December 2 and 4, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- The weather was just too nice for December not to fish. The fishing is slower than at other times of year, but there are still fish to catch.  Most of the fish I caught were bass and bluegills with a few crappies in the mix.  The bass were biting good for December.  All were within an inch of 15 inches and were caught on a variety of soft plastics.  The bluegill were between 5 and 8 inches and were caught on soft plastics or tear drops tipped with waxworms.  I was trying to locate potential ice fishing spots with the bluegill.  The crappie were between 8 and 10 inches and caught on crappie jigs. 

October 15, 2012

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Lake Wanahoo for an afternoon of fishing.  The weather was fabulous for a day of fishing.  The bite was very good for bass and bluegill but slow for crappie.  We caught bass and bluegill in many spots with some spots holding many fish.  The bass were mostly in the two to three pound range. Most of the bass were caught on plastic worms and jigs. The bluegill were mostly smaller but a few up to nine inches were caught.  The crappie were not very numerous but the size was excellent.  Fall fishing can be inconsistent but when you hit the right day it can be as good as any day of the year.

October 3, 2012

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people to Wanahoo for a day on the lake.  We fished an area that I had not fished much this year and found the bite to be good.  We caught some real nice bass, crappie and bluegill.  We focused mostly on panfish and were able to keep twenty one fish that were mostly crappies.  The largest ones were right at 13 inches.  The bite was a steady methodical bite.  We again used mostly 1/32nd oz jigs with a soft plastic bodies.  The weather was great..  Fishing a new lake like Wanahoo is challenging and rewarding.  Once the locations are seasonally figured out they should repeat themselves yearly.

October 2, 2012

Czechland and Wanahoo-  I took a person to Czechland for a couple hours in the afternoon.  The bite was very slow so we stopped at Wanahoo on the way back.  The bite was slow at Wanahoo also although not as slow as Czechland.  The location of the fish had change dramatically in just three days.  We ended up catching fish at a decent rate toward the end of the day.  Nice weather and great person to fish with, but the fish catching was less than hoped for.

September 31, 2012        

Lake Wanahoo- I went to Wanahoo to do some bass fishing  Most of my fishing at Wanahoo had been targeting crappies, so it was time to learn some new bass spots.  The bite was good.  Most of the bass were 14 to 16 inches and very fat. I caught the majority of them on wacky rigs in the thick timber.  I tried two crappie spots and kept three 12 inch crappie for a meal for the wife and me.

September 26, 2012

Summit Lake- I met two people an Summit for an afternoon of fishing.  They wanted to learn the techniques of where and how to catch crappie .  I took them to various spots on the lake to learn how to catch the crappies and when to approach these spots at the correct time of year.  We stopped on various spots and caught numerous crappies.  We stopped at a bass and bluegill spot for one drift on the way back to the boat ramp, made a slight lure switch and found the bass and bluegill were biting very good also.  Nice weather and great day on the lake.

September 25, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I met a person at Wanahoo for an afternoon of fishing.  The fishing was similar to previous trips, big crappies in tough places along with a decent bass and bluegill bite.  The crappie were in the extremely thick trees and needed an "ice fishing" presentation to catch them.  We caught various sizes with enough 11 to 13 inchers to keep his limit. Great weather and another good day of nice crappies.

September 20, 2012

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people on Wanahoo for an afternoon to evening trip.  Wanahoo is not producing the numbers of fish we catch at other lakes but the quality is excellent.  The lake consistently produces crappie from 10 to 13 inches along with bass and bluegills of good size.  The fishing can be difficult but worthwhile.  We cleaned a nice mess of fish.  All of the fish have been fat and healthy fish. 

September 19, 2012

Wehrspann Lake-  I met a person at Wehrspann for an afternoon of fishing.  Lots of crappie biting but the size was overall small.  The fish were relating to the trees and brushpiles.  The better fish were by the main lake brush.  We also caught some bluegill and  a 17 inch largemouth.  Wehrspann has been a good action lake still but the quality has been more difficult lately.  

September 16, 2012

Czechland Lake- I took a person to Czechland for an afternoon of crappie fishing.  The crappie bite was very good.  We were able to catch many crappie in many places.  The size varied from 4 to 12 inches.  Czechland has a ten inch minimum and we were able to keep thirteen that were over 10 inches.  We caught a few bass and some bluegill also.  A very good day of action along with some good quality. fish.

