4-8

[Norm Minas]

We got a little rain locally, flow is up a sconch. It's still less than half it's normal flow, water temp showed 60 degrees in the afternoon. River stained, small clumps of algae floating in the water column and way too much still on the bottom. The waterwillow stubble is still brown but I did pull some green emergent veggies of a lure. Lots of greenery poking thru, some wildflowers blooming, buds on trees.

There are geese on nests and many other crittery types are shall we say a bit amourous. Some female walleye caught recently had spent, soft bellies, some softer and ready to drop, some still hard and firm. Some male walleye milting, most were not. The gnat hatches in some places have been successful enough to be annoying . I checked one trib that the fish use from spring thru fall and pretty much vacate over winter, it was devoid of fish life at a spot near the mouth looking down from a higher vantage point.

Today the weather was great, no need for polypro or under armour , fished in shirt sleeves. Windy at times, for the most part sunny. I saw more guys out today than I did the entire months of January and February combined. Amazing how many folks got sick on Monday and missed work.

As far as the fishing went, there was too much algae on the bottom in the stretches I fished for a crankbait to be effective. They were fouled in a turn or two of the reel handle. Rattlebaits were a complete zero as were flukes. Jig/plastic and jig/pig fared about the same as crankbaits. Single spins got about a third of the fish caught. They got fishalong a bank that was bit too steep to climb up, they got some along current seam and some off flats. The other two thirds of the fish came off a Berkley Heavy weight worm t-rigged on a 5/0 EWG hook with no additional weight. I couldn't believe how little it fouled with algae. Most of what accumulated was the clumps of algae floating in the water column that hung on the line. The retrive that worked was to simply quatercast it and let it drift in the current without any fancy didoes. when it stopped, I let it sit for a slow 15 count before I moved it. When it got bit, you saw the line twitch and felt that familar tap. There were a couple bass that absolutely slammed the lure when I moved the lure. They were the exception to the rule but they really put a bend in the rod when they hit. I got fish on them off seams, flats, slack areas and along some steeper banks. I got my biggest smallmouth of the year so far when I let it drift under a deadfall in the water, a nice 19 3/4 inch fish that had a sucker tail sticking out of it's gullet.

Mostly smallmouth today, got a few channel cats as well on the worm. Great day all the way around.

[Ken G]

Since the Fox is a week or two behind the Kank, things should be picking up soon here.

Too bad the water comes from just west of Milwaukee for me. Besides cold, probably consists of a high quantity of bad cheap beer which, as we all know, make fish lazy.

[Norm Minas]

it's the extra gas they get from that crap beer