Winter Panfish

Into the Deep for Winter Panfish

By: David Duwe

For many years, my father and I were plagued with catching only 5 to 6 inch panfish while ice fishing in the shallow weed flats.   My how things have changed, with Vexilar and Marcum fish locators, 5-6 inch panfish are a thing of the past. The ability to see underneath the ice opened up the deep water structure on many local lakes. With fish locators, ice fishermen can now work the deep water locations where the larger panfish reside.

When I say deep water locations, I’m referring depths from 18-30 ft.   The deep water panfish bite relies on clear water, enabling weeds to grow in depths of 20-27 ft. Some of the best deep water lakes in Southeast Wisconsin are Big Cedar Lake in Washington County, Pleasant Lake and Turtle Lake in Walworth County and Beaver Lake in Waukesha County.

The deep water fish are roaming; they aren’t concentrated in one spot for long because of the lack of structure. One needs to keep moving around, hole-hopping if you will, to find the aggressive fish. Most often the fish are tight to the bottom and you won’t see them on your locator until the jig gets near them. Another benefit of deep water fishing is the multiple species that you can catch. Not only do the bluegills use the main lake basin, but you can also find perch, white bass and an occasional largemouth bass. To get started, I begin on a weedline in 12 feet of water and gradually drill holes and go deeper finding the larger active fish. Most of the time, the fish are off any kind of weed in 20-25 feet of water.

My most sought after query…

In mid-winter is the yellow perch. Deep water perch fishing is my most constant pattern.   Deeper water to me means greater than 20 feet. The biggest challenge of ice fishing perch is locating them.   A good pair of boots and a Vexilar flasher is a necessity. Perch roam in small to massive schools. Finding an active school can provide all day action. It is always better to bring a friend along both for safety and eliminating unproductive water. Make sure your fishing buddy’s wife enjoys reading as it will help insure a long day out on the ice. Once I get to my desired area, I will drill a bunch of holes and start searching. Perch can be belly to the bottom or suspended up from the bottom. I will always fish the suspended fish first to prevent spooking the lower fish. Make sure to fish every hole a sufficient amount of time as the fish won’t show up on the Vexilar until a bait is presented. A good search bait is the Lindy Rattlin’ Flyer. The lure can be fished quickly to help find the roaming schools. These spoons put out plenty of flash and the good vibrations. Hop the spoon off the bottom a few times to see if you can get the actively feeding fish. As I am working the bait, I am constantly watching my Vexilar FL-20.

Spoons are good for actively feeding perch, however most of the time perch are neutral or in a negatively feeding pattern. With this in mind, it’s time to get subtle. A tear drop jig or Lindy’s new Toad jig are great choices. When fishing in deep or dirty water applications, the color choice is important, always use a glow color. This adds visibility to aid in the bite. Add a heavy weight 3 to 4 inches above the jig.   The heavy weights are called pencil weights or I like a weight attractor by Tommy Harris Blades called an agitator in a ½ oz weight. The weight allows you to fish faster, getting the jig to the fish. Fishing faster in deep water, prevents the fish from roaming away before you catch as many as possible. To help pick up the pencil weight on the Vexilar, I add a very small washer above the weight. Again, fish suspended fish first as you don’t want to spook the whole school. Tip your ice jigs with spikes or wax worms. If I am over a big school, I will put another pole down, a dead stick, about 1 foot above. A dead stick is a pole you just let fish without any action. I will bait my dead stick poles with live bait, a small minnow or wiggler.

I use a stiff small jig pole…

With a spinning reel spooled with 4 lb. test. Fishing in such deep water you will need to reel in the fish. Also, when the fish bite the stiffer rod, it will let you set the hook more effectively. Because of this, I use a spring bobber. Consider the sensitivity of the spring bobber; don’t use one for bluegills because they are too sensitive with the heavy weight. I always try to have multiple poles rigged so I can change baits quickly without having to re-tie. A change of bait can entice a lot of the non-biters and get a school active again.

