I fished with Pierce & Pete Knarr this past Saturday morning. We spent all of our time fishing the river above Lake Wisconsin in search of walleyes especially but willing to take what ever showed up on the end of our line.
Pierce has to be one of the most enthusiastic eight year old fishermen I’ve ever fished with. There was no attention lapse’s from this little guy as he is 100% gung ho when it comes to fishing.
Dragging jigs tipped with magnum fatheads, half a night crawler and Moxi’s was working pretty well for us on this morning. Using a Draggin Jig from B’Fish’N Tackle was an absolute must in this snagged filled area.
We caught quite a few walleyes but only two of them were legal. Most were less than 15″ long but plenty of other fish also showed a liking to our jigs this morning. Pierce and his dad Pete also caught couple of 13″ crappies along several jumbo white bass and some bonus smallmouth bass.
Water levels and flow rates have been declining but that will probably change after heavy rains the other day just north of here. Water temps were running anywhere from the 58 degrees on the upper end of the lake to the mid 50’s in the middle of the lake.
More & more walleyes are showing up every day as they continue to migrate back down to the lake after spawning up river. Most of those fish have been smaller ones so far but I did see two different 29 inchers caught this past weekend. If the river stays high, expect that down river migration to go slower.
Crappies are finally starting to make there way up to the spawning beds in a few areas as water temps climb closer & closer to that magic 60 degree mark.
The areas where you will find the first spawning crappies will be the shallower bays that warm up the fastest. With the exceptionally warm weather predicted for this week, I expect the crappies to start turning on big time.
Very nice Joel! Were the crappies hitting the Moxis?
Atta Boy Joel!!
CRAPPIE TIME!!
Yes they were but we also caught one on a jig/crawler & a jig/minnow. On this day anyway, I think it as much about getting a bait in front of them as it was the kind of bait you were using.
nice fish guys! How heavy of jigs were you using? A few years back, we have crappies hitting our 3/8th oz jigs on a local lake. its pretty amazing to think they will hit a presentation that big, and a presentaion as small as we use in the winter.
nice fish guys! How heavy of jigs were you using? A few years back, we have crappies hitting our 3/8th oz jigs on a local lake. its pretty amazing to think they will hit a presentation that big, and a presentaion as small as we use in the winter.
1/8oz Draggin Jigs is what we were using.
But I’ve had them hit big plastics, like these 4″ moxi’s paired on 5/16 & 3/8oz precision jigs many times in the fall while fishing for walleyes
Another great read Joel
So we have “Safety Joe”
And we have “Fisherman Joel” !!!!!
Love your reports buddy…keep’m com’n !!!
Nice Job Joel!
Nice Job Joel:
Here is a report from a little further North:
Musky opener is finally here are you ready!!!
With the 2011 Northern Wisconsin musky opener this weekend many anglers will be heading to their favorite bodies of water to try their luck at catching the elusive musky. Water temperatures have remained in the mid to upper 50’s so far this spring and that means that the muskies are a few weeks behind schedule. With that said look for them to be holding up very shallow in less than 3 feet of water. Small spinner baits and bucktails will be your best bet along with 6 inch twitch baits like Bucher Shallow Raiders, Tyrrants, and Jakes. Work these lures along shoreline areas and in shallow bays with any wood or newly emerging weeds. Don’t rule out top water baits either as I have seen quite a few nice muskies on opening weekend take a crack at a menacing top water lure that just seemed irresistible to them. Oh, and don’t be surprised if you get a smack form a big northern either as there are plenty of them holding out in the same general areas as the muskies are right now!
The smallmouth bass action has been outstanding this past week and some very big fish have been caught up to 21+ inches. Look for these aerobic fighters to be holding tight to shoreline structure and around any submerged wood in less than 4 feet of water. Chug Bugs and Heddon Torpedoes will work on top and a jig and pig or a small crankbait on the bottom. Either of these presentations will draw aggressive bronze backs from their structure and create an attack that you will remember for a very long time. These hard hitting, strong fighting fish will give anyone from 2 to102 the fishing trip of a lifetime.
Crappies and panfish have really been the bread and butter of the fisherman this past week. Along with the outstanding smallmouth action that we have been having anglers looking to catch a few fish to take home have been able to easily catch enough of these tasty panfish to have a nice meal. The crappies have been holding in less than 3 feet of water and for the most part any submerged wood or shoreline reeds have been literally infested with them. Small minnows set about one foot under a bobber or Cubby Mini Mites rigged the same way will pull these feisty slabs from cover and to your awaiting net. Don’t try to pull these slabs from the water and swing them into the boat once you have them hooked because of their weight and paper thin mouths they will tear free and will be gone forever.
The bluegills are starting to move in and I have been catching quite a few nice bull nosed gills right up in water as shallow as 6 inches. Look for shoreline brush or weeds along with any wood in less than 3 feet of water. These areas are bluegill magnets. A hook and worm under a bobber is all you need to catch bluegills but an experienced angler can try tiny spinners or mini cranks to target the larger ones.
Walleyes, walleyes, walleyes… Most of the time you stop hearing about walleyes at this time of the year as they are post spawn and usually quite lethargic. Many anglers are out targeting muskies, panfish or bass but you may be overlooking some of the best walleye fishing of the year. These fish have spawned and moved off to summer haunts and can easily be taken by working a jig and minnow or a jig and crawler. Right now the walleyes are holding in a variety of depths of water along rocky shoreline structure and wood. To get these generally night time feeders to eat you need to drop your presentation right in front of their nose. A properly place cast in and around structure will almost always get a reaction from a feeding walleye. Early morning hours and evening hours are the best on most bodies of water but these fish can also be taken from the stained waters of the Wisconsin River and its backwater areas during mid day hours.
Good Luck and have a great week.
Phil Schweik
Licensed Wisconsin Hunting & Fishing Guide
Hooksetters Guide Service; http://www.hooksetters.biz
Ruttnut Guide Service: http://www.ruttnut.com
Phone: 715-581-2620
Below is Ken Zingler with his first legal musky of the 2011 season