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Eisele: Too early for walleye, but Governor's Fishing Opener a success

Tim Eisele, Special to The Capital Times  —  5/15/2008 12:06 pm

AMERY -- Sometimes even the state's official first fisherman can't do anything about the weather.

That was the case as Wisconsin's fishing season opened in northwest Wisconsin on May 3 with strong winds and cool temperatures.

Governor Jim Doyle participated in Wisconsin's 43rd Annual Governor's Fishing Opener sponsored by Wisconsin Indian Head Country, Inc., on Lake Wapogasset in Polk County. Also present were Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank and Tourism Secretary Kelli Trumble.

The weather conditions and cold water temperatures, combined with the fact that walleyes had not spawned yet, had a lot to do with the limited catch.

I fished with Mark Robarge of Amery, an avid bass fisherman and member of the Amery B.A.S.S. Club.

Although we knew that most walleyes probably wouldn't be putting on the feed bag until after spawning, we began by trying to find a few active fish near where a small stream enters the lake and provides warmer water.

We couldn't coax anything to bite, and after we left the area the Governor and his guide began fishing the same exact area -- also without success.

We moved to another shoreline along the northeast side of the lake, where Robarge picked up the first of the three fish he caught that day, a smallmouth bass.

As we fished, we were accompanied by a couple of "professional" fishermen: two common loons. They were diving and finding fish, which we thought was a good omen.

Robarge is an avid bass fisherman, who fishes local club tournaments and B.A.S.S. tournaments.

His favorite technique is to use a jig with a plastic skirted tail. But unlike many bass fishermen who look for weeds, he looks for rocky bottoms.

"I like to be in contact with the bottom," he said. "Normally what I do is to fish slightly deeper water, along the outer edge of the weed lines. I usually throw a football jig with twin tails and drag it over the rocks, which often results in big fish."

Rocks located next to weeds are the ideal location, and it works: The largest bass he has caught was just over 7 pounds.

"The thing is to figure out the pattern, and once you get the pattern figured out that is the key. That's the whole reason for pre-fishing when I often throw spinners, jigs, and crankbaits to get a feel for what they are biting on, and then when the day of the tournament comes I have a good idea of what to start with," he said. "That's when you shouldn't be doing searching and hunting, but instead doing the catching."

Robarge said that 1,186-acre Lake Wapogasset is a good all-around lake.

Just the evening before, Heath Benike, DNR fisheries manager in Barron, told the Governor's Opener participants that Lake Wapogasset has a very good panfish fishery, with black crappie that average about 10 inches in length. Largemouth bass are the most dominant fish, with sizes up to 20 inches, along with many walleyes that average 18 inches.

"The lake has just about everything in it, and a decent musky fishery although musky season does not open until May 24," Benike said. "The water is cold, with temperatures about 45 degrees, and northern pike are done spawning but walleyes have not yet spawned."

Benike reminded fishermen to drain their boats of water to avoid the chance of spreading VHS -- the deadly virus Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, which has made inroads in state waters -- and that any fish taken away from the lake could not be taken away alive.

Robarge and I fished in about 10 to 13 feet of water along the northeast shoreline and several rocky areas in deeper water before moving into Bear Trap Lake, which opens into Wapogasset on the south end. There Robarge caught two largemouth bass, the largest of which measured 16 inches.

Throughout the day we watched courtship antics of a host of birds, including Canada geese, a pair of ospreys circled overhead, a bald eagle, mallards, bufflehead, and we heard the wonderful calls of sandhill cranes in adjacent marshes.

Very few walleyes were caught during opening day, but Gary Gehrman was successful catching a 4-pound walleye trolling with planer boards. Paul Smith, of Racine, caught and released a 40-inch musky.

Harlan Becker, public relations and sales director of Wisconsin Indian Head Country, Inc., keeps track of fish brought in to weigh and measure for the Indian Head fishing contest. Not all of the fish caught were brought in for weighing, but winners in each category were:

Panfish stringer - 15 pounds, 3 ounces, caught by Larry Van Veghel, Cudahy, and Jerry Wagner, Amery.

Largemouth bass - 3 lbs., 14 oz., 18 inches, caught by State Senator Sheila Harsdorf, River Falls.

Northern pike ndsh 3 lbs., 8 oz., 24-inches by Jerry Wagner, Amery.

Walleye ndsh 4 lbs., 22-inches by Gary Gehrman of Marina on the St.Croix, Minnesota.

Tim Eisele (teisele@chorus.net) is a full-time freelance outdoor writer and photographer. He is a founding member and past president of the Wisconsin Outdoor Communicators Association and active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

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Photo: Governor Doyle (right) and guide George Sigsworth, of Amery, cast during the 43rd Annual Governor's Fishing Opener on Lake Wapogasset.

Photo: Mark Robarge holds a 16-inch largemouth bass he caught on opening day of the 2008 fishing season.

Photo: A favorite lure used by Robarge is the football jig with a plastic skirt. He gets good results bouncing it over rocky bottom.

Photo: An enjoyable part of fishing northern waters is seeing common loons.

Photos by Tim Eisele

Tim Eisele, Special to The Capital Times  —  5/15/2008 12:06 pm