Spearing/Clarity reports - S.E. Wisconsin

[bgill]

Finally FRIDAY!!!!

I Ended up going to Golden Lake today instead of Lake Geneva...I was talking to a town of Summit policeman earlier in the day at a cafe'...He said that Golden had cleared up alot since it has gotten a bit colder...

It has gotten a little better, but still only had vis of 6 - 10 ft. depending on how close to the shore you were. Golden is one of my favorite lakes due to the long no wake hours it has. Not to mention it has some GARGANTUAN carp and supersized Dogfish too!

I stuck two 10" inch perch and an 11" incher before I was there 15 minutes - right near the boat launch. They're for an early lunch tomorrow! :inlove Yum!

I also ended up losing a true monster carp - I somehow forgot my double flopper at home...:duh Later on I STONED a really toothy Dogfish with all three tines through the head/gill area as it sat there staring me down. The ugly "ol boy went a little over 28 inches.

Lot's of nice walleye's were seen today...You could get super close to them too. I actually touched a few. Man I wish we could get tags or somthing for them. It would be cool if we could legally spear ONE per month or something - But I doubt that will EVER happen... :naughty Not in Wisconsin anyways.

I probably should not of tried for the mother of all carp with only a three prong paralyzer...But after I stoned the big Dogfish I was feelin' pretty cocky - so I went for it! I hit 'er low and too far back - split'er open pretty good but she went straight away into the thick stuff. I looked for awhile, but to no avail. Oh well, she was destined for the backyard bonehole anyways! Still waiting to see how my home made latex tubing "float Line" performs. I think it will work nicely.- BUT I HAVE TO REMEMBER MY FLOPPER TIP TO FIND OUT!

I think tomorrow I'll hit Geneva after my lunch of panfried whole perch. If I get home early enough I 'll then go sit in my blind with my bow. I had bullwinkle laying in the grass down by the old shack in my back yard early this morning. He hung around for close to three hours. He was also eating ashes or something outta my fire pit for quite some time! That was kinda strange - I wonder why he was eating it? I do sometimes BURN the rough fish I polespear...Maybe he likes fish!

Too bad my wife has our only digital camera in South Africa right now - I could've got some good pictures of 'em (bullwinkle) this morning. I hope to put him in my freezer this year AND on my wall! He's about a 140 or so class buck. He'd be my biggest by far.

Oh....Thats right...This is a FREEDIVING site!!!!:mute

See ya later!

 

[bgill]

Had a great day yesterday with everyone at Lake Geneva.... However I think a few of you with those FANCY guns shoulda stayed for todays trip! It was AWESOME to say the least!

I went to Golden Lake today...Thats where I was gonna take whomever stayed over. There were lots of MONSTER carp to shoot! But only about 8 feet of vis. I had several carp pull off of my spear today because I hit them in soft areas (I think). Some of them were even BIGGER than the ones in the pic below!!!...What a couple of HOGS!!!!

They weighed in 29 and 32 pounds respectively!!! Weighed them on a buddy's fish gripper/scale thingy. I thought they weighed more - but I'll settle for 29 and 32... All I can say is FUN FUN FUN!!!!:t

Whopperhead...Thanks buddy...The speargun you sold me whacked a bunch of fish today! See what you did...Now I'm hooked on the speargun!!!

A couple of Russian dudes were out there too. They also got some HUGE carp...They were'nt there very long. After they got a few carp (and a 14 inch crappie!) they left right away...I assume they just wanted to get some fish dinner and go! I gotta get someone who knows how to cook these things to cook one up for me...They MUST be O.K. if so many foreigners keep them to eat all the time!

Sorry about the picture quality...Its from my razor phone. Check out these pigs!!!!



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[Whopperhead]

Wow! Nice Carp! Yeah you gotta get them in the head area- plus if you let your gun go and grab your float- let them drag you around till they get tired- then wrestle them to the stringer. If there are lots of Carp - we could go there.

 

[bgill]

Ended up going in near William's Bay on Lake Geneva earlier today. Found water from 51* - 58* degrees...Toasty by Lake Geneva standards for this time of year...But Williams's Bay does catch the sun all day long too! Found plenty of little fish and plenty of big fish too...Problem was that the big fish were Smalley's and Northern Pike...The pikes were thick in about 16 feet of water...There's some LARGE ones in there!

I did see a few eatin' sized bluegills and 10 or so dead ones that went close to 10"...I wonder if whats killing them? Some that were not quite dead were totally lethargic but looked healthy otherwise...Hmmmmm.... Only bluegills seemed to be effected or sickly... So I stayed away from gettin' some.:naughty Coulda took a few nice Rockie's too...But chose not to...Too deep in rock crevace's or wood pier cribs...Don't wanna tear up or lose my only shaft & head in rocks or wood.

No Carp - No Crappies

I also saw a Yellow Perch that woulda went atleast 12" but he knew I was coming for him and took off before I could get a shot...:vangry Oh, and the usual mudpuppies! Always fun to catch with your hands!

