Our 45th Year
Brass Spoonplug
President Cliff opened our meeting by welcoming our guests. This was followed by an introduction of the officers present.
Fish reports:
Coho were rocking on Lake Michigan. A blue fly worked from north to south between North Point and the Main Gap.
In inland waters, Pewaukee Lake was slow. Winnebago provided three walleyes for Editor Chuck Fischer. He also landed six big crappies by Wendt’s. Limits of walleyes came from Winneconne. White bass were hot at Omro.
Big catfish, whitebass and some keeper walleyes were caught on Lake Puckaway. On the Saturday before the meeting, bass and northerns hit on Wind Lake before the rain. Northerns were active on the next day for Secretary Larry and his fishing partner. Larry also landed a big crappie.
Rarely fished Echo Lake, in Burlington, gave up a fine 15½” largemouth bass. On the Centipedes, Darters & Sliders worked on Pine Lake. A few smallmouth bass were on the beds.
Our Monona outing had some bass action. Some beds were viewed.
Friday before the meeting, Art Schmitt fished from four to six in the afternoon in Taylor Bay on Pewaukee Lake. He caught lots of keeper bluegills. A small hook and a waxie worked. When using a minnow, Schmitt also used a larger orange hook. On the same day, another member had successful bluegill angling on Upper Genesee Lake.
Secretary Larry read the minutes, and they were approved as read. This was followed by Treasurer Dan stating we have $1278.00 in our account. His report was approved as stated.
At our next meeting, President Cliff said we will “figure something out” regarding our next outing. We are looking at fishing on Lake Winnebago.
On June 13, Kyle Drake, of the DNR, will speak on vehicle safety when operated in Wisconsin. This includes boats.
Our speaker was former bass tournament angler Mark Krmpotich. Mark discussed how fishing vastly improved thank you to the work of Buck Perry and Spoonplugging and the Lindners and their version of structure fishing.
Krmpotich said that Pewaukee Lake is eutrophic, meaning it is older, and Okauchee Lake is mesotrophic or newer. (Larry: Okauchee is a flowage or a reservoir.) Both “lakes” have dams. Mark gave us a super fishing tip. He said we should find the old, before flooding, shorelines. This overlooked structure is where the bottom is harder, and it attracts fish.
Per our speaker, some fish stay in shallow for their entire lives. On Pewaukee Lake, for example, this lake has lots of shallow water. Find the rocks and you’ll find largemouth bass in the weeds.
8# Seguar fluorocarbon line, four inch plastic worms and weedless Slider jigs are great. For larger fish, a five inch creature on a Charlie Brewer Slider Jig with a Zoom Centipede by Senko on a Texas rigged plain hook floats smoothly down. Use this when bass are on the beds.
Power Worm’s ribbontail design swims naturally on the fall with twitches
and short hops. Soft but firm texture is irresistible to fish.
Ideal for lakes, reservoirs, streams or rivers.
A good musky bait is a hooked weedless Power Worm. Use without a sinker to look more natural, or use a sinker for more casting distance.
If you are using a locator in shallow water, turn it off. Fish feel the pulses and the fish won’t feel your bait. Keep your trolling motor at the same slow speed so as not to spook fish into nonfeeding moods.
Our speaker said minnows do not have lateral lines. He said suckers do not have lateral lines. Gamefish do and these predator fish know where the forage fish are. Big fish feed at night, because it’s easier. Adding a fish attracting scent at night improves your catch.
If you catch a good fish, such as a spunky smallmouth bass, put it in the livewell. Returning the fish allows it to release pheromones and the rest of the smallies in the school are turned off.
Use Small Rat-L-Trap lures and translucent white Rebel Pop-R baits.
In lakes around Milwaukee, fish tend to go for smaller baits.
Krmpotich said that baitcasting reels are the reels on which we should spend our money. Better quality is the most important thing.
If you see a school of carp rooting up the sediment, cast in the middle of or along side of these invasive species. Gamefish gather to feed on what is edible and floating.
Mark ended his talk by ably answering questions from the crowd.
Respectively submitted,
Larry Van Veghel
WFC & WCSFO Secretary and Media Director
