Central Wisconsin Outdoor Report
Things are starting to heat up in the Central Wisconsin area and I don’t mean just the weather… The fishing this past week has been fantastic with limit catches of panfish along with some super-sized northern pike and giant walleyes. Ice conditions across the central part of the state are very good, but with any ice, always use caution when heading out!
The panfish action has been very good with crappies, perch, and bluegills all holding their own. We have been seeing not only numbers, but some pretty decent sized fish as well. With crappies up to 15 inches, perch in the 12 to 14 inch range, and bluegills up to and over 10 inches why would anyone want to go anywhere else? Most of the action has been taking place on various lakes in and around the central Wisconsin area. Some of these lakes are associated with the Wisconsin River and some are not. But they all have one thing in common…. The recent action on these lakes has been phenomenal.
We are catching the crappies on tiny jigs tipped with small spikes or wax worms as well as small spoons like the Northland tingler spoon tipped with a minnow head. The bluegills are taking tiny tungsten jigs in red and orange that have been tipped with a wedge tail. If the bite slows down we have been tipping our jigs with live bait like waxworms or spikes to add some scent. For the perch we have been jigging deep water with large spoons that have been tipped with a minnow head. The Northland Buckshot spoon has been a favorite this past week.
The real key to our success this past week hasn’t been so much the lure or the presentation but it has been being able to see and feel the strikes. It has been a funny week and despite the fact that we have caught a lot of fish the actual bite itself has been very subtle. Without the sensitivity of a good ice rod like my 27 inch ultra-lite from Elk River Rods, I honestly don’t think we would have caught half the fish that we put on the ice. It is almost as though the fish were just breathing on the bait and then slipping away.
It has been a different bite, you knew that the fish were there, and you would barely see the rod move. Sometimes just a whisper of movement would be all that we would get, but if you watched the rod tip carefully enough and paid close attention, you could pick up on that ever so slight movement, and BAM… Set the Hook…Fish on!
The walleyes and pike have come on strong this past week with several fish in the 30+ inch range. Most of these fish have come on tip-ups baited up with large golden shiners or medium sucker minnows set in shallow water along breaklines. Action for these big fish has been all day long so there is no need to get up at the crack of dawn to cash in on some excellent fishing!
Have a great week,
Phil Schweik
Hooksetters Guide Service
Web: www.hooksetters.biz
Phone: 715-693-5843