September 15, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- My nephew and I went to Lake Wanahoo for and afternoon of fishing.  He is an excellent fisherman and good to bring along to experiment with a changing bite.  The bass and bluegill bite was very good.  All the crappie we found were in the very thick brush.  We caught crappie from 4 to 12 inches again. As tough as the fishing gets at Wanahoo and good as the habitat is, I expect to see many 14 inch plus crappie, 10 inch plus bluegill and 18 inch plus bass in Wanahoo as soon as next year and continuing for several years after that.

September 14, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I took a person to Lake Wanahoo for an afternoon.  The bite at Wanahoo got tougher in just four days.  We still caught big crappies, they just moved into the real thick cover again.  When the fish move back into the thick cover the fishing becomes slow and methodical.  We were able to catch about 30 crappies with ten of them between 11 and 12 inches.  For the first time all year we caught crappie down to 4 inches.  The bass bite was good and the bluegill bite was fair.

September 10, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I took a person out to Wanahoo for a day of crappie fishing.  The crappie bite is getting better each time out at Wanahoo.  We caught around 50 crappies with most of the fish in the 11 to 12 inch range.  The crappie seem to be biting in more places each time out.  All the fish were caught on the usual, a 1/32nd oz lead head jig with a plastic body.  Crappie are not as smell sensitive as bluegill and bass so I do not use gulp when I specifically target crappie.  We caught moderate numbers of bass and bluegills also on the jigs just not as many as we would normally catch on gulp.  A very good day on the lake.

September 6, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I took a retired couple that wanted to learn more about fishing especially crappie fishing to Wanahoo.  We went to Wanahoo and caught some nice crappies for a good fish fry.  Wanahoo has been an excellent lake for quality crappies lately.  We are not going to have the 100 fish days this time of year at Wanahoo like some of the other lakes in the area, but the fish are typically of good quality.  The technique for catching the crappies is more time consuming and challenging than many of the other lakes that don't have the massive tree cover that  Wanahoo has. We caught numerous bluegills but the fewest of bass of any trip to Wanahoo yet this year.  The fall transition might be starting. 

September 3, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- My wife and I went to Wanahoo for an afternoon of fishing.  The bass bite was very good throughout the lake. We caught them on jigs, plastic worms and crankbaits.  The fish were predominantly 14 to 16 inches.  We caught some nice bluegills and kept 12 crappies from 11 to 12 inches for a fish fry with the neighbors.  Wanahoo continues to be a good.

August 31, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I met a person at Wanahoo for a morning of fishing.  Wanahoo continues to be impressive with quality sized crappies. We were able to find multiple spots with crappies.  We realized early on that we could throw back fish under 11 inches and still keep a limit for him.  Most of the crappie were right at 12 inches.  We also caught numerous bass and bluegill.  Wanahoo should continue to improve as a quality fishery.  With a 21 inch minimum bass and the tremendous habitat in the lake, Wanahoo will be the premier fishery in the area for several years to come.

August 27, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I stayed at Wanahoo and met a dad, his son and his son's friend for two hours later that afternoon.  The dad and kids were quick learners and it was extremely enjoyable watching them catch good numbers of fish. The crappie bite was good and the size was excellent.  We kept a good meal of thick 12 inch crappies.  We also caught some nice bluegills along with a few bass and a northern pike.  If you like to catch quality crappies Wanahoo has them.  They are not always easy to catch but are worth trying for because of their size.

August 27, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I met a dad, daughter and another gentleman at Wanahoo for some fishing.  We fished for and caught bass, bluegill and crappie.  We fished various parts of the lake to help them get a feel of the lake.  The bass and bluegill bite was good and we caught some real nice crappies in specific areas of the lake.  We caught the bass on worms, flukes spinnerbaits and jigs.  We caught the panfish on jigs. I always enjoy helping people learn how to catch fish, especially children, and this trip was excellent for that.  The daughter was a quick learner and it was fun to watch her catch fish and get excited because she knew where to drop her jig to catch those fish.  I cleaned about 20 crappies and bluegills for a good ,meal. 

August 26, 2012

Summit Lake- I took two people to Summit  for a day of fishing.  They wanted to fish for panfish and the bite was good for crappies.  There was good cloud cover in the morning and the crappie were biting pretty good.  The fish were still biting when the sun came out but they were a tougher bite.  We probably caught between 80 and 100 crappies and kept a limit of 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 crappies along with a few bluegills.  Overall a very good day.

