May 28th, 2006
The fishing is getting good as the water temps get into the low 70's. The Top Water bite is on and the muskies have started to get into there feeding patterns. This is a welcome sign for all of us muskie fishermen who have been waiting for this bite to start. Most of the muskie action has been slow and sporadic. Lots of the action has been in the afternoon hours and just before dark. This is common in Spring because the early morning water temps are usually cool and the afternoon hours tend to warm up a few degrees by mid afternoon.
The pan fish have started to come in and the bass are with them. The multi species bite is ready for all to enjoy. The Large Mouth Bass have started to show up with the blue gills in the shallows looking for a place to set up spawning beds. Please return these fish back to the lake when caught so they can do what they came to do. For bass try Rattle Traps, Spinner Baits, Top Water baits, Rubber Worms or live bait. Pan fish will always fall for a small piece of night crawler or wax worm presented with light line and a small bobber. A fly rod and small fly is also a great way to have some fun with the gills.
Ok, enough with the bait fish talk. Lets get into the muskies. The last week has been getting better with each day. Most of the action in the deeper West end of Pewaukee Lake has been in the afternoon up to dark. The best baits have been Suicks, Undertakers, Spinner Baits, Bucktails and Top Water Baits. Work the shorelines out to the weed edges for best results. The West end flats have started to show some welcome action after a slow start. Work over the weeds early and late in the day. Work the weed edges during the mid day hours when the boat traffic is heavy. Deeper Spinner Baits, Crank Baits and Suicks have all worked recently.
Now the East end of Pewaukee Lake has got more consistent action all day due to the fact that the fish can't go into deeper water. They just sink deeper into the weeds. This is where I like to spend my mid day hours when the sun is high and the boat traffic is everywhere. The best bet here is to find the deeper weeds and weed edges and work them with a Spinner Bait, Crank Bait, or Creature/Jig & Plastic. This is a in your face approach to get the muskie to strike. During the early morning hours I like to use Gliders and Top Water baits to target the active muskies. Later in the morning I will switch over to Suicks and Bucktails until the boat traffic gets going.
The biggest fish so far in my boat came off a Top Water bait just before dark. This was a great moment while I was out with a client teaching him how to work all his new baits. Kevin and I started out at 5pm and worked Twitch baits, Spinner Baits, Bucktails, Crank baits until we got to the Top Waters at dark. I worked with Kevin to show him the proper way to work each bait and the little tricks I use to get strikes on them. Well, he just got done working a Top Raider and switched to a Hawg Wobbler at dark. I explained the speed it works best at and I put on his Top Raider since I liked that bait at this time of the season. Kevin and I were just talking about wow awesome the sun set was and the view we had of the Top Water baits as they were worked over the weeds. Just after we talked about it a 46 1/2-inch muskie comes up and crushes the Top Raider I was casting. The fish hit just as I started my retrieve and the huge head came out of the water as she ate the bait. I set the hooks hard and offered the rod to Kevin, he refused the hand off and explained he wanted to catch his first muskie on his own. I tried again to get him to reel in this fish but he explained he would rather watch a seasoned muskie fishermen work a big fish into submission. I explained everything I was doing as I worked the 25lb muskie to the boat. Soon it was in the net and the unhooking, measurement, picture and release was explained in detail. Both of us were pumped up and ready for more action but that was it for the night.
Lots more stories like this in the past two weeks but this report is getting too long. I can say that the Suicks, Slop Masters, Top Raiders, Bucktails, and Undertakers all have produced fish.
I have opening during the week from 5pm till 10pm and a few weekends still open in June for those who would like to get out and enjoy the action on Pewaukee lake. I will supply everything you need and will teach you the spots and baits to use at the correct time. If you would like to just learn the spots and have me mark a map I will do that for you. If you would just like to get out and catch fish I can do that too. I strive to be a teacher so your next time on the water will be more productive. Pewaukee Lake can be a tough lake to crack, learn the spots and patterns used to catch these muskies and it might just make every outing a better one for you.
