Hayward, Wisconsin Fishing Report 5-25-15

We hope you all had an excellent Memorial Day weekend, and thank you so much to all that have served our country.  Freedom isn’t free, and we’ll never forget!!!  Our old friends Peter Wuest from Minneapolis, MN and his brother Tom from Bloomington, MN fished with heavy hearts last year at this time.  Their brother Dave from Minneapolis had been in a bad car accident and the prognosis wasn’t promising.  Fast forward one year…  Dave was in the boat showing his brothers how to do it!  The Wuest boys and I spent a half day chasing smallies on Saturday, and Dave proved that he hadn’t lost his touch after all he’d been through.  We caught fish up to 20′ on jigs and plastics in 2′ – 5′ with 57 – 58 degree water temps.  The recent weather changes seem to have held up the spawn a bit as we noticed lots of empty beds, and you can still catch quite a few fish casting baits adjacent to spawning flats.  This day was all about Dave however, and it was quite a treat to watch these three brothers enjoy a morning on the water that they didn’t think would happen a year ago.  Thank you to the Wuests for letting me be a part of it, and thank you to Peter for trashing the “bannana in the boat” myth!!!  Maybe these smallies didn’t get the memo…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s no secret that we’re big time Wisconsin Badger fans, and it was an absolute pleasure to have Kirk Munden and his wife Renee in the boat on Sunday.  Kirk was on the 1999 Rose Bowl team, and we were honored to have the Mundens in our boat for a day of chasing smallies.  With all of the goofy weather lately the spring bite has been inconsistent and unpredictable, but we were finally able to put a good crankbait bite together.  Calm winds in the morning allowed us to search for spawning fish, and we landed good numbers up to 20″.  The afternoon was a different story however as winds kicked up and so did the bite.  We drifted over spawning flats and had steady action with crankbaits on fish up to 19″.  This was the bite we’ve been waiting for all spring, and it was a hoot as we popped fish after fish on every drift.  A steady rain moved in during the last hour, but Kirk and Renee were troopers.  By quitting time, we had put one heck of a day together.  Water temps ranged from 58 – 60 degrees, and we found most fish in 3′ – 6′ of water.  Finding warm water was definitely the key to finding active fish, and most of what we caught was in the warmest part of the lake.  Thanks to Kirk and Renee for an excellent time, and congratulations on a great day.  On Wisconsin!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our good friend Rich Andres from Vernon Hills, IL returnded to Anger’s Haven with his family for a week of fishing and fun.  Last year Rich and his future son in law Matt Clay from Mundelein, IL blasted the bass for a day with me, but the rest of the Andres crew wanted in this year.  Rich’s son Nick and his better half Sarah Hamachek from Paletine, IL spent Monday morning with me.  Overcast skies and light rain made for tough conditions, but we were able to work through it to put a nice morning together that included some dandy smallies up to 20″.  Small crankbaits and plastics worked in and around spawning flats in 3′ – 5′ of water produced fish throughout the morning.  Sarah and Nick did an excellent job, and I was impressed with what they were able to produce.  After a great lunch cooked on the new Weber grill Rich had brought me (what a great gift!), it was time to get back after it.  Rich and Matt would be taking care of the p.m. shift.  We started off hot catching some small fish on crankbaits, but conditions got extremely tough as the afternoon progressed.  Winds kicked up, and we had to work extrememly hard for everything we’d catch.  Rich and Matt stuck with it though and put some really solid fish in the net including Matt’s 20″ and 19″ fish on back to back casts.  Doesn’t get better than that!  Crankbaits and jigs in 3′ – 5′ caught all of our fish in the afternoon as the bite got tougher as the wind blew harder.  Every fish was earned without a doubt, and I was extremely proud of the Andres family as they put one heck of a day together despite extremely tough conditions.  Water temps ranged from 58 – 60 degrees, and warmer water held the most active fish.  Thanks to the Andres gang for another great trip, and thank you for the great present.  You’ll be in our thoughts every day at noon!!!