August has been the best month so far with July right behind. This has been the Rock Rivers best summer that I can remember. All sizes of fish being caught on regular bases from 12 inch fish all the way to 30 inch fish. July and first week of August was the time for big fish now nice eater fish like these are being caught.
Click on Read More for the rest of my report, and Thank You for your time.
August has been the best month so far for numbers with July a close second but with giants fish in the 28+. This has been the Rock Rivers best summer that I can remember. July and first week of August was the best time for big fish, now nice eater fish like these on the left are being caught.
The way I got my limit like these nice fish on the left was vertical jigging a 1/4oz nuckle ball jig by Fin-tech Tackle Co. click on color red web-site to check out some awesome tackle www.fin-techco.com
glow/green color in 7 to 8 foot of water with muddy bottom was my choice this afternoon. Caught some under size fish also which were 12 to 14 ¾ which is nice to see for the future of the rock.
After I got my limit which only took 2 1/2 hours I went to some drain tubes to fish for white bass which was a great time catching nice white bass with every cast with a pink/white 1/8oz nuckle ball jig and a chat/glitter twister tail which all were released.
The rock is starting to cool off so fishing may slow until the fall run but them big white bass will still tug on your pole. So get a kid out fishing the rock before it’s to late.
Most of my summer has been watching my son grow up and playing baseball. Connor’s team won three tournaments this year and place second in the other and also won the city championship which they took two of three games with the year ending with a record 14-2-1.
The last tournament in Richland Center was the big one with two big wins Saturday and on Sunday they had to play for the winners bracket against Dubuque IA. team which they won 4 to 2 and for the championship they played Bloomington MN. and won 1-0
Click on photos for a larger view Thank You for your time
Nice fish, Jeff. Hard to believe that summer’s almost over. Looking forward to a good fall on the rock….save some for us and BCNU.
Nice report Jeff,
When you went vertical, where you using meat of plastics to tip your jigs?
Congratulations to Connor for a fine year. You must be very proud of him.
Sounds like you got a good bite going Jeff.
What would you say contributes to the good bite this summer versus previous years? Forage? Lack of?
Congrats Conner!
Thats what Summers are all about…… Fishing and Baseball! Man I miss playing Hard Ball. Great fish Jeff and congrats to your Boy’s team
Hey Ripper. Hope you would not mind helpiung me out. I am heading to Mille lacs Saturday and fishing Sat/Sun. I have not fished Mille Lacs since I fished the PWT. I am taking my girlfriend and my 17 week old yellow lab male. I just want to catch some fish without beating up the water. I have a 19 ProV with a 225, so I can if I need to. I am staying at McQuad’s, but of course will trailer where I need to go. I will be on the water by 3 on Sat. Bobbers are what i am thinking because she likes that, or I can troll the flats. To have some fun, can you point me to some bobber or trolling spots. Would mean alot. She’s a cutie, so if she nails a nice fish i will post the pictures. Thanks, Bill
Nice fish
How has your water level been this summer? High-Low-A verage?
I was using half of a night crawler.
Great question Steve, I would say hot weather and low water conditions and more forage. There has been 700,000lbs of carp took from the rock river, now some weed growth is coming back.
Water level very low, when low water and hot temps, fish stay in the river where water is cooler and deeper.
JP, Thanks for the info.
You know after all these years fishing the Rock things are starting to make a little sense to me. Mainly due to your reports and tips. Through the years I would hear bits and pieces of “man I pounded the walleye this summer” or “look for the breaks and you will find fish.”
The Rock is a tough river to figure out and I think many people get frustrated (yeah I am one of them
) but when you start to put the pieces together is starts to make sense (sometimes). Many times I have read your reports and said, I was just there or I thought of doing that but figured it wouldn’t work. Confidence in trying new things seems to be a must on the river sometimes.
Not to mention when you get a better quality depthfinder identifying structure, breaks, and transistion seems to make a difference in getting skunked or having a meal.
Looking forward to getting out a little more since Nate is older and the wife is even crabbier
. 
MUST ESCAPE MORE OFTEN
Off to chase bass in Iowa again.
D
Thanks guys for all the great feed back.
Will be out Sunday after 3:00pm with a new angler in my boat if weather permits. Dam I hope I can get on some fish. 
Good luck on sunday, Jeff….Diesel’s off to Iowa visiting the in-laws and fishing in a farm pond aquarium, while I’m off to Nebraska tomorrow, visiting the in-laws, but no boat or rods!! Life’s just not fair some times.
Will look forward to the reports when I return, to make up for some lost time. 
Great report Jeff! Do you use the front half or the back half of the ‘crawler? Is it true that you once threw out eight dozen nightcrawlers that your boy picked up in the cemetery because they spook the fish? How heavy of a string do you have on your winders? Is 10 lb. test too heavy? Was gonna mail ya that ten bucks I owe you for Krispy Kremes the other day but already sealed the envelope. Keep up the good work!
Ted I use both front and back. Took a friend Sunday and he likes using the back and I used the front, I like the front the best.
Not eight dozen, it was eight night crawlers left in the frig and the wife didn’t like the smell
.
4lbs test flame/green fireline all year.
Fishing still hot on the rock, got some open days this labor day weekend.
I know you will be at pool 9
Watch for my Sunday’s outing fishing report Tuesday.