It has been a hot minute since posting a fishing report (mostly due to technical difficulties) but we are back! This spring has been a roller coaster of weather changes making fishing somewhat interesting. That said, here is what has been going on in our area and on the Green Bay system too! With gamefish closed on the Madison Chain (and other inland waters excluding the larger rivers) we have been on the Wisconsin River getting our walleye fix. With the high water we have ha

For all of you who have been out fishing the past couple of weeks, you already know how awesome the action has been! For the rest of you, here is where the hot bites have been and what they have been biting on! Panfish The bluegill bite has been nothing short of phenomenal on Lake Monona lately with the suspended bite in full swing. Most fish are being caught on the North end of the lake out of Olbrich park with fish in 20 to 40 feet of water, about 10 to 15 feet below the su

Overall fishing on the Madison Chain has been outstanding the past few days! Despite the boat traffic and heat there is plenty of solid action from lots of different species. Here's the scoop on what has been working and what it has been working on! Hard to beat a day of chasing big bull gills in the shallows The panfish bite on Lake Monona and Waubesa has been excellent with a mixed bag of everything from bluegills and pumpkinseeds, to crappies and perch. They are hitting ju

Anybody who fishes the Madison Chain knows that spring means giant Channel Catfish on Lake Mendota. They are big, fight like crazy, and typically easy to catch. You can catch them from a boat or from shore, day or night. That said these fish do at times get a little finiky, so here are the go-to's for baits and rigs for targeting these big old kitties. Hungry pre-spawn Madison Cat caught on a piece of Bluegill The vast majority of the time we utilize cut bait presentations in

Spring is officially here in Madison and with it, spring fishing! Although the bite hasn't been easy in some cases it certainly feels good to be chasing big fish again! Here is what has been going on here on the Madison Chain! Lake Mendota Water temperature is key this time of year. Find the warmest water, find the fish. Lake Mendota has been very dirty as result of an early cold-water algae bloom. Due to the dirty water, temps have been slightly higher on Mendota than the re

As proper fall temperatures return to the region, the fall bite here in Madison is about to get underway. With the hopes of cool weather and cooling water in the coming weeks, we can expect some of the best fishing of the year right around the corner. Here are my top producers for the past couple of weeks here on the Madison Chain. Walleyes have been in what seems to be a transitional period between their typical summer behavior and their fall movements. Smaller fish have bee

Bobber fishing is probably one of the most simple ways to fish, period. That said on these dog days of summer it can also be a deadly tactic for getting lazy walleyes to eat on the Madison Chain. Slip bobbering deep structure and weeds is one of my favorite ways to keep a bite going when another dies, especially when a trolling or casting bite slows down. Your choice of live bait, a jig head, and a bobber is all it takes. This Lake Mendota walleye couldn't resist half a night

With summer finally upon us in the Madison area fishing is in full swing. Here's a quick breakdown of what is going on where, and how to get bit! Walleyes Walleyes have been primarily active towards dusk and after dark on both lakes Mendota and Waubesa (not much going on out on Monona). Trolling shallow running crankbaits over weeds at 2mph in 3 to 11 feet of water has been the best pattern. Stick style baits such as Rapala Husky Jerks (size 10-12) and Storm Thundersticks hav

Opening weekend to most anglers is almost like a holiday. Boats full of eager anglers flood every landing right at the crack of dawn, ready to knock the rust off and put the hurt on all varieties of gamefish. With so much angling and boating pressure the bite can be challenging at times. Here are a few of my go-to presentations for different gamefish species here in the Madison Chain for opening weekend and the weeks to follow. WALLEYES Of course we have to talk walleyes. Wal

The panfish bite continues as we move closer to game fish opener here in the next few weeks. Shallow bays are holding the most fish, with the majority of fish being taken in 4 to 6 feet of water. Light spinning tackle rigged with Rocket Bobbers and small jigs tipped with Berkley Gulp Angleworms and 1" Fish Fry are killer, with actual fly fishing flies such as the Prince Nymph and Hair's Ear Nymph fished below a bobber are working great for big Bluegills. An Eagle Claw 1/32oz