Wisconsin Walleye Runs Coming Soon
3-2-2012
CHECK IN OFTEN WITH THIS BLOG. WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF GUIDES AND OTHER EXPERTS SCATTERED ACROSS WISCONSIN. WE INTEND TO KEEP THE FINGER ON THE PULSE OF FISHING AND HUNTING AT LEAST TWICE EACH WEEK. DICK
Old Man River is calling. Very soon, walleye runs are going to be in full swing on Wisconsin’s main veins. Already, according to two experts in interviews this morning, March 2nd, the Fox River at DePere is giving up fish on open water and ice on the Wolf River at New London is in its final death groans.
“I expect boats to be on open water on the Wolf by March 12,” said John Faucher from his Little Shoppe of Bait in New London. “People are watching the ice. Calls are really increasing as fishermen get more anxious and ice out approaches. It’s the beginning of the beginning. There’s three times the traffic of people monitoring the ice. Guys are working on their rafts and pulling their boats.”
The Wolf is famous for people fishing from their house rafts. I had a great experience with Faucher a few years ago on his raft during the run. Next week we’ll also post a column written during the run near Fremont on the Wolf.
“People are already fishing the open water right now at Fremont,” Faucher said. “In New London, the ice was not good to begin with. “The river is rising and breaking ice near shore, making it difficult to get on the ice and basically putting a stop to all ice fishing which had been good. Ice fishing on the backwaters for pannies, especially crappies is still very good.”
Keep tabs on the Wolf River runs for walleye and whitebass with Faucher and the Little Shoppe of Bait at 920-982-4802.
Speaking of whitefish and walleyes, Guide Brian Settele is already pounding both fish on the open water Fox at DePere. You know, the Fox with the monster walleyes every spring. Regulations move to a one-fish, 28-inch minimum tomorrow, March 3. Settele is catching about 40 walleyes daily now between 16-24 inches with a bunch of whitefish thrown in to boot. Big fish time is now.
“It’s prime time for a fish of a lifetime,” Settele said. “23, 24, 27 inch fish are taken all the time but you can easily get a 30-inch walleye or better. You just never know. If anyone is looking to try some of this great fishing we still have a lot if dates open.”
Settele is bouncing between the Fox and the Milwaukee Harbor where brown trout fishing is red-hot and the lake trout season opened March 1. How does the chance for a brown over 34 pounds like Settele took last week sound to you? Personally I won’t accept anything under the Wisconsin record, which is 41-pounds.
“Fishing in the harbor remains excellent for brown trout and lake trout,” he said. “On an average five-hour fishing trip we’ve been boating 15 to 30 brown trout and lake trout jigging plastics and casting spoons and crankbaits on light weight fishing tackle.”
Connect with Brian Settele at 414-559-9238 or www.fishchaserguideservice.com.
Bye…Dick