Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captains Claus and Ruffolo 7/28/25

Walleye anglers seemingly must be prepared to work for their fish these days. Areas along the east sore
like Vincent Reef, Volks Reef, 2 Mile Reef, Maccos Reef all have been productive at times, but you may
have to be prepared to jump around a bit to see which spot has active fish. Jigging has been a bit better
over trolling. Shiver minnows and jig and crawler combos have been the best along with Death Jigs.
West shore areas like Geanos reef have also had a few walleyes around them at times and both trolling

7 Flicker Minnows and casting shiver minnows have been productive when the fish decide to eat. Mud

trollers have been reporting a slight uptick in Walleye action at times. 22’ to 26’ having been the best
lately. Anglers trolling crawler harnesses have reported better action over the Crank Bait trollers. Don’t
overlook areas around the lower Bay like the rocks in University Bay and Dead Horse Bay as there have
been some hungry Walleye showing up in those areas. Try Trolling #7 Flicker Minnows for some success
around there.
Perch fishing still is the talk of the Bay right now. Anglers working 22’-26’ of water out of Dykesville,
Macco’s and Chaudior’s dock are reporting good catches most days. Minnows continue to be the
dominate bait by anglers either on a slip bobber or a drop shot rig. Dead sticking a perch rig has also
worked well. Do not overlook some of the shallow rock areas around Volks and Vincent as some
Walleye anglers have reported finding quite a few incidental Perch around the reefs.
If you go, please be safe, and take a kid fishing
Brought to you by
Capt. Robert Claus Capt. Jerry Ruffolo
FinFanatic Charters Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-360-2904 920-973-2868
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com anglersplus@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net www.anglerspluswi.com

Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captains Claus and Ruffolo 7/21/25

Walleye action slowed a bit after the Wednesday and Thursday cold front last week, but the weekend
anglers did report some good success in areas once the water began to warm up a bit again. Mud
trollers in 26’-30’ of water from Geanos to Pensaukee are reporting getting some action but not great.
Use your electronics to find the schools of fish before setting up lines. Anglers running crawler
harnesses are reporting better action vs crank bait trollers. Folks jigging around Geano’s reef are
reporting catching a few Walleyes earlier and later in the day. East shore locations like 2-mile reef Volks
reef and Vincent reef all have been holding some fish and guys jigging are doing better than trollers in
general. Casting Shiver minnows being the best technique. Anglers fishing out of the Chaudoir’s dock
area are also reporting some Walleye catches but not great. The activity up on Larsons Reef and in Door
County for Walleye is still being reported as very slow.
The Perch bite continues to show no signs of slowing down. Fishing off structures in 20’-24’ continues to
be a good starting location along with the edges of the shipping channel. Anglers working 22’-26’ of
water out of Dykesville and Chaudior’s dock are also reporting good catches most days. Use your
electronics like side imaging and Live Sonar to locate fish has been key. Minnows continue to be the
dominate bait by anglers either on a slip bobber or a drop shot rig. Dead sticking a perch rig has also
worked on calm water days.
If you go, please be safe, and take a kid fishing
Brought to you by
Capt. Robert Claus Capt. Jerry Ruffolo
FinFanatic Charters Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-360-2904 920-973-2868
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com anglersplus@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net www.anglerspluswi.com

SMOKEYS WEEKLY FISHING REPORT BY CAPTAINS CLAUS AND RUFFOLO 7/14/25

Walleye action on Green Bay Is starting to pick up more every day. Anglers are reporting catching fish
around Geanos Reef and Pensaukee both casting baits shallow like Shiver Minnows and Jigs and
crawlers. Hair jigs and plastics have also been working. Trollers are reporting picking up fish running #7
Flicker Minnows around the edges of the structure. The mud bit has also seen an increase in action for
trolling. Both Crawler Harnesses and Crank bait trollers are reporting decent catches in the mud from
20’ out to 25’ most days. Use your electronics to locate fish that are suspended and send your baits
down above the fish. Purple and Gold blades on harnesses shave been good along with #9 Flicker
Minnows in anything with purple on it. Guys jigging arounds Vincent Reef, Volks Reef and Macco’s Reef
al report having some success with jig and crawler and hair jigs along with jigging spoons and shiver
minnows. Most of these areas are giving up a few bonus Perch to Walleye angers also.
The Perch bite continues to be great overall across the entire Bay. Fishing off structures in 20’-24’ along
with weed edges using minnows have been good. Targeting the steep sand bar edges like off little tail
are also producing good catches at times. The edges of the shipping channel are also still producing
good Perch action. Anglers working off the rock sand transition out of Dykesville to Chaudior’s dock are
also reporting good catches most days. Using electronics to locate fish has been key. Minnows seem to
be the best bait either on a slip bobber or a drop shot rig. Dead sticking a perch rig has also worked on
calm water days.
If you go, please be safe, and take a kid fishing
Brought to you by
Capt. Robert Claus Capt. Jerry Ruffolo
FinFanatic Charters Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-360-2904 920-973-2868
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com anglersplus@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net www.anglerspluswi.com

Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captains Claus and Ruffolo 7/7/25

Well in one week not much has changed for Walleye catching around Green Bay. A few fish are being
caught shallow around Geanos Reef using shiver minnows and hair jigs and also a few trolling harnesses.
The “Mud” bite off of Geanos has been hit or miss with more missing than hitting. A few fish have been
caught trolling harnesses by folks that wait out the bite a bit. East shore areas like Volks and Vincent are
starting to see a few fish caught on and off by guys trolling crank baits in the morning and evening. Also
a few Walleyes have been reported by anglers throwing shiver minnows.
University Bay continues to see some catches of a few Walleyes trolling crank baits like #7 Flicker
Minnows around College Reef and in Dead Horse Bay at times but nothing that consistent.
Perch fishing continues to be the hottest action on Green Bay with continued reports of solid catches all
over. Some of the best activity has been the deeper edges of structures in 20-24’ of water like off Vin
cent and Volks reef or Dykesville area. Anglers using their electronics searching the edges of the
shipping channel near the marker buoys from the entrance light to Longtail are reporting good catches.
Also the weed edges around Geanos and Pensaukee have had good catches of nice Perch reported.
Oconto shoal and the areas of 20-24’ of water north of Oconto have all held schools of active Perch.
Minnows and crawler pieces on dropshots or dead sticking perch rigs have been productive. Slip
bobbers and casting small plastics in orange or chartreuse colors have also had their fair share of action.
Drifting or dragging minnows or crawlers, if the wind allows along schools of fish has also been
productive.
Please consider releasing all your bigger (12”-13” plus) Perch to help provide for a great fishery for the
future.
If you go, please be safe, and take a kid fishing
Brought to you by
Capt. Robert Claus Capt. Jerry Ruffolo
FinFanatic Charters Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-360-2904 920-973-2868
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com anglersplus@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net www.anglerspluswi.com

Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captains Claus and Ruffolo 6/30/25

Green Bay water temperatures are fishing getting more stable and that is starting to help some better
Walleye activity show up. It is still not great but scattered reports are starting to come in of some fish
being caught around areas like Geano’s Reef and the East shore reefs like Macco’s, Volk’s, and Vincent.
Jigging has been the most productive throwing glide baits like Shiver Minnows. Some activity has also
been reported out in “The Mud” trolling harnesses and cranks. Report are that most fish have been
near the bottom and still pretty lethargic following their month-long feeding frenzy on Alewife.
University Bay has seen some catches of a few Walleyes trolling around College Reef and in Dead Horse
Bay at times but nothing that consistent.
In general, the Walleye bite still is on the slow side but if the heat continues we can expect it to get
better fairly quickly.
Perch fishing continues to be the most productive action on Green Bay right now with reports of solid
catches in many locations. Anglers around the Sturgeon Bay shipping canal are reporting good catches
along with deeper water near North-South Reef and Chaudior’s Dock. The North Bay Shore Park area of
Oconto outside the weeds along with Oconto Shoal are also producing good catches. Further south
anglers are also reporting decent catches near Vincent and Volk’s reef at times and along the rock sand
transitions off Dykesville. Also at times reports are coming of good schools out near the shipping lane
on Green Bay. Use your electronics to locate the fish n these areas. Minnows and crawler pieces on
dropshots or dead sticking perch rigs have been productive. Slip bobbers and casting small plastics in
orange or chartreuse colors have also had their fair share of action. Please consider releasing all your
bigger (12”-13” plus) Perch to help provide for a great fishery for the future.
If you go, please be safe, and take a kid fishing
Have an enjoyable and Safe 4 th of July week!
Brought to you by
Capt. Robert Claus Capt. Jerry Ruffolo
FinFanatic Charters Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-360-2904 920-973-2868
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com anglersplus@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net www.anglerspluswi.com

Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captains Claus and Ruffolo 6/23/25

Walleye fishing on Green Bay has started to show signs of getting past the spawning alewife and white perch. Trolling crankbaits, crawler harnesses, casting shiver minnows, spoons and hair jigs took fish this week, with locations of 2 mile reef, Chaudoirs Dock, North-South reef, Maccos reef, Shoemaker Point, Vokes reef, Pensaukee shoal, Kidney rocks, and College reef all had walleyes. The deep mud is also starting to put out walleyes. Perch fishing continues to be the best bite going, with limit catches coming from the north shore of Oconto, off Dykesville, deep edges of Vincent Point and Maccos reef. Minnows, crawlers, and helgramites are all taking these fish, with lots of 10-12” eaters and a few 13” plus giants giving action to perch enthusiasts. Please practice selective harvest, and release those 13” plus giants. At the mouth of the Fox River, shore anglers continue to harvest drum, catfish, carp, white perch and bullheads. Further north, smallmouth bass continue to give great action. Door county anglers are pitching Ned rigs, tube jigs, jerk baits and hair jigs for these smallies. Musky fishermen are moving towards west shore weed beds for action, with casting bucktails the best bet. If you go, please be safe, and take a kid fishing!
Capt Jerry Ruffolo
Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-973-2868
Capt Robert Claus
Finfanatic Charters
920-360-2904
Sent from my iPhone

Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captains Claus and Ruffolo 6/17/25

Walleye fishing on the south portion of Green Bay has come to a screeching halt, with alewife all over typical walleye structure. My guide friends and I experienced 0-3 fish per trip in and around tons of baitfish. The 10-18’ mud also had lots of bait, and making walleye fishing even more frustrating, hyper aggressive sheepshead hitting trolled crankbaits and crawler harnesses. The best advice? Switch gears and go after another species! Perch and smallmouth bass fishing is making up for the tough walleye fishing, with good catches of perch by Dykesville, around Vincent Point, off Maccos Reef in the mud, near Oconto, the north shore between Oconto and Peshtigo, and in the shipping channel near Sturgeon Bay. Minnows, crawler pieces, and soft plastics are taking perch. Please be selective in your harvest of these fish! Many, including myself, are releasing 13-16” perch, as these large females are responsible for replenishing and keeping our fishing great. Smallmouth bass have been good in the various bays of Door County, the Oconto River, and in the Fox River in the city of Green Bay. Pitching Ned rigs, tube jigs, jerk baits and wacky rigs are the best options for these bronzebacks. Musky fishing has slowed, as the post spawn good bite around the Fox River no longer is holding the high numbers of fish. Many of those large fish are on structures of the lower bay, gourging on alewife and white perch. Near the mouth of the Fox River, shoreline anglers are enjoying the fight of big sheepshead, flatheads, channel cats, white bass and the occasional gamefish. Make are soaking crawlers on bank rigs. Whatever you do, please be safe on the water, and take a kid fishing!
Capt Jerry Ruffolo
Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-973-2868
Capt Robert Claus
Finfanatic Charters
920-360-2904
Sent from my iPhone

Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captains Claus and Ruffolo 6/9/25

Green Bay walleye fishing continues to frustrate some anglers and, at the same time, provide other anglers with good fishing. As of this writing, alewife have made their way to most rock spawning grounds, creating a situation of tight-lipped, full belly fish! The areas I did manage to find walleyes willing to eat had one thing in common:  no alewife! University Bay continues to put out walleyes, along with lots of sheepshead, on trolled crankbaits, hair jigs and blade baits. Deadhorse Bay and the edges of the shipping channel also put out walleyes and perch, along with drum, flatheads, white bass, and a few large pike. Jig/crawler, hair jigs, blade baits, and crankbaits all took fish. Geanos reef, Maccos reef, Vokes reef, Frying pan shoal and Pensaukee also had a walleye bite going, but all have a surplus of bait present. To the north, the waters of Door county continue to show what a world class smallmouth bass fishery we have. Throwing hair jigs, tubes, Ned rigs, and jerkbaits are taking smallies. Perch fishermen are finding success in and around the waters of Oconto. Minnows, nightcrawlers, and small plastic baits are taking the most perch. Musky fishermen continue to find fish moving out of the Fox River after spawning. Trolling and casting are both taking fish. If you go fishing on the Bay, please be safe, and take a kid fishing!
Capt Jerry Ruffolo
Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-973-2868
Capt Robert Claus
Finfanatic Charters
920-360-2904

Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captains Claus and Ruffolo 6/2/25

As we get closer to summer, and the days of spring elapse, the walleye fishing on Green Bay is good some days, great a few days, and wildly inconsistent other days. Being versatile, focusing on fishing windward structure, and finding the color of the day are all things that can put more fish in the boat. I started the week fishing the east side rocks, finding success trolling crankbaits in 6-12’. By weeks end, many of those structures were covered with alewife, and the good bite going away with the incredible amount of food available. Moving west, a good bite could be found on the windward side of Geanos reef and Littletail point. By the weekend, my focus was on the improving bite of the structures of University Bay and Deadhorse Bay. Again, trolled crankbaits in shades of purple, silver, and green did the most damage. Musky fishing, through word of mouth, was good for trollers and casting enthusiasts in the Fox River, University Bay, west shore emergent weeds, and the Bays up in Door county. Double 8, 9, and 10 bucktails and Bluewater cranks were best for these large postspawn fish. Smallmouth fishing changes day to day, with catches of 50 or more one day followed by tough days. Ned rigs, jerkbaits and tubes are taking smallies. Perch fishing changes day success is on the rise, with good catches found up around Oconto on the north shore and along the sand breaks off Oconto shoal. Most anglers are using live bait such as minnows and crawler pieces, while some are putting good fish in the boat on hair jigs and small plastic tails. If you get the chance to go, please be safe, and take a kid fishing!

Big Cats are being caught on the Fox using live suckers and night crawler balls.
Capt Jerry Ruffolo of Anglers Plus Guide Service 920-973-2867
Capt Robert Claus of Finfanatic Charters 920-360-2904
Sent from my iPhone

Smokeys weekly fishing report by Captain Claus and Ruffolo 5/27/25

Last weeks weather threw a major curve ball at Green Bay fishing with strong north winds and cold
temperatures adding in cold rain for a few days. Water Temperatures dropped over 10 degrees in most
areas slowing the Walleye fishing to a crawl. By the end of the weekend action had begun to improve
with anglers fishing warming water trends and locating some active fish.
Areas around University Bay improved by Monday with most anglers finding some active Walleye mixed
in with Sheephead trolling Flicker Shads and Flicker Minnows. Working the water depts from 5-10 feet
proved to be the best. Baits with purple in them drawing most of the bites.
Green Bay’s west shore from Suamico up to Pensaukee slowed tremendously but some fish were caught
both casting and trolling. Anglers casting a jig and plastic or jig and crawler pinpointing individual fish
along sand areas from 3’ out to 10’ reported some success. Trollers pulling Crawler harnesses seemed
to do a bit better than the crank bait trollers in those same areas.
Likewise, the east shore areas from Vincent to Bay Shore had some activity but it was overall slow.
Trolling covering some area seemed to be the best tactic. From Dykesville up to Chaudior’s Dock also
produces some catches at times. The shallow rocky shoreline areas produced with both cranks and
crawlers when the wind was blowing. Some anglers reported finding a few fish working the 20’ to 25’
depths running cranks and snap weights to trigger strikes.
Small Mouth Bass action also slowed a bit with the cold front but anglers up in Dor County report action
increased with the sunny weather over the weekend. The tactics of choice have been tubes, Marabou
Hair Jigs and Ned rigged plastics in goby colors.
With the winds last week no great perch reports have come in yet.
One other note of interest, many anglers are now reporting seeing schooling Alewife out on Green Bay
this last 3 or 4 days. Expect to see a slow down in Walleye activity moving forward possibly.

Musky opener was really good on the Fox this weekend. Casting and trolling are working well. Yah!!!
If you go, please be safe, and take a kid fishing
Brought to you by
Capt. Robert Claus Capt. Jerry Ruffolo
FinFanatic Charters Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-360-2904 920-973-2868
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com anglersplus@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net www.anglerspluswi.com