Category: General

The Green Bay area got its fair share of rain and snow the last week. The runoff and precipitation
brough muddy conditions for anglers getting out on the Fox Fiver and Lower Bay Thursday through
Sunday.
On the Fox working brighter colored plastics and hair jigs did catch some fish but the very muddy water
made the bite difficult for most. Trolling brighter color crank baits also was working in the dirty water
with slow speeds around 1.0-1.2mph. Nighttime trolling on the river for most anglers proved to be
tough with the very dirty water making it difficult for the fish to find the baits. With the increase of
current and warming water the fish are starting to spawn more heavily the last few nights.
Out on the Bay areas of slightly cleaner water were productive. Trolling the east shoreline from the
University up to point Sable in anywhere from 5’-9’ with crank baits over the weekend was fair to good.
Again, slower speeds running baits like Flicker Minnows and P-10s in brighter colors and baits with some
white on them seemed to be the most productive. Working the waters from around Point Comfort all
the way to Dykesville has also been producing some good catches. The water up that way is a littler
cleaner yet. Most fish have come from 8—16’ both Flicker minnows and P-10’s have also been working
up there. Reports of a few fish showing up in the Suamico area have also hit the radar. Trolling up there
also being the most productive plan of attack.
In the Oconto area walleyes are starting their yearly spawning ritual. Some fish are still staging you in
14’-18’ off the mouths of the rivers, while others have moved into the Oconto and Peshtigo rivers. Over
the weekend both pre-spawn and post spawn fish have shown up bot the post spawn fish seemed to be
more prevalent by the weekend. Casting Hair jigs in Purple, Purple/Black, White/Pink and
Purple/Chartreuse colors all took fish. Rip n Raps in dark colors also caught some Walleye. With the Rip
n Raps a slow lift of a foot or less trigger bites, as these fish were not aggressively chasing baits. A few
fish have come on jigs and plastics also. Water temps ranged from 41-46 Degrees by Sunday afternoon.
The Door County areas did not have a lot of activity this last week mainly due to the higher winds across
the Bay
For any of your spring bait or lure needs stop in a Smokies on the Bay, Jeff will hook you up with what is
needed.
Be safe and tight lines.
Brought to you by
Capt. Robert Claus Capt. Jerry Ruffolo
FinFanatic Charters Anglers Plus Guide Service
920-360-2904 920-937-2868
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com anglersplus@yahoo.com

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

More precipitation is on the way for the Green Bay area and that should really kick off the actual
spawning runs for these staging spring fish. Couple that with an actual spring warm up in the forecast
and we should see a great improvement in activity in most locations.
On the Fox casting the main flats and rocky areas in 10-12 fow was by far some of the best activity. The
cold fronts did slow action overall but plenty of nice fish were caught using Blade Baits, Hair Jigs, Plastics
and Rip n Raps. Nighttime trolling on the river continued to be productive with good numbers of big fish
Showing up. Trolling P-10’s other stick baits at night continues to the choice for many Walleye anglers.
Continuing to show good catches of staging fish University Bay both during the day and the evenings has
been very productive. Flicker Shads, Flicker Minnows and stick baits all worked shallow have been
productive. Using side imaging to locate pods of Walleye then casting to them has also found some
success for anglers on the lower bay. Rip N Raps and Hair Jigs have been the choice of some anglers.
The Walleye activity in the Oconto area continued to be up and down with the changing winds and cold
fronts but using your electronics to locate schools and casting at them has been key. Hair jigs have been
the most productive baits, but plastics and Rip n Raps have also been good. Night trolling shallow on the
northern Bay from Oconto to Marinette has been good when the weather is cooperating. Stick baits like
P-10’s have been the best.
The Door County areas seem to be lagging in good catching. Hopefully the improved weather on the
way will turn that activity level up a notch.
For any of your spring bait or lure needs stop in a Smokies on the Bay, Jeff will hook you up with what is
needed.
Be safe and tight lines.

