This Weekend/Fishing Report

Looks to be a mixed weekend ahead. If the weatherman is accurate, which he has been on a fairly irregular basis lately, expect stable conditions right up till Saturday night, with some rain on Sunday.

Overall the local lakes are about the same since last weekend. Water is anywhere between the mid fifties and low sixties, with a few of the shallow bays making it up to the mid 60's in the afternoon. Some lakes retain high water/slow no wake provisions. Be sure to check at the launch for postings.

Panfish have been spotty, but anglers targeting them in the later afternoon should be able to get on some fish. Continue to look for them in shallow, flat araes with dark bottoms. Bluegills will be schooled up and relating to weed clumps on top of the flat or relating to the first drop off into deep water at the edge of the flat. If there's a weedline with new green weeds on the edge of the flat, you're not to far away from the fish. Try panfish plumpers, plastics tipped with waxworms or panfish leeches for gills.

Best bets: Silver, Ashippun, Golden, the Phantoms and Forest

Crappies are still scatttered in the shallow water, but as the water temperatures continue to rise, they will start to move into area with reeds and wood laydowns to spawn. Bobber, hook, sinker and minnow will remain the top choice for targeting crappies. Tailhooked fatheads or rosie reds are always solid bets for crappies.

Best bets: Golden, Kessus, Okauchee, and Pine

Largemouths have been cruising the shallows. Lots of anglers are catching fish, but they have primarily been male fish. Bedding activity has been limited, but will increase with the water temperatures. Shallow bays should have some fish on beds in the next 5-7 days. The bigger fish will be relating to inside weedlines and the deeper water around points near spawning areas, moving in a couple times a day to forage. Floating rapalas, wacky worms, shallow diving crankbaits, lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, texas rigged lizards or jig/chunk trailers are your best options. Large shiners or small suckers underneath a float, or nightcrawlers on a split shot or lindy rig are good options for live bait presentations.

Best bets: Okauchee, Kessus, Golden, Silver, Nagawicka, and Pine

Smallmouth are starting to cruise rock bars and points during the daytime, especially in the afternoon. This is classic pre-spawn behavior. As the water warms up, this activity will increase until the fish move up to spawn. Crawfish colored crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits, skirted grubs, tubes and spinnerbaits with a chartruese skirt and gold blade are solid options. Leeches, nightcrawlers or small suckers on lindy rigs fished around rocky structure will produce.


Best bets: Beaver, Nagawicka, Pine, Oconomowoc

Walleye reports have been spotty, but a few anglers are catching fish in 8-12 feet of water on jigs tipped with live bait. Lindy rigging/backtrolling with leeches or nightcrawlers has also been productive. Transition areas with sandgrass or new growth weeds have been the best areas.

Best bets: Lake Koshkong/Rock River, Lac Labelle, Fowler, Pine

Northern pike have been caught in fairly solid numbers, often by anglers targeting Largemouth in shallow water. There are still lots of big pike in shallow water areas, but a few have moved out to the weedlines on the first break into deeper water. Spinnerbaits, bucktails, lipless crankbaits and wide wobbling fat body crankbaits are the best options for the next couple weeks. Suckers on a circle hook/slip sinker rig will catch fish on weedlines and in deeper water. As always, look for green weeds.

Best bets: Moose, Okauchee, Kessus, Golden, Forest

Musky have been active since the opener. Lots of fish are patrolling the weedflats and inside weededges near rocky shorelines. Deeper fish are holding tight to the first break. Bucktails, swimbaits, musky sized spinnerbaits, gliders and jerkbiats have all given up fish the last week. On bright days, go gaudy and stick with natural patterns with a contrasting color on cloudy days. Black and orange, perch or white have been the hot colors.

Best Bets: Okauchee, Oconomowoc, Lac Labelle, Fowler and Pewaukee

-------
Other otpions:

High water has kept many anglers from targeting the stocked trout on local waters, and these lakes remain options for this stock and take fishery. Ottawa, Lower Genessee, Lower Nashotah and Paradise Springs all have a good number of trout.

White bass continue to run on the Wisconsin River (at the Dells), the Rock River (in the Watertown area and from the Jefferson Dam to Blackhawk island) and on the Wolf and Fox Rivers in and around Oshkosh. Fish the deeper holes with threeways tipped with nightcrawlers or minnows, cast rapalas or jig and twister combinations around deeper holes to target these fish.

Catfish have been biting on the Rock River, stinkbait has been the leading producer.

--------

Consider joining us this week for Musky Mikes Tuesday Night Big Bass League. Full details are available on the Shop's main website page.

Good Luck Out There
CT