It’s been tough fishing since my last report with cooler temps only in the 30 and the wind blowing 40 miles a hour making boat control very tough. But if you rough it out it was possible to pick up a few nice fish like this one. Check out the rest of my report as temps start to go up and walleyes and saugers start snapping. Click VIEW and enjoy
Since my last report it’s been a tough bite. One day you would pop a few and the next day they would shut right down. I have tried every thing from jigging plastic to live bait, 3 way rigging, cast and pitching in the shallows and going deep. There just wasn’t a steady pattern and nobody else was having any luck that I talked to. You could alway pick up one here and there but most were small, good eater size like the one in this picture but I’m looking for that big school.
Most of my fish were caught vertical jigging and using the new 3/8oz Day-Brite nuckle ball jigs in the purple color. Then some days the Zone-R 3/8oz in Orange/Chart, Glow/green or Black/red flo would work. I like to spool my reels with four pound test flame/green fire line works best for me. I’m still waiting for that ringworm bait and I think it’s going to happen soon. This nice sauger was caught with the purple Day-Brite jig with a fathead and stinger hook. Anglers it is a must to have stinger hooks. After a few misses and no minnow that means only one thing, put a stinger hook on.
The last couple of days all my fish were caught in the deeper water or in the channel. The ice has gone off the mighty Lake Koshkonong and the water has drop about a foot and current has slowed. The next five to six day forcast is, well lets check it out. Remember this forcast will most likely change everyday, you know weather men it’s a hard job.
Tonight
Mar 23 Cloudy 36° 20 %
Wed
Mar 24 AM Showers 58°/49° 30 %
Thu
Mar 25 Scattered T-Storms 68°/49° 40 %
Fri
Mar 26 AM Showers 61°/45° 40 %
Sat
Mar 27 Isolated T-Storms 61°/56° 30 %
Sun
Mar 28 Mostly Cloudy 64°/45° 20 %
Mon
Mar 29 Partly Cloudy 59°/43° 10 %
Tue
Mar 30 Few Showers 57°/38° 30 %
Wed
Mar 31 Mostly Cloudy 54°/37° 10 %
Thu
Apr 01 Scattered Showers 53°/35° 50 %
Well it looks like warmer temps and lots of rain which will warm the water up and in return the walleyes will bite. Put on your rain gear and head out to the Rock River in the next couple of day and catch some nice eaters like the one above in the last photo. Good luck out there and remember fishing should be FUN.
CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR A BETTER VIEW
Breaking news anglers for the southern WI area angler that fish the rock river you can get the all the nuckle ball jigs and sizes soon at Barth Hardware store in Fort Atkinson. They will have a nice display like this one, oh maybe not that nice.
glad to see your getting a few keepers. we had 1 in three times out so far. a lot of 14and7/8.
i have noticed purple working really well this year for me too. maybe they like the darker colors this year. well maybe i will join in on the fun this weekend. heading to the fox on friday afternoon, were gonna fish well into the evening and hope for the big one.
did anyone else hear about that 73 pound buffalo carp taken near janesville? it was big but very ugly!!!
Mike good luck up at the Fox. I had a picture of that big old carp but can’t find it anymore.
i saw it on lake-link and the news, huge!!
Why aren’t you out fishing? I have to do some things around the house so I can get out Thursday.
i’m suppose to be working but i’m waiting until 9 to leave. thats when gander opens. they have all there rapala lures for 2.99. can’t pass that up..
I found that picture of that 73# buffalo carp caught on Lake Koshkonong which rumor has it as a new world record.
thats one ugly fish but i would take it. fun fight!!!!
I like to find somebody to head up to Depere in the next week or two?!!! Never fished by boat up there, just from shore when I was working up there.I will Drive and pull my boat! Just go up early morning and come back the same day.Laid off and have some time before the hall puts me to work!!!
Was out on the mighty rock Wedsday, fished from 2:00 until dark.The weather was just beautiful!!! The bit was a little slow but caught one 151/2 and 171/2 walleye. Will be out all day tommorrow. Cya all!!Good luck.
