Central Wisconsin Outdoor Report
Well Mother Nature sure played a nasty trick on us this past week with plummeting temperatures, high winds and rain. What does this mean for outdoor activities? Water Temperatures have dropped drastically and have gone from near 60 down to the mid to upper 40’s and that’s a real shock to any fishery. In addition to the cold we are seeing extremely high and muddy water on the river systems as well. On the positive side the nasty weather has kept the turkeys very active and hunters have had a cold but good week of hunting.
Walleye activity was slower than normal last week with post spawn fish meeting up with the unseasonable weather conditions. This combination pushed the walleyes into a very lethargic state but they could be caught. We found that a very slow presentation combined with targeting low current areas would produce fish for us. We fished backwater areas off the river system along with working inside turns and eddies on the main river channel. Most of our fish were found in 5 to 8 feet of water early in the day, but they moved up to shallower water as the day progressed. We ran 1/8th and 1/16th ounce lead-head jigs tipped with fathead minnows and Wolf River Rigs to catch the walleyes. We tried throwing crankbaits for the walleyes but all we caught was northern pike.
The crappies had moved up to traditional spawning locations but his cold snap has sent them scurrying for deeper water. We did however find some crappies holding in 5 to 8 feet of water outside of where we normally find them during the spawn. Slip-bobbers and small jigs rigged up with fathead minnows worked well but when we tipped the jigs with plastics they seemed to produce much better.
With so much attention on walleyes and crappies at this time of the year a lot of people forget all about bass fishing. This is the time of the year for some of the largest bass of the season. These are pre-spawn fish that are full of eggs and they will weigh in at enormous weights. If you are looking for bass try shallow rocky shorelines in less than 4 feet of water. Afternoons are by far better than mornings as the daytime sun will warm up shallower locations and the bass will seek these areas out. I like throwing jig and tube combinations along with crankbaits, but don’t rule out top-water baits as these fish can be very aggressive at this time of the year.
For you turkey hunters, the weather this past week couldn’t have been any better. We had rain, cold, and conditions most people would just normally turn off the alarm clock and go back to bed in. I can tell you this, from my personal experience that the fouler the weather is the more active the birds will be. Turkeys like bad weather and the nastier the weather is the more they move. Turkeys have to find food and they have to eat. Unseasonable weather like what we have seen this past week forces them to work harder for food and gives hunters and advantage when it comes to targeting them.
Have a great week,
Phil Schweik
Licensed Wisconsin Hunting and Fishing Guide
Hooksetters Guide Service
Web: www.hooksetters.biz
Phone: 715-693-5843