The fall sauger & walleye bite on Lake Wisconsin did improve considerably last week.
We actually had some very good days on the water mixed in with several others that were just okay or maybe a tad bit on the good side.
There is a bit of bad news that goes with that good news though, due to warm weather an increasing water temperatures, the bite was going downhill fast by Sunday afternoon.
Our best overall bait last week was a 1/4oz B’Fish’N Tackle Orange Tiger Glow Precision Jig tipped with an extra large fathead minnow. The big saugers definitely had a taste for meat last week. Late Sunday afternoon was the only time when another jig color actually outfished the Orange Tiger Glow and that happened when Art Green put one pig sauger and a couple other keeper size fish in the boat using a 1/4oz Sunburst Precision jig tipped with the same extra large fathead minnow.
Our second best bait was a 1/2oz blade bait. There was no one specific color that out shined all others. We caught good fish on no less than six different colored blades.
The blade bite takes a lot of persistence. You can spend a lot of time jerking that blade around with no results and then out of the blue, “POW” fish on! Usually right about the time if felt like you’re arm was going to fall off.
Early in the morning definitely seemed to be the best time to vertically jig a blade bait but they did also produce at other times of the day. The middle of the day was by far the hardest time to entice a bite on any lure regardless of what it was.
We did find a few fish willing to chase crankbaits behind lead core from time to time but it was inconsistent from one day to the next. Sunday was probably our best day pulling lead.
Baitfish on the sonar screen was the common denominator for finding these big saugers. If you didn’t see fairly large schools of baitfish in the area, then you may as well keep looking before dropping a line.
Our best overall depth’s were 20′ on the shallow side and 25′ on the deep side. Shallower was definitely better early & late in the day. There were actually a few times where we found some active fish moving up into that 20′ zone during the middle of the day but for the most part, the baitfish and the better saugers both moved deeper during the brightest times of the day.
The bad news is this, with the warmer weather that we had on Saturday & Sunday, the baitfish schools were breaking up and spreading out over larger areas. To me, it certainly looked like the saugers & walleyes were doing the same thing and as a result, the bite kept getting tougher & tougher as the water temps continued to climb.
1st pic – Art Green 20-1/2″ sauger.
2nd pic – Dewey Schultz 21″ sauger.
3rd pic – Adam Lynch 21″ sauger.
4th & 5th pics – Boog with a pair of 21 inchers.
6th pic – Art Green 21-1/2″ sauger.
7th pic – Roger Lynch 20″ sauger.
8th pic – Jason Romanyk 21″ sauger.
9th pic – Scott Ericke, Sheila & Paul “Coot” Williams
Hawgersaugers
Great report Joel, looks like you could be on a steady bite for the month 
Great report Joel,the weather patterns sure are unpredictable this fall.
I sure hope so… I’ll be seeing him on the 21st.
Great report Joel. I’ve been playing with the blade baits myself the last couple of weeks. The crappie sure seem to like them for me. I should have tried going vertical with one of them at Lewis and Clark but we were having too much fun with jigs and ringworm/meat. I’ll deffinately remember to try the blades next time.
Great job Joel! Those are some great looking Saugers!
Joel: you sure are able to find those saugers and eyes when others can’t, myself included. Winds have gone the NE so will have switch and try your waters again tomorrow. Thanks for the report and the pictures. Looking forward to the water cooling and getting the fish more active.
Michael
Great report Joel. Just one more body of water I need to get to.
Thanks guys!
I sure hope the weather turns a bit colder soon. We need water temps to start declining again or we could be in for some tough sledding.
Not that it’s been easy so far but I definitely believe that steadily declining water tempertures will go a long way when it comes to the feeding attitude of those bigger saugers.
Nice lookin fish
Hey Joel !!!
I loved reading your report…I need to make time and get over there with you one of these days this fall…
With all the grass that is flowing on the Sippi it may be sooner then later.. !!!
Thanks for sharing !!
Awesome job on the Lake Joel, them sauger are trophy’s
Great looking fish Joel! I hope the bite holds on for you.
Great report Joel
Awesome Guide work Boog!!! You are Mr. Sauger on Lake Wisconsin for sure!
Wow Awesome Fish Joel.
Trophy trophy trophy.
My biggest to date. 30 inches and Super Fat. 11 1/2- 12 pounds. Trolling Deep Reef Runners. They catch more fish in my boat than any other lure. Keep your net wet. Dan Palmer