Anglers in fall on many Wisconsin waterways, including the Wolf River system, will eventually witness large schools of baitfish gathering near inlets, landings and bayous. Schools so thick, in fact, they seemingly cannot even be fished.
Most anglers will never forget a phenomenon quite like it. Watching the schooling ball of baitfish and the walleye underneath feeding is difficult to fathom. Casting a jig, or any bait, can be frustrating. Take it from an experienced angler who has thrown every lure at them during that magic moment; any offering seems a frivolous endeavor.
A slow roll approach is your ticket to success, a lazy retrieve with a stick-bait that parts the cloud of baitfish barely below the surface. Reel too fast, and you are hooking the minnows, not the fish. I do not normally promote specific lures, but a Thunderstick Junior is a necessary tool to part the school slowly, as Moses did when he rolled open the seas with God’s help.
These are amazing moments on the water. And a miraculous time to experience.
