OK, so figured I’d get a jump on the rest of you. Been absent from the Rock since spring, and have heard of some nice fish being caught all summer. Going to make up for some lost time this fall; hoping you guys left some eyes in there for me. let me know when the carp stink is gone.
That carp kill on the rock was nasty. Still tons of decomposing carp along the shores up here.
hoping you guys left some eyes in there for me. let me know when the carp stink is gone.
Hi Ed – you haven’t missed much. The fireworks were in July. July was good to me but August sucked. Stink of dead carp still around here and the walleyes haven’t been behaving. So I adapt and fish other kinds, like crappies. The last two weeks been rough for all fish. I have been seeing a lot of nice pike caught in the river and lake, casting lures at that.
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The wife and I went for a boat ride on the river today from K-Mart to the mouth saw lots of dead carp here and there and a bunch of big carp acting like submarines on the surface. Water temp 77 degrees. Water seems to be up a little.
Peace
WeFish
There were hundreds of them up the Bark River too. Every log jam had a pile of them.
OK, so I made the right choice today, hitting Waubesa for gills instead. Passed thru Fort coming back, and the river looked inviting, but gonna give it some time.
Hoping to make it over in a couple weeks. Looks like the weather may cooperate and cool the river down. River fishing in Autumn. It’s the most wonderful time of the year !!
Good luck fellas.
Fished the lake from 4-8:pm trolling a variety of cranks. That was the key along with speed. Started out with Flickershads and Matzou shads and caught 4 short walleyes immediately. Speed was 2-2.3 mph and species caught included channel cats, sheeps, short eyes and 30″+ pike. Increased the speed to 2.8-3.1mph and started to catch keeper eyes in the last hour of daylight on shadraps in perch/firetiger colors. caught 7 eyes in that hour, released a 26″ and 24″, lost three at the net and boxed these two 17″+ for dinner. I lost a few more walleyes as they were not hooking up very well and I was using 12′ rods and shortlining (25-35′)–hard to net fish with a 7′ net and a 12′ rod.
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Nuckle ball jigs and crappies only add up to one thing, making a meal – Rivers in the southern Wisconsin area have been slow for walleyes so what’s next? For me it’s fishing for crappies in the wood or around docks and boat slips. The crappie is a well over looked fish here so I like to take advantage of that. These 1/32oz nuckle ball jigs under a slip bobber works awesome on these slab crappies in Wisconsin. Stop by the fin-tech web-site @ jigfish.com and order some up and meet me on the water.
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May make the maiden fall voyage on the Rock soon. How are the river levels after the recent rains?
Ed, I was thinking the same thing but I have to get some salmon for the grill and smoker before I get back to eyes and crappies.
Made it out on Thursday, fishing from 8 am till 5 pm. boated about 15 fish, but mostly the wrong kind..goats, cats, white bass, and two eyes. One was just a tad longer than the paddletail he inhaled, and the other a nice 20 incher. Not too many boats out; talked to two of them, and one was skunked, and the other also had one legal. water temps ranged from 59 to 61 degrees.
Thanks for the report Captain Ed. I knew the walleye bite was tough so I’ve been fishing for crappies which has been hit or miss also. The fall bite the last couple years has been an adventure. All we can do as anglers is keep fishing and hope one day mother nature lets us catch some fish during the fall. Crappies from Monday and Tuesday this week.
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Fished (umm, trolled) the lake this morning starting at willow point and ending at stoney point. Caught a mixed bag of fish from big whiteys and sheeps to one short eye and several mid 20’s pike and a 37″ pike. Wind came up quickly and tossed us about. A nice day to be out as the temps rose rapidly with the winds. All fish came on a perch taildancer.
It might be slow out there, but that very distinct “thump” on the paddletail from the 20 incher, and a few missed thumps, are going to keep this guy coming back. Heading to petenwell next week for several days, but back at it on the Rock afterwards. Hoping you guys go warm them up for me.
Sorry, not a report.
Wondering about the difficulty of navigating the Rock. I’m a novice boater (been at it for about 2 months) with a 14′ w/ 6 hp motor/28 lbs transom mount, bunk trailer w/ guide ons. Would I be ok on the Rock during the fall season? Tips? Things to watch out for? Or just tell me no, get more experience noob.
What part of the rock are we talking about? I can tell you with your size of boat you will be ok from mouth of the river at Blackhawk Island up river to the Patten’s Marine or VFW. Just stay in the middle of the river.
The part with the good fall walleye bite 
From the reading I’ve done (I’m new to the SE Wisco area) that would be from Jefferson to Lake Koshkonong. Is there a bait shop in the area to get good info? Thanks.
No good bait shops in Fort for info. Get your info here or Lake-link.com.
Best bait shop in southern WI is in Delafield Dick Smiths live bait and tackle.
http://dicksmithslivebait.com/
The only bait shop in Fort is at the Shell station on Whitewater Ave.
Other wise in Newville at that shell station.
Ok, thanks for the info jeff-patrick. I’ve been to Dick Smiths a few times, good people.
Trying the water for the first time… fishing for sure, but as much about moving up and down the river a bit to see it. Any pointers on where to best put in? I see on the map there is a place by K-Mart in Ft Atkinson? Most of the fishing down river or is the river ok north all they way to Jefferson? Can you access Lake Koshkonong, or are there hazards down that far?
Trying to be a little careful, as I’ll be on my own. 17′ Deep V Lund.
@ cycle, k-mart launch ok right now but it can get pretty shallow in Oct. Fished there today down to the Bark River with no luck. Right now the safest and best launch is at Riverfront which is on Blackhawk Island. Also best places to fish around there.
Thanks… I look at a map and makes notes as to where it is.
Took the boat out to try out my Lowrance Structure Scan HD on the river and then on to the lake for fishing. Not much happening on the river so I set out three rods and trolled Thiebeau to the rock pile. Picked up this big girl at Thiebeau while I was adjusting the lines and she pulled the board straight back. By her girth, I thought she was bigger than she was–but the truth-teller put her at 25″ with a 14″ girth. I placed her gently in the water and she swam off to fight another day. Hooked a couple of mid thirties pike and got off the lake before the winds really picked up. all fish caught on a blue and white shad #7.
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Thanks for the report, BB. I’m planning on hitting the Rock on Thursday, weather allowing, so will share the update if I go.
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