August 20, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I went to Wanahoo to check on the bite there after the weather had cooled some.  The bite was good.  The bass were biting very good on weightless senkos or wacky rigs.  I caught some nice crappies for a meal and caught numerous bluegill.  Even though the bite was good the fishing is somewhat difficult.  The fish are relating heavily to shade, which in Wanahoo means fishing the standing timber.  Challenging but good fishing.

August 17, 2012

Summit Lake- I took a dad and six year old daughter to Summit for some fishing.  The bite was fair.  We caught moderate numbers of bluegill, crappie, and some small bass.  The weather excellent and the fishing was very enjoyable.  The dad had not fished in years and had a great time on the water with his daughter.  The daughter wanted to release all the fish and we did just that.  We used mostly 1/32nd oz jigs with gulp minnows.

August 14, 2012

Wehrspann Lake- I met a person at Wehrspann for a half day of fishing.  I had not fished Wehrspann for a month.  The hot weather appeared to have taken a toll on the water.  The lake had dropped several feet in the last month and the fish were lethargic and skinny.  I assume oxygen levels had dropped enough to affect the fish's health.  We were able to catch fair numbers of smaller crappies and bluegills along with some catfish and bass.  For the first time all summer we caught no walleyes.  I cleaned some crappies for a meal.  We caught the fish on plastics.

August 4 to 11, 2012

Lac Seul Ontario Canada- After the state baseball tournament ended, my son and I met with a group of 5 others to fish Lac Seul in Ontario.  We always look forward to a Canadian  fishing trip after baseball and before school starts.  Lac Seul Lodge on Lac Seul is a favorite of ours.  The lake has the thickest walleyes I have caught anywhere.  Lots of fish with excellent quality-a great destination lake.  We caught all sizes of walleyes with the largest being 29 inches.  We also catch decent numbers of northern pike, jumbo perch and some of fattest smallmouth bass you will find anywhere.  Going to a place with 75 degree highs and 55 degree lows is also nice after a hot summer in the Midwest.  Lac Seul is a fabulous drive to Canadian lake.

July 26, 2012

Wildwood Lake- I met a grandfather and grandson for a morning of fishing at Wildwood.  I taught them how to use spinning reels and we proceeded to fish;.  We caught numerous crappie and bluegill along with a few bass and some nice catfish.  The fish were biting better than expected.  We used jigs with gulp minnows.  With the exception of the catfish most of the fish were smaller but we caught enough decent sized crappies for a good meal. 

July 19, 2012

Private Farm Pond- My son and I took three people to a private farm pond.  We left early to get in on the morning topwater bite and avoid the afternoon heat.  We used plastic frogs for the topwater bite.  Watching the bass come clean out of the water at the frogs is blast.  The bite lasted until the sun got too high in the sky.  We then switched to spinnerbaits, plastic worms and other common bass baits.  The bass were from 14 to 18 inches.  We could catch numerous crappie and bluegill.  We kept about a dozen crappie for a meal.  Overall the bite was good but only fair for the pond.

July 12, 2012

Wehrspann Lake- I met a person to Wehrspann for an afternoon of fishing.  Hot weather with little breeze and bright sunshine and we were catching fish almost every cast.  We caught too many fish to count with most of them crappies and bluegills.  We kept 17 crappie from 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 inches and two nice walleyes for a good bag of fish to eat.  We caught about 30 catfish weighing from one to one and a half pounds along with about a dozen 10 to 14 inch bass.  Wehrspann continues to be an excellent action lake with some good quality fish mixed in.

July 11, 2012

Lake Cunningham- I took the boat onto Lake Cunningham for the first time in several years..  I fished for about six hours to check on fish size. The walleye were biting extremely good for this area. Because the walleye bite was so good I targeted them for the day.  I caught about 30 walleyes but only one was over 15 inches.  I am optimistic that Cunningham will be a good producer of walleye starting next year as most of the fish I caught were 12 to 14 inches.  I also caught good numbers of bluegill and catfish along with several bass and crappie but again most were small.

July 9, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I took a person to Wanahoo for an afternoon of fishing trip.  The fishing was very good for bluegill with most in the 8 inch range. Bass fishing was good with the fish ranging from 12 to 17 inches.  We caught several northern pike and a few crappie.  Most of the crappie are good sized when we catch them on Wanahoo but they are a tough to catch compared to how many we are catching on other lakes in the area. 

