2010 Articles

Catch'Em Through Early Ice by Bob Jensen

Early ice can provide some outstanding action for a variety of fish. Walleyes, crappies, perch, bluegills and northern pike are all willing to eat your bait when the ice fishing season starts. As soon as you know the ice is safe, you should get out there. Once you're on the ice, there are a few things you should keep in mind to maximize your chances for ice-fishing success. First of all, it's important to keep noise and motion to a minimum. In many bodies of water, especially if you're after panfish, they'll be in fairly shallow water, ten feet or less. Think of that: You're directly above the fish, only ten feet away. If you make too much noise or move around too much, the fish ar... more

Poof - The Magic's in the Draggin' by Tom Neustrom

A sudden stop, drop, drag and lift can produce fiery strikes when all else fails Today's ice angler has sled-loads of advantages over the pioneers of yesteryear. Take present-day lures, for example. Tackle technology offers the capacity to mimic the size, shape and color of forage to a tee. And with nothing more than a simple rise and fall of the rod tip, they have the curb appeal to flip-flop on the drop and trip the trigger of passerby's. But a fish's mood may change like the wind - literally. Foul weather fronts, as well moon phases in the minor, can take a good bite south in an instant. When I'm hunkered over fish and they're either in a negative state or quit biting, I change fro... more

Sonar, Shock And Awe by Ted Peck

Those of us who have been around awhile remember where they were when JFK was assassinated. I heard the news over a loudspeaker in sixth grade music class. This tragedy changed the lives of all Americans. School was dismissed and I arrived home to find Dad hooking up his old green flatbottom boat to the back of our '63 Chevy BelAir. He was headed to The River in pursuit of walleyes and growled an invitation to join him if my butt was on the Chevy's bench seat in 10 minutes. We hadn't been fishing the tailwaters of the Mississippi River dam at Bellevue for more than 20 minutes before it was clear inadequate outerwear would be an issue. Odds for actually catching fish appeared pretty l... more

The First Ice Top Five by Dave Duwe

Here are the "Top 5" to make your fishing trip on first ice successful. (1) Know your lake! You want to choose a shallow lake, which freezes first. In Southeastern Wisconsin, my first ice choices are; Monona Bay, Madison, Whitewater Lake, Whitewater, and Lake Como, Lake Geneva. The first two lakes have an abundance of Bluegills with an occasional Northern Pike and my third choice Lake Como is primarily a Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass lake. The key factor to all three lakes is their shallow nature. I won't usually fish over six feet during the first ice period, most often this is the first couple of weeks in December, but sometimes later. Choosing a shallow lake allows you to f... more

Bonding On Bone Lake (again) by Dave Duwe

The full moon in October has come and gone and as I wrote last month, I was fishing in Polk County for full moon muskies. As a rule, the full moon in October is the best time to caught muskies! We settled on Bone Lake, which has been a favorite selection for several years. Although the lake sometimes varies, the annual trip itself has been taking place for close to 20 years; I've only missed the outing once due to double knee surgery: last year. This is more than a fishing trip for me; I look forward to spending time with two of my closest friends from college. Those years since college have gone by faster than Tim, Steve or I have been able to fathom, now we all have kids, wives or gir... more

Fishing Towards Winter On The River by Ted Peck

Old Man River continues to show fishermen his complete repertoire of curves, fast balls and sliders in 2010 as we move through the 11th inning of a 12 inning game. Lord only knows the changes we may see between now and Christmas in a year which started with less than stellar ice fishing into an early spring, gin clear June into a summer and fall which vacillated between flood stage and high dirty water with a few short chuckles of unbelievable action in between. Coming into November there are only a couple more cards to play before Old Man Winter takes the mound and we enter the cold water period. The first one turned just before Halloween when he covered the 48 degree walleye "eat"... more