Remember to practice good judgment with catch and release. I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day. Remember all who have served for us to have the freedom we enjoy every day. God Bless all who have been put in harms way to fight for out freedom. I personally want to thank you.
Gift certificates are ready for those who would like to give the father in their life the gift he will remember. FATHER'S DAY IS COMING SOON !!! Contact me to see how I can help you give the ultimate gift to someone you love. I will personally customize any gift for all occasions.
May 6th & 7th, 2006 -- The Opener
The opener was slow to average for the muskie chasers this past weekend. Most people raised a few fish. Glide baits, twitch baits and suckers were the hot baits. My brother Greg and I started out working suckers and glide baits on the south shore near a spawning river. The early morning action was slow for us with only a few muskies checking out our selection of baits. Most of the people I was in radio contact with had some action from first light until early morning. A few sub legals were caught and one 37-incher was caught on a sucker by a friend. Greg and I had one 40-inch class fish chase a sucker around three different times without ever grabbing it. This was one of the 4 muskies that took interest in our live bait we had out.
The first fish I caught was a 39.75-inch muskie that smashed a sucker at boat side. A good fight and release was well worth waiting for. I got a call from a friend that had just caught a 36-inch muskie on a small weighted Suick. I also watched a past client catch a three footer with his son, that was very rewarding for me just knowing that the tradition was being passed on. All in all the day was slow for most. A Muskie Inc outing was going on with 35 or so people and only one 35-inch muskie was caught.
Sunday was a different story for me, I slept in and fished the warm mid day hours with family. We started out at 11am and quickly located an active fish that ended up missing a twitch bait at boatside. Ryan caught the 38-incher shortly after that when it grabbed a trailing sucker. After we released that fish we picked up and set up on some fish I raised the day before. I wasn't long before a sucker rod clicker started to sound off. A quick hookset and a 36-incher was in the net, "Mikey grab that rod, I yelled" and my son was into his first 2006 muskie. He set the hooks and yelled "fish on dad" with a big smile. I grabbed the first fish out of the net and placed it in the open livewell so I could net my sons fish. As Mikey's 40-incher came closer to the boat the rod next to me started to sound off. I reached down with my right hand and engaged the reel and set the hooks, "fish on" I yelled to Ryan as he looked at me with a rod in one hand and a net in the other. I lifted the 35-incher to the surface like using a cane pole, slipped the net under him and under Mikey's 40-incher. Now we had 3 fish and the boat was blowing into a shore full of rocks. Ryan got on the trolling motor as I worked on the two muskies in the net. I cut hooks and placed the two fish in the livewell so they could get some good oxygen from my aerator. Once we got a safe distance from the shoreline I grabbed the biggest fish, Ryan and Mikey also grabbed a fish and some quick pictures were taken before a three fish release.
WOW, What a great way to end a day. With the DNR rules on putting muskie in livewells as a kept fish, I didn't want to take a chance on fishing anymore. Even if you release a fish it's considered kept if it hits the livewell. This is a grey area in the rules and I am sure it would have not been a problem but why take a chance. After all, how can you beat 3 muskies in only a few minutes. 5 legal muskie came into my boat in a day and a half during tough post spawn conditions. I can settle for that.
Sucker and quick-strike rigs were the method used to boat all 5 fish. Learn the do's and don't of live bait before purchasing some of the KILL RIGS on the market. Not all quick-strike rigs are the same. I would be happy to answer questions and steer you clear of the KILL RIGS on the market. If you use a quick-strike rig please don't wait, I never give the fish more time than it takes to grab the rod and tighten up the line and let them have it. 5 for 5 is a great start. You can't beat 100%, you just enjoy it.
If you have been thinking about booking a trip please feel free to contact me and see what patterns and dates are left. Get in on the action, you will not regret it. Look for more reports and tips as the season goes on.
Mike's Extreme Guide Service.