July 7, 2012

Summit Lake- I took a father in law and two son in laws to Summit for a morning of fishing.  Summit continues to be the best the lake in the area if you are looking for a mess of panfish to catch and eat.  We caught numerous bluegill above 8 inches including an over 10 inch monster.  We eventually found a nice bunch of 10 to 12 inch crappies.  We caught a fair number of bass and one 3 pound catfish that I cleaned.  We caught all the fish on jigs and soft plastics.  A great family day on the lake.

July 3, 2012

Wehrspann Lake- I took a father and son to Wehrspann for a morning fishing trip.  The fishing continues to be impressive at Wehrspann.  The ten year old boy probably caught between 50 and 100 fish himself.  Most of the fish were crappie and bluegill but he also landed some very nice walleyes.  We also caught quite a few catfish and several bass.  All of the fish were caught on jigs and soft plastics.  This was an excellent father and son morning on the lake - lots of fish to keep a boy's interest along with some very good quality fish too.

June 29, 2012

Wehrspann Lake- I took a person with a fairly severe handicap to Wehrspann for a morning of fishing. The fishing was extremely good.  He had a bite every cast for the first hour.  Most of the fish were bluegill and crappie but we also caught some very nice walleye and catfish.  We kept six walleye between 17 and 23 inches and ten crappie that were just under the 10 inch mark.  We landed some nice catfish and had some big ones on that broke our line.  All of the fish were caught using jigs using soft plastics.  An excellent day of fishing in the middle of a hot summer.

June 28, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I continue to explore Lake Wanahoo.  The bass bite was very good with most of bass caught on flukes and wacky rigs.  I continue to find nice sized crappie but have yet to find many spots where i am finding them.  I am finding some new spots every time but there has to be a lot more consistent spots on a lake such as Wanahoo.

June 24, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- My son and I went to Wanahoo.  My son is an excellent fisherman and therefore very good to bring along to explore new spots.  We went to the usual spots to confirm the crappie were biting and they were.  We then worked very hard to find some new spots.  We found a few crappies in some different spots.  The crappies again were mostly over 10 inches, but we did not find very many on the new spots. We kept ten for a family meal.  We caught some nice bass and bluegills also.

June 23, 2012

Wehrspann Lake- I fished with a father and grandson at Wehrspann for an afternoon.  The crappie bite was fair but the fish were small.  The fish were biting jigs and crankbaits.  We also picked up quite a few bluegills along with some walleye and catfish. 

June 19, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I fished Lake Wanahoo with a father and son.  We found the crappies in the usual spots again.  Tried to find some new spots for the crappies but was unable to.  We also caught some bluegills and bass.

June 17, 2012

Wehrspann Lake- I fished Wehrspann for a few hours on Sunday.  The crappie and bluegill bite was very good.  Most of the fish were smaller but about 1 out of 10 crappies was around 10 inches.  Caught about 70 crappies on jigs and crankbaits.  The fish were scattered over a large flat which is usually a sign of good bite.

June 15, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I fished Lake Wanahoo.  I will fish Lake Wanahoo on a regular basis in order to figure out the seasonal migrations and bite patterns.  I am able to catch bass, crappie, and bluegill on a regular basis.  The Game and Parks person doing the creel survey says I have been the only one bringing in crappies that he has surveyed in the last two weeks.  This is good news and bad news.  The good news is that I have found some crappies.  The bad news is I have not found them in very  many places and they are a tough bite.  The crappie are almost all above 10 inches. 

June 13, 2012

Summit Lake- I took a father and son to Summit Lake for the day.  The wind was blowing at a moderate pace but the fish were biting.  We were targeting panfish and caught lots of crappie and bluegill along with a fair number of bass.  Some of the brush piles were loaded with crappie.  We caught over 50 off one brush pile and if we wanted to stay could have caught many more.  We were using 1/32nd oz jigs with any type of plastic body for the crappies.  Occasionally we would put a bobber on to help float above the brush.  Most of the crappie were 8 to 9 inches with several 10+crappies also.  We did some bluegill fishing along the shores and caught numerous bluegill around 8 inches with the largest being 9 inches,  All of the bluegill were caught on gulp.  The bass were caught on gulp minnows or worms with the largest being a 16 incher.  Helping youth catch lots of fish is always the most rewarding part of a fishing.