Tiny Details Create Bigger Catches by Bob Jensen

I just returned from a late-season fishing trip to the Mississippi River. We were fishing near Lansing Iowa. My fishing partners were Jim Hunt and Terry Fitzpatrick: Both work at the Cabela's store in Prairie du Chien Wisconsin and are expert anglers. The Mississippi River had been at flood stage for several weeks, but was back down to normal levels. A very strong windstorm had just gone through, with the wind turning the water to a chocolate milk color in the main channel and many of the backwaters. And the water temperatures had dropped about ten degrees in the past few days. Often, these conditions create tough fishing. Often, but not always. The first thing we did was loc... more

Fall Fishing On The Mississippi by Ted Peck

The Mississippi River will change a hundred times-at least one hundred times-between the first of October and the end of the month. It's easy to write these words as the time has come to tear September off the calendar. The River has been running belly full, brown and angry for a solid week with more weeds coming down than I have ever seen in almost six decades on this water. That's okay. When its time to throw October in the trash can walleyes will be going absolutely bananas on the wingdams, closing dams and other rocks-and a bunch of other special little places where I like to sneak in with the Lund when all the conditions are just right. This has been the most challenging year I... more

Full Moon Muskies by Dave Duwe

I have been an avid musky fisherman for years. Due to my family, business and guiding commitments I don't have the time to fish them as often as I did in my younger years. Now, muskies are like an old friend that I visit once a year. Every year I make it a point to clear my calendar for one musky trip of the year. To put the odds in my favor I always choose the full moon period in October. I have been going this particular weekend for the last 20+ years. I have also been going with the same crew. Steve Hauge, President of All Terrain Tackle and Tim Lindemann a VP with US Airways. Both of these guys are lifelong friends from college. We laugh every year that we never thought any of u... more

Why Fish in the Fall? by Bob Jensen

Every now and then someone asks me why I get so excited about fall fishing. Before I can answer, the questioner provides a number of reasons why spring and summer fishing is better. While I agree that fishing anytime of the year is a good thing to do, I can come up with several really good reasons why fall fishing is a good idea. Here are some of those reasons. Some folks insist that autumn weather can be inclement, and that fishing in the rain or cold is no fun. My response: Fishing in the rain anytime of the year is just something we deal with, and a good number of folks prefer the cool weather of fall to the heat and humidity of summer. A set of Cabela's GuideWear will make any... more

Pixel Fish or Live Fish? Find Bass and Walleyes Fast with Reality TV by Ted Pilgrim

It's a little amusing to consider the level of technology that's been applied to the humble pursuit of angling. For a quest whose only core requirements are a hook, line, bait and sinker, the addition of military-level gadgetry can at times leave you feeling a little sheepish. Not that we mind the advantages. Satellite-enhanced mapping software pinpoints our location on the lake, and guides us to potential hotspots. Sonar, too, continues to advance with brighter pictures and finer features. And thanks to once top-secret technology, it's even become possible to scan the water on both sides of your boat. There's nowhere left for the fish to hide, right? Perhaps not. The reality is, despi... more

Schooling Yellow Perch by Dave Duwe

After Labor Day in Wisconsin, the kids migrate back to school. At this same time the yellow perch are also migrating from the main lake basin to the shallows. Perch will travel in schools throughout the day. Once you locate the schools they can be caught extremely fast. They feed by sight so the daylight hours are the best time to catch them. Unlike most fish, perch are not affected by the weather as much, so don't let a cold front get you down. In late summer, I will look for the perch in a depth range of 10-14 ft of water. The key for me is finding a location in a lake that has hard bottom (sand/rock) with scattered weeds in close proximity to an area of soft bottom (muck). L... more

Where To Find'em In The Fall by Bob Jensen

When you go fishing, if you want to catch a fish, it's really important that you put your bait where a fish lives. That might sound extremely basic, but the most basic concept of fishing is to fish where the fish are. You can have the nicest boat in the world, and you can have lots of expensive rods and reels and tackleboxes full of lures, but if you don't put your lure near a fish, all that other stuff is going to do you no good. Here are some ideas for finding different species of fish in the fall months throughout the Midwest. Let's start with crappies. Crappies are abundant and popular almost everywhere. In the spring we catch them near cover like rushbeds and docks and timber in ... more