Anyways...Good day to be out...I did whack a nice Bullhead for a woman I know who loves 'em! :inlove

Hey...I look Mongolian or sumthin' with my face all squished in that hood!!!roflI don't have a big head...I swear...But the darn thing (hood) is an extra large!roflIf I grew a bigger "stache" I bet I could attract Walrus' with ease...Ohhhh....I'd be good up in Alaska...The "Mongolian Walrus Spearer"...The Natives would love me! But could I spear a Walrus? Well, Maybe a baby one!

Hahahaha...I just noticed...I have a "fig" leaf too! It's hangin' off the float line! LOL! Now that there's funny!!! Whew...this is gettin' more embarrassing by the second! I'd best be gettin' outta here!
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[bgill]

Lake Geneva again...Was there today for about two hours after work...Got me 3 more Crappies!!! None were "contest" fish though - Only 11 and 12 inchers - I don't like to take 'em if they're not atleast 12" - But they looked bigger in Lake Geneva's clear water's...Went in by "Library Park"...Got my Crappies in about 12 feet of water hanging out at the tops of green weeds. Saw no other shootable fish...Temp was 52-57 degrees.

Here's a pic!
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[Whopperhead]

It's good to see the fish are moving in to the shallows- Hope to get back down there in the next few weeks. Nice Fish.

 

[bgill]

Stopped at one of my favorite places for a few hours after work today!

Ended up with 4 Crappies (biggest was 13") 2 Bluegills ( biggest was 10")... And another Dogfish at 23"! :martial

The Dogfish put's my ROUGH-FISH total at a whopping 4! :crutch
2 Carp, 2 Dogs...But hey...No one else has gotten a dogfish yet! :t

Only saw smaller Carp ( if you wanna call 10-15 pounder's small! ) ... I think they're hangin' out on the north end now mostly. The north end is pretty much a large, relatively shallow bay.

Next time out there I'm bringin' the 'Yak...

I think I'll hit Moose and Beaver Lakes next...Clarity is getting bad quick on Golden...Usually it's MUCH clearer... Only had about 12 ft. vis today at the very best and even that was spotty. All fish were close to bottom, except that the 'Gills were still suspending in 20 f.o.w. - and VERY spooky. I tried aspetto but could'nt stay on the bottom longer than 45 seconds today. The bigger gills stayed just on the edge of my JBL's range. :vangry

Windy today...But it was'nt very windy under water! Here's a goofy pic of me with my catch and a "squished up face"....

And NO....My head is really not that big! rofl

 

[dotey]

nice catch there Bgill need to get up here with us and bring up your numbers there is lots of nice carp to shoot up here

 

[fleshy]

Water around here is just starting to get over turnover. I went to a good vis lake and it was about 15', but there were absolutely NO fish in sight. Didn't feel bad as to Rod and Reel guys in a boat had been there all day and caught nothing.

 

[bgill]

Checked out Powers lake in Kenosha County today after working there...Pretty nice lake - Fairly clear water and tons of weeds. There was however a major plankton bloom which had the vis down in some areas until you went deeper. Saw some gigantic Northern's and missed the only Crappie I saw. It too was a hog. I shot while ascending at the end of a short breathold and missed :blackeye

I did end up getting 5 nice sized Bluegills between 9 & 10 inches in about 12 f.o.w. - They were following me!
There were a few slightly bigger ones I saw but they were shallow and sittin' on big deeply fanned out nest surrounded by smaller ones - So I let 'em go.

There are some hawg rockbass in there too. Shot the biggest one I ever saw today - but somehow he ripped off of the line. Hit 'em near the tail and he got off :headI figured he was about 14 inches or so as I pulled the trigger! Bummer...

The whole lake is "no wake" because of the high water - There are signs everywhere - But still there were a few boats cruising around pretty fast...Just ignorant of the "no wake" rule in effect...:duh

 

[fleshy]

Bgill, what kind of kayak are you using. I work in a diveshop that sells yaks, so Im thinkin about getting myself a 120 wilderness tarpon, but I dont know quite yet. Whats up with all these russian dudes in your stories man, sounds like james bond spearfishing. Lol, speaking of james bond, I had a friend that thought that pinggene looked like james bond when he was in his wetsuit! rofl

 

[bgill]

I use a SOT "Fisherman" by Ocean Kayaks...Plenty of room to stow stuff and great for Lake Michigan and exploring different areas of lakes.

It just so happens that when and if I've seen another spearfisherman they turn out to be Russian for some reason. Must be alot of spearfishing going on in the former Soviet countries!

 

[bgill]

Was in Racine and Milwaukee today "working"...Had a little free-time and took a walk at a few piers. The farther out you went the clearer the water. In Racine there were signs up at North Beach that said "no swimming" but yet people were swimming? Sounds like when I used to surf in Imperial Beach Cali...Tijuanna poo there...Milwaukee poo here! Yep, lotsa ear infections back then!

