French Lake Fishing Reports

[blindlemon]

I was out there yesterday herding sheep (as usual) and did manage to get one pike and a fair sized walleye. The water temps were way down from last week, I measured it at 69 degrees. I was fishing about 15-17 feet of water.

[Rubber Ducky]

Blindlemon,

Thanks for the update. were you jigging! Or trolling?

[blindlemon]

It was pretty windy, so I was just drifting the edges of the sunken island. Pulling spinners and leeches or minnows or crawlers. I caught the walleye on a slow death rig.

[gopher19]

This thread is pretty old, anyone been out on French recently?

[MuskieKen]

I was just out there last Saturday. Water temp was 64... lost a low 50 inch class muskie at boatside

[Rubber Ducky]

I fished it Friday and Saturday. Could not get the eyes to bite. Caught a few Crappies. But other then that it was dead!

[Mike Dumas]

How is the ice fishing this yr?

[Rubber Ducky]

if you like 12" eye and a dump load. I spent 20 hrs on it last week. It got pounded last year a lot for nice fish were taken.

[Mike Dumas]

Tons of small eyes? I don't keep fish much endless our stock gets low for our fish fry! I just enjor seeing that bobber drop and drag peeling

[Mike Dumas]

Just out of curiosity where are some good spots to try for some eyes on French. I have never fished it before but my roommate and I are going out Monday mostly all day long. If no one wants to share their secret spots I understand PMS work too! And fatheads only for eyes?

[JosMN]

Look at a lake map and start hittin the breaks 12-18ft.

[Mike Dumas]

Thanks!

[Portlis]

Well, I made it out to French today for the first time ever. Either I was a day late or I'm a terrible fisherman (both equally likely), because all I could catch were small crappies (8-9"). Tried dead sticks with fatheads and jigging for walleyes with no luck. I did mark a fair number of fish, probably both walleye and crappie based on how they were reacting to the various baits I was using, but couldn't get anything decent to bite. I even had to work for the handful of crappies I did catch.

[Gobbles113]

Well, I made it out to French today for the first time ever. Either I was a day late or I'm a terrible fisherman (both equally likely), because all I could catch were small crappies (8-9"). Tried dead sticks with fatheads and jigging for walleyes with no luck. I did mark a fair number of fish, probably both walleye and crappie based on how they were reacting to the various baits I was using, but couldn't get anything decent to bite. I even had to work for the handful of crappies I did catch.

Rubber Ducky and I made those fish scream yesterday. However, we had to work for them. Today I took my 3 boys out with me in the same area. Boy, were those dang fish fussy as heck! They decided not to scream--they threw me and the boys a hissy fit! Didn't matter what set up we threw at them...(rubs my face like Curley). Grrrrr grrrr!!!!

[Mike Dumas]

Glad to know I wasn't the only one having this issue with them tonight! Same here on anything I tossed down!

[oleWalter]

I caught zilch at French tonight as well.

What depths were you guys fishing?

I was in 15-18 FOW from 3-6pm

[Portlis]

23-26, 2pm-6pm

[no bait nate]

Thanks for the reports guys, looks like I may target a different lake in the morning

[Mike Dumas]

32' from 1pm to 5pm. They came in under the flasher every 5-10 mins with some hanging under fore a few minutes but didn't do much but stare. The one I did pick off with with a small jig and the smallest crappie minnows I had. Didn't matter what color they were picky!

[Eric_Kruger]

Family friend put his perm out there today, same results, took him all day but he did leave with a limit of Crappies.

[Narwhal]

Wrong thread but I had similar luck on Cedar last night. fished from 4-9 pm 3 crappie and some sunnies. I was on a good sunny bite hole hoping looking for a place to set up, but that quickly ended since I was losing daylight. Marked lots of fish, not a lot of takers. All but 1 came from white and red spikes. There is a lot of people out, but I was quite a ways away from anyone. 18 FOW, 13-14 inches of ice

[FishinFools]

Ditto on Mazaska. 4-6:30PM, 28FOW. fish coming and going the whole time. Very picky but seemed to hit on a raising glow jig and small minnow. Most at 4-10ft off the bottom. Managed 7 keeper crappies between my son and I and a bonus walleye on a shiner/tip up 5ft off the bottom in 16FOW. Stayed away from the crowds. Nice quiet evening. 16" of ice.

[natertater83]

I was out last Saturday got about a dozen crappie between two guys in 23 foot of water. some were suspended some were on the bottom. seemed like they liked the dead stick more then jigging.

[no bait nate]

Welcome to the forum Natertater83! You an original WC native?

[CJ90]

Fished the afternoon till an hour after dark. Tried the west end at 18 feet. Then moved to 28 feet on the north east end. One crappie the whole time. Was marking them most of the day, they just didn't want to bite. Not sure what I'm done wrong.

[Matt C]

CJ90-

Thats the story of French. I was out there for a few hours this morning. Same thing. Tried 1

8 different jigs, minnow, minnow head, waxies, plastics. Found them more active in the 15 fow area. Look to the south end. Away from the houses that are buried in.