Wissota multispecies bite in transition

For most of July and August we enjoyed a very consistent walleye bite on Wissota, mostly pulling cranks with very little bait fishing. During the past 2-3 weeks, however, our trolling bite has steadily declined, hitting rock bottom on Sunday afternoon. Luckily, the bait bite is beginning to pick up!

We spent Sunday afternoon and early evening up the river and in the big lake. Our initial plan was to pull cranks to cover water and find biters, then settle in with jigs and rigs. Well, we cranked for ~ 90 minutes with only a very small eye to show for our effort. So, it was off to the rockpiles up the Chip to flip bait.

Up in the Chip, we focused on a large rocky flat, 8-12 feet deep, that is ringed on 3 sides by deep water (20+ feet deep). The first jig/minnow flipped onto the flat produced a very chunky 14″ smallie. For about an hour, we caught a very nice mixed bag of fat fat smallies (topping out at 16″), a couple of slot eyes, and a pair of genuine 13″ crappies. When this bite fizzled out, we pulled out the long rods and the boards to try the trolling bite again. Big mistake! Another hour and no fish.

During the late afternoon we transitioned back into the main lake to fish the expansive sand/rock bar just south of the mouth of the Yellow river. The eyes were snappin on jig/minnow combos here, and we put a dozen eyes and a couple more 10-11″ crappies into the boat in very short order. The big surprise of the evening was an approx. 36″ ski that acted like a little eye at first, then saw the boat and dove like a WWII submarine. Tough to get those toothies to the net with only 6 lb mono and a 1/16 oz jig. So, crappies, smallies, eyes and a bonus ski all in ~ 4 hours, while enjoying the early fall sun, light breezes, and ESPN radio coverage of the Sunday afternoon gridiron action.

For those of you who are heading out soon, the water temps remain in the mid-70’s. There is also a fairly heavy algae bloom in the lower part of the Chip and in many areas of the north end of the lake. Have fun, and don’t forget to get those lights on when the sun gets low. Too many people cruising out there in the dark!

My buddy did very good Saturday night draggin jig/crawler jig/minnow combos casting up the drop off and draggin it back down, lots of nice walleyes and cats…..

I got out yesterday and fish were very tough to get. We had a couple of bites but nothing to bring to the boat. We tried up the Yellow River by the “K” bridge and a couple of places on the little lake…It sounds like no one was catching much. Anyone else?

My last trip out we (Don Hanson) and myself tried for sturgeon between the dams but didn’t catch any. Don had something large on his walleye rod for a short time but we never saw it. Steve

I was out on Monday and got skunked. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one struggling.

Good luck guys!

Sully

I went out Monday too and nothing to show for except two small, and I mean small perch. My minnows were almost as big. Now with the rain, I don’t know what will happen.

Went out Tuesday for a couple hours, got chased off by the thunder storms, caught 4 walters, and 1 crappie and 4 rock bass. Had to drag jigs on the bottom to get fish to hit, wouldnt touch a slip bobber, had some large schools of fish cruise threw but they wouldnt hit the slips or the jig.

Jason:
re. Up in the Chip, we focused on a large rocky flat, 8-12 feet deep, that is ringed on 3 sides by deep water (20+ feet deep).

I fish the chipp above wissota all the time. I haven’t found a flat 8-12′ deep with 20′ water on 3 sides on the river. Or if I have, I haven’t recoginized it as you describe. Are you possibly talking about just above malard resort? Can you tell me where it is? I’m always looking for deep smallie haunts.
Bob

This is upriver of the resort. There’s a big bend in the river where it turns from heading east (in front of the resort) to heading north; this rocky area is in that general area. The landmark that I use is that it’s in the general area of the first big dock (heading upriver) on the east side of the river, just upriver of the bend. There’s deep water above, below, and to the right (heading upriver) of the rockpile.

Let me know if this is helpful or not.

Jason:
I am still having trouble picturing the flat.
Are you talking about the rocky point with the little cabin on it that is just upstream and across the river from mallard? They have a fairly long dock that is real close to the water (hard to skip under). Maybe we will have to share a boat this spring. You can show me how to fish walleys and I’ll show you how I fish smallies. I saw a boat with a man and woman trolling with orange boards on the chipp one day. Might that have been you?

A trip-swap sounds great. We’ll have to work it out when the ice melts….like in a couple of weeks! I’d definitely be interested in learning some consistent patterns for smallies. They have been trip-savers more than once for me.

We have very good to great walleye fishing with jigs and bait early in the season, and that bite switches to a solid trolling bite at the end of June through July. Both bites can be decidedly multi-species, with pike, muskies, smallies, big crappies, and even cats falling for the same presentations.