Silver Lake - August 6, 2022

This weekend we fished at Silver Lake. It was a well-attended outing with 17 club members fishing. Unfortunately, it seemed like more club members than fish participated in the outing!

We caught 18 largemouth bass that scored points (they must be 13” or bigger), however they were all pretty small. The biggest was a 15.75-incher caught by Mike Tarnow. Either the heat of summer has the big fish inactive or the lake has been heavily overfished. We also caught 3 northern pike (the biggest, caught by Matt Biggerstaff from his kayak, was 27 1/2"), 25 bluegills, and 3 rock bass. That is a total of 133 points, which only comes out to 1.42 points per person per hour. That ranks this as one of the lowest open-water outings we have had this year.

Round Lake - July 23, 2022

This weekend 11 club members and one guest fished our outing at Round Lake. Our start was delayed by a thunderstorm, but we hung out together at the launch and waited for it to pass. When the lightning and thunder were finished we headed out and got about an hour of windy fishing in before we had to take shelter from another passing cell. After that it was windy but otherwise very pleasant fishing weather.

The fish were a little tough to find after a recent weed treatment that seems to have affected the entire lake. Spots that were productive for us in the past were completely devoid of both vegetation and bass. But we searched new areas and eventually found some remnant weeds and a few biting fish. We ended up catching 29 largemouth bass along with a few shorts and some other species. The outing produced a total of 152 points by our club scoring system. That calculates to 3.45 points per person per hour, which is the second highest for an outing so far this year!

Soft plastics produced the most fish, but the biggest fish were caught by kayakers trolling hard baits. Matt Biggerstaff landed an 18.25” largemouth. “Kayak” Ken Haney won the outing big fish contest with a beautiful 20.75” bass. Ken also caught a 33.75” musky that jumped out of his net and off the hook, but luckily landed in his lap in the kayak. We have heard of nice northern pike caught from Round Lake, especially through the ice, but this was the first we had heard of musky in the lake!

Our next outing is August 6th at Silver Lake. There is actually a decent musky population in Silver Lake, so maybe we’ll get a surprise catch at that outing, too!

Browns Lake - July 9, 2022

We had a club outing on Browns Lake this past weekend. Thirteen club members fished a beautiful morning in weather that couldn’t have been better, and the fish even played along!

34 largemouth bass, 2 northern pike, 1 smallmouth bass, 1 rockbass, and 6 bluegill were caught for a total of 232 points. That comes out to 2.97 points per fisherman per hour, which is the second-highest of any outing so far this year! Highlights were an 18” largemouth caught by “Kayak” Ken Haney and an 18.5” largemouth that won the big fish contest for Al Silcroft. Soft plastics worked best for the bass although a few were caught on other baits as well.

“Big” Mike O. and “Little” Mike O. hosted us after the outing and served us a delicious lunch. Thank you for the hospitality!

Our next outing is July 23 on Round Lake.

Private Bass Lake - June 18, 2022

We had an outing on our private bass lake on June 18th. As usual, it produced fish, and there was an excellent turnout of club members and guests in perfect weather. We had guys fishing from boats, canoes, and kayaks.

“Kayak Ken” Haney caught a 21" largemouth on his 3rd cast to take the big fish prize. Frank's son-in-law and guest, David, caught a 19" largemouth and Al Silcroft caught an 18-incher. 33 bass were caught by the members for points, with many 15-16 inchers in the mix.

The action was hottest early and plastics fished very slowly worked best. Jeff Haug and Al each had their 5 fish limit by 6:30 am! The action slowed down and became scattered later in the morning.

Our next outing is Brown's Lake on 7/9 and our next meeting is 7/20 at the Libertyville Township Center.

Green Lake - June 4 & 5, 2022

This past weekend was our annual trip to Green Lake. Thirteen club members fished the outing in less-than-ideal conditions. Friday was very windy, Saturday was only slightly less windy, and Sunday it rained. There was a bass tournament at Green Lake on Saturday, and many of the tournament anglers also pre-fished on Friday. It was crowded out there!

This has historically been a good outing for us, but the fishing was tough this year. During the official outing times on Saturday and Sunday we caught the following fish that scored club points: 15 smallmouth bass, 9 largemouth bass, 1 walleye, 3 northern pike, 78 rock bass, 2 perch, and a giant 16” white bass. We caught a total of 240 points.