A Hot Technique for the Hot Weather by Dave Duwe

During the heat of August, you may hear the term, the "dog days" of summer. However, I believe it should really be called the frog days of summer. Late summer is the best time to fish Largemouth bass on plastic frogs. Avid bass anglers have known about frog fishing for years. There are two types of frogs. There is the old type, like Snag-Proof or Spro Bronzeye and these are the top choice for many anglers. They are typically hollow plastic with a couple of hooks and tentacles to imitate frog legs. These frogs are usually fished in a "slop" area of the lake. Slop is a vegetative mat, comprised of grass, moss and duck weed. Over time there are always improvements and there... more

Fishing Wisconsin's Best Muskie Water by Ted Peck

"Kurt Schultz was one of those rare kids who learned how to cast before he could walk," veteran guide Bill Melanson said of his 30 year old protégé. "He was born to be a fishing guide and the Creator planted this young buck right in the middle of Wisconsin's best muskie water." Melanson believes the 13 mile run of Wisconsin River from Merrill down to Brokaw is the most productive muskie water in this muskie-crazy state. Melanson said his clients have boated "somewhere between 2,500 -3,000 muskies on the Merrill to Brokaw run since he started guiding these waters in 1979. Schultz started working with Melanson 11 years ago. "I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be in the boat with Bil... more

Middle of the Summer Bass by Bob Jensen

It's summer, and fishing in the summer can be really good. Thing is though, fishing might not necessarily be good for the specie of fish that you want to catch. We might really want to catch walleyes, but in reality, in some bodies of water, the largemouth bass might be biting a lot better than 'eyes. It's a good idea to keep your options open when you go fishing in the summer. If you do, you'll catch a lot more fish. When you start out your day of fishing, it's important to have a game-plan in place. If, for instance, walleyes are to be the quarry, you should have a rod rigged with a Roach Rig. Live bait is almost always a good summertime bet for walleyes. Check out some deeper wa... more

Dialing In Down Deep by Dave Duwe

When the dog days of summer get here, the fishing seems to get tough. But it doesn't have to be, if you know the right tips and tricks to dial them in when they're down deep. As the spawning ends and the water gets warm, most fish will head to the depths for safety, food and "comfort" away from the heat. If you want to find them, you need the right techniques to bring the big fish into your boat. Here's a few things I've learned over the years fishing deep lakes, including one of Wisconsin's deepest inland lakes, Geneva Lake. Two main factors come into play when targeting deepwater gamefish like walleye and smallmouth bass - weedlines and thermoclines. Walleyes love a deep weed edge in s... more

Gulf Oil Spill Worse Than We’re Told by Ted Peck

Facing you own mortality is a tough bear to tussle with. If the Biblical allotment of three score and ten years holds water, I still have a good 10 years to fish. A lifetime of chasing fish all over North America has spawned several trips with annual adventure status. One of these is the February run to Louisiana's gulf coast to chase redfish and speckled trout with Capn. Daryl Dispensire. Retired Chicago Bear Mark Bortz and I have made this foray for the past nine years, reveling in the warm winter sunshine in the perpetual party ambience of the happy folks down there who are content in knowing nature can provide for every need. This idyllic picture changed forever a couple of mont... more

Take Advantage of Fishing Opportunities by Bob Jensen

It's summer, and fishing in the summer can be really good. Thing is though, fishing might not necessarily be good for the specie of fish that you want to catch. We might really want to catch walleyes, but in reality, in some bodies of water, the largemouth bass might be biting a lot better than 'eyes. It's a good idea to keep your options open when you go fishing in the summer. If you do, you'll catch a lot more fish. When you start out your day of fishing, it's important to have a game-plan in place. If, for instance, walleyes are to be the quarry, you should have a rod rigged with a Roach Rig. Live bait is almost always a good summertime bet for walleyes. Check out some deeper wa... more