At night, crappies move into more open water. They are notorious for suspending throughout the water column. Crappies will school up in large numbers and wander throughout the lake feeding. With the fish off structure in the main lake basin the depth varies and is very dependent on the body of water you are fishing.   The constant for most lakes is the crappies will suspend off bottom.

For schooling crappies…

I will try to fish three poles, which is the maximum allowed in the state. Two of the poles are dead sticks and the third will be in my jigging hand. The presentation I use is similar to summertime slip bobber fishing. I use a small Thill bobber with a small treble hook (size 16), and a small split shot. I like to position one of the dead sticks about a foot off bottom and the other will be 2-3 ft. off bottom. Minnows are undisputedly my favorite bait for late ice crappies. Of course, when using a locator you will be able to see exactly the depth they are coming in at. You can adjust your presentation to match their location within the water column. My jigging rod will have a small spinning reel spooled with 4 lb. Silver Thread. I found that lighter line isn’t essential when you are fishing at night.

On my jig pole I will use a spring bobber. Unlike most fish, crappies will strike both in an upward or downward motion. When a fish bites it usually jiggles your spring bobber downward. When a fish is biting upward, your spring bobber will go straight. This indicates an upward bite. You need to set the hook fast. When fishing a Thill bobber, if a fish bites upward your bobber will go flat on the surface of the water.

Fishing for panfish beneath the ice can be great fun, you just need to know where to look!

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Striker Brands – Ice Fishing Suits

Ice Fishing a Wisconsin Tradition

Ice Fishing: A Northern Tradition

By: Bob Wilson

My thoughts are now on the upcoming ice fishing season, and coming up with some kind of a game plan to up my odds on the ice this season. After trying and using Baitmate fish attractant this season, I may have found just the ticket to up my odds.

Now if everyone is like me, at the end of every season all my gear is put away as is in the garage. With no special care taken or given, and trust me I have left it a mess in years past. Now, I start to try to find out where I put everything, and when found, I start to lay it all out so I can work on the equipment with little or no mess, and hope I did not lose anything on the ice last year. What I start working on first will not matter as long as all equipment is in good working order, and holds up this upcoming ice fishing season.

This year, I decided to start on my ice rods and reels. First, I remove and strip all old line from my spools. Then, I clean and oil all my reels and wipe all dirt and the cobwebs left from storing in the garage. At this time, anything missing or broken is fixed or replaced. Moving on to the rods, this is one part of all ice fishing equipment that is overlooked.  First, take a damp rag and wipe from the rod tip to the handle, and do not overlook or forget to clean and check the eyes. I would hate to lose a nice fish of any kind to a bad or damaged rod eye. Now on to the line, I do have an advantage over most, I have an electric Berkley line winder. This makes my job of rewinding easy and fast. In past years, I have used monofilament line.  This year, I will be using Fireline. What pound of line to use is up to you, and how you will be applying your style of fishing. This is a good time to wipe and clean all dirt from your spools and look for cracks or nicks. I have seen many a fish lost to bad spools. When all is said and done with your reels, do not over spool, this, without a doubt, will cause a big problem when you are on the ice jigging. You do not want to start the season on a bad note.

 Moving on to my tip-ups. Where do I start? With so many different manufactures of tip-ups; small, big, round, just use your best judgment. For now, I will go with what I do and use. I have my tip-ups rigged for two different types of fish species. I’ll start with the northern pike tip-ups I use all season. Start with removing about five feet of ice bread or nylon, if any part of the bread or nylon is bad it will be in that first five feet and that is where you could have a problem. I use an 8 in steel leader. However, you can pick your own leader size and the weight that fits your own application. I now will choose what size treble hook I will be using.  Size, for me, will be anywhere from a number 4 or 6 treble hook. Your choice of manufacturer is just a matter of what you feel will help you have a better hook set. The treble hook I choose, depends on what lake I may be on. If you have nuts, bolts, or springs with your tip-ups, it is also a good thing at this time to clean and oil them. 