June 12, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I took two students to Wanahoo.for a day on the lake.  The fishing was very good.  We caught bass and bluegill right away with some bluegills of good size.  We found some nice crappies to make a good meal for both of their families.  It was not easy to catch them but the challenge and learning the boys did was very rewarding.  The fish are going to be a challenge at Wanahoo with all the standing trees but over time should be able to patterned.  We have found the gulp minnow and 4 inch crawler to be the most productive.

June 11, 2012 

Lake Wanahoo- I took a person to Wanahoo for a half day of fishing.  Wanahoo is a new lake in the area and I need to learn the patterns there.  We did better than the trip on June 9th, but still not what I hoped for.  Caught quite a few bass  and bluegills.  Quality was less than earlier in the year but numbers were ok.  For the first time this year I did not catch a crappie.

June 9, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I took a person to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  Boat traffic has dropped off considerably.  The fishing was slower than it has been also.  We caught around 40 to 50 fish.  Most were bass and bluegill with a few crappie.   A good day of fishing but slower than previous trips.  The fish are changing patterns.  I have to change tactics and locations accordingly. 

June 6, 2012

Summit Lake- I took the person from Wanahoo the day before to Summit.  I had told him that Summit has bigger bluegills than Wanahoo and he found out that it does.  We caught many bluegills with most of them around 8 inches and a moderate number from 9 to 10 plus inches.  Most of the bluegill were caught on 2 1/2 inch gulp minnows  The conditions are excellent for catching master angler bluegills at Summit right now.  We also caught many crappie and bass.  The crappie were from 8 to 12 inches and were caught on jigs.  The bass were from 11 to 15 inches and caught on gulp minnows or plastic worms.

June 5, 2012

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  The temperature was in the high 80s with light winds.  The bluegill bite was fabulous with most of the fish right around 8 inches and the biggest ones at 9 inches.  We caught  most of the bluegill on 2 1/2 inch gulp minnows.  The bass were also biting exceptionally well with most of the fish in the 11 to 14 inch range.  Most of the bass were caught on 3 inch gulp minnows.  Lots of fish biting with fewer boats on the water in past trips.

June 1, 2012

Wildwood Lake- I had a person that wanted to learn advanced bass techniques so we headed to Wildwood.  It was a cloudy day so we started with topwaters which turned out to be a very good decision.  We caught bass all day long on topwaters with by far the best being a pop-r style with a pop pop stop action.  Our second best lure selection was a 3 inch gulp on a 1/8th oz jig.  We also picked up a few nice fish on spinnerbaits and flipping plastics. The best bite was around rocks.  All of the bass were from 12 to 19 inches. He asked some good questions about what it took to put more fish in the boat. It was a very good day of catching fishing and learning techniques and subtleties that help catch more fish.

May 28, 2012

Summit Lake- I took one person to Summit for a day of fishing.  The bluegill bite was excellent.  Summit Lake has an excellent population of large bluegills with most of the fish we caught in the 8 to 10 inch range.  The best baits were gulp, especially the 3 inch gulp fry.  The crappie bite was just fair with most of the fish in the 9 to 10 1/2 inch range.  Any type of 1/32nd oz. jig worked just fine.  We also picked a moderate number of bass on the gulp fry or plastic worms.  The largest were 15 to 17 inches.

May 25, 2012

Wehrspann Lake- I took a dad and his son to Wehrspann for a half day in the morning.  The crappie and bluegill were biting very good.  We were using 1/32 oz jigs with gulp minnows.  We kept some 9 to 10 inch crappies.  We also caught several nice walleyes, the largest a nice 25 incher.  We caught the walleye on gulp also.  It was a very good morning of fishing.

May 23, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I took two grandsons and their grandfather to Wanahoo for a day on the lake.  The wind was blowing 20 to 40 mph which made fishing somewhat challenging.  We were limited to certain parts of the lake to fish, but the fishing was very good.  The big bluegill bite was excellent with many in the 8 to 9 inch range.  We mostly used 1/32 oz jigs tipped with a panfish assassin or a piece of nitecrawler.  Both boys caught almost identical amounts on either one.  The crappie were still in their shallow spawn areas and were biting very good on jigs and a bobber.  We caught numerous bass on gulps also, but nothing big.  I cleaned 30 nice crappie and bluegill.  The boys kept track to see who caught the most fish and it was nice to catch over 100 fish with them on a day that was that windy.  Overall an excellent day on the lake.

