December Fishing Reports

open water or ice?

I am ready for Ice.

WeFish

Looks like you started already.

WeFish

Looks like he is ready for hard water.

WeFish

Here’s one for the open water

No fair guys. You are making me want to dust off the ice gear.

ice ice ice bring on the ice. hopefully i dont have to wait until christmas break up north for ice either. cant wait!

Fellas…gotta chime in on all this ice talk: BAH-HUMBUG! Still hoping to get a few open-water trips in in December, and maybe one or two in January and February, amidst all the catching up I have to do on home mini-projects that I’ve neglected all season. That way I can ease into March with a clear conscience to start the cycle all over again.
More power to you guys, though.

Nice one We Fish

Though I kind of like ice fishing once I get out there, I’m with you Z-man, I prefer open water. Lots of shorts last Sunday morning, tried the area from the bypass to Blackhawk. Saturday, WeFish and I scouted Ripley and got an “eye”-full. Great late fall experience so we have way points once the ice covers the lake. The water was crystal clear and we could see big walleyes laying in the weeds. I even poked one with the handle of the net before it would move. Saw pike, gills, bass… Seems my weekend might be booked up but hoping to get out on the Rock still the next couple of weeks. My holiday wish is for the small lakes will freeze (but maybe just up north) and the Rock to stay open all winter. Stay safe though!

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My holiday wish is for the small lakes will freeze (but maybe just up north) and the Rock to stay open all winter. Stay safe though!

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I’m with you on that one, Databoy. I might also be out on Sunday, but not sure where yet. Going to try Lake MI this afternoon to chase Browns and smallies, and probably the Rock on Sunday if I can keep the family schedule clear. Looks like the last OK day for a while, if you can believe the 10-day forecasts.

Made it out Tuesday and Wensday 12/3 and 12/4. Tuesday was sunny and warm, south wind, fished from 10am to 5pm. Boated over 20 fish, about a dozen short walleyes, three leagals a 17″ and 19″ males that I kept and a PB 25.5″er thats still swimming. Also got 6 decent white bass to round out the day. Wed was quite the contrast…. cold, cloudy, and a brisk north wind. Fished from 10am to 2pm, only boated 4 fish. Two shorts, one walleye and one sauger, a 17″ walleye, and a giant, about 10lb…. sheephead . Of the three fish cleaned two had empty stomachs and the other had a 4″ crappie. Didn’t check the bass out.
Not sure how much more open water fishing I’ll get in but not gonna pull the batteries out of the boat just yet…
Couple questions, do they plow the launches in over the winter so you can’t use it if we have open water, and does anyone ice fish the river? I know it depends on conditions and I wouldn’t recomend it and blah, blah, blah, but does anyone? Was thinking of maybe trying this winter with tip-ups or automatic fishermans…

Now its starting to feel like ice fishing weather,i can hear the lakes making ice right now You guys can blame me for the drop in the temp,as i finally got myself a fishing rig,and bring it home saturday,so of course the lakes will freeze up now For now ill have to sit behind the wheel making motor boat sounds Any of you fellow rock river guys up for an ice fishing outing(sometime this yr)? bring the kids too, so maybe Waubesa,mendota,monona,racine harbor ,i mainly fish these,but up for anything.

Wow that sure froze up fast! It’s hard to belive I was fishing in relative warmth less that 2 weeks ago. I took a drive along the river and couldn’t see open spots anywhere and the ice looked solid enough to ice fish. Speaking of, I’m ready to drill holes and just got my new Showdown fish locator and need to try it out. I also have minnows left from my last boat trip – yeah Jeff, I bought minnows

I am game to dust off the ice gear.

DC

headin out to kosh on saturday if anyone wants to join us. probably be me and a couple of my friends. were probably going out off of vinnie might take the quad too.

Had the day off work today,so had to knock the rust off my jiggin arm.hit up monona bay,with about 300 others.caught fish everywhere,moved around alot fishing the edges of the pack of people.finally hit on a spot,left with 12 keepers for dinner(8 crappies,4 gills big enough)also iced an 18 in large mouth on 2 lb test while jigging,was great to be back on the ice

Thanks for the report, sounds like a great time. 300 people, well that’s the problem up there. Smart move fishing the edges

Made it out to monona bay again sat,started slow but picked up around 10am.waxies on a perch colored gill pill was working.kept 15 ,7 1/2 to 8 in gills for dinner.threw 4 times that amount back.was great to spend 9 hrs fishing with my 11 yr old daughter,and she wasnt ready to leave yet wasnt all that crowded either. time to do a recon mission on waubesa.