Now my all around multispecies tip-ups, clean and oil all needed areas. Remove five feet of bread or nylon line and if you have a monofilament leader, replace it with a new one at this time. I use a 12 inch monofilament leader, with 10 pound test. For me, that works best. You may want to start there and adjust depending on the lake and/or species you are targeting. The treble hook size I like to use can vary from a number 8 to 10 and even a number 12, and that depends on what is biting, walleye, perch, or any type of panfish that may end up in my freezer for a nice winter fish fry. That is about all I can tell you on what I do with tip-ups. It is best to read your manufacturer’s instructions on the tip-ups you own, and you should be fine, and with any luck have a problem free ice season.

I will just touch on my ice jigs, but I will not be getting in to them in detail. I use a number of jigs, from Custom Jigs & Spins, Northland baits, and number of other good jigs that have worked for me over the years. I would say that a bad or rusty hook is the downfall of many ice fisherman (myself included), make sure all hooks are rust free.

Auger time.  I have an old school Jiffy.  It is a 1990, 8 inch gas/mix auger. I will have to say, if you take care your auger it should outlive its user. I will start with the blades.  For me, this year I will be replacing my blades. If you are not replacing blades this year, you can have them sharpened at any small engine shop or it is possible to do this job yourself if you are so mechanically inclined; just be very careful with these ultra-sharp blades. There is one thing I do at the end of the every ice season, and that is I remove the old gas, and start with new gas at the beginning of each new season. Next is your spark plug. Clean and then test, if it is bad, replace it. I always keep a spare with me when I am out on the ice. Last of all, is a test run.  Before I do that, I put seafoam in my gas tank. As a matter fact, I put seafoam in all my gas motors, they seem to just run better, but that is only my humble opinion. When I fire my auger up, I let it run for about 10 minutes. Just a side note, I would test run my auger every time before I hit the ice. And as always oil and grease what is needed. With that said and done you should have a worry free equipment season.

Last is safety on the ice. As we all know, there is no such thing as safe ice, so keep that in the back of your mind when you venture out on your favorite lake.  When I am on the ice, I have a throw-away with 50 ft. of line, at least I can toss the throw-away if needed.  I also have a pair of ice cleats. We need all the help we can get when I am out on the ice. I hope this information helps you have a very safe and productive ice fishing season. And be sure to take a kid fishing.

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Ice Fish Perch

Poinsett Perch

By: Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson 

After several weeks of sub-zero temperatures, the ice fishing season across the upper Midwest is finally in full swing. We were able to at last get out on the ice a few weeks ago and what a day it was! Warm temperatures in the mid 30s greeted us as we drove out onto Lake Poinsett in South Dakota, one of the state’s best multispecies fisheries.

The ice conditions on Lake Poinsett were more than 12 inches. Permanent fish houses and pickup trucks were scattered all over the lake. Large groups of anglers were congregated throughout the basin of Poinsett and it took some time to figure out where to start. We were traveling with my good buddy, Scott Bauer, and we drove our truck outside of and around the packs of ice anglers until we felt the location was suitable for drilling some holes.

Lake Poinsett is one of the largest lakes in South Dakota at almost 8,000 acres, with a maximum depth of about 22 feet. This lake is located in Hamlin County and has several accesses that make it easy to get out to where the fish are. There is a variety of fish that inhabit this lake, including yellow perch, walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass and crappies. It is one of the best lakes for fishing in South Dakota.

After drilling a few holes at 16 feet along the edge of the mud basin and checking them with our new Humminbird Helix 5 Ice Machine, we found several marks, which indicated there were some fish under us.

Scott immediately caught four jumbo perch and a couple small walleyes, before the rest of us could even get our rods out of our carrying cases! There was no doubt that we were excited about a great day of fishing!

