2012 Articles

"Artificial Intelligence" for Walleyes by Ted Pilgrim

Written in conjunction with Tony Roach Springtime arrived earlier this year than maybe anytime over the past century. It's been a truly remarkable season of prematurely warm weather - not that we're complaining. But even the old-timers, who were around to fish the Original Rapala Minnow, can't recall another year like this one. Melting ice ended the frozen water period almost before it started. Warm sunny March, April and May days warmed the shallows rapidly, injecting the water with virtual espresso shots of activity. With remarkable climatic conditions like these, it's no wonder that anglers have been left scratching their heads, wondering aloud and to themselves: How will the walleyes ... more

Crankin’ For Slip-Sliding Walleyes by Ted Peck

The old saying 'what goes up must come down' can be applied to walleyes after their spring spawning run in a river. Legions of 'eye chasers will be out there jigging and rigging for their myopic Manitou when the fish head upstream. Few-if any-remain on the water when consensus amongst the most revered local river rats is that the big parade is over. Many head for other rivers where the walleye wedding march plays a week or two later. Others stow their rods and get back to work. Our exceptionally warm spring this year has thrown classic walleye thinking right out the window. On the Mississippi where I'm a full time guide pulling cranks on three-way rigs is usually a May tactic. This y... more

Perch Now by John Andrew

The Big Perch are biting now and with early ice out across most of the mid western states this year, spawning has taken place ahead of schedule for several different fish species. It's not just the Walleye we should focus on this opening season, the Perch are also on the bite now and they are feeding very aggressively, just like the middle of June. Fishing the drop offs, including slow moving current areas and the new weed growth that is close to their spawning area, is very productive for us. Using small Crappie minnows in conjunction with a 1/16 oz. jig, casting out, allowing the jig to sink a few feet and then starting a slow retrieve is a good method for boating several of these ta... more

Quitting is for Quitters by Jerry Carlson

Every year I try to get together with long time fishing friend, Kelley Cirks. Cirks is a great angler that spends a lot of time on the water in the Park Rapids area of Minnesota. Normally, when he calls to say the fish are biting, I can pretty much count on a sure thing. Of course, there is that word "normally." It was early in the morning when I pulled into the driveway of Cirks' residence. He had the boat hooked up and was clearly pumped about the prospects of a good day of bass fishing. As we drove to the lake, he filled me in on the bite that had been taking place. With the spawn over and the fish recuperated, the bass had moved into the cabbage beds and were hungry and ready to ea... more

Rethinking the Trolling Game for Walleyes by Jason Mitchell

Trolling for walleyes used to be regarded as more of an intimate affair. The boats twenty or thirty years ago were typically much smaller so we sat closer to the water. Before specifically designed trolling rods and line counter reels, crank baits were often trolled with low profile bait casters or spinning reels. All an angler needed was a six foot medium action rod. Line was watched, lure vibration was felt (even with monofilament) and a person who trolled every night could calculate how much line to let out and where to pump the rod tip to create the perfect trolling pass. Fast forward a few years and trolling for walleyes transformed. Multiple rod spreads are desired. Most ang... more

Sex and Violence in the Spring Woods by Dan Small

Eddie Salter, the Hunters Specialties turkey guru from Evergreen, Ala., once described spring turkey hunting as "the All-American sport." "It's all about sex and violence," Salter said. "That old gobbler thinks he's about to make love and you're there to try to kill him." Salter's salty tongue was not tucked into his cheek when he shared that observation 25 years ago during a seminar at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show. Salter pared spring turkey hunting down to its bare essence. Without sex, there is no spring hunt. Without violence, there are no dead turkeys hanging at the end of the day. Turkey hunters would do well to remember Salter's characterization of their sport b... more

Tricks for Early Spring Panfish by Dave Duwe

With the unseasonably warm March and cool April all attention has turned to hitting the lakes for some open water fishing. With gamefish season closed, my fish of choice is panfish. The opening day for gamefish in Wisconsin is the first Saturday in May. April and May is actually a great time to fish. The weather can be quite comfortable and the boat traffic is much less than in summer. And the fish can be very active in pre-spawn location. The fish of choice for me are the bluegills and the crappies. In spring I tend to find the active bluegills in less than 3 feet of water. I will search for the warmest water in the lake. I choose locations like the backs of bays or chan... more