May 12, 2012

Private farm pond- My son and  I went to a private farm pond.  The bite was outstanding for big bass.  We caught numerous largemouth bass from 17 to 22 inches.  Lure selection did not matter much.  The bluegill and crappie bite was very good also.  The bluegill were mostly around 7 1/2 to 8 inches.  The crappie size was small, mostly 9 inches.

May 10, 2012   

Lake Wanahoo-  I fished Lake Wanahoo.  The bite is still very good for crappie and bass with a few northern pike mixed in.  The bluegills are starting to bite better as the weather warms and they look to go to the spawn.  Wanahoo is still experiencing heavy fishing pressure.

May 8, 2012

Walnut Creek Lake-  I took a friend to Walnut Creek for a few hours in the afternoon.  Conditions were very windy.  We caught around 40  fish nothing of significant size.  Just a fun day on the lake.

May 4, 2012

Wehrspann Lake- My son made it back from college and wanted to go fishing.  We went to Wehrspann for a quick trip and were very happy with the fish bite.  The bluegill were on the spawning beds and were very aggressive.  A panfish assassin is a deadly bait for bluegills on the beds.  We caught several catfish, some nice walleyes and some good bass.  We were using mostly 3 inch gulp minnows.

April 28, 30, and May 2, 2012

Lake Wanahoo- I fished Wanahoo three days to learn the lake.  So far everything has been as advertised, lots of fish and lots of people.  Unbelievable numbers of bass between 11 and 14 inches with some up to 18 inches biting on almost anything.  Tremendous numbers of crappies in the 10 inch range with a few up to 12 inches.  Plenty of bluegill up to 9 inches.  Also some very aggressive northern pike and some nice walleye.  The Game and Parks did a tremendous job of making structure in the lake with lots of cuts, humps, points and other structure elements.  I hope the lake can withstand the fishing pressure and maintain itself as a quality fishery for years to come.

April 26, 2012

Cunningham Lake- I fished Cunningham lake for about two hours from shore.  The bite was very good for bass, crappie, and bluegill but as expected the fish were small.  Cunningham probably needs one more year to get quality size fish

April 24, 2012

Walnut Creek Lake- I took a person fishing on Walnut Creek in the afternoon.  He wanted to learn techniques for walleye fishing in Canadian Lakes.  We went  over some techniques for different depths and types of fishing he might do in Canada, then we caught some fish on Walnut Creek.  The crappie, bluegill and bass bite was excellent but the size was poor until about 6 p.m.  The weather was bright sunshine and no wind.  The fish were hanging in the shade similar to a midsummer pattern.  We ended up catching some really nice crappie with several up to 12 inches.  We caught the panfish on1/32 oz. jigs.  Gulp was again fabulous for bluegill and caught many crappie and bass.  Wacky rigs were working well for bass.

April 23,  2012

Wehrspann Lake- I fished Wehrspann in the afternoon.  The crappie bite was very good.  The bluegill bite was excellent.  I believe the bluegill are on their prespawn bite.  Overall the fish were smaller than in past trips.  I kept ten 9 to 10  inch crappie for a family meal.  The bass bite was good although most of the fish were small.  Gulp was a great bluegill bait while the crappie did not care what type of plastic was used.  The bass were caught on plastic worms.

April 18, 2012

Walnut Creek Lake- I met a lady after work for an afternoon fishing trip.  The bite was excellent.  We fished for crappie and bluegill.  She kept a dozen crappie from 9 to 101/2 inches for a meal for her family that night.  We caught all the fish on 1/32nd ounce jigs.  The bluegill bit best on gulp while the crappie did not care what kind or color of plastic we used.  Most of the fish were in or around trees

April 14, 2012

Walnut Creek Lake- I fished Walnut Creek Lake for a few hours in the morning.  The bite was very good for crappie, bass and bluegill. 

April 9 to 12, 2012  

Stockton Lake- I fished Stockton Lake briefly while helping clean up storm damage on my brothers ranch.  The crappie were pretty much done spawning.  Most of the crappie were male white crappies in the 11 to 13 inch range.  Caught some nice walleyes and bass.  The smallmouth bass bite was very good

April 6, 2012

Summit Lake- I took two brothers to Summit Lake.  They wanted to target crappies and despite the windy conditions, they were able to catch a limit of nice crappies just a couple of hours into the trip.  They caught the crappies on 1/32 oz jigs.  I cleaned the crappies, put them on ice and we headed out to catch bluegills.  We caught some nice bluegills using 4 inch gulp crawlers on a 1/16 oz jig.  Most of the bluegill were around 8 inches with the largest being 9 1/2 inches.  We also caught quite a few bass and crappies on the 4 inch gulp crawlers. 

