The conversation had shifted from fishing in general to catching good spring fish then summer walleye. We were most assuredly talking about Wisconsin, and more specifically my friend, Doug Koenig, and I were rapping about river fishing. His fancy every year is to whip the water into a froth at Stoddard on the Mississippi River for a whole week. Two things don't fit for me, a week off to do major fishing time, and how to entertain 2 small children without me. It's nice country there, but too isolated for my wife.
A two-day adventure seemed better suited at this time, especially with spring rolling in. During the first week in April fish should be very active. Hooking up with Wisconsin River Guide Dean Stoflet (715-423-8166) (www.deansguide.com) came across my table. A young, ambitious walleye hunter, Dean has been honing his skills on the river while working nights at Wal Mart. Sporting goods work helps him stay near those who enjoy good fishing conversation while strengthening community relations the Wal Mart way.
My game plan is to follow the lead of our guide by fishing leadhead jigs and curly tail grubs or minnows. We will be casting toward shore and working those baits back to the boat to entice fish that should be found in all stages of the spring ritual. Depending on watercolor, we may also elect to vertically jig concentrations of walleye. Spring weather is about as predictable as the lottery but Dean's knowledge keeps us upbeat about our chances. Last year the Nekoosa man boated 3 fish over 28 inches at this time. With his encouragement of C-P-R (Catch, Photo, Release) fishing, all fish swim to fight another day.
Walleye must be checked against the slot limit of 4-5 fish up to 19 inches, 1 fish over 28 1/8 inches, and total bag of 5 fish. The impression I got is that the slot regulations have greatly improved the number of 22-26 inch walleye with 25 inch fish being more plentiful now.
Our fishing exploits will be performed out of Dean's Evinrude powered Ranger 620 boat. Our preference in baits will be Lindy Jigs, No-Snagg Jigs, Fuzzy Grubs, and Berkley Power Grubs fished on 8# XL and XT line or vertically on 10/4 or 14/6 Fireline. A fast action, medium spinning rod from 6-6 1/ 2 foot should handle casting while a fast action 5'8"-6 foot rod will do for vertical jigging. We should be targeting eddies, wing dams, and lay-downs that interrupt the river's flow. This will be typical walleye jig fishing in a very formidable environment.
The opportunity to fish for walleye in the Wisconsin Rapids area entered my plans 8 weeks ago. Although this would be an exploration mission with fish being the primary, our options were only limited by the time constraints we put on. The area offers; arts and cultural attractions, the Alexander House of art and history, a zoo with petting zoo, a skate park, the Rainbow Casino & Bingo house, movie theater, 3 golf courses within 15 minutes of the river. Wood County offers 38,000 acres of public forestland ideally suited for the outdoorsman and his family. All site fees for camping and RV usage are nominal ranging daily from $14.00 up to $65.00 for 5 consecutive nights. Electric and are offered at most sites and showers are located within a reasonable hike of campsites. The Wood County Park and Forestry Department can be reached @ (715) 421-8422 for more details.
For the angler and family that needs a few more creature comforts, we will be staying with Greg & Wendy Allen at the Maples Motel. Located on Route 13 just south of town, they offer kitchenettes, winter plug-ins, VCR TV's to entertain your troop, and a heated outdoor pool. A dip after a day on the river sounds pretty nice. Greg and Wendy can be reached @ (715) 423-2590, Maples Motel 4750 8th Street South in Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494. My idea of "roughing it" consists only of how hard we fish, how difficult it was to hike trails, and or the beating we took from Mother Nature. A warm bed makes all that worth it.