Walleye Continue To Bite Statewide
By Joel “Doc” Kunz

The wonderful weather has been a bonus for the many who would have normally put away their boat by now. That has made for a few extra fishermen on the river but for the most part, it hasn’t diminished the good action. The Wolf River has been giving up some nice fish from the mouth at Lake Poygan all the way to New London. There have still been a few crappie showing up and some big white bass. I expect the white bass and crappie to stop biting soon as the water temperatures drop but the walleye action should only get better. Low water levels and flow may spook quite a few fish in to returning to the lower end of the system. Although that may make fishing slower for those in the New London area, the Fremont area should see good numbers of fish right up to ice up. Lake Poygan could also see some very good ice fishing for walleye this year, but that is a long way off yet.

The Wisconsin River is also starting to produce some good fishing. I have always been a fan of the Wisconsin Dells area for its beauty along with the good fishing I normally find. I’ve been fishing the area for over 20 years now so I have a few spots that will usually produce action, if not keepers. Anglers will catch both walleye and sauger here and if they are lucky, a big fish. It’s not the trophy destination the Fox River is, but the Wisconsin River at the Dells can produce some big fish.

Speaking of the Fox River, walleye fishing there should also continue to be very good right up until ice up. Jigging the deep hole just off Voyager Park is always a great way to catch a bunch of walleye. I also like to float the shallow area just down stream of the rapids and cast crank baits. When its cold I like to anchor up in a prime spot and jig or dead stick a crank bait. I use a line counter and start before dark so I can find a good spot up stream from a boil or current line. Then I take a bait and let it out, stopping it in a good spot, then note the distance. If there is a couple of likely areas, I’ll repeat the process and note the numbers. This works best if your partner helps by standing on the bow of the boat and uses binoculars to help position the bait. Make sure to allow for the rod being put in the rod holder and for bend in the rod from the pull of the current. Believe me, a well positioned bait can catch a lot of fish while you stay warm next to the heater. It’s also a GAS to catch a big walleye on a jig stick next to the boat in fast moving water. No need to fish glove-less to finger the line, you will feel the hit.

The Rock River is another of my favorite places to fish this time of year. It is also a fishery that has a good number of keeper size fish in it, if you find the right pocket of fish. The Rock is not near as deep as what the Wolf, Fox and Wisconsin have to offer, but it does offer some great fishing. Like the Wolf, there is no trolling allowed on the Rock River. Anglers must fish vertically and can use their motor only to keep pace with the current. Because of it’s generally shallow nature, fish can be holding in some very subtle spots. Small depressions in the bottom and scour holes behind wind fall or on outside bends can hold good numbers of fish. The area near Blackhawk Island is popular but fish can be found throughout the system.

The Mississippi is another story. From Red Wing Minnesota to Falling Rock, walleye and sauger fishing is going on in full scale. This fishing too will just continue to get better up until ice up. Hopefully that will be quite a few weeks from now, so I have time to visit every place I’ve mentioned.

For more information on topics such as this and the areas great fall fishing, make sure to check out Doc’s Wolf River Country.Com Joel “Doc” Kunz is a freelance outdoor writer / photographer published weekly by Outdoor Gazette. His work is also seen in many other Wisconsin and Midwest publications. He is a recent READERS CHOICE award winner and a member of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers. His is a Pro Team member of Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Motorguide & Lindy Little Joe.