DE PERE, Wis. — Bruce Komassa keeps a close eye on the weather to pick just the right day to fish the Fox River with his younger brother and his best friend.
Tuesday looked like it was one of those days.
“We like to look for a warming trend and then we look for the water temperature. We want the water temperature to be somewhere in the 40s. That’s where they seem to spawn,” said Komassa, who lives in Fond du Lac. “We look for some consistent weather. The we roll the dice, come on up and have a little fun.”
The group of three isn’t alone. People fishing for walleye took their places on shore, on the water and at Walleye Deck in downtown De Pere.
Tuesday was mostly cloudy with some gusty winds.
“Today was supposed to be a really, really, really, good day. We got a little front that decided to come through,” Komassa said, “Whether we’re catching fish or not, it’s great to be with my brother and my best friend.”
A steady stream of boats came out or went into the river at the Fox Point Boat Launch.
Clark Baldwin of Woody’s Walleye Service in Menomonee, Wis., has been staying in the area since late March just for the fishing.
A winter storm that pushed through the area last week created some challenges.
“When that melted off it dirtied up the river quite a bit. Fish get a lot tougher for me when the water gets dirty," Baldwin said. "You have to change tactics and use things that make noise or vibrate and you have to put it right in front of the fish.”
On the other end of the spectrum, a recent warm up has been a plus for comfort out on the water. It’s also helped the fishing.
“It was nice to see 60 degrees yesterday and get a break,” he said. “I think it sparked the bite a little bit for us today. I think the bite here is only going to get better.”
Komassa was hoping to land a 30-inch walleye Tuesday. A little before noon on Tuesday, that still hadn’t happened.
“At least maybe I’ll net one for my brother or my buddy,” Komassa said. “It’s been a little lean today.”