Up at the Crack of dawn with Wingdam Walleyes by Jarrad Fluekiger

As a child I remember waking up at the crack of dawn with grandpa tickling my toes saying "It's time to go fishing, time is a wasting." A quick orange and a bowl of Special K from grandma preceded a race to the car to see which grandkid would get there first and earn the right to sit next to grandpa for the ride to the river. Once in the boat grandpa always seemed to know right where to go and his next stop, Grandpa's magical honey hole, always seemed to be a randomly picked spot out in the middle of the river channel! At least this is what I thought as a young lad on those earliest fishing trips. These were the spots responsible for producing the memories of all the laughs and arguments bet... more

Why Kayak Fishing by Bill Schultz

It's mid-summer. You are on a clear water lake, working the shallows with a Booyah Buzzbait, looking for that trophy bass. All of a sudden, the calm surface explodes and flying from the depths is the biggest bass you've ever had on the end of your line. After an amazing battle, you lip a six-pound largemouth. By the time your heart stops pounding; you've quickly taken a photograph and released the beauty. What makes this picture even more special is that you're on a lake with no boat launch and a shoreline that would make shore fishing or wading difficult. This isn't a problem for you because you are fishing from your kayak. After parking along the road closest to the lake, you were a... more

Channel Cats on the Prowl by Ted Peck

If you're one of those folks more at home in the great outdoors than a man-made environment, "cotton" raining down from cottonwood trees just before the Memorial Day weekend was a welcome sign. The parachuting seed signals catfish spawning is nigh, typically beginning within 4-5 days. Channel cats spawn when water temps reach 78 degrees. This benchmark arrived 4-5 days after the cottonwood rain began to fall. Funny how conventional river rat wisdom enables those who heed nature's whispers to consistently cash in on a river's bounty. Channel cats are omnivores, dining on everything from hot dogs to Ivory soap. Nightcrawlers, cut bait, chicken livers, shrimp and decaying mussels ... more

Shallow Water Bass by Bob Jensen

When largemouth bass move into the shallows early in the fishing season, the action can be fast, it can be visual, and it can be some of the most exciting fishing you'll have all year. Here's how you can get in on this action. Depending on where you live, bass may have already been in the shallows, they could be there right now, or they could be in deeper water waiting for Mother Nature to tell them it's time to move shallow. Across the Midwest they are probably shallow now, or will be shallow very soon. They go shallow to spawn. After spawning some will stay shallow, others will go back to the deep water for awhile to recover from spawning, then return to the shallows to get somethin... more

What’s in your tackle box? by Dave Duwe

No, it shouldn't include a credit card; keep that in your wallet. This question came up recently when a regular customer of mine, we'll call him Al, asked me why everyone has so much tackle, and I use so very little. He thought it would be a good idea for an article, so here goes. During the course of this article, I will certainly be mentioning some products that are made by companies that sponsor me, but I will also be mentioning plenty of products and companies that don't sponsor me. This is not meant to be an advertisement; it's really about having the right tools for the job with you. Like 100% of the fishermen out there, 90% of the items in my tackle box are never used. In fact... more

Fishing Wing Dams by Ted Peck

Wingdams are one of the biggest fish magnets on the Mississippi River. They are also profound hazards to recreational navigation-and a source of curiosity in those who want to discover more about this magnificent fishery without the painful expense of repairing props, skegs and lower units. Know this: if you try seriously to reap the bounty found on wingdams damage to equipment is a matter of when - not if. You should never venture out on this water without redundancy in power, navigation and safety equipment. Don't leave the dock without a spare prop for both the big motor and the electric! Wingdams are rocky fingers extending pretty much out from shore at a 90 degree angle from the ... more

