Southeast Wisconsin Area Lakes, Rivers and Ponds

My son and I are in a tournament where the goal is to catch as many different fish species (non-micro) as you can in the month of June. We hit our local creek, the Rubicon River, and then a swamp pond to knock out some species right away. The panfish were biting. Most in shallow water, except the crappie which were in about 10 feet of water. The mini-mite did most of the damage.

It is Blue Gill Week. 8-10 feet of water. Beaded fly with red worm. Here are a few MLB's

I found some panfish in the super shallow swampy water that wanted to bite the mini-mite.  Some of the pumpkinseed a caught were crazy colorful! 

Gills are Spawning,  the only problem is that they aren't thinking of eating??, they are all over the shallows, we caught them on crawler chunks, flies, and tiny crank baits. managed to get 9 of eating size.
Saw something that I have never seen in my life, a catfish about 20", swimming along with a big Gill in its mouth.
water temp was 70 to 74 on the lake I was on.

Wasn't after crappie. I wanted pike and bass, but a big one bit the swimbait I was chucking around. Lots of fish were biting, most shallow, one pike on a deep weed edge.

I was out yesterday. One of the border lakes. They were jumping in the boat. It is easier to catch fish than to get some one to go along. 9 to 10 feet of water was the magic number. Found a clump of weeds and just keep going around it. I might like my plastics, but when they don't want it, I go with the flow. I find it more and more. These fish have seen so much of it, they get shy. I got 9 walleyes. John pitched in with crappies to 13 inches. Same spot. we caught every fish that swims in the lake. The big bass and pike kept busting my light lines. Went through 4 dozen minnows. They never stopped biting, even when the wind kept switching, at least 8 times. When they want it, they just want it. On at 10 off at 3. Water 67. Best of luck to all.

Was a fun trip with my great fishing buddy Jaybee!!  He caught the giants of the trip, I was able to get a few decent ones for the stringer.  Weeds were starting to pop pretty well, some spawning taking place, major crappie spawn yet to start.  I fished a couple trips in last week, had some pretty good days near docks with deeper water and some weeds. 

Managed to get out for just 2 hrs tonight on a Western Waukesha County lake with the legendary Bass Abductor.  He assumed the role of guide and put us on some 14 and 15 inch crappie.  Some male crappie were right by piers getting  ready for the spawn, but the huge females were out at the first drop into 10 or 12 ft of water. Some of the schools of very large crappie had walleye traveling with them , hunting for minnows.  

The prespawn largemouth were hungry while I recently got out yesterday with my son kayak fishing.

Panfish finally moving shallow on smaller Waukesha County lakes. Crappie nearly ready to spawn on the shallow lakes