A jig tipped with a minnow was the most effective bait under the tough fishing conditions. Some fish were taken on plastics as well. One of our boats found a rock pile holding lots of big rock bass (10-11”) and spent all of Friday and Saturday fishing there. The rest of us covered a lot of water looking for smallmouth, but it was a real grind.

It was raining pretty steadily when we got up Sunday morning, and since the fishing had been so slow most of us decided to go home without fishing. Only one boat went out in the rain—new members Terry and Justin Ocheltree toughed it out and were rewarded with Justin catching a 17.5" smallmouth to win the big fish contest. Congratulations Justin!

Our next outing is June 18 at a private bass lake.

Private Walleye Lake - May 21, 2022

Sixteen club members and one guest fished our private walleye lake on a cloudy but pleasant day. We caught the following fish that were large enough to score club points: 39 walleye up to 18”, 27 largemouth bass up to 18”, 4 bluegill, 5 crappie and 18 yellow bass for a total of 370 points.

The big fish species for this outing was walleye, and Mike Kett took home the pot with an 18 incher, narrowly beating out several other contenders. Mike and Jason did well fishing from shore, not even bothering to go out in a boat. Congratulations Mike!

New member Terry Ochiltree, also fishing from shore, caught an 18” bass. Congrats, Terry, and welcome to the club!

Jigs or plain hooks baited with a minnow or worm worked best, but a lot of fish were also caught on nail worms and other artificial lures.

The rain held off till just before the outing ended at 11 am. We enjoyed a cookout and beverages afterwards.

Fox Chain - April 23, 2022

Our Fox Chain o’ Lakes outing was fished by 11 club members in pleasant weather for a change. We caught 9 walleyes, 1 largemouth bass, 3 channel catfish, and a 15” white bass for a total of 85 points. Al Silcroft and Jeff Haug split the big fish prize with twin 20" walleyes. Jig and minnow was the most productive presentation. A highlight of the outing was when we heard Mike Olszewski Jr. and Mike Olszewski Sr. in a rental boat yelling from out in the middle of the lake. They landed three 25-27” catfish in a short time.

Rock River - April 9, 2022

Nine club members fished the Rock River in Fort Atkinson, WI Saturday morning. The outing was originally scheduled to be at the Fox River, but we had been doing better at the Rock recently and decided to switch. Everyone fished from shore using three-way rigs and jigs. The river is up and the current is strong, so heavy weights were key. We caught 20 walleye that scored club points (14” or up) along with a handful of shorter fish and a sheepshead. Michael Olszewski won the big fish contest with a 17” walleye. The minimum legal size is 18” for walleye in the Rock River, so all fish were released.

Our next outing will be April 23 on the Fox Chain o’ Lakes. There is a lot of water flowing through the Fox River with all the rain we’ve had recently, so hopefully the walleye will be active!

Private Walleye Lake - March 26, 2022

Twelve club members and two guests fished the private walleye lake we have access to last Saturday. The outing was originally scheduled to be an overnight trip to the Fox River in DePere, WI, but we decided to avoid the crazy crowds there and changed the outing at our March meeting. Unfortunately, the weather was harsh and the fish weren’t biting. Temperatures in the upper 20s had the line guides icing up on our rods and 20 mph wind made boat control difficult. About a dozen walleye and two bass were caught, all about 10”. Only one fish big enough to score points was caught—a 15-3/4” walleye that earned big fish honors for Al Silcroft. Everyone quit early and enjoyed a delicious brat lunch provided by our host.

Our next outing is the Fox River in Wilmot, WI on Saturday, April 9. Hopefully the fish will be a little more active by then!

Lake Elizabeth - February 26, 2022

Eight club members and three guests fished a disappointing Lake Elizabeth outing. It was a cold and windy morning and the fish weren’t biting. Isaac Biggerstaff and a friend each caught a small perch. Only two fish were caught that scored points—a 14” bass by Al Silcroft and a 15” bass by Dave Busscher that won the big fish contest.

Our next outing will be March 26, although the location is still being discussed.

