WI Fishing Report - July 1st, 2009

Posted: July 1, 2009

AREA LAKES

Bluegills were done spawning on most area lakes. Look for them along weed lines in 8-17 feet of water. Some fish may start to suspend over deeper water soon. Giant redworms, leaf worms, wax worms, hellgrammites and panfish leeches work best. Bait these on a small hook or jig and suspend under a slip float or vertical jig along the weeds. A jig and plastic combo baited with a waxwork also has produced.

Perch action was good on Lake Monona. Fish the weed lines in 12-16 feet with your bait tight to the bottom. A jig and plastic combo or Ratfinkee jig baited with a hellgrammite, spike or giant redworm will work best.

Crappies were found suspended along deeper weed lines. A small fathead minnow baited on a hook or 1/32-ounce jig will work best. Jig and plastic combos also will work well.

Largemouth bass have moved into their summer patterns. Fish have been found in a variety of locations. Deep weed lines, slop and piers have produced fish. Casting Texas-rigged plastics, deep-diving crank baits, jig and craw combos, drop-shot rigs, or night crawlers along weed edges in 8-17 feet will work best. During warm, sunny afternoons, casting wacky worms, spinner baits or shallow-running crank baits around piers also will produce. Top-water action was good early and late in the day.

Smallmouth bass were active along the rock bars or steeper drop-offs. A jig or slip-bobber rig baited with a leech, night crawler or small chub works great for smallies. Tubes, skirted grubs, "Senkos" or crank baits also will work well.

Northern pike action was great on many lakes. A large golden shiner, medium sucker or chub rigged on a slip-sinker rig with a fluorocarbon leader dragged along the deeper weed edges will work best. Casting spinners, buzz baits or chatter baits over the tops of weed flats also will produce.

Walleyes were caught by fishing around weed edges in 12-20 feet. A leech, night crawler or jumbo fathead minnow baited on a jig or live-bait rig has worked well. Small suckers and chubs also produced, especially for bigger walleyes. Pine, Oconomowoc, Upper Nemahbin, Lac La Belle, and Delavan have all have produced a few walleyes. Trolling crank baits on Winnebago and Koshkonong also has produced.

Musky anglers have done well fishing on Pewaukee, Okauchee and Oconomowoc. Trolling crank baits along breaks or weed lines has produced the most fish. Casting crank baits, spinner baits, bucktails or plastic baits around these areas also will work well. Top-water baits have produced during early morning and nighttime.

Catfish were being caught on the Rock River, Lake Koshkonong and Lake Mendota. Cut-up suckers or chubs, night crawlers and stink bait work best.

Becky Smith

LAKE MICHIGAN, MILWAUKEE

There is finally some good activity for the shore fishermen. Some very nice brown trout have showed up in all the deep areas of the Milwaukee harbor. Live alewives fished on the bottom are a good bet right now with all the bait in the harbor. Goby-imitating tubes and jigs, also fished along the bottom, also have taken some nice browns for shore anglers. Early mornings and evenings are the best opportunities.

Trollers continue to catch fish, but nothing is easy right now. They are working depths from 60-280 feet with most of the action in the top 30 feet. Dodgers and flies are still the hottest ticket, but spoons and J-plugs are starting to produce as well. Most of the action has been from the north gap to Fox Point. At Bender Park, anglers are catching a mixed bag of coho salmon and chinook salmon 20-30 feet down in 40-60 feet. Silver spoons with various accents have been the best baits in that area.

Perch anglers are catching a few near the sailing center and the rocks off McKinley. Small minnows are the most consistent right now, with plastics and jigging spoons also taking some fish. The Boils at Bender Park are also giving up some perch on minnows, with the power plant being slow right now. At any of these locations, first light is the best chance for perch.

Marc Wisniewski