Dave Duwe Delavan Lake 9/1/14 through 9/8/14
Even though we had some early week thunderstorms and heavy rains, the fishing remain excellent. With the passing of Labor Day, the pleasure boat traffic should begin to decrease making it and optimal time to go fishing.
Largemouth bass remain in the shallow water. They can be caught on nightcrawlers fished on a split shot rig, slip bobbers with medium suckers or a chrome/blue Rattle Trap. The best depth is 6-8 ft, which is substantially shallower than in recent years. I don’t know the reason for the shallow fish, but it may be due to the lack of deep weedline or the cooler than normal summer. The best location has been just east of Browns Channel or just west of Willow Point.
Bluegill action has been very good in the 10-13 ft depth range. The best approach has been a small split shot with a leaf worm fished amongst the weeds. The bigger fish have been caught by the point by Assembly Park or just west of the Yacht Club. If you aren’t catching fish, you need to move around and find the active schools. The average size of the fish is smaller than the past year so you will need to do some sorting.
Walleye fishing has started to pick up. I’ve been catching them on lindy rig sinkers with a 2 ft leader in 15-16 ft of water. The best location has been by Belvidere Park or by the marina in the center of the lake. The best time of day is at dusk or in the early morning hours. I’ve been using jumbo leeches or nightcrawlers with equal success.
Northern Pike remain slower than normal. The largest concentration of fish is in 8-12 ft of water. Most of the fish seem to be hitting on cloudy or foggy mornings. The bigger fish are being caught on musky lures, like Buck tails or large swim baits. The best color for the swim baits are fire tiger or all black. Also, I’ve been catching a few fish on medium suckers however the best success remains on artificial baits.
Crappie action has started to improve. The fish are in 13-14 ft of water on the weedlines. Small plastics fished on a 1/32 oz jig has been producing most of the fish. The best color has been yellow or purple.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050