Silver Lake - February 5, 2022

Five club members fished Silver Lake yesterday. We had a nice sunny morning with no wind to start the day, but as the outing wore on the sun disappeared and the winds picked up...it was chilly by the time we got off the ice. A couple of guys tried jigging without any luck. The rest of the fishing was on tip-ups. In total we had about 20 flags, but only 3 fish for points...all caught by Dave Busscher! Dave caught a 10" Rock Bass, a 15.5" Largemouth Bass, and a 28.5" Northern Pike that won the big fish contest. We caught another 5-10 Northern Pike, but they were all under the minimum 24” for points.

Our next outing is February 26 on Lake Elizabeth. Last year at late ice we caught some nice crappie there, so we’re hopeful we can find them again!

Our next meeting is Wednesday, 2/16 at 7:00. We will make a decision as the day gets closer whether the meeting will be on Zoom or in-person.

Secret Pike Lake - January 22, 2022

Nine club members and one guest braved cold and windy conditions this morning to target bass and northern pike. We had a full spread of tip-ups out and chasing all the flags we got thankfully kept us warm. There was more action early but we caught fish all day, including two buzzer-beater bass in the literal last minute of the outing!

In total, 11 largemouth bass and five northern pike were caught that qualified for points under our club system, for 95 points. That beats some summer outings we’ve had fishing from our boats! And many of them were quality fish. Six of the bass were 17” or larger, with the biggest being Michael Olszewski’s 10-point 18-incher. Along with a 16-3/4” bass earlier in the day, they were Michael’s first catches through the ice using tip-ups. Congrats Michael! Hopefully they are the first of many. Our guest also caught a nice bass that was his first fish through the ice. Congrats Ken!

Four of the five northern pike were 30” or better. Jeff Haug caught two of them with a 31-3/4” and a 33.5”; the latter being a 10-point fish. Northern pike was the species for this outing’s big fish contest, which host Jason Cashmore won with a 34-incher. Apparently home-lake-advantage is a thing!

Our friend Bonnie Collins brought us delicious warm muffins out on the lake and we ended the day with brats and beers. It was a great outing! Our next outing is February 5th at Silver Lake.

Nielsen's Channels - January 8, 2022

Six club members and one guest fished first ice at Nielsen’s Channels. It was a much slower outing than we had there last year. Only 10 points were scored on 9 bluegills and 1 crappie caught by Al which won big fish. It was so windy and cold that everyone left before the official outing end time.

Best Fish of 2021

Continuing a tradition of the last couple years, here is a look back at some noteworthy fish we caught this year. Congrats on the nice catches, guys!

Largemouth Bass

We didn’t catch any noteworthy largemouth bass last year, but there were a few of them this year. Ken Haney, who usually fishes from his kayak, regularly catches hogs when the rest of us are playing with 15- and 16-inchers. This year Ken landed a 20” largemouth at one of our summer outings.

Smallmouth Bass

Usually I try to pick a single fish, but I couldn’t come up with a way to break this tie. Gregg Stockey and Dave Busscher each caught 16” smallmouth bass at our Green Lake outing. This is traditionally one of our best outings, but we went earlier than usual this year and the fishing was tough. Still, Gregg and Dave each caught smallmouth that tied for the biggest of the year.

Walleye

We usually fish several outings a year on Wisconsin waters known for big walleye. But the biggest walleye we caught this year came during our spring Fox Chain outing. Dave Busscher, fishing from a cushy pontoon boat, caught a beautiful 24-incher. You know it’s probably going to be a good fish when Dave gets picky about who is going to net for him!

Northern Pike

At our very first outing of the year, ice fishing a Lake Michigan harbor, Isaac Biggerstaff caught this 34” northern pike. And it held on to the top spot for the whole year to win Isaac the annual Big Fish award! Special mention to Al Silcroft because the fish was caught on his tip-up. When the flag went up Al let Isaac take it. None of us will make that mistake ever again!

Panfish

We occasionally target panfish, but this year we caught some slab crappies while walleye fishing. The biggest was a 14.5” fish caught by Gregg Stockey. Hopefully they are still around next year!

Lake Michigan - December 4, 2021

Yesterday was our last outing of the year. Seven club members and one guest fished an Illinois harbor for northern pike. While there had been good action for several guys who pre-fished earlier in the week, it was slower the day of the outing. Dave Busscher caught the only fish for points—a fat 28.25” northern pike—and several smaller pike. The rest of us were apparently only there to provide him an audience. However it was great to get together on a beautiful morning and see some fish caught.

