Unseasonably cold weather refuses to loosen its grip on Eastern Wisconsin. The Winnebago System is weeks behind traditional trends, and continues to feature water temperatures just into the mid 50 degree range. Flooded areas on the Wolf and Fox Rivers remain with abnormally high water levels; however the waters are starting to recede. No wake rules are still in effect in many of the Wolf River areas, especially near the Fremont area. These restrictions could be lifted soon. The warming trend expected this coming week could prove to be a trigger for more active fish.
White bass have started their annual run up the rivers. The Wolf, Fox and Fond du Lac Rivers have seen momentary hot bites, just to fade away a day or two later. The water temps are close to ideal for the spawn, so the next warm days could spark these fish into a frenzy. Pulling flies has been the preferred method to catch the white bass, with red and purple flies working best. Tipping the flies with a small shiner has also helped at times. Many anglers are focused on the main river channel, but do not overlook the shallow flats where multiple water flows come together.
Walleyes are sporadic across the system. Many of these fish are into their post spawn tendencies, and can prove to be tough to entice into chasing bait. Presentations should be downsized during this phase. Flies are an excellent choice in the rivers, and small crank baits (Salmo’s etc) can be deadly while trolled in the upper lakes. The jig and minnow/crawler combination has also been solid, especially in the Fox River. Many times these fish are scattered, so utilizing “cover water techniques” can be critical to success.
We found a nice pod of walleyes and perch in the Clark’s Point area of Lake Winneconne. On Saturday there was an excellent trolling bite (10-20 feet behind the Off Shore Planner boards) at 1.6-2.0 mph with purple flicker shads size 5. We attempted using crawler harnesses; however, frequent short hits made it ineffective (I suggest a stinger hook/third hook if using this method). Slip bobbers were also effective on the rock bars. The walleyes had been feeding on small shiners of about 3-4 inches in size. The perch were all post spawn. Surprisingly, not one white bass was taken by us in the lake or in the river at Winneconne. We had no activity in Lake Buttes des Mortes, and marked very few fish with the Lowrance.
The river in Winneconne has been producing walleye consistently, especially away from the bridge. The fish were very scattered and it was a lot of work to find anything near a limit. Leeches are working with either a ¼ or 3/8 ounce jig. Flies remain dominant. Excellent walleye catch rates are still being found from the mouth of Lake Poygan up to Fremont in the Wolf River.
The feeder bays along the west shore of Lake Winnebago have been popular destinations by shore anglers. The pan fish have been active, but water temperatures have not reached preferred ranges just yet.
Take care on the water. I can be reached at [email protected]. Be sure to “like” us on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Fishing-Partner/222624783318?ref=ts Thanks for visiting the site!
