1999 Articles

End of Season Muskies by Steve Huber

Ahhhh, November, the time of year when it’s impossible to get anything done. Bowhunting for deer is in full swing, the deer gun season is close at hand and there’s still grouse and waterfowl to chase. Your significant other is “asking" (demanding???) that the storm windows be put on, the leaves should be raked and there’s hundreds of other “Honey Do’s" that should be done. So what’s a guy to do?????, do what I do, go MUSKY FISHING!!! The storms can be put on after dark (that’s what flashlights are for), the leaves will still be there in the spring and well, there’s always tomorrow. November is for the “hard core" muskie hunter. They are feeding heavily for the coming winter and this... more

Fishing for "Falleyes" by Steve Huber

O.K., it's October, you're not really into football on TV., you don't bird hunt and archery isn't your thing. Do you find yourself looking at your boat and counting the days until next spring? Well, take off the cover, load up the ol' walleye gear and get going buckaroo, there's walleyes to catch!! What a lot of people don't realize is that there is a fall walleye run that almost rivals the run in the spring. The MarbleEyes are feeding heavily for the upcoming winter and are fairly easy to catch, they're almost as easy to catch and as predictable as in the spring. One of the best things about the fall run is that, unlike in the spring, everyone else is in the woods, so you'l... more

Muskies....Big Fish....BIG BAITS? by Steve Huber

As an avid muskie angler, with a steamer trunk sized tackle box full of monster sized lures, I’d have to say......"Not Always." Sure, there’s a definite time and place to fish these hernia inducing baits, but not always. I’m sure that there are some die hard muskie hunters out there ready and willing to argue with me but just wait a minute, hear me out and think about it. How many times have you had a muskie hit your lure while fishing for bass or northern? If you’re like me and you do fish waters where these toothy critters roam, it’s happened many times. There used to be a fall bass tournament on one of our local lakes and there was always one recurring complaint (other than ... more

Summertime Blues by Steve Huber

I know, it’s a strange title for a fishing article but we all get it this time of year. You know, you have some vacation time, you’re at the resort/cabin/cottage etc., you want to fish, your spousal unit wants to “just go into town and do a little shopping", the kids want you to pull them around the lake on the tube and you’re ready to pull your hair out because all those dreams of “THE BIG ONE" are rapidly slipping away. Besides, what you envisioned as an idyllic, peaceful time spent on the water, your boat sliding ghost-like through the cool morning fog as you cast to monster (insert your favorite fish here) is in reality a blistering heat wave (boy I just don’t know....it never ge... more

Fishing Rhinelander Area Small Lakes by Steve Huber

There are amazing opportunities to be had in the Rhinelander area on small lakes, and I don’t want you to think for a moment that small lakes equal small fish. Quite the contrary, some of the largest fish that I have caught and seen have been on small bodies of water. There always seems to be a thought connection....big water, big fish and to a certain extent, that’s true. There may be a larger population of trophy muskies on lakes like Tomahawk, Vieux Desert, Star etc., but I briefly had on a musky that was in the mid-50 inch class and this was on a lake that is not even 70 acres!! I’ve caught many muskies in the 40-48 inch range on “small water". They may not be fifty pounders but on ... more

June in the Northwoods by Steve Huber

June is a great time to be in northern Wisconsin, usually, the snow is gone and the weather is starting to stabilize. The water temperatures are in the low 60's and the fish are cruising the shallows...and by fish, I mean just about everything is in shallow. The crappies are spawning, so are the bass (both largemouth and smallmouth) and bluegills. The pike and muskies have already spawned, recovered and are cruising, actively hunting for baitfish. June is for sight fishing, so dust off the old Polaroids, make sure the trolling motor batteries are charged and follow me. Probably the most exciting fishing is bass on the beds. As long as you are cautious, both in your presentati... more

Spring Time Crappies by Steve Huber

If you live anywhere in the Midwest or “near Midwest", chances are that you have waters nearby with crappies as one of the predominate panfish species. This is a good thing, because now is the time to be out on the water chasing them. NOW is the time, for crappies are normally found in the summer, suspended and moving around in open water, making locating them somewhat difficult. Springtime, with warming water temperatures will move the crappies in shallow, where anyone can catch them, with or without a boat. All you have to do is locate the warmest water in the lake, usually on the northern portion of the lake. Look for shallow water, preferably with some brush piles, old reeds or... more

Fishing 'The Bay' by Steve Huber

My friend Gil and I discovered "The Bay" last summer. I don't know what took so long, I mean, it's not like it's a tiny, easily overlooked piece of water. It's a 30,000 acre bay on a little lake...Lake Superior. I guess it's because when I think "Great Lakes", I think fishing, more accurately trolling for trout and salmon. What many people don't realize is that there is a fantastic "cool water" fishery and that's it's easily accessable. You have to keep a sharp eye on the weather but it is fishable from most angler's boats. Caution is definately the watchword here as the "Bay" can and does whip up fast. There is quite a population of large walleye, as well as northern pike, but ... more

Winter Blahs by Steve Huber

It's tough to think about open water fishing when the thermometer is reading approximately 18 gazillion below zero as it is today while I'm writing this. It's tough but it's one of the things that keeps me going when I'm trapped in the house like this. My wife thinks I'm nuts, but now is when I get ready for the upcoming fishing season. During the open water fishing season, it's hard to find time to do the routine maintenance that really should be done, especially when your time is divided between my dual careers as a firefighter and also a fishing guide. All of the reels need to have the old line stripped off (do what I do...put it on your tip-ups and jig poles, if you ice fish). I k... more

Catchin' Those Early Season Walleyes by Steve Huber

When you live where I do (northern Wisconsin), in February, it's tough to picture walleye fishing without images of tip-ups springing to mind. Not for me, you see, I'm one of the crazies that is trailering a boat through the snowstorms, visions of walleyes dancing in my head. When I'm at a gas station fueling the boat, I get lots of comments; "Must be nice to be heading south this time of year," "On your way to Florida?" etc. When I tell these misguided folks that "Nope, I'm going walleye fishing", they look at me like I've slipped my drag a bit. I don't know about you but I'd much rather be sitting on a nice, warm, comfortable padded seat, on a carpeted boat platform than standing on th... more