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Area report: Cooler weather has panfish biting again
(La Crosse Tribune (Wisconsin)(KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Aug. 10--What a difference a week makes. Last week, bait shop owners were talking about coping with extreme heat and the effects it had on fishing.
This week, Scott Gartner at Bob's Bait and Tackle on French Island, and Tony Christnovich, owner of Schafer's Boats and Bait on Brice Prairie, say fishing success is definitely on the upswing thanks to lower temperatures, higher river levels and increased river flow.
"Cool nights will help it that much more in the coming days," Gartner said.
"However, before the tournaments last week, people were talking about a major fish kill in Lawrence Lake and Long Lake," he said. "There were dead fish everywhere and the lakes smelled of rotten fish. I wish the DNR could put their finger on it."
Despite reported fish kills on area waters, Christnovich believes the late summer or early fall panfishing action is on.
"I think a guy can go out and catch panfish just about any place on Lake Onalaska," Christnovich said. "I told one fisherman if he does not catch fish now, he should quit trying and take up another sport."
Christnovich said the best baits have been a small ice jig, like a rocker No. 8 tipped with a wax worm or a small piece of night crawler. He said bluegills are about 3 to 4 feet down, while perch are closer to the bottom.
"There is not a lot of crappie action on Lake Onalaska, but guys are catching them in the snag holes of the river shoots," he said.
Gartner said wax worms continue to produce good catches of bluegills and sunfish, while crappie minnows are attracting nice-sized perch and crappies. He said leaf worms have been another hot bait.
"I know that the spillways on both the French Island side and the Onalaska sides are smoking hot again," Gartner said. "I suppose the increased flow and rising water stirred stuff up for the fish to eat."
Christnovich said sunfish are very active, but the smaller ones seem to take the bait before the larger ones can get to it.
Christnovich said northern pike continue to be active on spinner baits.
Bass fishing success has slowed somewhat, although anglers are still catching fish.
"Bass have slowed down a little, but the weed-less plugs are working the best," Christnovich said.
"Largemouth and smallmouth are hitting, but you have to work a bit for them," Gartner said. "Try ultra slow bait in the weeds and around rock bottoms."
Catfish action remains good and should get better, according to Gartner.
"Try Sonny's stink bait for channel cats and live bait like sunfish, suckers or crappies for the flatheads," he said. "Some extremely large flatheads have been caught around the dams and spillways lately."
Walleye fishing has been "iffy" at best, although Gartner said anglers are having their best luck trolling during morning and evening hours.
While fishing is pretty good in the La Crosse area, it's very good on Lake Michigan, according to Sam Schmitt of La Crosse, who went to Sturgeon Bay with his brother-in-law, Dr. Bill Donovan of Texas, and his son-in-law, Chad Christofferson of Grand Rapids, Minn.
The three anglers caught 10 king salmon, all in the 30- to 32-inch range and weighing between 18 and 22 pounds.
"We lost probably half a dozen," Schmitt said, adding it's the largest fish he has ever caught.
Meanwhile, bow hunters are gearing up for the early deer hunting season in mid-September.
Four archers fared well in the National Field Archers Association Outdoor National Championship in Yankton, S.D., recently.
Miranda Rosenthal of Onalaska, Wis., finished runner-up in the Young Adult Female Freestyle Division.
Ron Schmidt of West Salem, Wis., finished second in the Adult Male Barebow Hunter Division. Schmidt's son, Anthony, won Third Flight in the Adult Male Freestyle Division.
Rosenthal's father, Keith, finished eighth in the Second Flight in the Adult Male Freestyle Division.
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