The action was tremendous for the next few hours. Another good friend of ours, “300 pounds of Smitty,” joined us, and we proceeded to pound on the fish. We released numbers of smaller fish and kept some of the extraordinarily large perch that Poinsett is famous for.

After talking to some of the local anglers around us, it appeared that the bright, warm, and sunny conditions had really turned the bite on. We didn’t even get there until mid-morning. The extreme early morning bite was tough and the action slowed down for us as the sun drew closer to the horizon.

Ted found that banging the bottom with a spoon, tipped with a minnow head or wax worms, was the best technique. It seemed like the fish would be attracted by smacking the muddy silt basin bottom. By lifting our lures a few inches at a time, we were able to trigger bites. It is always a good idea to change your jigging motion several times during the day. This allows you to determine what the fish want at that very moment.

Ted was using St. Croix’s new Avid Glass rods and it appeared that they were instrumental in detecting some very light bites. The limber fiberglass tip acts as a spring bobber, which allows you to see very subtle biting fish. The trick to catching the light biters is to see the bite, then let the limber rod slowly bend and then set the hook. These new Avid glass ice rods have just the right action to allow the fish to bite, but not feel the rod above, thus allowing us to get a hook into the fish. 

We were very comfortable fishing out in the open on the ice during this warm, sunny day. But having a portable fish house/heater available is always a good precaution in case you are going out in more cold, adverse weather conditions. We believe that when fishing on ice, being comfortable catching fish is much more enjoyable than being miserably cold and catching fish.

So try taking a trip out to Lake Poinsett, South Dakota and enjoy some of the great ice fishing the state has to offer. It is advantageous to check out all of the online reports and then make a decision on where you want to go. There’s always fish to be caught and fresh perch frying on the pan to be enjoyed.

 

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Sturgeon Spearing: Wisconsin’s Hidden Gem

Most Wisconsinites have heard of and know something about sturgeon spearing on Lake Winnebago and the upriver lakes.   Whether you have seen it, done it, or read stories about it-there is surely some common knowledge amongst sportsmen of this somewhat mythological season.  However, there are a number of you out there that are, as of yet, unfamiliar with sturgeon spearing, not to mention its draw, uniqueness, and history.   Sturgeon spearing is a great tradition in Wisconsin (and especially in the Lake Winnebago region).   While the sport and season are known entities to most Wisconsinites, the history of it and work that goes on behind the scenes is both impressive and necessary to keep this “jewel of Wisconsin” at the luster it now maintains.

Sturgeon spearing has gone through many evolutions over the past 40+ years.  Changes to season length and spearing hours, license sales, use of hook and line, decoys, and instituting harvest caps are some of these evolutions. Things, as always, change.  But, while technology, rules adaptations, better winter gear and a better understanding of these pre-historic fish have made the “spearing” aspect more accomplishable, the uniqueness and singularity of it is truly what sets it apart.   As the years go by, sturgeon spearing and its foundation stand still making it the, “most pure and level playing field outdoor pursuit in fishing or hunting,” according to Paul Muche, Treasurer of the SW chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow.

Sturgeon spearing, much like deer hunting, is a tradition for those that have been a part of and watched the sport continue over the past 40 or so years.  The difference is that, unlike deer hunting, the opportunities have gotten better over time to the point that RIGHT NOW is THE time to get on the ice in search of a record sturgeon.   Even if you don’t have a license to get one yourself (license registrations are due in October), just being on the ice and a part of the tradition is worth the effort.  It hasn’t always been this way- as the sport has gone through many changes over the years, arguably, each of these changes have been for the betterment of all involved-including the sturgeon.

The Badger Sportsman team recently had an opportunity to meet with members of the board from the Southwest Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow.  The biggest message that was abundantly clear and was said with real energy was that the excitement and anticipation in and around opening day sturgeon spearing was indeed the greatest part of the season.  That came in contrast to what we thought they would tell us was the most exhilarating, and that is actually spearing a sturgeon. To follow the energy that was evident in describing the days leading up to the opener, we were told there is a definite, “buzz around the lake,” as people get ready, cut holes in the ice, set-up shacks, and get together to discuss “strategy” and a game plan.  Second to the excitement of opening day and preparations are the memories that are made each and every year. 

