Hot Wissota trolling bite

The trolling bite is red hot on Wissota right now. Two of us were out between 4 pm and 9 pm today and put 28 walters in the boat (with all 28 making it back into the drink). We targeted shallow sand, 12-15 fow. Jointed firetiger SR5’s were the hot bait until the sun hit the treetops, at which point the bite moved on to chrome SR5s, trolled 140-180 feet back. Key speeds were mid 2’s to 3 mph (gps). Terrific average size to these fish (well, terrific by Wissota standards)….most of our fish were in the mid to upper teens with only a couple of true cigars. Get out there and enjoy!

Thanks for the great report. Did you use boards?

Sully

No, we were straight off the back. We were running close enough to shore that one board would have been whacking docks!

The hot trolling bite continues, even in the heat of the day amid the pleasure boat flotilla. Fished with a friend and his 4 yr old son today between 11 and 3. We put 9 eyes, a pike, a sm bass and a channel cat in the boat. Key bait today was a clear glass shad SR5. A firetiger jointed sr5 accounted for all of the non-eyes. The same types of spots continue to be productive: shallow sand between 10 and 15 fow with speeds up to 3 mph (GPS).

Sounds like fun. Where you on the big lake? or little wissota?

Strictly up in the Chip. I’m only getting cigars and cats in the big lake.

Just a quick update….water temps have climbed into the low to mid 80s in the Chip during the past week, which has put a damper on the overall bite. 3 of us managed a bakers dozen of eyes and a couple of smallies this evening, but we had to pull lead far up in the chip where the water was cleaner and a little cooler (= closer to 80 than to 85). We had a nice flurry at the upper end of the lake right at dusk in shallow water, pulling SR5s and deep little rippers.

Do you troll with the trolling motor, or run your main motor slow?

If you do run the main motor, will it effect the fish bites?

We’re trolling with the main motor. Slow is not necessarily the word I’d use. We’re running near or just over 3 mph (GPS) which is above the idle speed of the motor (115 hp 4s). We’re also running long lines (mostly 140 – 200 ft back) so spooking of fish isn’t an issue. We certainly manage plenty of bites, during the day or during the twilight primetime, under these operating conditions.

OK thanks.

We still had ’em dialed in on Sunday afternoon/evening. The key for us today was to find ~ 80 degree water…that’s where the biters were located. We took another nice bunch of eyes, with 6 in the slot topping out at 17″. Rounded out the catch with a small pike, a 35″ musky, and a big hump-backed perch. Almost everything, including the ‘ski, came on jointed firetiger SR5s, with a few fish on a glass shad SR7. The algae bloom has settled down a bit up in the river and there are fish to be had!

Did you catch them all trolling? What depths..I am planning on hitting the lake this weekend with a full report monday morning. Any more info would be awesome. How far up the river?

We’re still doing 100% trolling. Haven’t dropped a jig or dragged a rig in over a month. We’re focusing on three areas in the river. One is just upriver of the new bike trail bridge, working the edge of the main river channel. The other two areas are near the resort/trailer park that is up in the river. One area is between the resort and the upriver boat ramp. The other area is downriver from the resort. Haven’t had much luck in the shallower water that is upriver of that farthest boat ramp.

We’ll be chasing eyes in the Hayward area this weekend, so I’ll look forward to reading your Wissota report next week.

Well I will try these areas your talking about…not really sure exactly where…not all in all that familar with the area besides the bike bridge area…but hey..as long as Pro-V is on the water thats all that matters…sounds like I should have a pretty good change as long as i am working the 10-15 fow range….I will definetly look for the surface temp to be 80…sounds like that should work out best…thanks for the report and info

Bowhuntr24: I just sent you a PM with a couple of other thoughts. -BT

Thanks! Will have a report on Monday…hopefully something good to report

First time out in the new boat. Definetly need to figure out a few things on the motor. Idle is a little fast. Gave up on the trolling and went pitching jigs for about 15-20 mins. Caught 2 pearch 1 walleye and 1 smallie 16in (smallie) had the gf with and was getting dark so took her for a moonlight boat ride

Thanks for the update. I plan to hit the river again on Thursday and will be back with an update on Friday. We’ll spend part of our time pulling lead along the main channel edges to see if we can coax out a larger fish or two.

yall here about the little kid who got hit my the train on the X bridge? Not good.

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yall here about the little kid who got hit my the train on the X bridge? Not good.

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I think they are going to take greater measures to prevent folks from fishing on that bridge.

Too many people have been hurt there. They need to do something about that. Another thing I have to say though is where are the parents, and what is a little boy doing out there like that with no supervision? That really angers me.

Update: The boy has died from his injuries. He was 13 yo.

Seems like every year a four wheeler or snow mobile goes through the ice there too.

Krisko I dont agree with you blaming the parents, at 13 a child starts to become an adult, exploring the world with his friends is way better than sitting at home watching TV, playing video games or sitting at a computer. Accidents happen, the boy made a poor split secound judgement call and it cost him his life, the parents will live with that forever but as a parent of my own 13 year old I have learned while I want to know where my child is going and what she is doing I cant be with her for every moment and I cant stop her from the process of changing into an adult.I hope and pray the decisons she makes are based on the training we as parents have given her for the first twelve years. Every time I have gone past this area I see people fishing there, it was a very unfortunate accident.