For the Love of Muskies by Ted Pilgrim

Catch-and-Release lessons from a toothy-critter master - with Pete Maina Pete Maina has in his day handled thousands of big muskies. Ex-guide, lure inventor, TV personality, angler extraordinaire, Maina has worn many hats. Today, while he remains a zealous hunter of the big green fish, his real crusade is a message of placing fisheries first. "No one is handling more muskies each and every day than we, the anglers," states Maina from his home in the muskie-rich region of Hayward, Wisconsin. "Not biologists, not lakeshore associations, tackle salesmen or legislators. Fishermen play such a huge role in actively determining the health of our muskie waters-in essence, we're the real man... more

Invasive Species Regulation, Chapter NR40 by Dave Duwe

With the opening of the Wisconsin Fishing Season, anglers should be aware that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has implemented new rules and regulations associated with invasive species. Invasive species, both aquatic and terrestrial, create many problems in Wisconsin. They change natural ecosystems, displace native species, reduce outdoor recreation opportunities and cost millions of dollars for control. Wisconsin has been working for several years to educate people about invasive species; what they are, what they do and measures to reduce the chance of spreading them to new areas. With programs like Clean Boats, Clean Waters and Citizen Lake Monitoring, there has been gre... more

Put Some Back by Bob Jensen

In the next few weeks, lots of anglers are going to take to the water in search of a tug on their line. And in those next few weeks, lots of fish are going to be caught. When we catch a fish, a decision needs to be made: Am I going to keep this fish? For some folks, there is no decision. They are going to release the fish. There are lots of anglers who go fishing because they just enjoy the thrill of the catch. That's great! For other folks, there is also no decision. They are going to keep the fish. Fish are good to eat. If I can have fun fishing and take a few home for the supper table, I will. Nothing wrong with that either. But there are lots of anglers in the middle. T... more

What Happened to the Peacock Bass? by Bill Schultz

In 2009 I wrote two articles for Lake-Link on my experience fishing for peacock and largemouth bass from a kayak in the canals and small lakes just southwest of Ft. Lauderdale, in Weston, Florida. It was so much fun that when work took me back to the area twice this winter, I scheduled two days of fishing on each trip with friend and avid bass angler, Steve Starr. Steve has fished both peacock and largemouth from kayaks for years and certainly showed me a great time last year. I knew it had been terribly cold in Florida all winter, especially during January. As Steve and I talked leading up to my first trip in February, he told me he hadn't seen a peacock since late fall, which had us ... more

Fishing A Transverse Current by Ted Peck

The slackwater/fast water interface frequently found in conjunction with a backeddy is a popular haunt of riverine walleyes in the spring. Locating one of these fish magnets is fairly easy. But orienting a boat or making a cast that puts your offering in the optimum strike window is a study in precision. Anchoring up is one angling skill that many casual anglers don't take seriously. River fishing isn't like lake fishing where anchoring within casting distance will usually pay off. If you're in position to get a reasonable drift where the fast water meets the slack water you may be able to tempt a few fish. But if you anchor up to present an in-your-face presentation you ca... more

Line Up For Walleye Fishing by Bob Jensen

It's spring in the Midwest!! The snow and ice are gone and the robins have returned. Open-water fishing isn't far away: In fact, a good number of anglers are already out on rivers chasing walleyes and on ponds, bays, and backwaters chasing panfish. This is the time of year when many folks are putting fresh line on their reels. That's smart! Fresh line greatly increases the odds of your landing that lunker when it decides to eat your bait. There are lots of line choices available to today's angler. All those line choices can make it difficult to decide which one is best for you. Let's consider what you should think about when deciding which line is appropriate for your fishing. T... more

The Deadly Drag by Brian "Bro" Brosdahl

Dumbing-down to a crawl dupes springtime crappies for panfish pros Brian "Bro" Brosdahl with Tom Neustrom "Slow and steady wins the race." I'm a disciple of the philosophy. In real life, the examples are countless. Consider the marathoner. The guy who paces himself for 26.2 miles is sure to pass the jackrabbit before reaching the tape. Same can be said of investing. Principle plus interest plus time is a proven formula. Speculative get rich quick schemes seldom succeed. This principle applies to fishing as well. Sometimes, neurotically motoring from spot to spot in whirlwind fashion produces fish - sometimes. More often, though, I adhere to the premise that you can't get bit w... more