April 4, 2012

Walnut Creek Lake -   I fished Walnut Creek for a short while.  I fished for panfish and they bit extremely well.  Most of the crappie were around 9 1/2 inches and were caught on 1/32nd oz jigs.  The bluegills were 6 to 7 1/2 inches and were caught on Gulp plastics  on a either a jig or hook and split shot.

April 1, 2012

Private farm pond- My son and I fished a few hours in the afternoon at a private pond.  The bass bite was excellent with most bass in the 2 to 4 pound class.  Most of the bass were caught on jigs or flukes.   Crappies were biting every cast but most were only 8 to 9 inches.  All were caught on 1/32nd oz jigs.

March 31, 2012

Czechland Lake- I took a dad and  two children to Czechland Lake for an afternoon of fishing. The crappie bite was excellent.  The two boys caught over 100 fish of which 20 were over the 10 inch minimum size limit.  Taking kids fishing is more work but also more rewarding.  We used 1/32nd oz crappie jigs with a bobber to catch most of the fish

_March 28, 2012

_Wildwood Lake a.m.  Czechland Lake p.m.  I went to Wildwood and Czechland for the first time this year. Wildwood can be a tough lake to fish but there are some big bass to be had.  I mostly fished for bass caught about 25 bass along with a few crappies and bluegill.  The bass were up to 20 inches and were the fattest bass I have ever caught.  I caught most of them on rattle traps with a few caught on wacky rigs.                  I fished Czechland Lake for crappie and caught lots.  The size structure of the crappies is not as good as in past years but there are still plenty 10 inchers.  I used 1/32 and 1/16 oz jigs

_March 25, 2012

_Summit Lake - I took 2 people to Summit.   We caught lots of crappies and bluegills along with a few bass. We cleaned forty 10 to 12 inch crappies along with 5 bluegill.  Summit has some big bluegill our largest measuring 9 3/4 inches.  We were using crappie jigs from 1/32 to 1/16 oz.

_March 24, 2012

_Wehrspann Lake - I took a lady fishing for a morning trip. We caught numerous crappie and bluegill along with a few bass and 2 catfish.  we kept 9 for a meal for her family.  We used 1/32 oz crappie jigs.

March 14-17, 2012

Stockton  Lake Missouri - We traveled to Stockton Lake with my son and met two of my nephews.  Stockton Lake is going through an excellent cycle of both quantity and quality fish.   When the weather warms by a large amount early in the year, the fish bite like crazy.  Spring break could not have come at a better time.  The white bass fishing was phenomenal.  We caught hundreds of white bass with the majority of the fish between 12 and 17 inches.  Lure selection did not matter much.   The crappie bite was excellent.  Almost all of the crappies were from 11 to 13 inches.  The only challenge to catching them was the wind was fairly strong most days.  We caught most of them on 1/32 oz jigs with plastic bodies.  We were able to catch hundreds of largemouth bass but we struggled to catch quality fish until the last day when we boated numerous fish from 14 inches up.  Our largest bass was a fat 21 incher.  We started throwing rattle traps to locate and catch the better fish.  We also picked up between 5 and 20 walleye a day on soft plastics and crankbaits.  Overall just a fabulous fishing trip.  

March 10, 2012

Private farm pond -  We fished a private farm pond on Saturday for a couple of hours.  The bass were biting very good in the channel cut.  We were mainly using jig and pigs with some kind of trailer on it.  The size of the bass was exceptional including a couple 20 inch plus fish.

March 6, 2012

Wehrspann Lake - Crappie fishing was good.  Caught about 30 crappies and kept 10 between 9 and 10 inches for a meal.  Crappie were shallow again.  The float and jig worked best.  There were a few 1 to 2 pound bass biting on soft plastics too.

March 4, 2012

Wehrspann Lake - I went open water fishing for the first time this year.   A few crappie were biting but it was fairly slow.  All of the crappies were very shallow.   I was using 1/32 oz jigs and a float.