Thanks for the report Chris. I wish I could join you but booked up with guide trips for the next couple of weeks. Fished with Hard Water this morning and got four nice keeper and we both lost a keeper at the boat and caught some shorts. I sure thought it would have been a better bite but it’s the same as all the other days. You really have to work to get any fish. Lots of anglers are not catching any.
Another photo of the world record buffalo carp.
Thanks for the picture Tom that’s a awesome catch. I’m sure that fish will bring in some $$$$$
Just a update on water temp. Tuesday it was 40 to 41 and this morning it was 46.
Just a update on the weather here at Fort Atkinson. Water temps are 46 to 48.
Tonight
Mar 26 Mostly Cloudy 37° 20 %
Sat
Mar 27 Mostly Cloudy 59°/50° 10 %
Sun
Mar 28 AM T-Storms 61°/39° 70 %
Mon
Mar 29 Scattered Showers 53°/35° 30 %
Tue
Mar 30 Few Showers 45°/32° 30 %
Wed
Mar 31 Few Showers 49°/34° 30 %
Thu
Apr 01 Mostly Cloudy 50°/36° 10 %
Fri
Apr 02 Mostly Cloudy 50°/35° 10 %
Sat
Apr 03 Few Showers 48°/35° 30 %
Sun
Apr 04 Scattered Showers 53°/36° 30 %
Finally the male are just starting to mess the boat up
It is still a tuff bit , but I think the the fish are scattered may be because the boat traffic? W e fish up river down river and in between. Caught fish at all places, but nothing consistent. I did boat a NICE 23″ fat hog thou 
Hopfully I can figure out how to post the picture on this report!? CPR her, she was just plump! The surface temp did break 50 deg. yesterday……It shur seems early for them kinda temps. Good luck to all!!!!!
Jeff did’nt see ya yesterday??
It was a slow bite today. I only had a few hours so we drifted the lower river by the resort. Had a few bites at 12 to 14 foot. They were hitting light and hard to hook even with stingers.
I did manage to hook a beautiful trophy 27″ 9 lbs plus walleye. 
She was very tempting to have mounted but I have one on the wall that size already so I CPRed her. She was as big around as a cantalope!!! 
So the big ones are out there boys! That was the only one we boated. Nor did I see any being caught. Which I thought was strange as this storm front approaching. I really thought that would trigger a good bite. 
Oh well, there is always tomorrow. So the chase continues! 
Keep those livewells and coolers full! cya!
Thanks for the report Suprchef. Here’s a picture of your nice walleye, thanks for the CPR.
Thanks for another super report Jeff. I can’t echo your sentiments enough on the Zone R jigs. I got some last year and they are awesome. As a new guy with them I wish we could get Mike to send you a little closer to the U.P. with that great display of FinTech products and your experiences with using them.
Jeff. Thank you for posting that picture but that is my brother, Wallyliner (Chris) and his 23″ 4 pounder he caught on friday. Another beautiful walleye CPRed. The picture of my nine pounder is still on a disposable camera i have to get developed. I will get a picture to you when I get it back.
Today the bite was like yesterday, almost nothing. Boat control was challenging to say the least. Everyone had the same story. they are “poppin’ it and dropin’ it”. I hooked one fish today but never saw what it was. But oh man was it fun!!!
20 minute fight and it never would break the surface of the water. Pulled us from the curve up by the first house to the resort before I finally lost it. 
What ever it was, it was BIG! Maybe another 72 pound buffalo carp??? 
All and all, it was a nice morning to be out there. 
I have 5 days left of vacation so I hope the brother and I can get into some eyes this week! 
Going out again tomorrow. Cya!
Thanks for clearing that up for everyone. I didn’t think that was nine pounds and 27″. But it still was a nice fish.
Seems like the weekend was a tough bite. I didn’t have much luck but a few people found one or two fish. I continue to be amazed at the information that Bola and all the other fisher folks contribute to this page. I has already learned a lot and got my Zone-R jigs in the mail. Thanks for the posts and information. You guys are great. Although I didn’t have much luck this weekend I learned a little bit more. Mostly what NOT to do!!!
Keep up the posts as I probably won’t get back out to the river until the end of April which sucks but that is what happens when you are remodeling.
Diesel