I only had a few hours between jobs, but I sure was tempted to go in at Racine... I SAW a school of perch! :head I did have my gear just not enough time...:vangry

So anyways the water is looking fairly clear...West winds all day today. Looks like the next few days may provide good conditions...Except for maybe the dreaded "bacteria count"....How gross! But hopefullty the west winds will pull all that crap "out to sea" and bring in more cool clear waters!

I'll be in Waukesha working tomorow and will probably dive Golden or Lake Geneva on the way home. But what I really need to do is "strap the yak" and hit SSYC soon! Maybe tomorrow...

Can't wait for the fishe's to meet my new friend "Cyrano" soon!!!!!!

 

[bgill]

Was at Golden Lake after work today...Vis was way down from last time I was there. Maybe 10 feet. It did open up with 20 foot plus vis but only after 15 feet down in the cooler water.

I could not stay down long enough for most of the bigger fish to move in. Saw only a few smallish carp today -Broke another wishbone on the JBL so I stuck to panfish -(Can't wait to get my pneumo) Rubber's and wishbones are such a hassle!
I ended up with Three 9"inch bluegills and a 13 3/4" crappie! I did not find the fish in deeper water 'til near the end of the dive session. :head

My Friend Jeff from Russia called me today to inform me that he speared a 53 pound carp outta Golden Sunday!!!!! Said it was the biggest fish he ever saw! That's the ONE I been looking for! He said it had two sore looking spots on it's head where it looks like shots had glanced off of 'em! Hopefully there's anoither one in there that big! But I have a feeling it might have been "the beloved baby hippo"...

Still - An awesome day to be out...The back of my bald noggin is BEET RED!!! Forgot the sunblock and my "doo rag"!!! OUCH!

 

[Whopperhead]

Dan- I think the Record for SPEARED/BOW CARP is 52#!!!- It his was 53- he should of taken it in and he could of possibly shot the new state record. No Pics?

 

[bgill]

I'm sure he'll show me pics one of these days when (If) I see him again...I guess he took about 15 pounds of eggs out of it!

He's an older Russian dude and probably would not be interested in any records...He tells me of the big "catfish" he gets! :rcard

I told 'em "Cats" were illegal...He said in his accent, "Ofcourse Dan, I know that, No problems, it's easy...I can take you to place with many big catfish!" rofl

I've seen this same guy spearing in Crooked Lake about 15 years ago...Back then he had a bunch of dogfish and Largemouth bass!!!! I did'nt know the legalities or "regulations" back then...Sounds like now he just takes an occasional catfish...AT NIGHT! :rcard

Not really a friend...Just a guy I run into alot...Got his number one day and now he calls me once in awhile. I met and his buddy on Lake Geneva a few weeks ago and told them "panfish and carp only"...He forgot his hood and froze out in less than an hour! They shot NO fish. :t

Yuck! Them guy's eats carp egg's! And drum and dogfish too! I MIGHT try it if someone else cleaned and cooked it , but I don't know if I'd like it much! Maybe smoked drum or dogfish might be good?

But yeah....53 pounds! Do you think it was "The Baby Hippo"? I figured the carp I shot at a few weeks ago and bounced off of it's head to probably go about 45-50 pounds maybe. Was the one you saw that big? I'm just hoping there's still a few big girls in there yet - for the "contest"! But I don't think I'll be back there 'til September though. Vis is getting bad. I'll be hitting Lake Geneva most of the time now. Pretty close for me...That or Lake Michigan when possible. Both have a few new "state record" carp in them I'm sure. And soon I'll be able to "reach out and touch one alot farther away than usual"! :martialAnd the perch...They're still waiting for me! But I'll get there sooner or later. By mid July they could be gone already! Better hurry!

 

[Whopperhead]

I plan on going to Lake Mich either Monday or Tuesday - more than likely Tuesday.

 

[Whopperhead]

I'm hoping to go to Lake Michigan on Tuesday- looks to be the best day. I was thinking of trying the Kenosha area- can anyone recommend a spot? From shore- don't feel like taking the boat down there.

 

[bgill]

There are good spots to go from shore in both Kenosha and Racine...But I'm not sure of the name of the places. There is an "cement" and rock Island about 200 yards off shore near the Kenosha Harbor - you could see on Google maps I'm sure....good spot. But you don't HAVE to go to "The Island" to get Perch...They're just off the rocks too.

In Racine I have gone in at the soth end of "North Beach" and have done well there for perch all up & down the rocks up to the Harbor gap.

Good Luck...I'm working on getting out to Lake Michigan too! But I've got sooooo much work it's crazy...But good I guess. Gotta make hay whilst the sun shines!

I should be sending Jon a check for the Cyrano in a few days hopefully. Can't wait to use it on some slob perch and carp!

 

[Whopperhead]

Going to LAKE MICH. on Tuesday (tomorrow) - The Plan is to go to SSYC - see how the vis is. If it's no good- start working my way south- Probably go to Kenosha. Dotey will be going with me. Didn't know if some of you other S.E. guys wanted to join. I know a few of you have mon, tues off. KHEL? Bglaeser? Let me know- Send me a PM. I hope to be at SSYC around 8am.