Rod Father and SGT202,

Great to see both of you offering quality strategies to the person having poor luck. This is what the sport is all about. Hats off to you both!

Jcooper, I have been fishing the Chain since I was 8, I am now 50. It takes time to learn but fish can be caught all year with a few tactics. It’s tougher during summer months on weekends, weekdays are best. Early and late are best times but fish can be caught all day if your in the right locations, like Rodfather suggested.

Fish the channels with bobbers and live bait or plastic on early spring. Fish channel mouths as they move out and find new green weeds. As water warms move deeper to the weed edges. Any neck down areas with current will hold fish all year, especially after a good rain.

Now is a good time to drift main lakes. You can run live baits below and egg sinker on a plain hook, using the wind to drift and cover water. If you have a depth finder on a boat, look for debris or clumps on the bottom or suspended off bottom. Those could be bait/fish and keep your    Baits in that zone. I also spend lots of time fishing a slip bobber near docks with shade. Fish will be under there in the middle of the day on all lakes, where there is at least 4ft of water and weeds.

Hope this helps. Keep at it and you will find them. 

Early morning fish the bridges and piers in 6ft of water or deeper.   Jig and leech  or crawler piece   Late morning troll flicker Shad’s in 12-15 fow along points or weed lines on Marie or Petite.   Give it a try

Would like to know where these places are you're catching all these fish. Been on the fox river  Channel lake, Catherine and Marie, 6 times so far. 1 largemouth, 1 white bass, 2 little perch and 6 blue gills. Usually been at least 5 hour days. It sucks if you ask me or my wife lol.

Fished with Jeff today, starting at 0700 and ending at 1430. We fished Marie today, drifted depths 7-17 feet. Best action in 10-12 ft. Used the drop shot rig and plain hook, with minnows and crawlers,  as well as a 1/8 ounce jig and finesse fish snap jigged along the bottom. We caught 2 small walleye, numerous white bass, crappies, perch,bluegill, sheep, and bass. Water temp 77 degrees and boat traffic was light .

Went bobber fishing the north chain yesterday Sunday, and it turned out great. My son had the hot rod pulling in four nice walleyes, between 14.5 to 18 inches. Had minnow and crawlers but crawlers pulled in most fish. It was a typical mixed bag, plenty of yellow bass, gills, perch, sheepshead, SM and white bass. Stayed in 5 to 12 ft of water. Conditions were tough with the wind and boat traffic but fish were biting so we didn’t mind.

Try fishing for Eyes and we kept catching Largies

Kind of a mixed bag out there last Sunday- 10 lb channel cat shallow, walleye against 4 ft weeds, 32” muskie trolling shallow for eyes…typical Fox Chain stuff.

Was out yesterday for a while.  Got 5 eyes ( 2  around 18"/3 14-15") and around 30 whites, yellows, and blue gills.  All released for another day.  Trolled a bit and jigged with crawlers.  No real pattern on anything yesterday.  Trolled and jigged from 5-20'.  The lakes were very busy for a Monday.  

Fishing is a bit in flux, but you can do some damage in shy of 7ft - walleye- Muskie- catfish- numerous presentations are working…got the mixed bag of all the above today before lunch.