3rd Shift Walleye Secrets by Scott Richardson

Northwoods guide Greg Bohn has fished for walleyes at night since he was 7 years old. His uncle, who owned the old Woods Motel and Resort in Arbor Vitae, would drive him to a dock or a pier so he could fish well after dark. Sometimes he'd ride his bike if he couldn't catch a ride. After a few hours under the moonlight, he'd usually head back home with a nice stringer of walleyes and panfish. Bohn kept right on fishing after dark when he became a professional guide about 35 years ago. He realized the vacationers who wanted to fish in one of the hundreds of lakes around Minocqua were often too busy during the day with family to wet a line. Working men and women had jobs when the s... more

Consider Color For More Fishing Success by Bob Jensen

People who like to fish like to talk about different things that can impact their fishing success. The number of factors that can impact our fishing success are many, but one thing that we often come back to is lure color. Beginning and expert anglers alike are always trying to figure out how much impact lure color has on our fishing success. Following are some thoughts on lure color. In the minds of many accomplished anglers the lure color question is this simple: Sometimes color matters, sometimes it doesn't. When the fish are biting, they'll often hit any color you put out there. When they don't want to eat, color becomes one of several very important considerations. There are t... more

Shallow Personalities by Tom Neustrom

Walleyes are flexible, their lives spent adapting to ever evolving surroundings. This opposed to the fact that many walleye anglers are inflexible, set in their ways. Such was the case fishing alongside friends and relatives as a punk kid who should be happy just to have a seat in the boat. Those formative years were banked on Lake Geneva in Southern Wisconsin fishing with my Dad. We fished for bass, northern pike, muskies, and panfish during the day - walleyes always reserved for sundown and the wee morning hours. My Dad insisted that you couldn't catch walleyes during the day. Locals supported this stubborn stance claiming that walleyes only bit at night or under lowlight conditions, an... more

Smiling Slow Death by Foster Dennis

I am going to relay a couple of things that may be known to some of the more savvy walleye anglers out there, but may not be to the vast masses of anglers. In doing so, I will also share how to combine the two into what I personally feel is the hottest livebait technique available today. What I am referring to is using the slow death method of presenting a half crawler, typically delivering it via a bottom bouncer. What this amounts to is a purposely kinked Aberdeen style hook that causes the half crawler to slowly spin just…oh so seductively. Walleye's whether they are in an aggressive, neutral, or even negative mode will readily respond to this. Making it the first choice for a nu... more

Spring Steel on Lake Michigan Tributaries - Part II: Steelhead Streams by Dan Small

Read Spring Steel on Lake Michigan Tributaries - Part I: Tackle and Tactics Rainfall and runoff vary up and down the Lake Michigan shoreline, so the spring steelhead run may be in full swing on one river before it starts somewhere else. The southernmost rivers - the Pike, the Root, the Milwaukee and the Menomonee - usually see the first new fish in early March, and the run progresses up the shore to end in Door and Marinette counties sometime in May. Steelhead run up nearly every stream that feeds Lake Michigan. Some are crowded with anglers, others virtually unfished. Kenosha's Pike River is a small stream that doesn't see as much pressure as the larger Root River in Racine. Get o... more

The Deep Adjustment for Walleyes by Jason Mitchell

We often find walleyes at late ice in shallow water. We often find walleyes at some point each spring in shallow water. Walleyes typically spawn in shallow water and there are all kinds of reasons for fish to be shallow early in the season. Warmer water, the right bottom composition for spawning and enough memories from catching fish shallow in the past makes looking deep early in the season hard for many anglers. Yes there are going to be many patterns happening in less then seven feet of water on many fisheries early in the season and these shallow locations are a great starting point especially when water temperatures start to climb and the weather is stable but across the board on ma... more

