| Walleye catch rates climb in October MADISON -- October may just be the best time to catch ol' marble eyes: catch rates are higher than at any time during the summer, the water's less crowded, the heat and bugs are tapering off, and the fall colors make every trip satisfying for the soul if not the stomach."People are putting away the rods and turning more toward the bow and shotgun, but the hardcore anglers are actually doing pretty well right now," says Mike Vogelsang, Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor based in Woodruff."About the time the leaves start falling on the water, that's when the action heats up. It is absolutely worth it for more casual anglers to get out on the water if they want to catch walleye."Vogelsang supervises fish biologists in what's one of Wisconsin's top walleye regions: the area including Vilas and Oneida counties, which between them boast more than 2,000 lakes, and Langlade, Lincoln, Forest and Florence counties, which have fewer lakes and crowds but feature the same kind of prime walleye waters."This time of year is very much like the opening weeks of the inland fishing season," Vogelsang says. "It seems like the later it gets here the better it gets."Walleye move into deep water in the summer in search of cooler water temperatures. In fall, they move up into shallow water, he says."This time of the year, that cooler water is up near shore," he says. "Walleye are sensing that winter is coming and they are feeding heavily on the forage fish, which are up shallow too. It's almost like they are putting on the feed bag."Walleye actively feed through the winter, unlike bass, which tend to shut down. With this shore lunch favorite in close to shore, anglers stand a better chance of reeling them in, according to Tom Cichosz, a DNR fisheries biologist and treaty fisheries analyst.UW-Stevens Point and DNR fisheries biologists analyzed angler surveys from 1991 to 2002 in northern Wisconsin to assess fishing pressure, catch rates and harvest rates. They found that catch rates in October were more than twice as high as in July, when most people were out fishing for walleye. Their results are presented in "Temporal Profiles of Walleye Angling Effort, Harvest Rate, and Harvest in Northern Wisconsin Lakes<http://afsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1577/M06-125.1>" (exit DNR) in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management."Walleye catch rates in October are higher than any time during the summer months," Cichosz says. "The fish go where the conditions are suitable for them to be, and in cooler conditions, that includes shallower water where they are more easily located and angled."DNR fish biologists and technicians are busy conducting fall surveys, using electroshocking boats to help them capture fish to weigh and measure before returning the fish to the water. Below are fishing reports from those biologists able to respond on short notice. More information about fish populations are found in the Wisconsin Fishing Report 2010.<http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/reports/fishingreport>/ Look for the county listing for the water you want to fish.Lake WinnebagoThere are some nice walleye in on some of the shorelines on the Winnebago system right now. We got more than 300 in a 4.5 mile section of shoreline Wednesday night! If you find turbid water there are likely young-of-year gizzard shad in there and the walleye must be in there feeding on the shad. Water temperatures were in the 61 - 63 degree range. Don't know how long they will be there but there were some nice fish along the shoreline at night.- Kendall Kamke, fisheries biologist, Oshkosh
Scott Ehricke- "Axl"
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