Episode 14

Jumbo Crappies Close to Home

Show Date: April 4th & 5th, 2020

Location: Walworth County, Wisconsin

Guide: Captain Caleb Zorn [262-515-7944]

This whole coronavirus situation has changed many of our daily lives drastically.  Many of us are cooped up at home doing our part to stop the spread of the virus.  

If you’re fortunate enough to live near a place to fish, then that would be a great way to get outside and get some fresh air. We’re based in Wisconsin, and as the Wisconsin DNR has stated, fishermen (and women) should stay within their communities if they want to fish.  What qualifies as “in your community” is not strictly defined, but use your best judgement - we’re all in this together. The faster we stop the spread, the faster we can get back to some semblance of normalcy. 

In our company, John and Ryan are driving to our destinations separately, and Blake is staying home, so we don’t crowd the boat.  Our guides are alone, or with close family. We do have a “media exemption” to travel, but we are still staying close to home for the immediate future.  

This week we headed to Walworth County, where Captain Caleb Zorn has been a pretty good crappie bite.  He told us that sometimes the bite is great, and sometimes it’s just okay; either way, he said we had a chance at a few jumbos.  

Using live bait is the best bet this time of year due to the cold water temps, but as the water warms up, plastics will catch more fish.  Caleb and his brother use live bait most of the day, and John uses the Kalin’s crappie scrub.  

Episode 15

On the Milwaukee River

Show Date: April 11th & 12th, 2020

Location: Milwaukee River; Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Guide: Captain Caleb Zorn [262-515-7944]

We’re back fishing with “our local guide” Captain Caleb Zorn. Caleb lives the closest to us, and with Wisconsin’s current “Safer At Home” ordnance, we’re doing our best to stay close to where we live, and maintain social distance while fishing. 

Social distancing isn’t a problem this week, as we’re fishing from shore on the Milwaukee River.  John is familiar with these shorelines, because he’d come down to fish as a kid. Back then the river was very polluted, and he couldn’t catch much more than suckers & carp.  Thanks to great efforts by many organizations, both public and private, the river is much cleaner today. Now the river is a destination for anglers looking to catch a trophy steelhead, which is why we’re here.

Episode 16

Bass Fishing for Crappies

Show Date: April 18th &19th, 2020

Location: Waukesha County, Wisconsin

Guide: Captain Caleb Zorn [262-515-7944]

April 1st was the beginning of the 2020-21 license year in Wisconsin, and a bunch of new regulations took effect too.  One of the most notable changes allows anglers to catch-and-release largemouth and smallmouth bass all year long. Since this is a new regulation, anglers will have to develop patterns to locate fish that nobody has previously.  

Targeting bass was our goal this week, but after an extensive search, we couldn't pattern the fish well enough to catch them with any consistency.  We did luck out however, spotting crappies while putting out to the lake, having a backup if the bass didn’t bite. Staying in mostly the same area, we were able to get on a great crappie bite, and ended up having a blast. Live bait & the Kalin’s crappie scrub were what worked best, each lure having a little streaks during the day.  

Sometimes your plans for the day don’t pan out, but having fun and making the best of your time fishing is what matters.