The Great Perch Wakeup by Brian "Bro" Brosdahl

While most boats leave the landing in pursuit of other popular sport fish, I slide aside and pounce on perch Historically, perch have been known as "the other fish." You can see it within livewells throughout the Midwest. Walleye anglers are more than happy to keep a clutch of jumbos that happened to be mixing with their primary quarry; crappie catchers aren't quick to release a stray 'eater' that wandered onto the area, either; even hardcore bassers will find the time to fill their livewells if enough jumbos reach the hook on their soft plastics. I, however, search for perch on purpose. I prepare ahead of time by specifically gearing up for them, and shake loose all temptations to... more

All Shore In Florida by Dave Duwe

February brings our families annual trip to the Gulf coast of Florida. This year the trip was to Cape Coral, FL. We fly there, so I have to leave my boat at home, but I am a fisherman so if there is water, I have to find a way to fish. We figured out after the first year, that Florida has a lot of water, and Cape Coral is no exception. Ever since that first year we always bring our fishing gear. Without a boat, I am back to my youth with shore fishing or wading. The week long stay had many obligatory family functions, but the fishing crew was able to fish for a few hours each day from shore. The fishing crew consists of my son, Nate (9) and my brother in law, Jeff (older than 9). ... more

End Of Season Ice-Fishing by Bob Jensen

Depending on where you live in ice-fishing country, the end of the ice-fishing season is maybe a couple of weeks away or maybe a month away. Regardless of the time remaining, late ice provides perhaps the best fishing from a couple of standpoints. The bite will usually be pretty consistent, the fish will be bigger because the spawn is getting closer, the days are longer, and they're also warmer. Yes, the ice-fishing season is winding down, and that's a good reason to get out every chance you get. And, if an ice-fishing opportunity doesn't readily present itself, you need to make an excuse to go. That shouldn't be hard to do. Here are some things you should keep in mind for late-season ... more

Jigs are Best Walleye Weapon by Ted Peck

You seldom see a snowplow attached to the front end of a Corvette. Such a rig could probably do the job. But flying the 'Vette down the road to a shed where the plow truck waits is a more ergonomic use of both these "tools". Some anglers have a sports car with a snowplow attitude when it comes to selecting the most deadly walleye weapon yet created: the jig. The basic quarter ounce ballhead jig may put marble-eyes in the boat when you land on top of a hungry pod of fish. But walleyes are in a neutral to negative feeding mood most of the time. Tweaking your jig selection and presentation usually spells the difference between catching fish and catching lots of fish. On any given day ... more

Man to Man, Guide to Guide by Tom Neustrom

You could say we northerners sometimes migrate with the geese, or more like snowbirds, to places far from the frosted lands. No doubt, the warm sun on one's back is reward enough, but for many anglers, it's the pursuit of openwater alternatives that lure us southward. For me, even a week or two below the Ice Belt recharges my fishing soul and preps me for the final few weeks of ice fishing. This past November, veteran walleye chasers Mark Brumbaugh, Tony Roach and I had the opportunity to track walleyes in Arkansas. We were like three giddy kids, knowing the potential and possibilities that lurked in Lake Ouachita. Trailering down, our big Lund Pro-V's became our navigational chariots. B... more

March Transitions: Run and Gun Perch Tactics at Late Ice by Jason Mitchell

Strong perch patterns occur across the board at late ice. Typical locations include gravel and sand, subtle rolling structure that is connected to the shoreline is often productive. During the late ice period, perch often move shallow and if there is atypical rule of thumb regarding shallow perch, it is that they are aggressive and on the move. These fish run in packs and don't stick around. These nomads can be difficult to locate but when you find them, they often bite. Some lakes turn on during the day when the sun pops out, other lakes are morning and evening bites where the bite peaks when the sun is on the horizon. What is universal however is just how aggressive these fish get wh... more

Midwinter Crappies in the Mid-South by Noel Vick

Written in conjunction with Brian "Bro" Brosdahl Crappies call like the Siren's song. No matter where on God's green earth - or frozen planet for that matter - Bro is presently placed, he hears crappies calling. Most often, during the dark days of winter, they whisper things like "come here big boy" and "catch me if you can" through feet of snow-packed ice. Bro answers with his auger and an appetite for eaters. Sometimes, though, southern breezes carry the faint voices of crappies, black and white, from fisheries down yonder. Lately, the enchanting summons harps from crappies on Arkansas' Lake Ouachita. "Yeah, they call to me," Bro admits aloud about the voices only he can hear. "Mor... more