The actual spearing of a sturgeon is a rush few have had the opportunity to feel but the stories, bonding of family and friends, and traditions held up each year are the real draw for sturgeon spearing.  As Jim Patt, President of the SW chapter told us, “We get together with family on the ice, cookout, and have a great time.  We will have three generations out on the ice.”  And further, “My wife and her friends are now getting involved.  The ratio of men to women is getting be 60:40 which is a great trend for us.”  Even with our own experience on the ice, it was made adamantly clear that sturgeon spearing is much more than grabbing a spear, staring into a 6 ft. by 6 ft. hole in the ice and waiting for that “missile” of a fish to come by.  (However, that is a REALLY good and exhilarating part of it.)

As mentioned, the real story of the sturgeon spearing season is the anticipation, camaraderie and tradition that can be found right here in our, Wisconsin’s “back yard.”  Right here in Wisconsin, on Lake Winnebago and the upriver lakes, we have the truly unique opportunity to experience something that very few in the world will ever get the chance to experience.  If you have never come to the lake during sturgeon spearing-this is the year to do it.   There are countless registration stations, bars, and restaurants that are greatly involved in the season.  One of which, and a very well-known destination, is Wendt’s on the Lake on the southwestern shore between Oshkosh and Fond du lac.  Here, at Wendt’s, you can see the usually still breathing (yes, still breathing even after being speared, drug out of the water, hauled on a tailgate and PLUNKED on the registration table) pre historic and HUGE torpedo-like sturgeon.  That sight- in itself- is worth the drive and visit to see.

While the sights and images of the season alone are incredible, there is much work that goes into keeping this unbelievably unique season and tradition alive from year to year.   The season is in no small part thanks to the efforts of guys and gals like those connected to Sturgeon for Tomorrow as well as many other clubs (including Walleyes for Tomorrow and others) that work together in donating time, energy, and funds to protect and grow the sturgeon population on Lake Winnebago and the upriver lakes.  For example, those that are board members, members, or interested parties associated with Sturgeon for Tomorrow and other clubs have given back in excess of one million dollars in donations to see the sturgeon survive, prosper, and get to the level we have now.  That is and will hopefully be a level sustained for years to come.

One of the most impactful of the projects and donations the Sturgeon for Tomorrow clubs have undertaken is  establishing a “Sturgeon Guard” on the tributaries along the Wolf River.  The Sturgeon Guard ensures that sturgeon are not illegally harvested or disturbed when they are at their most vulnerable- which is during the spring spawning runs.  The Sturgeon Guard works 24 hours a day (with all expenses, lodging, meals, etc. paid for by Sturgeon for Tomorrow) to make sure that the sturgeon are not taken or harmed in any way.  Years ago, poachers would, “load up pick-up trucks in the spring with sturgeon.”  As a matter of fact they could just, “reach in the water and pull ‘em out.  They would stack ‘em up like cord wood and then sell both the flesh and caviar,” according to Tim Michels from Sturgeon for Tomorrow.  The institution of the around the clock sturgeon guard has done wonders for the sturgeon population and further has changed the mindset of local residents to turn in those that illegally take sturgeon from the shallow waters.

Another great result of the increase in regulations and protection of these fish is that according to Jim Patt, “years ago you would see one or two 100 lb. sturgeon speared.  In recent years there have been over forty 100 pounders taken each year.”  The increase in regulations, donations, time and effort to preserve this great tradition and spearing season have done wonders in the right way.  The season has not only been preserved over the years, it is flourishing thanks to the conservation minded individuals that had the foresight to establish Sturgeon for Tomorrow in the 1970’s and those that remain passionate and involved today.

