Lake Geneva Fishing Report 10-22-12
Fishing has been very good. We are in the late fall pattern. I don’t believe the lake has turned over yet, that should happen if the weather remains cold within the next week or so.
Smallmouth bass have been very aggressive in the 20-25 ft depth range. There are large numbers of fish schooled up off the deep lake points. The best approach has been lindy rigging extra large fathead minnows. I’ve been using a ¼ oz walking sinker, 24 inch leader and a single hook. Look for the fish by the Military Academy, Gage Marine or by Holiday Camp. Most of the fish are in the 12-13 inch range but if you stay after it, there are quite a few big fish in the schools.
Perch fishing has been fantastic. The only problem is that you have to catch 125 fish to keep 20. It involves a lot of sorting. Make sure you stop by Geneva Bait and Tackle. They have the cheapest crappie minnows in Walworth County. Look for the fish by Knollwood, Rainbow point and Belvidere Park. You want to fish in 5-9 ft of water for best success.
Northern Pike have been spotty. With the thermocline gone, the fish are in the weed flats in 12-15 ft of water. Look for the fish in Trinkes Bay or Williams Bay. The best approach is fishing Thill slip bobbers with large golden roaches. Anchoring is the only method that will produce a decent amount of fish.
Rock bass have been spotty. I’ve been fishing over 20 ft of water so I haven’t been catching that many. The best place to find them is in 12-13 ft of water. Look for the fish by the Military Academy or Elgin Club. With the cooler water temperatures use fat head minnows fished on a split shot rig.
Walleye pike have been biting after dark. The best approach is trolling large stick baits such as Rapala’s and Smithwick Rogues. Look for the fish by Abbey Springs or in front of Yerkes Observatory. You want to keep the boat in 15-16 ft of water.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050.
Daily Reports
10/21/12 Lake Geneva, sunny, 60 degrees, winds S at 15 mph. Water temp 52 degrees. Caught 29 smallmouth, 8-10 were legal. All the fish were caught lindy rigging extra large minnows. We fished by the Yacht Club, Holiday Camp and by the Military academy.
10/20/12 Delavan Lake, partly cloudy, 45 degrees, winds light out of the west. Water temp 53 degrees. Caught 9 walleyes -2 were legal, 2 smallmouth bass, 3 northerns, and 2 largemouth bass, both were legal. The walleyes were caught on lindy rigged fat head minnows off of main lake points in 20-22 ft of water. The bass and northern pike were caught off the weed flats in 12-13 ft of water. The bass and pike were caught on excalibur rattle baits.
10/18/12 Delavan Lake, cloudy, rainy, 42 degrees, winds W at 20-30 mph. Water temp 53 degrees. Caught 1 northern pike and had a few bass on. With the cold and rain, the lake was almost un-fishable. We fished about 2 1/2 hours. The best bite this day was by a friend of mine, who was fishing 12 ft of water with medium diving crank baits in front of Lake Lawn. Once the winds picked up, we couldn't fish that location.