Paul Mueller driver’s license verifies that he lives in Waukesha County, but people around Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula probably think the U.S. Coast Guard Master Captain is their own neighbor.

On a Sunday a fisherman drifts over Pine Lake, alone with his thoughts. Dick Ellis photo
On a Sunday a fisherman drifts over Pine Lake, alone with his thoughts. Dick Ellis photo
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He’s a familiar face wherever walleye fishing is hot “right now”.

Travel isn’t an issue. Staying on fish is the motivation.

Sunday, Mueller demonstrated live bait rigging techniques on Pine Lake for Glenn Welles of Ashippun and me that had given him walleyes in the 18 to 26 inch class recently on the Waukesha County Lake.

A few days before, monster walleyes and lots of them to 30 inches had fallen to the guide, (many on spoons) off the Cedar River just north of Wisconsin’s border in the UP.

“I fish where the walleyes are biting,” said Mueller. “The people who fish with me may have to drive. But if you don’t do that you really limit yourself, particularly if you’re from southern Wisconsin. Walleyes are not going to be biting on all the lakes, all the time. That means we move from Lake Geneva to Waukesha County Lakes, the Winnebago system, Green Bay waters north to Door County and up to the Cedar River.”

In the spring of 2007, Mueller preferred Green Bay proper and waters off of the Oconto River. In fall, he prefers Door County waters and the Cedar River 15 miles north of the border.

“We slow troll crawler harnesses and crank baits,” said Mueller. “And we’re catching these big walleyes on spoons, which surprises a lot of people. One of the neat things about spoons is that when they work, they work really well and you can troll them along with crankbaits. In particular heavy glow spoons worked. I used Moon Shine spoons and caught fish between 24 and 30 inches. My best day was 32 walleyes but an average day will be between 10 and 15 fish caught.”

Referencing the vast size of Green Bay and the hundreds of walleyes that he personally has caught, Mueller said that he has never seen a walleye under 15 inches.

“They spawn, they go out and suspend and they may not see a lure all year long,” he said.

In spring on the Bay, walleyes are relatively easy to find due to the well known spawning locations. Water temperatures dictate when the fish will be where and fishermen know it.

In fall due to the reliability of the predator following cooler-water spawning baitfish into the shallows including shad and whitefish, anglers can also pinpoint big fish despite big water at places like the Cedar River.

On lakes like the 800 acre Pine at the end of September with consistent water temperatures throughout, walleye fishing can be difficult.

“It’s all about finding the walleyes that are staying on their food,” he said. “The water temperature is peaking (70.2 degrees) and the numbers of baitfish declining because they’ve been preyed on all year. People say, ‘fishing stinks’ but actually, the walleyes are moving to find the baitfish. You have to move to find them too.”

Mueller moved many times from weedbed to weedbed to demonstrate live bait rigging to Welles using the bow-mount electric motor in controlled drifts in search of baitfish.

Calling it “old time fishing”, Mueller set a crawler or minnow with a split-shot and hook and had Welles keep the bale open with his finger pinching the line as we crawled over the weeds.

“We’re targeting walleyes but last week we caught walleyes, bass and bluegills up to10 inches doing this,” said Mueller. “You’ll feel the bite, release the line, count to three reel up and sweep the rod. Most fish have eyes on top of their head. One big but simple thing is to make sure to present the bait above them so they have the opportunity to see it. We’ll move around until we find good batfish and then target that area the last 45 minutes before dark.”

Retired Dodge County Sheriff Department employee Welles had landed in the boat after his wife, Mary, had pledged the most money during an auction for the Rock River Rescue Foundation 2006 fundraiser for the item, “A Day Outdoors with Dick Ellis.”

The real appeal to that is the high bidder is given the opportunity to fish or hunt with one of the many professional guides who provide the expertise for this weekly field column. Welles could not have been a better guest or a more patient, polite angler despite very difficult fishing.

“I used to fish with my daughter Melanie,” he said during good conversation about lots of things. “In those days they would stock Fowler Lake in Oconomowoc with trout. It was great for Melanie and I liked it too. It was a great way to build a relationship. I lost my fishing partner. She’s 27 now and working for her masters degree at Colorado State University. She grew up and moved on. And that’s exactly what you want them to do.”

We worked Pine Lake long and hard for a modest smallmouth and bluegill payout. After searching for hours for the elusive baitfish on at least a half-dozen large scattered weedbeds, Mueller used glow-in-the dark markers to track planer boards as we slowly trolled crankbaits under the stars over depths that ranged to 90 feet.

Nothing cooperated, which literally shocked Mueller and surprised me.

The last time out with Mueller on Pine three years ago, a six pound walleye had been part of the catch. The last time out with clients this year on Pine, a beautiful brace of walleyes had been part of the take that also included smallmouth and those big bluegills. The only one who took things in stride was Welles.

“That’s fishing,” he said. “Besides, I’m fishing on Mary’s money. And I like that.”
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