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com

Salt truck fell off Tower Drive Bridge this morning, tons of salt in the system. Reports of sail fish and marlins coming thru the Sturgeon Bay Channel heading to Green Bay. Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

The Green Bay area has finally had some precipitation in the form of Winter returning. The water
temperatures have cooled slowing spawning activity. Although water levels are still low and current is
low with more precipitation in the early week forecast expect to see and increase in current on all area
rivers soon. The next 10 days looks like a return to spring like warming temperatures and this may push
Walleye to continue the spawning runs in all the area rivers.
On the Fox casting the main flats in 10-12 fow has become more prevalent with the cooling temps last
week. Blade Baits, Hair Jigs, and plastics have all been working best with a slow action. Some Jig and
minnow fishermen had success vertical jigging the channel edges with the cooler water. Nighttime
trolling catches have continued to be very good with the numbers of fish in the river that were staging
to spawn. Trolling P-10’s other stick baits at night continues to produce some nice fish for many
Walleye anglers.
University Bay and the shoreline areas working toward Bay Shore have continued to see good catches of
very nice fish both during the day and the evenings. Flicker Shads, Flicker Minnows and stick baits all
worked shallow have been productive. Jigging along specific rocky areas has also found some success on
the lower bay. Rip N Raps and Hair Jigs have been the choice of some anglers. Use your electronics to
locate rock areas and then cast.
The Walleye activity in the Oconto area slowed a bit with the water temperatures dropping to near
freezing last week. Quality fish continue to show up staging out in slightly deeper waters from 15’-30’
Using your electronics to locate schools and casting at them has been key. Hair jigs have been the most
productive baits, but plastics and Rip n Raps have also been good. Boat traffic has slowed due to the
cold temperatures. Very little to no activity has been reported up near the Stiles Dam on the Oconto
river. Night trolling shallow between Oconto and Peshtigo has continued to be good when the weather
allows.
The East shore areas of Door County continue to see improvement of catches for night trolling when the
weather permits. Working shoreline breaks with stick baits and minnow style baits like P-10’s and
Flicker Minnows have been resulting in some catches.
For any of your spring bait or lure needs stop in a Smoky’s on the Bay, Jeff will hook you up with what is
needed.
Be safe and tight lines.

Only at Smokeys!!!

Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com

The lack of rain in the Green Bay area continues to provide slower than normal daytime activity on the
Fox River for Walleye. Water temperatures over the last week rose steadily and more fish continue to
work through their spawning cycle. During the day casting the shallow flats from 3-10 fow has become
more prevalent as the water warms. Casting Rip n Raps, Blade Baits, and Hair Jigs have all been
working. Nighttime trolling catches have continued to be very good with the steady climb in water
temps. Trolling P-10’s and Husky Jerks and other stick baits in metallic colors and some white patterns
at night have produced some nice fish for many Walleye anglers.
University Bay and the shoreline areas working toward Bay Shore have seen good catches of very nice
fish both during the day and the evenings. Flicker Shads, Flicker Minnows and stick baits all worked
shallow have been productive.
The Walleye activity in the Oconto area continues to see good numbers and quality fish in shallow
warming waters. Some good action has also shown up on staging fish out in slightly deeper waters from
20’-30’ Using your electronics to locate schools and casting at them has been key. Hair jigs have been
the most productive baits, but plastics and Rip n Raps have also been good. Getting away from the boat
trtaffic has proven for some to be key in getting less spooky fish due to the clear waters. Night trolling
shallow between Oconto and Peshtigo has seen a good amount of catching activity also.
The East shore areas of Door County have started to warm a little and a few fish are showing up along
the shorelines from Sugar Creek to Little Sturgeon Bay. Night trolling when the weather permits has
been the most productive.
For any of your spring bait or lure needs stop in a Smokies on the Bay, Jeff will hook you up with what is
needed.
Be safe and tight lines.

