Delavan Lake 7/08/24 through 7/15/24

                Fishing has been very constant.  By far the most success has been panfishing, limits are available and lots of them.  What do you want to catch?  Perch, Bluegills, or Crappies,  they are all biting and are rather easy to catch.

The bluegills are in the deep summer pattern.  I have been catching the fish in 15-18 feet of water.  The fish are very close to the bottom, within 12 inches of bottom.  Leaf worms seem to work the best.  I either straight line the bait underneath the anchored boat or I slip bobber fish them with a small hook and split shot.  I have been working the outside of the weed edge.  I locate them using my Vexillar fish locator that is affixed to my bow mount trolling motor.  When I mark fish on the bottom, I anchor and fish there.  The best locations have been west of Willow Point, Delmar subdivision beach area or the Township Park.

The perch fishing continues to be excellent.    The fish are located in 13-15 feet of water.  I have almost exclusively been using slip bobber and single hooks and split shots.  The best spots I have fished are in front of the Township Park, the Island area on the west end or by the area west of Willow Point, known as the Boy Scout camp.

Last week I had some of my best largemouth bass fishing of the year.  The bass are positioned on the weedpoints in 16-20 ft of water.  Nearly every trip had at least one and sometimes as many as 5 or 6, four to five pound fish.  I’ve been getting them on a jig with a plastic four inch worm or nightcrawlers fished on a split shot rig.  The key to the whole deal is finding the weeds that have a hard bottom underneath.  The bass are pretty schooled up so if you catch one there are probably 10-20 others.  I fish an area for at least 1 hour.  .

The Northern Pike fishing has been good.  The fish are still located on the deep weed lines and can be readily caught.  I have only been using lindy rigged suckers.  The average size this year has been awesome.  I have caught legal fish almost every trip I go out and almost all have been released.  They are very easy to locate.  Find the weed line and electric motor troll,  they will hammer the suckers.

Walleyes have been slow, the cold front during the week shut down the fish.   With stable weather this week, fishing should improve. With the other fish biting so well, I wouldn't waste my time.  Large mouth fishing has been all right.  They have been in the shallows cruising around the piers.  Flipping the docks or split shot rigs with live night crawlers has been the best.  The depth I prefer is 3-5 feet of water. Look for piers with more of the scattered weeds,  they have not been in the really matted weeds.

Good Luck and I hope to see you on the water.  For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063