Well where to start, it has been some time since my last post. Mike made a trip down for the Thanksgiving bite and we had a ball. This years bite was a lot different then last years slam. However we did finally figure them out. The fish seem to be a couple weeks behind last year. I have been on the water for the last eight days, and in this cool stuff well I am glad to be behind the computer today.
This first photo is of Mike with his first Lizard fish, he was using a 3/16 Hutch shiner head with Dean’s Lizard in semi pro blue. He was cross casting current and dragging it back to the boat in 17 feet of water down the break edge. She hit it hard and the fight was on Mike won and with a quick photo session she was released to fight another day. This was Mike’s personal best on a lizard and his largest of this trip.
We started the week off up near the dam we would pitch early and go vertical when the sun got up and the sauger were more then willing. We would use fireline and 5/16 oz jigs in 18 to 24 feet of water. Super Doos, Paddle tails and Ringworms were our best baits in this presentation. The saugers were not really slamming baits for us one out of every ten fish would blast it other wise you just felt weight on the line and you would have to set the hook. This next photo is Mike’s limit of Redwing’s fine food source, they make fantastic table fare. Mike and I tried to take only males and we only made two mistakes all week.
After a couple days on the water and the bite not seeming to aggressive to us we decided to size our baits down. We also had some conversations with other river rats and that also helped in making the decision Thanks Donnie and Jerie. Mike and I went to 4lb test line and 1/8 oz jigs with small power baits and Deans new paddle tails. All I can say is we had four really good days on the water after fine tuning our presentations. This next picture is Mike with a nice pair of Redwing twins. With the smaller baits we were trying to imitate small shad fluttering down the sand edges. There were times when the wind let up we were hitting doubles and giggling like a pair of little kids. When the wind was up we had to up our jig size to 3/16 oz jigs we still got some fish but it slowed us down some
This next photo is of a nice 25 inch plus girl that is my personal best on Deans new paddle tails in the oyster shell color on a 1/8 oz silver jig pitched to shore. Thanks for the baits Dean I think that you have a winner!
This is how Mike and I spent Thanksgiving day and it was the first fish into the boat that day, with many more to follow.
1. Coldwater walleye by Mike Anderson
2. Mikes Redwing limit Thanksgiving Day
3. Nice Sauger which was CPR’ed
4. Mike found a couple of these Shad
5. Sunrise in November Redwing
6. Limit in the box
Here is a photo of our best baits for the week. We found that down sizing and getting the baits to slowly flutter down stream seemed to produce bigger fish for us. We went vertical and it was like ice fishing we would find bottom lift bait about a foot and just hold it and let it float and the eyes would blast it.
The 3 inch minnow baits seemed the best however a buck tail and minnow did it’s damage also.
The plastics color for us were in the more neutral to natural colors.
Jig sizes were 1/16, 3/32, 1/8, 3/16 pitching. When we went vertical shallow 1/8 when the wind was down was the best vertical presentation for us. Shallow vertical for us was 12 feet of water and less. We were taking walleyes out of 6 and 8 feet of water with the sun out bright. When we went vertical deep it was mainly 5/16 oz jigs, we would cover 20 feet and deeper with these jigs.
Good luck out there and happy hooking. Let the big girls go.
Its been a while Vandy. Good to see you post a report again.
Nice report, nice fish and nice photo’s as well.
We are hoping to make it over to pool 4 sometime this winter. I’m actually looking forward to viewing in person some of these new baits I’ve been hearing about. Lizards, smaller paddletails, glitter jigs….wonder what else Dean has on his shelves that I might be able to put to use here on Lake Wisconsin.
Thanks Joel.
Well I tell ya the bite is going to get better here and Dean has lots of secret stuff, you just need to ask. I really think that these new paddle tails are going to kick butt. My only problem is I am going to need a bigger boat soon to carry all my tackle
Have a safe and Happy Holiday season
Wait..wait…WAIT a minute!!
What is the name of the lizard that Mike caught his personal best on???
Sorry Brian,
I meant the Super Duper BK semi-pro-blue Lizard
this won’t happen again
With an emphasisis on { Semi } !
Good to see ya again Mike! You havent forgot how to boat nice fish!
Thank you.
Great report as always Greg. If you ever need a “nephew for a day”…give me a holler!
Great fish and Report Greg! I was hoping the lizard secret would last a little longer than 30 years.
Al Lindner once coined my dad as the “lizardwizard” of the Mississippi. Dad was featured in one of his shows using the lizards…
I would hate to guess how long that has been our go to bait on the river for big walleyes…well, I guess the secret is out…still gotta catch them right?
Awesome post Vandy! You sure had more fun than I did freezing my tush in a treestand watching the same young Spikehorn laugh at me. Can’t wait to get back to da POOL!
Good report as usual Vandy. I felt like the bite was lagging last year too. Did you try dragging plastics at all. This time last year it was on fire but for us so far this year it is marginal at best. It should kick in any time now I would think!
Hey Luke, I read an article from Lindner about dragging lizards a few years ago. We have had success with it up here at times.
Time flies when you are having fun it was probably 15 or 20 years ago. 
Say Tom, it was pretty nippy here in the boats the last week also. But there is something about a tight shaking line that warms the soul.
Redneck I think that the bite is a little behind this year. The best is yet to come. Dragging has been so so for us but I believe it will pick up in the next week if the weather holds to lets us fish.
Take care and Happy Holidays guys.
Great report and pics Greg! Especially like that
pic of the limit Mike is holding
thanks for the report! Looks like fall has treated you fairly well!
Nice report, Love the “Sunrise in November Redwing” photo!
I have to add a testimonial to Greg and Vandy’s tackle setups. We fished next to them on Saturday afternoon. We did OK in a brief window when the fish were active, but when thing slowed we got schooled.
The 4 lb test line and small lures in the hands of a couple of excellent fisherman was fun to watch. We just couldn’t match the setup. The smallest line we had was 6 lb and even a superdoo couldn’t match their presentation. 
Well done Mike and Greg!
I spooled 4 lb this AM.
John
I’ll take your shad!!!
Thanks Jeff, Mike and I tried to only keep males and we don’t keep any over 20 inches. However I think that a couple of those eyes were with eggs and I was surprised cause I thought they were males. We did better with our saugers.
Yes Turk the bite window on the dams has been until the sun clears the trees and then it really slows. But boy is it chilly that time of day and the eyes in your rods are always icing on you. It can be fast and furious though.
John it was great to see you and partner out on the water. We will have to hook up. Yup the 4lb test can make a big difference, however we did loose some fish, and jigs on hooksets. the price you pay I guess. You have to net every fish no hoisting over the boat edge. Really set your drags loose.
Ralph we caught four of those shad and had another four or five on that got off. We were casting 1/16 oz jigs with ringworm tails Mike figured that bite out.
Great Report Greg
Nice Fish