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com

Green Bay is 100% clear of all major ice.
The Fox River continues to produce fair to good action this last week. The little bit of rain in the area has
not been enough to have a big impact on the river current so days with any north winds are slowing the
current and the bite. Water temps on the river have slid up into the 40’s and maintained that level so
reports of a few spawned out fish have started to trickle in. The daylight activity has been best casting
Hair jigs, Rip n Raps and Blade baits. Some fish are still being caught on good old Jig and Minnow.
Working the shallow flats from 3-8 fow have become more prevalent as the water warms. Nighttime
trolling catches have been very good with the steady climb in water temps. Trolling P-10’s and Husky
Jerks and other stick baits in metallic colors and some white patterns at night have produced some nice
fish for many anglers.
University Bay and Dead Horse Bay has seen an increase in catches this last several days with the
warmer weather bringing the water temps up. Casting hair jigs or Rip n Raps in 4-10 fow along
shorelines or trolling the same areas with Flicker Shads and P-10’s has been effective.
The Oconto area continues to see and increase in boating traffic due to the warming water and no ice
left to be an issue. Good catch numbers and quality fish in shallow warming waters have been common.
Using your electronics to locate schools and casting at them has been key. Rip n Raps and hair jigs have
been the most productive baits. Getting away from the boat activity has proven for some to be key in
getting less spooky fish.
The Sturgeon Bay area is ice free at all the ramps and Door County Parks are installing their docks this
week at all their locations. Reports are of water temps being very cold yet and Walleye activity super
slow as of now. Reports of Perch catching have been coming in up around the Little sturgeon and
sawyer Harbor areas, but remember March 15 th Perch season on WI waters of Green Bay Closes
Be safe and tight lines.

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com

There are still a few chunks of ice shifting around Green Bay whichever way the wind blows them so if
you are planning on heading out on the Bay in a boat be aware of that….. remember the Titanic. Overall
Green Bay is mostly clear of all major ice.
The Fox River continues to produce fair to good action this last week. Guys jigging with minnows are still
very productive casting the flats or vertical jigging the channel edges. Casting Hair jigs, plastic and Blade
baits have all seen an increase in catches at times as the water seems to be steadily on the rise with less
over nights below freezing as of late. River temps hit 42-44 Deg as of Monday the 4 th . We did receive a
little rain in the area, and we could certainly use some more to draw more spawning run fish up the
rivers. Days of heavy boat traffic have certainly slowed the fishing with the low water levels and lack of
current. Nighttime trolling continues to see an increase in catches with a few bigger fish starting to
show up. Trolling P-10’s and Husky Jerks and other stick baits in metallic colors at night has been the
choice of many anglers.
University Bay being ice free has seen an increase in anglers heading out and reports are fishing activity
has been slow out there. Again, maybe with some more rain will move into more normal spring
spawning patterns soon.
The Oconto area has seen a big jump in boating traffic due to less ice floating around day by day.
Reports from late last week and into Monday have catching activity very good. Using your electronics to
locate schools and casting at them has been key. A few trollers have been using that tactic to locate
active schools also then stopping to cast. Rip n Raps have caught a few fish, but plastics and hair jigs
worked slowly have still been better.
The Sturgeon Bay area is nearly ice free at all the ramps and I suspect by the weekend folks will be
chasing Walleye along the shoreline breaks up in that area also.
Reminder of regulation changes on Green Bay
March 4 th The Fox River dropped to a bag limit of 1 Walleye over 28”
March 4 th Green Bay dropped to a bag limit of 1 Walleye over 15”
March 15 th Perch season on WI waters of Green Bay Closes
Be safe and tight lines. Metro docks going in today.