Congratulations to this year’s award winners: Jeff Haug is Fisherman of the Year with 197 points, Al Silcroft came in second place with 179 points, and Dave Busscher is in third place with 165 points. Gregg Stockey is the Multi-Species Master with 105.25 inches and Dave Busscher came in second place with 103 inches. Isaac Biggerstaff’s 34” northern pike caught at the very first outing of the year held on to win him the Big Fish title. Congratulations to everyone!

Ice season is just around the corner, so get your sleds and augers out!

Private Walleye Lake - September 11, 2021

Our only September outing was at a private walleye lake. It was a beautiful weather day and the fish are starting to bite better as the water cools down. Fourteen club members fished and caught 12 walleyes, 4 largemouth bass, 1 channel catfish, 28 bluegills, 3 crappie, and 38 yellow bass. A total of 167 points were scored, making this our 2nd highest scoring outing this year after the 222 points we scored at our private bass lake. However, it ranked 5th in points per person per hour at 2.39.

Live bait, both minnows and nightcrawlers, worked best. Rigging the bait on jigs, under bobbers, and drop shot all produced fish. Jason Cashmore and Dave Busscher both caught 21” walleye, but Jason won the big fish contest with a 21.25-incher. Jason and Gregg Stockey caught some big crappie. Jason caught a 14-incher but Gregg caught a 13.5” and an absolute monster 14.5-incher! Gregg also caught a 25.5” channel catfish that put up a heck of a fight.

We only have three more outings this year. Our next outing is October 16 on Lake Geneva.

Powers Lake - August 21, 2021

Eight club members fished Powers Lake last Saturday in pleasant weather, catching 24 largemouth bass, 1 lonely walleye, 3 rock bass, and 2 warmouth for a total of 130 points. That calculates to 2.98 points per person per hour, our third best outing of the year so far. The big fish contest was won by Jeff Haug with a 15-1/4” largemouth bass. We caught many short fish, but the big ones were not interested. Various plastics fished around the mid-lake humps were effective.

Silver Lake - August 7, 2021

Nine club members fished Silver Lake last Saturday. Much like our pre-fishing for this outing, the results were mixed. Four members scored over 25 points on a variety of largemouth bass, northern pike, and panfish, while three members scored zero. In total, 22 largemouth bass, 2 northern pike, 7 warmouth, 3 rockbass, and 2 sunfish were caught that scored points. The outing produced 2.52 points per person per hour, the third highest this year. Several bass around 17” were caught and Gregg Stockey won the big fish contest with a 17.5-incher. Jeff Haug caught fish for 30 points, extending his points lead. There are only five more club outings this year—can he hold onto his lead???

Our next outing is Saturday, 8/21 at Powers Lake. We also have a meeting on Tuesday, 8/17 at 7 pm.

Lake Delavan - July 24, 2021

Eleven club members fished on a day with perfect weather but a very tough bite. We managed to catch 13 largemouth bass for points, topped by Ward Aldrich's 18-incher which won the big fish contest. In fact, Ward caught five of the 11 bass that scored points, so great job Ward! We also caught 4 bluegills and 3 perch which were scoreable, for a total of 77 points on this outing. That calculates to just 1.27 points per person per hour, which is one of the lowest outing results of this open-water season.

Our next outing is Silver Lake on August 7. Maybe that will be a crummy weather but hot bite situation!

Brown's Lake - July 10, 2021

Eight club members fished Brown’s Lake in Burlington, WI for our first July outing. The weather was pleasant; it was unseasonably cool, but there wasn’t much wind to deal with. We did excellent on this lake last year, but it was a tougher bite this year.

Fifteen largemouth bass were caught that scored club points. Jeff Haug had an excellent morning catching four largemouth for points including an 18-incher that won big fish. Al Silcroft caught a 15” smallmouth bass proving the rumors they are in the lake true. Two 9” crappie were also caught that scored points. In addition, many small bass and northern pike were caught. Most fish were caught on plastics.

Our meeting this month is Tuesday, July 20 and will be back at the Libertyville Township Center. Our next outing is Saturday, July 24 at Lake Delavan.