[AllEyes]

We've been fishing Bago on and off the last couple weeks when the winds allow. Perch are still snapping all over the lake. Really, it's hard to get away from them Went through another order of 1,000 spikes. Size ranges from 6" up to 14.5". Lots of 8"-9" fish and sorting required.

Walleyes have been a little tougher. We've (2 of us) probably averaged about 10 a trip, but the size is nothing special. We're finding them shallow (3-6ft) and not fishing them until 8AM or later. Not exactly preffered, but the perch are thick on top of the reefs until the sun comes up it seems. Then it's one walleye here one there. Kalbus, Long Point, Fahrney, Point Comfort, Jesuit, etc... have been the best reefs for us. I've been sitting on the bow and pitching to the tops...doesn't seem to pay to anchor. Crawlers, leeches, minnows, and plastics all have worked for us. Knock on wood, the sheepies haven't been too bad. If we jig the edge of a reef it's automatic perch...which is why I've fished more plastic this fall than I ever have before.

[Eric Haataja]

Thanks Axel feel free to leave your contact info and website after your posts. Scott guides up on Bago.

[Axl]

After Labor Day, the pleasure boating seem to start to slow down out on Lake Winnebago, the nights get cooler, and the walleye action really starts to kick in to full swing. September and October are some of my favorite months of the year to fish Lake Winnebago. There is very little pressure, as most have now turned to hunting, there also are very few pleasure boaters, which means less waves, and the cooler nights have now put those walleyes back on the reefs and in the shallow water.

When I go to target walleyes this time of year, there are several factors that I use to my advantage. I use my graphs to locate pods of baitfish, I key on the bases of small humps and reefs, and I also change my tactics to catch more fish. When I locate a school of baitfish on my graph, I generally will make a few casts with a crank bait and if I do happen to catch a walleye, I will then anchor in this position and try using a minnow with a slip bobber to try and get a few more walleyes in the boat. I like to use a small jig, like a 1/32 oz. or at the most a 1/16 oz. jig under my slip bobber. Minnows are great bait in the fall as the walleyes are really looking to bulk up for the winter, so be sure to have some in your boat in the fall. I like to also troll on the bases of reefs and humps and try and entice a few walleyes to bite on a reaction strike. We will use larger crank baits, such as #7 Shad Raps, Storm Thunderstick Jrs., or we will use a 1-ounce bottom bouncer rigged with a crawler harness. Remember when trolling this time of year to go slow and be patient. If you do not find fish after making a couple of passes on a reef or hump, just move to the next one and continue your search. One of the keys to finding fish in September and October is that you really need to be versatile. A lot of the walleyes will move into the shallow areas on the lake in search of warmer water and of course for an easy meal. Those spots that you ignored all summer long because they were not producing real well, those are the spots you need to go to and try in these upcoming moths.

One thing about fishing in the fall compared to the summer months is that in the summer you can be on an active school of walleyes for several hours and never have to move or relocate. During the fall you really do not get that luxury. The walleyes seem to key on eating for a short period of time each day, so you must be ready to move and go looking for them. Information given to you by other anglers, the internet, or the local bait shop may not be any good in the fall as the pattern of these fish really seem to change daily. It is not uncommon for me to go to five to eight different spots in order to find walleyes. Most of the spots that we do catch our walleyes on in the fall are all less then 10 feet deep and there is generally structure very close by. The fish will key on structure big time right now, and you need to be ready to go looking for them as well.

Some of my favorite places to fish on Lake Winnebago in the fall of the year include: Stevens Reef, Mansur Reef, Gehrke’s Reef, Long Point, and of course the mouth of the Fox River around Oshkosh.

My top choices for colors include: Orange or Purple colored jigs. Silver colored crank baits, and also chartreuse colored blades on my crawler harnesses.

Fall fishing for walleyes is always good whether we catch fish or not. We do not have the hot sun beating on us all day, the bugs go away, there is no sweat running in our eyes and ears, and were not getting buzzed by jet skis. Just a cool fall breeze, the sound of leaves shaking in the trees and our boats trolling or anchored over a school of walleyes. Chasing those fall walleyes is the way walleye fishing was meant to be.

[crappiepants]

AllEyes said:

I'd echo Eric's post. We've been getting some nicer eyes on the reefs if the wind is blowing good enough. East or West side doesn't seem to matter. Trolled 2 afternoons and got nicer fish, but I'd much rather be pitching a jig to shallow rocks. Try the edges of the reefs 8'-10' if the wind isn't blowing, and we even caught a few anchoring in the mud where we marked/caught fish trolling. Anyone else try that? Trolling is probably more effective, but it was fun to anchor in the middle of nowhere and get them jigging and slip-bobbering.

Perch have also been good to us. Anchoring on the transition areas in 10'-14' has been good. Numbers of 6-8" are a little pesty, but we've gotten anywhere from 20-50, 10"+ fish on any given day. We've been going after the perch when the wind isn't blowing well enough to bring the eyes on the reefs. Good fishing.

hey,all eyes, where are u getting the perch?

[AllEyes]

I'd echo Eric's post. We've been getting some nicer eyes on the reefs if the wind is blowing good enough. East or West side doesn't seem to matter. Trolled 2 afternoons and got nicer fish, but I'd much rather be pitching a jig to shallow rocks. Try the edges of the reefs 8'-10' if the wind isn't blowing, and we even caught a few anchoring in the mud where we marked/caught fish trolling. Anyone else try that? Trolling is probably more effective, but it was fun to anchor in the middle of nowhere and get them jigging and slip-bobbering.

Perch have also been good to us. Anchoring on the transition areas in 10'-14' has been good. Numbers of 6-8" are a little pesty, but we've gotten anywhere from 20-50, 10"+ fish on any given day. We've been going after the perch when the wind isn't blowing well enough to bring the eyes on the reefs. Good fishing.

[Eric Haataja]

Lots of smaller eyes on the reefs jigging with crawlers and leeches is working well and lots of nice eyes out over the mud coming on spinner up high on boards.

[Justinm]

welcome to the official Winnebage thread.