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net

Once again, I am starting to sound like a broken record. Even though we had a few days of a “Cool
Down” last week and we did see some ice skimming in areas most of the ice areas of prominence are
still to be considered unsafe and you should not be venturing out. That coupled with the forecast
moving forward that has out temperatures rising in to the 50’s and near 60 in our area over the next 10
days should have you making plans to head elsewhere for your ice fishing activities. Again, there are
areas in Northern WI and the UP of Michigan that have sustained some ice.
Again there are a few Guides running airboats on some remaining ice in the Door County area but even
up there the shoe lines are shot in most locations so even walk out traffic is difficult and dangerous.
The river systems in our area are open and the overall fishing is good. The Wolf River is open in areas
and of course the Fox River is wide open and ice free from the Dam in DePere all the way out past the
mouth and all launches are open. I believe the Docks at Fox Point Landing are going in today (Feb 21 st )
and the word is the Fairgrounds ramp will be getting their docks in tomorrow.
Fishing remains good to fair. Folks using jig/minnow combinations in the channels and edges and
vertical jigging are still getting both Walleye and a few Whitefish. Casting plastics, hair jigs, and blade
baits on the flats is also producing good catches along with a few bigger fish. The number of “spring
running” fish moving up the river has been slowly increased as the bay has lost its ice and water slowly
warms. Nighttime trollers are reporting over all activity still slow evenings but that will begin to pick up
soon also.
Be safe and tight lines.

Yah,only at Smokeys!!!

Smokeys will reopen it’s store on March 1st 2024.

Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com

Sorry folks on general there is no real ice to speak of on Green Bay for getting out on. The winds last
week really tore up and blew around what we had and the satellite shots from over the weekend show
there is even very little floating ice around on Green Bay. If you are looking to get out ice fishing your
best bet might be to head north into Norther WI or the UP.
I know there are a few Guides running airboats on some remaining ice in the Door County area but even
up there the shoe lines are shot in most locations so even walk out traffic is difficult and dangerous.
The Fox River is wide open and ice free from the Dam in DePere all the way out past the mouth and all
launches are open with no docks so be aware of that.
Fishing has been good to fair. Folks using jig/minnow combinations in the channels and edges slipping
the little bit of current we have and vertical jigging are getting both Walleye and a few Whitefish.
Casting up at the dam seems to be producing a couple fish but no real numbers. Casting plastics and
hair jigs on the flats is also producing fair catches and a few night trollers have been out getting some
fish each trip.
Keep in mind this is still Mid-February and not the spring March run yet, so their feeding windows can
be short and sporadic as their metabolism is not moved into pre-spawning mode yet.
Rumor has it both Kewaunee and Algoma boat ramps are ice free and a few folks have been trolling
Brown Trout along the shore lines in those areas with some success also running stick baits.
We may not have good ice but there seems to be some opportunity to get out and wet a line!
Be safe and tight lines.

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com

First and foremost, no ice is ever safe ice.
Overall the Green Bay ice situation for sure has deteriorated. With the weather pattern this week it will
continue to get bad as we warm to near 50 by Thursday, along with some predicted rain.
The Fox River has opened up and the boat ramp at both Metro landing and Fox Point Landing both have
had a launch lane that has been opened up by some diligent fishermen. There is still ice flow coming
down river so mind that when loading and launch your boats but if you are looking to get out in a boat
there is an opportunity. Walleye were biting over the weekend on Jig and Minnow, Plastics and hair jigs.
All Ice areas should be considered very dangerous and extreme caution should be take on all Green Bay
ice until colder weather returns.
The lower bay areas like Volks and Bay Shore all have walkable ice as of right now but that is going to be
suspect at the week goes on. The same can be said of Deadhorse Bay, Suamico and Geanos.
Everything in Door County that is outside of any bay should be considered suspect and dangerous
moving through this week.
Little Sturgeon and Sawyer Harbor both had had a folks venturing out over the weekend on foot, action
for Perch was fair, but like all areas this week use caution as the weather progresses.
No one should be attempting to venture out to any of the areas on Larsons reef as that is extremely
suspect with open water and not at all safe for travel.
If you are headed to Green Bay to get your ice fishing fix on use extreme caution, pay attention to wind
direction Green Bay is NOT locked in and potential for movement is high.
My humble opinion would be to make other plans for this week/weekend and not take on sketchy ice.
.Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com