11 pound Walleye from the Rock River, November 11, 2010

I caught this fish using a Storm Thunderstick Jr and fisheadtackle bottom bouncers. It came while trolling through a deep hole, about 17' in a shallow rocky river. I was using about a 5/8 oz weight. The water was clear and low, I have never seen the Rock River so clear as this year. I was also catching fish in other depths from 17-6 feet deep. It was a mostly cloudy day at the end of the dark moon cycle on Nov 11th 2010. I was also catching fish on 1/4 and 1/2 oz jigs, green and red colors. I was using my hair worm on the 1/2 oz jig and it caught most of the biggest fish. After having so much trouble with fingerling Walleye stripping minnows I had been using the crankbait which was minnow color and it had been working well. I was pulling the crankbait while going up river and using the lighter jig drifting down river. Sometimes I would switch to the heavier jig to work the ledges better and be more precise. The bites were far apart so when I got bored doing one thing I would switch to something else. Sometimes the pattern is no pattern what so ever.

I was struggling on the Mississippi River, the water was high but clear and the big fish were just not catchable in the strong current. So about every other day I was going to the Rock River. I knew the Walleye were biting good at the Dixon dam area, but I like to get away from everyone so I stuck it out in the lower pool. The fish were biting just enough to keep me out there. All week the Walleye and Sauger were running small, but with a large Northern Pike everyday, a few Gar, White Bass and Smallmouth Bass, it was fun and we had great weather too.

After the big fish I fished for several more hours without a bite. The next day was the best day all week, I had 8 big Walleye plus a few Bass, but nothing over 7 pounds. The day after that it turned cold and fishing got tough, only three keeper size fish and then no bites at all for the rest of the day, pretty boring and cold.

One other note, I threw back all my fish all week, and because I threw them all back the day I caught the big fish, I believe that is why it lived in the cooler all day, with me getting it out several times to try top get self portraits of me holding the fish. the Rock River doesn't have enough Walleye for fisherman to harvest large numbers of fish, so I throw all my fish back, even a mounter. In this digital age, one can fill an ego by getting photos and video without having to mount every big fish they catch.





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