As we continued to discuss the sturgeon spearing season we also learned a lot of little known facts regarding the evolution of the sport, its true uniqueness, the passion and tradition it has for those that come back to it year in and year out. 

Some of the evolutions and events may be common knowledge, while others are quite interesting and also somewhat comical.   One remembrance was that there was a period of time when it was legal to catch and spear a sturgeon by use of a hook and line.  It wasn’t too much of an issue until 1992, when it became a real advantage when water clarity was down to about 18 inches.  And it was really only utilized by a few sturgeon spearers (those in the ‘know’).  But once the secret was out that it was legal… and worked well… it quickly got out of hand and the result was that hook and line was made illegal.   As was elaborated on, the sport aspect was taken out when, “Guys would use broom handles and Penn reels and play cards while watching bobbers, then hook into one, bring it to the surface and then spear it.”  According to board member Tim Michels.  This was deemed to be illegal after much discussion between the sturgeon advisory board and the DNR.  And while this tactic is still illegal, there is some desire for it to be allowed once again for various reasons. Stay tuned. 

There was also a time period where the season ran for 24hrs.  Which initially really wasn’t a big deal as there were only a handful of guys that would use lights and stay out at night.  But, once word got out and hundreds of guys started to sturgeon spear at night, it was too much.  The DNR wasn’t able to regulate it and it too was made illegal.  With that, the spearing hours soon came to a close at 1 pm.  While this was a change, in many ways it was a change for the better and most, if not all, sturgeon spearers would probably agree. 

The early end time allowed the rest of the day (including daylight hours) to patronize local bars and restaurants, shops, stores, and have to time to move shacks to “a new hotspot” at a much safer hour than at night.  Again, a win-win.  It was a great move for the economy and fishermen alike.  The early end time also made a great impact on the season being about tradition, friends, and family as there is considerable time to spend talking about the day, making plans for tomorrow, and reminiscing about past seasons as well.  These are the aspects which are the true infectiousness of sturgeon spearing.

So, while many people have heard of and know at least something about sturgeon spearing, it is only thanks to the work of dedicated individuals that the season has continued and grown over the last 40+ years.  If you have time to come to Lake Winnebago and a sturgeon registration station like the one at Wendt’s, take the time to do it.  You won’t regret it.  And next year, be sure to get your license in October to give yourself a chance to really experience the season and all it has to offer. 

We wish all sturgeon spearers, their families, and dedicated sportsmen that have donated time, money and effort to keep the sport the “hidden gem of Wisconsin” it is, the best of luck and continued safety this season.

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Fishing Tributaries

Tributaries

By: Pat Kalmerton

When people think about traveling to the Midwest, or Sheboygan in particular, during the spring, summer or fall, they more often than not are in quest of an adventure that involves 1 of 2 highly sought-after Sheboygan County adventures; golf or fishing. Now, we have world renowned golfing in the area, but this article is about the fishing… not any fishing, but the kind that involves a fish that can only be found in a very small demographic of the world. The fish I am talking about happens to be fresh water trout and salmon out of Lake Michigan and its tributaries. 

When those who seek salmon or trout on Lake Michigan out of Sheboygan, WI, they usually think of charter fishing. Now, we, (Wolf Pack Adventures) do have a fleet of boats fully equipped to take your group on an adventure to do so, but I would like to get into other options in this article. 

Kayak, spin cast, and fly fishing. Say what?! Yes…these highly sought after trophy fish are certainly an option that everyone should consider! Have you ever been standing in knee-high water in waders with what looks and feels like torpedoes cruising up the skinny water directly at your location hoping they dart in another direction so they do not connect with a direct hit on what seems to be your only stability in the slightly running current? Or… been pulled around in a kayak down river by a 30-pound fish that has enough power to make you look like a fool? Now comes the best part…the chance to land those fish successfully once they bite your presentation for the picture of a lifetime.  

