Out biking yesterday, I was glad to see the walleye anglers out on the Fox River--getting into the action on the annual spring walleye run. There must have been a good 30 boats just downstream from the dam in De Pere, and plenty of people casting jigs or floating minnows from shore (see pics I snapped below from the De Pere bridge, and a shore view from Voyageur Park nearby).
It was a weekday, Friday, April 1, so there will probably be even more anglers out this weekend, even with the worsening weather. And the good walleye fishing extends downstream too--not just at the area right below the bridge and dam.
I've heard the locals tell me that the walleye fishing on the Fox River wasn't very good 30 or 40 years ago because of all the pollution, but it certainly has made a comeback. There are still PCBs in the fish, however, though the Fox River dredging project hopefully will alleviate that problem after the project is complete and we get a few fish generations down the line. That project is going well, as I reported on last fall for the publication Insight on Business. For the foreseeable future, there is a pretty strict fish eating advisory on the lower Fox river. You can find the notice here.
Below is a video I came across on You Tube that shows some walleye fishing on the Fox. These folks know how to jig for walleyes, and give some great advice. It appears to be from earlier this year when the air temps were warmer, but there are people fishing the river for walleye as soon as the ice melts. Watch the vid--because these folks know more about casting for walleyes than I do.
This is why keeping our rivers clean is a good idea. It's fun recreation for local people and tourists, and draws in dollars to local bait shops, fishing guides, convenience stores, pubs/eateries, and even hotels, since some people drive in for a weekend.
When people talk about the cost of environmental regulations, they should also consider the benefits that regulations and cleanup projects can bring over the long haul. It's a balancing act. Maybe in 20 years, the DNR can lift or loosen the health advisory for eating walleyes out the Fox--that will make the fishing the Fox River even more attractive. Fish on!