Spring Steel on Lake Michigan Tributaries - Part I: Tackle and Tactics by Dan Small

Wisconsin's Lake Michigan tributary steelhead fishery attracts anglers from all across the United States, and for good reason. Twenty-five Lake Michigan streams support annual spawning runs of steelhead, or lake-run rainbow trout, that provide super fishing for a good portion of the year. The action begins in late summer or early fall on some streams and runs into May, and the season is open year round. Check the Trout Fishing Regulations Guide for details. In midwinter, you can have nearly any stream to yourself. The steelhead you find in the rivers now are mostly dark fish that came up last fall and have spent several months in the deeper holes. Sometimes, you can coax one into tak... more

Catch Walleyes All Winter by Jason Mitchell

Many ice anglers associate the end of January and beginning of February with mid winter doldrums. Many anglers believe that first ice and late ice is the best ice for fishing and the in between ice… not so good. There is some truth to the midwinter doldrums particularly with smaller lakes. Now not to say a lake less than five hundred acres cannot be red hot in the middle of winter because they can but smaller water does seem more sensitive to a few factors that can ruin a bite. My own personal opinion, I believe some small lakes just get hit and as the fish get caught, the fishing gets tougher because fish bite better when they are competing against more neighbors. Remove half the fish ... more

Catch' Em When Others Can't by Bob Jensen

When you're ice-fishing, just like when you're open water fishing, there are days when the fish get finicky. They might be finicky due to weather conditions, or it could be fishing pressure that has them closed-mouthed. Whatever the reason, just like in open water, there are some things you can do to get fish under the ice to bite even when they don't want to. Here are some of those things. When fishing pressure is the cause for the fish to get selective, you have a couple of options. Probably the best option is to get away from the pressure. If the lake you're on has a lot of people fishing the community hole, get away from the community hole. You can move to the edge of the activi... more

Ghosts of the Lake by Noel Vick

With Brian "Bro" Brosdahl Few see them. Others either dismiss the sightings as hooey or are cursed to believe but never catch even a fleeting glimpse of one. These, you might call freshwater poltergeists, can be as common as the ghosts of missing mariners on pirate vessels, but still scarcely witnessed. Believers see them. Brian "Bro" Brosdahl sees them, and then catches them like genies in a bottle. Bro is haunted by humungous panfish. They keep him awake at night. Cause him to swerve to the shoulder daydreaming on the way to find them. Difference between Bro and other ghost hunters, though, is his success rate. Bro captures them on hook and on film. And then like any steward of blueg... more

Late Ice, Little Tigers by Tom Neustrom

Late winter brings about opportunities. Certain species begin lining up like 2-for1 day at "Old Country Buffet." Yellow perch, in particular, become extremely active during the final weeks of the ice season. Some real monster perch get stuck this time of the year, and I'm not talking the thumbs down size, but the 10, 12, and 14-inchers we crave to catch. These egg-laden chubos cruise mud flats and weedbeds devouring about anything that crosses their paths. For the angler, mobility is the key to finding schools of these marauding perch, most encounters happening in anywhere from 10 to 30-feet of water. Consequently, you need to be flexible and diligent in your searching scheme. But once lo... more

Oatmeal "Frosting" Can Trigger Mid-Winter Bite by Ted Peck

Mother Nature has made little ice this past week but those waters which wear winter lids haven't lost ice since the Packer's season melted away. Days are getting longer. Come Superbowl Sunday we will be playing the back nine of winter-as least from a fish activity perspective. On those lakes with 'safe' ice fish are in mid-winter pattern. Essentially this means active biting at dawn, dusk and when weather is passing through. At other times the fish may swim up and lick the frosting but are not eager to eat the cake. A small amount of oatmeal laced with Berkley Gulp can trigger a brief feeding frenzy as it waffles down through the water column below your hole. This invasion w... more