I’m sure you are sitting there reading this saying to yourself that I sound like I fell off my rocker. Well, kinda!! The adrenalin rush that comes over you when a high 20 to low 30 lb. fish crushes a Maglip on your retrieve while you’re basically sitting on water, if fishing out of a kayak, only to get tail splashed not once but certainly guaranteed at least twice, right when you thought the battle was over and you conquered the beast is unforgettable.  

If that is not your style, and you would rather test your precision and patience, you can stand in the water in a pair of waders with the current rushing around your legs and the fog lifting up around you because the water is warmer than the air. You can concentrate on where you are ever so gently laying that fly down on the water to entice that 20 lb. German brown trout you sighted sitting in the slack behind that one boulder that’s breaking the current. As you try to place that perfect landing, so your fly swings and changes direction at the perfect time to entice the trophy trout, a pair of mallards appear out of the mist only to almost take your head off making you react real quick while losing your footing, only to regain your composure and start that perfect series yet again. 

If you think these sound amazing, but you are the type of person who wants to relax, not work so hard, still do some fishing but have the time to sip on a beverage and smoke a good cigar while you do some business with a future client… Well, you can still experience all of these things by simply soaking spawn or shrimp with a lil’ corky or cast spinners making a flash that the fish just cannot resist.  

Spring, as soon as the ice is out and the rivers are open, is a great time to kick off the cabin fever. The tributaries to Lake Michigan are choked full of steelhead and browns.  You can keep track of what is going on by visiting Lake-link for current fishing reports and pictures. The main methods of fishing these fish are off the banks if the current is flowing too fast with casting spinner blades, casting Maglips, or find an outlying point, get on the end of it and set some rods tipped with Spin-N-Glo’s, shrimp or spawn.  

During the summer, if you are looking for a quick trip to catch fish, you will have a hard time finding trout and salmon since they dish out back into Lake Michigan. But, these same rivers are full of really nice bass and pike offering up really good fishing! Again use Rooster Tails, Maglips, or anything your little heart desires. 

Now we get to the fall. When you start seeing all the charter boats congregated in front of the harbors and people fishing off the breakwalls, start paying attention to the fishing reports on Lake-link again. Those salmon are starting to stage only to make their migration up into the rivers to spawn and die. This is the end of their life cycle. They run up into the rivers to lay their eggs. When you start seeing these fish that look like zombies jumping 4 feet out of the water, this is when they are breaking their eggs loose to lay. Generally, you have two to three more weeks of good fishing…that is for salmon. Once salmon start laying eggs, the big brown trout and steelhead come up into the rivers to feed on the eggs. The best methods for catching these fish are Maglips and/or crankbaits for the first two weeks. Then, it switches to a fly bite and streamer flies for two or three weeks. Once the fish start releasing their eggs, now is the time to switch over to spawn sacs behind a Spin-N-Glo. If you have a fish that just will not eat anything, let a Maglips wiggle in front of its face again…he will eat. 

As time passes the salmon are done and gone. Its getting cold. Deer season is going to be starting…grab your spin cast rods and bank cast for beautiful coho salmon with that deep red stripe and big hook jaw! 

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Keep Your Ice Outings Safe And Successful

Traveling around Central Wisconsin from county to county, probing through the ice on many of  our state’s most popular bodies of water like I do is nothing to jump right into without doing some homework before each and every outing. Whether you are an avid ice angler that spends more time on hard water than in a boat, or just getting into the sport of ice fishing, there are many things to consider in order to keep every adventure safe. I am not only sharing safety tips here, but many different strategies that keep me and my clients consistently successful on many different frozen lakes.

EARLY ICE

Early ice can be some of the best fishing that you get into all winter, but that is also when someone may be at risk of the unexpected “polar plunge.” The three main hazards, when it comes to travel on any frozen lake, are current, cracks, and birds.  I like to start my early ice scouting before the ice is even close to safe by watching with binoculars from land. I will watch for uneven freezing in certain areas; which could be from geese keeping an area open or even wind and current that doesn’t allow the area to settle down and freeze the same day.  These areas are most important to know about for the first few weeks of the ice season until the ice thickness evens out over time. If you are unaware of an area that has just recently frozen over, you are at risk of breaking through.

