Northern Pike fishing has been spotty with the cooling water temperatures and the severe weather.  Some fish can be caught in the 19-20 ft. range.  Six to eight inch suckers seem to be the preferred bait.  I’ve been averaging about 3-4 fish per trip, down from the mid-summer average of 8-10.  As the water cools, the northern pike will move shallow, in the 12-15 ft. weeds.  This makes them accessible to the crank bait and jerk bait fishermen.  By far the best color is fire tiger.  I usually fish large depth radars or Bagley’s on my musky gear.  I prefer to use monofilament line instead of Dacron line for less visibility.  The best locations were by the gray condos and the weed bed by Assembly Park.

Walleye Pike fishing was fairly good last week.  The fish are starting to become more active.  I caught my largest numbers since spring on Sunday 8/25.  The fish have been in 17-22 ft. of water.  I’ve been using night crawlers almost exclusively.  I fish them on a single hook with a large split shot or with a large lindy rig.  I also caught several fish last week casting Kalin grubs on 1/8 oz darter head.  I position the boat in about 20 ft. of water and cast toward the weed line.  I do not tip the twister tail with any live bait.  A slow retrieve is a necessity.  The best location has been by the Island and by the Village Supper club.   As fall approaches the larger fish will become more active.

Crappie fishing continues to be excellent.  They are still associating with the 9-12 ft weed beds.  I have only been using small plastic cubby jigs, I prefer yellow or purple.  Many anglers are also having success with small crappie shiners fished on a slip bobber.    When fishing small plastics, I have found the slower the retrieve the better.  I slowly dance the light jig through the submergent weeds.  Some of the crappies I caught last week averaged 12 inches. The best location for me was by Willow Point and by Delmar subdivision pier.

Bluegills and Perch are still biting however the size was quite a bit smaller than in past weeks.  Most of the anglers fishing for them are anchoring in 15-19 ft. of water.  Big Reds are really the only baits to use.  Most of the action has been off of Assembly Park.  Follow the large groups of boats and you’ll find the fish.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water.  For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063.