The Water Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Noel Vick

River expert Bill Plantan never leaves home without 'em: a full battery of prerigged rods and reels The world's a harmonious place when Bill Plantan slides his canoe inconspicuously into the flow. A morning fog masks his craft, its intentions, and most of the river panorama. Unseen riffles trickle. Something crunches in the dried leaf litter, likely a squirrel, maybe an angler making his way down to the bank. In the distance an aroused turkey gobbles - it's that time of the year. The peacefulness deepens, too, as Plantan vectors into the current and parts the haze. Just ahead lays the first of many glossy pools of promise. He taps a particular combo, a topwater package, leaving a ... more

Tips and Tricks from a Fishing Guide by Dave Duwe

There are tricks that can make a fishing guide seem like a better angler than the average fisherman. There are a range of skill levels in fishing, from a guy who fishes National Tour Events to the guy that ties an overhand knot to attach a hook to his line. I would rate myself somewhere in between, maybe slightly above average. Not like some of my friends who can catch fish out of a bathtub. The most important thing an angler can have while fishing is confidence. When I go fishing, I don't care if the wind is blowing from the east or if we have just had a 20 degree cold front. I realize that fishing may be tough under certain conditions, but I've never caught a fish while at home. ... more

Warm Water Walleye Lessons by Greg Bohn

Understanding how water temperature impacts walleyes is vital to finding fish early in the season. A difference of a degree or two can mean the difference between no fish and a 100-walleye day. Take the time clients asked Greg to guide them specifically on Muskellunge Lake shortly after the Wisconsin walleye opener in May. The deep, clear-water lake would not have made his list if he were asked to come up with his top places to target at that time of year. They tried several places without luck before stopping to eat a sandwich and consider their options. As they munched away, the wind drifted the boat into a shallow bay. Greg noticed the temperature reading on his Humminbird 998c S... more

Get Ready For The Best Ice-Fishing of the Season! by Bob Jensen

My favorite time of the year for ice-fishing is getting closer all the time. While I really enjoy early ice and its potential for fast fishing, there's just something I enjoy more about the final three or four weeks of ice-fishing. Maybe it's the longer days, which mean you can fish later in the day with plenty of light. Maybe, it's the more moderate temperatures. You can fish comfortably this time of year with less clothing. Maybe it's the knowledge that the ice-fishing is winding down for the year and you're just enjoying it more because you know it's not going to be here much longer. Nope, none of the above. While all of those are good considerations, the reason I like ice... more

Late Ice Crappies by Dave Duwe

The warmer weather of March means the end of another long Wisconsin winter. The ice is becoming soft and can be dangerous, so always use caution. The end of the ice fishing season does offer one big benefit; some of the best crappie fishing of the year. The last ice period in late winter, I believe is better fishing than the first ice period. The fish are bigger preparing for their spring spawning ritual, and they are far more aggressive. I will try to protect the resource by releasing the bigger females and never keeping a limit. In addition, the warmer March weather makes fishing much more pleasant. Pre-dawn, dusk and night are the best times to catch late ice crappies. This is whe... more

Time For A New Boat? by Ted Peck

My tax guy tells me I need to buy a new boat every five years. This is the year. My 1860 VSD Lund was ever faithful. But it's time for her to go. With the Bush tax cuts set to expire the end of this year, I suspect many folks who fish for a living are pondering accelerated depreciation schedules on their "offices" too. Those of you who have shared my 1860 VSD know she was a great boat to fish out of. A wonderful watercraft for covert operations-just a glorified flatbottom with a 75 E-Tech on the stern and a big yellow Lab on watch in the bow. The livewell on that boat wasn't big enough. Seating was less than comfortable-especially when guiding three anglers. But it was a near perfect... more