Once the ice is finally safe, I run through my lake to lake patterns. What I mean by that is some of the lakes that I make my winter living on are always safe to navigate well before others are even frozen.  Shallower lakes like Puckaway, Poygan, and Butte des Morts, are usually fishable and productive far before some of the other big lakes.  Shortly after that I start roaming the river channel of the Wisconsin River, such as Castle Rock and Petenwell. That is about the same time that Winnebago is ready for ATV travel.  I normally have close to two months of great ice fishing in on these lakes and many more before we can start ice fishing on Big Green Lake. Like the rest, Big Green will have areas that are safe and areas of dangerous thin ice. The east half of the lake is always safe first due to more 100 foot depths, unlike the west end having more 200 foot depths. I have always said the most important information to have on any frozen lake is where the thin ice or pressure cracks might be. A guy told me one time that being on the ice every single day was high risk of getting wet, but I disagree. I feel much safer by practically living on the ice and watching new pressure cracks form and observing areas that could be a hazard on a regular basis.

Safety Strategy

Now that I’ve preached a little safety strategy, I can talk about some search techniques. It is hard to beat the run and gun method on most lakes, but I have seen this crazy short window of  fish movement over and over again.  During this short time of each day, you need to have a rod in your hand and not an auger.  What I mean is, I will have scouts and or clients in many different areas of a lake on the same day.  The fish will light up for everybody all at once, then 10 minutes later you would think that they disappeared, but they haven’t. They just don’t move until they want to eat.  This short window occurs at the same time with different fish all over the lake every couple of hours.  Many days of the winter I see these sporadic feeds that will accumulate a nice mess of fish for those who wait them out by staying glued to their locator.  On these days, or locations, the person that moved 25 times will usually have an empty pale at the end of the day. Most likely because during the short feeding window they may have been drilling or driving. By no means do I simply pick a spot and sit there all day on just any body of water. This only works for me on structure such as river channels, reefs, brush piles, stumps, and weeds; places that fish actually live during the winter months.

On the other hand, for some of the lakes that I frequently guide on, it is popular to search the sand, gravel, and mud flats for hungry schools of fish.  While targeting flats like that, I don’t sit still until I land on the fish. The open water flats of Puckaway, Winnebago, and Poygan have schools of roaming fish that sometimes take a lot of work to find.  In these cases, the way I search for schools is almost nonstop drilling of holes. Fishing half of them, and just dropping the locater in the other half to cover more area in less time. I will quite often drop the transducer in and out of a line of a dozen holes before I mark a fish or school of fish.  When I mark a fish, I quickly rifle a Swedish Pimple or Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon tipped with a minnow head or Chena bait down the hole. I try to read the fish by their first reaction, if it ignores my bait and travels by it, it could likely be baitfish or a rough fish. If it comes toward my search bait (jigging spoon), but does not bite it, I will then go to a tungsten jig tipped with either a spike, wax worm, or Chena bait. Another one of my go to finesse baits is a Northland bloodworm. I know it is going to be good when they come up fast and hammer the jigging spoon after a few aggressive twitches.  This approach will often lead us into hungry schools of perch, white bass, crappies, and walleyes all mixed together.  Sometimes it does take 100 or more holes of searching before we start filling buckets with fish.

Follow the preseason scouting tips to assure safety before traveling on any frozen bodies of water. Remember, knowing the type of lake or structure that you are targeting will tell you whether to wait for the fish to wake up and start to feed or if you need to travel and fish aggressively to find them. Also start with a louder shinier lure to locate fish then switch to more subtle lures if the fish don’t get fired up for it.   You will also find more helpful ice condition reports and fishing tips at www.Lake-Link.com

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Gear & Tackle to Kick Start the Ice Season

Weekly Morning Trail Mix

Trail Mix

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