By: Scott AXL Ehricke

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By Scott AXL Ehricke
Fishing the Reefs of Lake Winnebago
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Who is AXL?

• Husband and Father of 2 kids
• I Love to Fish Walleyes
• Tournament Angler
• USCG Licensed Captain
• Wisconsin Licensed Fishing Guide
• Published Author in Several Magazines
• TV Segment on Local Sports Show
• Founder of www.winnebagofishing.com
• Guest Speaker at Various Events

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Lake Winnebago Reef FishingWhat you will learn

• Finding a Reef
• Marking the Reef
• Wind Direction
• Anchoring
• Boat Placement
• Line
• Jigs
• Bait
• Bobbers

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Finding a Reef

• What is a Reef ?
• I define a reef as anywhere there is structure on
  the bottom of the lake that may or could have the
  potential to hold fish, regardless of depth or
  what the bottom of the lake may constitute of.

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Marking the Reef

• Find the very top of the reef
• Mark it with a buoy marker after you find the
  top, this may take some time
• Enter it in your GPS after you have found the
  very top of the reef
• When returning to that reef, always watch your
  graph to be sure you have the top of the reef
  marked correctly
• Rename the hump or reef to something that you can
  remember, do not give it a number, you will
  forget it.

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Wind Direction

• Wind is your friend
• Use the wind to your advantage
• Wind will tell you where the fish are on the reef
  you are fishing
• No wind can make it tough to pinpoint the fish

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Anchoring on the Reef

• 2 Heavy anchors of 25 pounds or more
• At least 100 feet of good 5/8 inch rope, no
  nylon. (It is hard on the hands)
• 3-4 feet of chain on anchors to allow the anchors
  to bury in good and get through the zebra
  mussels.
• Release both anchors at the same time

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Boat Placement

• 90 degrees to the wind
• Casting with the wind to your back
• 75-90 feet from the top of the reef where your
  buoy is marking the top of the reef
• Do not be content if you are not positioned
  properly. Pick up and get reorganized, it is well
  worth it to catch more fish.
• Biggest factor of all to be successful is boat
  placement

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Line

• I use 6-8 lb. Monofilament line while jigging the
  reefs. I prefer to use Berkley Trilene XL, as it
  tends to be more flexible.
• Mono line will get nicked up due to dragging your
  jig along the bottom through the rocks and the
  zebra mussels.
• Check line often for nicks and abrasions
• Mono is easier to cut off and retie compared to
  super braids

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Jigs

• I use 1/32 to 1/8 oz. jigs only while jigging the
  reefs on Lake Winnebago.
• Most commonly I use a 1/16 oz. jig with a bait
  holder barb on it.
• Orange is my go to color, no doubt about it!!
• Bright days use bright jigs
• Overcast days use darker colors
• Tie jigs directly to line with no swivels or
  weights

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Jigs Continued
Left Vertical Jigging
Right Dragging
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Bait

• I use leeches and crawlers while jigging the
  reefs on Bago
• ½ a crawler is plenty and sometimes even too much
• The bigger the leech the better

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Bobbers

• I do not like them
• Most of the fish are right tight to the bottom
• Slip bobbers move with the wind and away from the
  area where the fish are
• Fish will shoot up the reef to grab your bait,
  not down
• You cannot control the way the bobber goes or how
  fast it moves

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My Gear

• 6 foot 6 inch Medium Light Fast Action Rods
• Pflueger Reels Model 6735 President Series
• 6-8 Lb. Berkley Trilene XL Line
• 2-25 Pound Richter anchors with 4 feet of chain
  and 100 feet of 5/8 inch rope.
• Custom made jigs in 1/16 oz. to 3/8 oz.
• Frabill Net
• Leeches and Crawlers for Bait

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Tips

• Move often to find active feeding fish
• Fish the windward sides of the reefs always
• Mark every new hump or reef you can find
• Look at the landings to see what others are using
  on their rods
• Retrieve slow, if you think you are going slow
  enough, GO SLOWER!
• Avoid the crowds

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Past Customers
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Jigging Works!
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It Is Fun!
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We Catch Smallies On The Reefs As Well
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We even get a few nice ones
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Thank You

• For listening to my seminar
• I hope it was informative
• I hope you had fun
• Be safe on the water
• Have Fun
• Try and save a few for ME
• Take a kid fishing
• www.winnebagofishing.com
• Home 920.969.9285
• Cell 920.268.5155
• Questions????
• Comments???