Lake Geneva 7/6/20 through 7/13/20
Fishing overall has been very good. The warmer weather of last week has increased the boat traffic on the lake. Summer is here, the best time to fish is either early morning or late evening.
Largemouth bass have been a bit spotty. One day I can really get into them and the next day it’s a little tougher. The bass I’ve been catching have been in the mid depth range between 12 and 15 ft. of water. I’ve been almost exclusively using nightcrawlers fished on a split shot rig. The split shot rig is a small wire hook and approximately 12 inches above it a 3/0 round split shot. The best location has been by Trinkes, Knollwood and west of the Military Academy. The fish are now biting in the early mornings and late afternoons on top water lures. I prefer small chrome/blue or chrome/black chug bugs or pop-r’s.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been okay. I’ve been catching one here and one there mixed in with the largemouth. The best concentration of smallies have been slightly deeper than largemouth in 15-17 ft. of water. Look for the fish by the Elgin Club or by Knollwood. Last week I caught one that was nearly 19 inches.
With the warmer water, walleyes are starting to be picked up at night on the shallow weed flats by Trinkes, Abbey Springs and Geneva bay. The best approach has been trolling a large #13 Rapalla. I prefer not using planer boards due to the floating weeds this time of year.
Rock bass and bluegills can still be found all over the lake in the 12-14 ft. depth range. Nightcrawlers are a sure bet. Be prepared to go through several dozen.
Some crappies are being found by Conference Point on the west side amongst the sail boats suspended in 20 ft of water about 10 ft. down. You can find them on your depth finder. Small jigs and twister tails are a good bet.
Northern Pike fishing has been excellent. The fish are in 30-35 ft of water on the thermocline. The best bait is either chubs or suckers. Chubs will out fish suckers probably 2 to 1. The best location has been Williams Bay or the boat launch in Fontana. The best success comes by lindy rigging. I prefer using 17 lb. Monofilament.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050