Koshkonong is notoriously tough to locate walleyes on throughout the warmer months because of its essentially featureless bottom contour. Other than a couple of shallow rock bars, mussel beds and several weedbeds, there isn’t much for walleyes to key on.

Bear in mind, Koshkonong is part of a river system. Current flow or lack thereof passing through the system influences location of phytoplankton, which is eaten by zooplankton, which is eaten by baitfish, which are eaten by walleyes.

When current flows are up because of spring runoff or a rain event, walleyes tend to move to the inlet near Blackhawk Island. When levels are dropping, the fish slide down to the mussel bed near the lake outlet and structures like bridges above the Indianford dam.

DNR fisheries biologists said this walleye factory would continue to be a destination in ‘08 because of the “tremendous numbers of 4-year-old walleyes in the system.” Trolling is the best way to access these fish. Throughout the summer, try a spinner rig with a crawler. Chartreuse or orange blades usually work best. When October rolls around, switch to crankbaits, most notably the CD-5 Wally Diver or FTJ-7 jointed Shad Rap.

Bush said the problem anglers have on Kosh is too many fish. “We have an overabundance of 1-year-old white bass in the system. There are also many white bass in the 10- to 14-inch size that often intercept your bait before a walleye can find it.”

MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Old Man River is a popular spring and fall walleye destination for many Wisconsin anglers. But many ‘eye chasers have trouble finding fish once fish scatter downstream from dams and wing dams with the arrival of serious summer.

This vast fishery is a glaring example of the importance of understanding the predator/prey relationship when it comes to consistent success on walleyes. When warm weather arrives, the marble-eyes simply follow the food downstream into back channels and running sloughs where pulling crankbaits and spinner rigs work well all summer long.

The key lies in finding a running slough with both current and depth. Seven feet is a good depth to look for. It takes time on the water to judge what areas are productive and which aren’t. Once you experience the epiphany of how it all comes together, it’s hard to travel elsewhere in pursuit of walleyes and saugers.

DNR fisheries manager Pat Short said, “Large populations of saugers and walleyes swim in pools No. 9 and No. 10 of the Mississippi.”

Last October, Short and his crew cranked up an impressive adult 275 fish per hour below the Genoa dam and 108 fish per hour a week earlier below the dam downstream at Lynxville.

Pool No. 10 may not have quite as many walleyes as No. 9, but Short said the timing of surveys just a week apart illustrates how dense the concentration of fish can be after water temperatures drop below 50 and the fish move upstream.

LAKE WINNEBAGO
Rumors were flying last summer that VHS had decimated the walleye population in Lake Winnebago. When I called fishing buddy, Greg Karch, fearing the worst, he just laughed.

“Walleyes dying? Yeah, they’re dying to get in the livewell!” was his reply. A summer trip with Karch proved rumors of the demise of Wisconsin’s premier walleye factory were downright silly. Karch, nephew Darrin Marcure and I boated limits of 15- to 20-inch fish in two hours pulling Berkley crankbaits out from the mudline of the wind-blown eastern shore.