Hot Walleye Action,Rock River WI, Jefferson County

What can I say anglersthe last three years since I started walleye fishing summer has been the best time of year for big walleyes and numbers on the Rock River like this one. Yes I mean water temps in the low to high 80’s. This weekend water temps were 82 to 86 degress. Morning 82 and afternoon 86.

I got up at 4:00 A.M. Saturday morning to make sure I was on the water by 5:30, man let me tell you when you have to work until midnight and then get up at 4:00 A.M. it can be tough at times but when your catching walleyes like this one on the left you adjust. I started off casting 1/8oz Chartreuse Day-Brite jigs by Fin-Tech Tackle Co.which you can click here to get the jigs www.fin-techco.com with live bait in 3 to 4 fow. Once I found the fish and they were biting good I switched to plastics like the paddle tail by B-Fish-N Tackle Co. which you can click on www.bfishntackle.com to order these plastics Now remember it was early morning when I started fishing shallow which is key. Once the sun got over the trees the fish moved deeper and it took a different techinque. But for early morning eyes the paddle tail and Day-Brite jig was the ticket.

Once the sun got over the trees I went with a vertical jigging techinque to catch fish like this one in 8 to 9 fow on the right. Now I had to switch up to a 1/4oz jig which was a glow/green nuckle ball jig and a leech or half of a night crawler to catch eyes like the one on the right. Once 9:00 A.M. came around the boat traffic started to come with the jet skiers and the fishing shut down and it was time to go home and take a nap until the late afternoon bite which was at 7:00 to 8:30 P.M.

The afternoon bite was awesome, thank god for the nap, I started off the same techinque as in the morning. Believe it or not the same techinque worked to catch nice eyes like this one on the left and numbers. It just happen there was a storm moving in so you know what happens just before a front moves in the fish really turns on, it’s what every angler dreams of and that’s how I caught fish like this one on the left. Ok, now I bet you all are asking WHY are these big walleyes on a biting frenzy in water temps at 86 degrees. Well my thoughts actually. This is what I was told by some of the best tournament anglers and recreation anglers. Soon as the water temps reach the 80’s the bait fish come in the river to spawn and the walleyes follow. Also the creek inlets and drain tubes produce cooler waters which walleyes and pike like.

Click on photos for a better view. This time I kept my arms bent