have spawned yet up there.