Lake Winnebago Summer Fishing
Chasing Walleyes on Lake Winnebago in the Summer
Summer walleye fishing on Lake Winnebago can be a lot fun! And some days you can have a lot of success with catching a lot of walleyes. Then there are those other days. What’s up with that?
Many fisherman troll the lake to cover a lot of water with hopes of encountering lots of fish. There is no shame in that and that’s a great way to put fish in the boat.
However, I’m not a fan of trolling on Lake Winnebago. I really enjoy casting reefs and you can too. It’s so enjoyable to feel the bite, set the hook, and reel ’em in!
And honestly I’m grateful for the white drum (aka sheepshead). They provide great fighting action when the walleyes aren’t biting and often when they are biting. I expect to put 20 fish in the boat on a 1/2 day and 30 on a full day. And yes, some days it’s a sheepshead bite.
So what makes the walleye bite? In one word, wind. If you get consistent wind over a couple of days, the locations of walleyes can be found easier. The wind moves the water and moves the bait fish. When the bait fish get pushed up on the rocks or side of a reef it’s game on. More often than not the walleyes will be on the wind blown portion of the reef.
How do you catch them? That’s a great question. My favorite way and the way I teach my clients is to cast jigs. We will cast 1/8, 3/16, or 1/4 ounce jigs tipped with either a night crawler piece or a 3 inch Gulp! Minnow. Then let the fish tell you what they prefer.
My favorite bite is when the fish prefer a fast retrieve, then they just hammer it! Most of the time however, it’s a slow swimming retrieve with hops throughout. And often I’m hopping the jig off bottom all the way back to the boat. Then often you’ll just feel weight or a slight jerk. Then set the hook!
Come fish with me, Captain Kirk, and I’ll give you the confidence to fish this way on your own.
Dan Kirk
Captain Kirk guides on the Winnebago system including the Fox and Wolf Rivers in Spring and Fall.
Call, text or email for more information:
920-722-1881
FishingWithCaptainKirk@gmail.com
Fishing With Captain Kirk LLC