Central Wisconsin Buzz Bite Report – Phil Schweik

Well it’s been another great week for outdoor activities in Central Wisconsin. The spring walleye bite has picked up on the Wisconsin River and we are also catching a few catfish and perch. We went over and targeted some of the Green Bay walleyes this past week with very good success, and we started doing some of our pre-season turkey scouting.
 
The walleye bite on the Wisconsin River this past week was very good with several limit catches. Most of the fish were mainly males with a few females in the 15 to 20 inch range. We did not see any of the big spawning females this past week but that may have been due to the cooler temperatures or maybe just the locations that we were targeting. Most of our fish were caught in a variety of depths starting with deeper water 14 to 16 feet deep early on and moving up shallower to about 5 to 9 feet of water as the water warmed up throughout the day. Water temperatures on the river varied from 38 degrees in the morning to as high as 44 degrees in the afternoon. The warm spring sun really takes the temperature up at this time of the year. We threw 1/8th and 1/4 ounce lead-head jigs tipped with twister tails and/or fathead minnows for the walleyes, but it seemed that larger fish preferred the jigs that were tipped with the twister tails.
 
On a side note we picked up a few nice catfish and perch this past week while targeting walleyes in the Wisconsin River. I know many of you don’t target catfish but let me tell you, once you hook into one it is a battle that you won’t soon forget. The catfish were holding tight to bottom in 16 to 18 feet of water and hit our jigs that were tipped with fathead minnows. The perch we caught this past week we picked up on our Wolf River rigs. We had the Wolf River rigs set about a foot off the bottom in 10 to 14 feet of water and baited them up with fathead minnows.
 
This past week we took the faithful old 1850 Crestliner Fishhawk out on the big water to target walleyes and we found them. We went out on Green Bay and caught about 30 nice fish between 22 and 28 inches on crankbaits and Jigging Raps. Most of our action was in 4 to 8 feet of water working the warmest water we could find. There were plenty of boats in the river but all of our action came out in the big lake. She was a little rough at times but the Crestliner kept us dry and handled the waves very well. Water temperatures varied from a low of 38 degrees and went up as high as 45 degrees. Finding the warmest water was definitely key to being successful. If you found warmer water the fish were there and they were hungry.
 
We also did a little turkey scouting this past week and found quite a few good toms already in full strut. Most of the birds we found were on larger fields with plenty of available food as well as fields that had freshly spread manure on them. What we did see was a very good pattern of birds returning to the same fields each day at the same time despite the changing weather patterns. As many of you know changing weather patterns can cause as shift in time and locations as the birds try to adjust. With season right around the corner now is the time to make sure that you have all your necessary gear and equipment in order. You don’t want to procrastinate until the last day and then realize that you are missing something.
 
With the colder temperatures that can present themselves at this time of the year it is very important to stay warm and dry. One important piece of equipment that we use to keep warm is our rechargeable Heated Vest by Flambeau Outdoors. These rechargeable heated vests are comfortable, inexpensive and keep us warm all day long. To find out more about the vests or other related products from Flambeau Outdoors please visit them at: http://www.flambeauoutdoors.com/en
 
Have a great week,
 
Phil Schweik
Licensed Wisconsin Hunting and Fishing Guide
Hooksetters Guide Service
Phone: 715-693-5843