Central Wisconsin Outdoor Report
The 2105 fishing season started off with a bang last week with anglers enjoying near perfect conditions. In addition to the great fishing, turkey hunters also enjoyed another outstanding week of hunting.
The walleye bite was on fire with lots of fish in the 15 to 20 inch range being caught along with some real dandies in the mid to upper 20inch range as well. Most of the action was in shallow water areas associated with weeds and wood.
Musky anglers south of Hwy 10 had another great opener with some decent fish being caught. Most of the early season muskies were caught on bucktails and twitch baits in shallow water areas associated with weeds and warmer temperatures.
The crappies have been spawning for about a week now and the bite has been pretty consistent in shallow backwater bays that have a lot of brush and or stumps/trees in the water. Crappies will associate with these areas as they provide both cover and warmer water.
The smallmouth bass have been pretty active with a lot of nice fish caught this past week. One of my clients had well over 20 nice fish in an afternoon with the largest one just shy of that 20 inch mark. Most of the bass were taken on jigs tipped with plastics like tubes and or imitation crayfish pitching to rocky shoreline areas. Afternoons proved the best for action and numbers as water temperatures warmed up significantly in these rocky areas throughout the daytime.
The key to being productive this past week was keeping an eye on water temperature and by paying close attention to warmer areas. By doing this we were able to not only locate active fish, but we were able to catch quite a few of them with precise presentations by relating specific areas to the species of fish we were targeting. Our Humminbird locators were invaluable when it came to this as we were constantly watching for water temperature changes throughout the day.
With boating season under way it is important to make sure that your boat is always in top running order. Whether it is running great or if it has some kinks, don’t forget to make an appointment with Jerry Clinton at Amherst Marine to keep that boat on the water and not in the garage. Check out Jerry and Amherst Marine at: www.amherstmarine.com
Don’t forget to log into Kwik Trip today or anytime this week for great offers, discounts and specials “usually free stuff” that you can receive on a regular basis. You can visit them at: www.kwiktrip.com
Please "Text KWIK to 75309” for special offers on your phone"
Have a great week,
Phil Schweik
Licensed Wisconsin Hunting & Fishing Guide
Hooksetters Guide Service
www.hooksetters.biz