Trout thru the Ice - Just the Basics with Brad Bricco by Steve Ryan

The bend in the rod foretold the tale of the tape. This was not the pull of a walleye or even a pike for that matter. This fish had a purpose, which did not include making an appearance on the topside of the ice. Jenny fought the fish with all the skill of a professional. After a tense ten minute fight, Jenny stood triumphant on the ice with her fish in hand. Brad Bricco, our fishing guide for the day, stood by with a Cheshire grin. If there was a cannery on the loose, I know who ate it. Bricco gave a nod, knowing full well that he had accomplished his goal for the day. He had put Jenny on her first steelhead thru the ice and she did the rest. Not to rest on her laurels, Jenny qui... more

Walleyes Come as No Fluke by Brian "Bro" Brosdahl

Brian "Bro" Brosdahl with Mark Courts Admittedly, I'm a meat and potatoes sort of guy. I'm eyeing the porterhouse steak on the menu long before the canary food, organic "meals under 500 calories". In fact, I'll take the whole right side of the menu, please. This instinctive weakness for hearty meat translates to my walleye fishing as well. Nine out of ten times I'm elbowing my way to the biggest minnow, not thinking much about soft plastic alternatives. Give me minnows, or give me death…or perhaps something less dramatic, but along those lines. With that said, I mean no disrespect to guys who put their trust in plastics, sometimes choosing them over live minnows, leeches, and cra... more

Baiting Technique Turns Fish to Stone by Brian "Bro" Brosdahl

Creating "Medusa's Head" with maggots popularized by ice fishing pacesetter Brian "Bro" Brosdahl Warning to panfish everywhere: Don't look into her eyes, or at that living crown of writhing maggots for that matter. If you're lucky, it's Stonehenge for you, and a safe sink to the bottom of the lake. If you're unlucky, it's a treble hook in the maw and a one way ticket to the frying pan. What Brian "Bro" Brosdahl has dubbed "baiting up with Medusa's Head" is stonewalling giant panfish across the Ice Belt. The finished package, as the name implies, mimics, in a miniaturized way, the slithering snakes that turned Greek hairdressers into geologists…BC. Medusa's Head, ala Bro, is fashi... more

Lure Action For More Ice-Fishing Action by Bob Jensen

It's that time in the ice-fishing season when we really need to start fine-tuning our presentations if we want to experience ice-fishing success. The easy ones have been caught, and the remaining fish have been pounded pretty good by this point of the season, especially on the community holes or if you're fishing out of a shelter that hasn't been moved. This is when lure action become a very important consideration. Perhaps the most important tool when you're trying to determine the appropriate lure action is a good sonar unit. A good sonar will reveal fish and your lure. How the fish react to your lure will give you some clues as to proper lure action. On my last ice-fishing trip my... more

Nonprofit Madison Fishing Expo Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary by Dan Durbin

The Madison Fishing Expo (MFE) will be celebrating its 25th year February 26th through the 28th with one of its largest shows ever with more speakers than ever before. Chuck Rolfsmeyer, President of the show, said they have come a long way in their 25-years. "It's hard to believe that this show has grown to what it is from where it started," he said. "When this started out we were a bunch of guys who wanted to promote the sport of fishing but had no idea how to run a sport show. Now, it's one of the largest all-fishing shows in the country." To celebrate the anniversary of the show, MFE will be allowing all current and retired military, and their immediate family, into the show f... more

Open that Door! by Ted Peck

Door County, Wisconsin has been one of my favorite fishing destinations for over 30 years. This is a place where you want to bring all the gear-from downrigger rods to perch jerkin' tackle-because the bite will always be good but finding the best action is a study in versatility. Packing for a roadie to Wisconsin's thumb is a little easier this time of year. All you need is the ice fishing stuff: tip-ups for pike and brown trout, jigging sticks for walleyes and whitefish. A GPS and compass are must have items. You'll want to bring a portable shanty, Vexilar and power drill. Driving on the Door County ice isn't a real good idea this winter. But it's a long, long way out to most of th... more

