Wisconsin River Fishing Report 03/19/07
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:39 pmOur area lakes and rivers have been quite productive as of late. Not only has the weather been enjoyable, but the action as well! Bluegills and crappies have been quite active in the past week or so. Shallower bays or backwater areas containing wood and/or green weeds have been best; look for water depths of 4-6 feet and begin your search there. Small jigs in orange or glow patterns tipped with live bait have been producing fish on a regular basis. Tip-downs or slip bobber rigs using small minnows have been working well for crappies as well. Pack light and remain mobile to stay on schools of active fish.
In addition to the quality and diversity of the fishery, one of the big benefits of fishing the Wisconsin River system is that while most of the lakes in Wisconsin have now closed to walleye and northern pike fishing, the season remains open on the river and it’s flowages. If you’re looking to catch walleyes through the ice, both Lake Wausau and Lake DuBay are offering some fine ice fishing right now. A medium action St. Croix or Frabill ice fishing rod is the prefect tool for working various jigging lures this time of year. Colors such as fire tiger, orange and chartreuse combinations, and perch patterns are working best; try tipping the treble hook on these lures with a minnow head to increase your hook-up ratio. The tip-up bite has been strong in the low-light periods of morning and evening. Golden shiners and sucker minnows continue to produce the best action. Keep a selection of bait in various sizes in your Aqua-Life and mix-it up if the action begins to slow.
March and April make for some exciting northern pike fishing in our area, with some of the largest specimens moving shallow and becoming accessible to hard water anglers. The warmer temperatures as of late have found the bigger pike beginning to move, and anglers looking to get in on the action need to be geared up properly. Tip-ups are the best option for these toothy trophies through the ice. Large golden shiners and sucker minnows are both working well. A large treble hook will suffice for medium sized bait; for the larger offerings, use a quickset rig to ensure good hook-ups as well as minimizing any damage to the fish. In the coming weeks, look for dead smelt to become a very productive offering as well.
For anglers looking to get on open water, the walleye bite has been picking up steadily as of late on the river. Vertical jigging has been the method of choice, and some very nice catches have already been made. With the coming warmer weather, the walleye bite will only get better and better!
Tight lines,
Joel DeBoer
In addition to the quality and diversity of the fishery, one of the big benefits of fishing the Wisconsin River system is that while most of the lakes in Wisconsin have now closed to walleye and northern pike fishing, the season remains open on the river and it’s flowages. If you’re looking to catch walleyes through the ice, both Lake Wausau and Lake DuBay are offering some fine ice fishing right now. A medium action St. Croix or Frabill ice fishing rod is the prefect tool for working various jigging lures this time of year. Colors such as fire tiger, orange and chartreuse combinations, and perch patterns are working best; try tipping the treble hook on these lures with a minnow head to increase your hook-up ratio. The tip-up bite has been strong in the low-light periods of morning and evening. Golden shiners and sucker minnows continue to produce the best action. Keep a selection of bait in various sizes in your Aqua-Life and mix-it up if the action begins to slow.
March and April make for some exciting northern pike fishing in our area, with some of the largest specimens moving shallow and becoming accessible to hard water anglers. The warmer temperatures as of late have found the bigger pike beginning to move, and anglers looking to get in on the action need to be geared up properly. Tip-ups are the best option for these toothy trophies through the ice. Large golden shiners and sucker minnows are both working well. A large treble hook will suffice for medium sized bait; for the larger offerings, use a quickset rig to ensure good hook-ups as well as minimizing any damage to the fish. In the coming weeks, look for dead smelt to become a very productive offering as well.
For anglers looking to get on open water, the walleye bite has been picking up steadily as of late on the river. Vertical jigging has been the method of choice, and some very nice catches have already been made. With the coming warmer weather, the walleye bite will only get better and better!
Tight lines,
Joel DeBoer
