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

Here in the Midwest we tend to associate trolling with game fish like walleye and muskies; seldom do we ever consider panfish. Sure, every once in a while you may hook a White Bass or Crappie with eyes seemingly bigger than its stomach, but that's about the extent of your contact with panfish. Well, what if you downsized your tackle to specifically target those panfish? Would it work? Madison Angling Experience Guide Dustin Murphy with a spring Crappie Trolling for Crappies i

It seems like spring has always been synonymous with walleye fishing. Yes, now is the time to chase monster pre-spawn walleye on the rivers...but what's going on out on Lake Michigan? Jigging with light tackle for big brown trout has to be one of the most fun things to do this time of year. With drag peeling runs and potential to catch fish over 20lbs, you'd be crazy NOT to try it! These fish hang out near shore through about April (depending on water temperature) making them

Fishing has been absolutely fantastic all around Madison this past week. The bite has been primarily game fish (walleye, muskies, pike, and bass), however panfish have been found in large schools anywhere from 15 to 25 feet of water. Water temperatures are finally into the 60 degree and below range which means the feed bags are being put on until ice up. Chunky first ever Muskie caught on Lake Monona with a Flap Tail. Naturally the muskie bite has been stellar with lots of fi

With current water temps in the low 80's the bite across Madison has been, generally speaking, "deep" in most cases. That said, with the water still over the 80 degree mark it is important to remember to lay off the Muskies, at least until the temps drop below 80. Even though the big toothy guys are "off limits" there are still plenty of opportunities to put a lot of fish in the boat all over Madison. Panfish, especially Bluegills, have been caught consistently in deep water