A week of autumn like weather turned Lake Winnebago into a tough place to fish. Water clarity is heavily stained in the south with better water clarity as you move north on the lake. Water temp were at 73 degrees over the weekend, well below average water temperatures for August. Heavy algae can be observed in the southern third of the lake. In addition, a fly/gnat hatch has occurred along the west shore and is particularly annoying when no wind exists.
Overall, many anglers struggled with the cold front like conditions. Fish catch rates were very low this week.
Walleyes continue to disappear, as is customary in August. The young of the year have grown to be an adequate food source for the walleyes; therefore there is less interest in chasing bait. I have seen tons of first year sheephead so far this year. I have heard, but not witnessed, that the 2013 walleye class will be stellar. Even with the solid indications of a good year class, these fish need to survive a winter before they are deemed a good class. I have yet to observe large bait fish schools.
Walleyes continue to be found on weed edges and on the points of reefs. Look to the windblown areas to find the most active walleyes. Also, be sure to upsize your bait presentations. The walleyes are feeding on bigger meals right now. Husky jerks are an excellent choice.
Perch: The perch have slowed overall with the cooler weather. There are schools of fish which have been very active, but those schools are few.
The Third Reef continues to produce small perch on the north end of the reef. Slip bobbers were much more productive than dead sticks this week. There are massive amounts of sheephead in this area also. An occasional bullhead was also reported.
The west shore from Kalibus’s to Fond du lac has pockets of perch hanging in the 8-12 foot ranges. There is a lot of “hole jumping” required to find active schools.
The east shore has a mix of medium sized perch, sheephead, small mouths and white bass roaming in the area. This past week had afternoon fishing more productive than morning fishing, which is a complete reversal of previous weeks.
The far northern reefs are producing a few perch, catfish, bluegill and small mouth bass.
The rivers are holding large numbers of catfish, and occasional walleyes. Pike are active in the back bays.
Largemouth bass have been thick throughout the Fond du Lac area, especially in the dense weed beds.
White bass are schooled in the “mud.” Try trolling some flicker shads between 2.0 to 2.5 mph in the deeper water to produce some non-stop action.
Have a great week. My email is [email protected].