Top ice anglers test skills, electronics at the 2009 NAIFC Championship by Ted Pilgrim

Reluctantly biting fish and the need for well-tuned electronics…everywhere lakes freeze, these two themes figure largely into the schemes of ice anglers. So it was during the 2009 North American Ice Fishing Championship. Eighty-four of North America's finest ice angling teams recently converged on Boom Lake, Wisconsin to test their skills against both finicky fish and extreme fishing pressure. At stake, $25,000 cash and the right to be called Ice Fishing Champions. Over the course of the 2009 NAIFC tournament season, teams had fished seven regional events which ultimately determined qualifiers for the big show. Returning for another run at the title were such notable teams as Boshold... more

Camera Or Flasher For Ice Fishing? by Ted Peck

There is no doubt electronics will improve your ice fishing success by at least 75 percent. Both an underwater camera and sonar flasher unit will help you put more fish on the ice. Which is better? Ask two old bucketeers what they think about either electronics or choice of underwear and you'll eventually get the same response. Camera or flasher? Boxers or briefs? Depends. If you're an ice fishing addict, the obvious answer is "both". The downside of this response is two-fold : you can only carry so much gear and the checkbook contains a limited number of checks. At $300-500 per unit you may have to choose like a wise Latina. You might base choice on how deep you usually fish... more

Hand to Fin Combat by Brian "Bro" Brosdahl

A proven pattern for hooking gargantuan pike during early ice Up above, I tiptoe across the frozen shallows maintaining a low profile. Stealth is a big part of the game. Down below, however, it's more like lions in the Coliseum tearing and tossing-down everything with blood running through its veins. That's what it's like in early winter when northern pike slash through the shallows with hearty appetites and an equal amount of recklessness. These apex predators spent most of late autumn roaming the basin, tracking along offshore humps and deeper secondary breaks. With the flip of a switch, though, they head straight for the shallows - 4 to 12 feet of water - when the surface water s... more

Hole Hopping by Dave Duwe

How can I catch more fish? This question has haunted some ice fishermen for years. The answer is really very simple, hole hopping. Hole hopping is aggressively moving from ice fishing hole to hole searching for the active, feeding fish. My favorite fish to ice fish for are bluegills. In most lakes, they tend to stay in shallow weeds (4-8 ft of water). The shallow water has everything that bluegill require, food and cover from predators. In years past, I have employed a hole hopping technique however only in the recent years have I had the proper equipment to make this technique deadly. The two most important pieces of equipment is a long pole (42"-48") and a long handle skimmer. ... more

Ice Fishing Ideas For Finicky Fish by Bob Jensen

Fish under the ice, just like fish in open water, sometimes get finicky. It seems that they just don't want to open their mouths to take the bait we have down there. Here are some ideas for getting fish to eat your bait when they don't seem to want to. First of all, if they're not eating the bait you're showing them, show them something else. However, showing them something else doesn't necessarily mean you need to change baits, you just might need to change the way you're showing them the bait. For instance, let's say you're fishing walleyes and you have a Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon down there. You can see on your depth finder that fish are coming in and looking at the bait. They're ... more

Search And Destroy by Tony Roach

"New Wave" Fish Finding Tactics on Ice When you spend your winters guiding on a huge lake like Central Minnesota's Mille Lacs, doing all the things it takes to find biting fish can test your resolve. There's only one way to the fish - drilling lots and lots of holes. My guides and I sometimes spend entire days doing nothing but searching-one guy drills, another dude scans with an underwater camera. Often, we'll grind out three or four hundred holes in the space of a 9 hour day. It isn't always pretty, and more often than not, the best way to find fish isn't the easiest way. But man does it pay off. We can usually stay well ahead of the crowds, keeping big schools of untouched fish to our... more