DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) - It's a sure sign that spring has arrived in De Pere: the walleye are running on the Fox River.
Folks were eager to get fishing on Friday, no matter if it was by boat or from the shore.
"The itch was there. It’s a big rite of spring. It's awesome for the city of De Pere and Green Bay. There are people from all over the nation that come here,” fishing guide Cameron Lewis told FOX 11.
Lewis says he came up from West Bend.
"As the water temperature warms up, you'll start to see more and more of those fish being caught,” said Rob Korth.
He runs the Swamp Donkey Bait and Tackle out of this trailer in the Dairy Queen parking lot.
“The basics for spring walleye run: plastics, gulp, jigs, hooks, crank, baits, and the live bait minnows,” said Korth.
The shop is mere yards away from the Fox Point Launch. While business has been good, Korth says it didn't start as early as last year.
“This is more of a normal year. Last year we had record high temperatures,” said Korth.
No matter what the anglers used to lure them, folks on the shore say the walleye were biting.
“We've been here for half an hour and we already caught one,” said Chris Rammer of Sheboygan Falls.
Even if it was tough to spot them through the muck.
"The water's pretty dirty. It's hard to see them in there. As soon as the bait hits the water it's pretty much gone,” said Rammer.
Before you head out on the water and start to fish, you might want to check your wallet. Fishing licenses in the state of Wisconsin expire on Sunday.
With warmer temperatures expected this coming week, anglers say more of the larger female walleye will make their way from the bay of Green Bay and into the river.
That will make for even better fishing conditions.