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

Spring in Wisconsin is synonymous with lots of things; morels, turkey hunting, and of course walleye fishing. Naturally, most of us think of the spring walleye run (pre spawn) as being the apitomy of the walleye action. Here in the Madison, WI area we can't fish the walleye run, however we can target these fish post spawn. Now is prime time to get after these hungry walleyes, especially after dark. With a combination of trolling and casting these fish are very catchable. Loca

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

With hard water right around the corner, now is the perfect time to start getting the ice fishing gear ready to rock. Unfortunately many anglers tend to neglect their ice fishing gear, especially tip-ups which can lead to the all too familiar broken line or leader right as the fish reaches the hole, or missed strikes due to poorly lubricated moving parts. Here’s a few tips to help take your tip-up game to the next level and get them ready to slam fish all season long. Tip-ups

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

Trolling with lead core line is a pretty old school tactic that few anglers seem to really know much about. The name itself, "Lead Core" is fairly self explanatory. It is just that, braided line with a lead wire core which results in the line sinking and taking with it whatever lure you put on the end of it. That said lead core is specifically used to get lures that do not dive very deep to run much deeper without adding in line or clip on weights. Makes sense, right? As far

Finding a good spot to fish on the Wisconsin River can seem like a daunting task. There is an overwhelming amount of fishable shore along the 420 miles of riverway. While there is a decent chance to catch fish anywhere, there are certain places to look for where the fish will be larger and the bite will most likely be much stronger. Sauk Dam (pictured above) holds large numbers of Muskies, Walleye, and Bass First off, if you have the chance to fish near a major structure like

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