Tubing for Winnebago Walleyes by Dan Small

Nowhere in Wisconsin do anglers look forward to ice with greater anticipation than around the shores of Lake Winnebago and its sister lakes, Poygan, Winneconne and Butte des Morts. As soon as there is a three-inch shell on one of these lakes, they start to venture out. Most anglers are anxious to get through the first-ice flurry of near-shore, walk-on fishing so they can settle down to winter's main event: tube-fishing for walleyes. I was introduced to tube fishing by Joel Taylor, of Omro, who spends nearly every day on the ice. Because he fishes so often, Taylor finds walleyes, and other anglers find him. If he wants to fish alone, he has to resort to borrowing a shack or vehicle from a... more

Bait with Bite by Mitch Eagan

More anglers than you'd think eat bait. Not because they have to as a result of today's hard economic times, but simply because they want to. Now I'm not talking nibbling on waxies and grated white cheddar sprinkled over a wheat wafer, but instead, gorging on a main course of succulent smelt after an evening of intentionally targeting these fanged torpedoes through the ice. It's all because smelt-the very silvery-sided forage that pack the bellies of popular predator fish like pike, walleye and trout-is a delicacy for any angler who bears taste buds. Their flesh is sweet, yet mild in flavor. (The smelt, not the fisherman.) Snip; slit; scrape; rinse; repeat. The process for cleaning sm... more

Bizarro World Walleyes by Ted Pilgrim

Written with Tony Boshold Redefining "Classic" Ice Fisheries Some of the best walleye fishing you can imagine is occurring in places you might never think to look. Historic numbers of fish up to 10-pounds, even larger, are today living and thriving in lakes and reservoirs that only five years back were nearly empty of these coveted freshwater animals. In the scope of the past two to three decades, given all the ups and downs that have occurred within these freshwater environs, there's a new "normal" in the realm of productive walleye fisheries. The fabulous fishing has for years remained something of a secret-until now. The secret is this: Some of the best walleye waters alo... more

Break From The Pack by Foster Dennis

The subject matter I write about has always had a strong focus on education, whether it be about fish location and behavior or in presentations and the associated lures used to elicit a positive response. I would like to continue on with that theme and implore some of you (probably the majority of you) to self-educate yourselves. What I am referring to is the now all too common practice of following the crowd…particularly as it relates to ice fishing. In this case, there is no strength in numbers. Ever notice that by mid-winter on any given body of water that there are a couple of large clumps of houses tightly packed together? Do you honestly think that the majority of fish are cong... more

First-Ice Pike Tactics by Dan Small

Northern pike typically bite all winter long, but the most consistent action for the biggest pike comes almost without fail as soon as the ice will hold an angler and his gear. Why is this so? Some say it's because cooler weather and the increased vulnerability of baitfish caused by the decline of weed cover trigger a pike feeding spree. When a lake freezes during this time, the spree continues for a week or two. Sunlight penetrates through thin, clear ice, enabling sight-feeding pike to spot food more readily now than when thick ice and snow shroud a lake's surface. Where The Pike Are Northerns prowl constantly, but their movements are somewhat predictable. In early winter, look for t... more

Icing Walleyes On Spoons by Bob Jensen

Just as there are a lot of ways to catch walleyes in open water, there are several very productive lure types for taking walleyes through the ice. But if a survey was taken among anglers who like to chase walleyes during the ice-fishing season, I'll bet a spoon would be the most popular lure. Spoons are popular because they produce. There are a lot of different spoons available to the ice angler, and each spoon has a characteristic of its own. Here are some ideas for using spoons to catch walleyes that are under the ice. The action of the spoon is of prime consideration. Some spoons fall fast, others have more of a fluttering action as they drop to the bottom. Both have a place in o... more

Welcome Lake-Link Jamboree 2012 by Dave Duwe

Delavan Lake is one of the finest fisheries in Southeastern, Wisconsin. This awesome fishery is playing host to Lake-Link's 2012 Ice Fishing Jamboree. The lake is an hour from Milwaukee and one and a half hours from Chicago. Delavan Lake is roughly 2100 acres with a maximum depth of 52 feet. The lake has many different fishing opportunities, whether it's deep water yellow perch or weedline walleyes. The shallow bays make available a lot of Northern Pike and bluegill action. In early February, northern pike action will be on the weed flats or on the first break of the weedline. The best depth is 6-12 feet of water. They key locations are by the outlet by North Shore Drive, the west... more