Spring Time Panfish My favorite time of year is quickly approaching. The time when the Red Wing Black Birds start arriving, when the call of the Loon greets my morning, and the chill of the crisp morning air hits my face as I launch the boat on to one of my favorite crappie waters. YES, I love chasing springtime crappies! Typically they are eager to bite if you put in the time to pattern them at this time of year. I usually start my open water fishing within 3-4 days of the ice melting off my favorite lakes. Shallow, dark bottom bays will attract the ‘bugs’ and minnows…and the crappies and ‘gils will follow as they are interested in putting on the feedbag before the spawn. A few people have the misconception that the fish are spawning during this early period, because when they clean ... [ Pound this link... ]
Great sturgeon fishing to follow rapid spawning
Spawning has been rapid, as anticipated, and this should promise some great sturgeon fishing when season opens later in the year. Today (April 18) was a big day for our fisheries crew on the Winnebago System. We had three crews working to tag sturgeon below the Shawano Dam and we were able to handle 700 fish. This was especially a productive day because we also collected and fertilized eggs for multiple sturgeon restoration projects, which significantly slows us down compared to just collecting and tagging fish. - Ryan Koenigs, sturgeon biologist, Oshkosh. Sturgeon spawning During mid-April to early May, Lake Sturgeon travel upstream to their spawning grounds, giving the public a prime opportunity to see these ancient ones up close. Sturgeon spawning is ... [ Pound this link... ]
Spring Canadian Bear Hunting; an incredible cast and blast adventure
While spot and stalk is an option for black bear hunting in some western States and Provinces where there is more open range for spotting, the heavily timbered Canadian Shield typically requires baiting sites. Canadian spring black bear hunting in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan offer an outdoor overdose for hunters and anglers. Long days are often combined with close proximity to incredible fishing with evenings and mornings capped off with bear hunting. It's the ultimate cast and blast experience if you love to both hunt and fish. Hunters typically wait in tree stands over the site, which is really conductive for archery. Baiting the perfect location with barrels of frosting and other sweets however doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a bear will visit. Bears ... [ Pound this link... ]
Five of Fishing’s Diamonds in the Rough – the top Midwest fisheries
Easy as an angler to get caught up with that tide and chase after the most popular girl in the class, but there are some incredible opportunities at top Midwest fisheries that often fly under the radar. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and such is the case of fish popularity. Walleyes, for example, are held in snob regard across the upper Midwest. Trout purists hold down the west, and everyone south of Des Moines, Iowa, is obsessed with bass. Overlooked species provide an extremely high quality fishing experience for what is often trophy caliber fish. In some cases, these overlooked top Midwest fisheries are just victim of geography - in that they would receive much more pressure and interest if they were located in a different region of the ... [ Pound this link... ]
Creating lake maps for walleyes just got easier
Larger, established bodies of water get a lot of attention from walleye anglers, but there are a few areas in the country that really stand out to me for having numerous small lake fishing opportunities that are top notch. Biggest challenge of finding good walleye fishing on some smaller bodies of water is finding which lake to fish. The reality is that for most small lakes, there are few good maps available. You might find that actually creating your own lake maps for walleyes just got a lot easier. Logging sonar data and creating your own map has long been possible but very time consuming with some fairly expensive equipment and some know how. One new piece of technology that is really going to change how we fish small lakes is actually a couple of Apps on your cell phone if ... [ Pound this link... ]
Bald eagles on spring migration back to Minnesota
Bald eagles are migrating back to Minnesota and may be seen in large numbers across parts of the state over the next few weeks, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "Ice is breaking up along the rivers, so it's definitely time for folks to keep their eyes out," said Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer, DNR regional nongame wildlife specialist. "It all depends on the weather. It’s typical to see eagles coming through our area in mid-to-late March, as waters begin to open up and snow melts.” Only two states, Florida and Alaska, have greater nesting populations of bald eagles than Minnesota. In 2005, researchers estimated there were more than 1,300 active nests in Minnesota and that number has likely increased since. Fall migration typically occurs as lakes and rivers freeze ... [ Pound this link... ]
Catching pre-spawn walleyes in rivers
The first week of March features typical late-winter temperatures in the low 30s. Warm spring weather slowly increases the water temperatures, until the icy cold snowmelt hits the main stem of the river, causing water temps to crash back down. The water will stay cold until most of the snow is gone, allowing the soils to warm and either absorb the snowmelt, or transfer the soil's heat to the spring runoff. Pre-spawn walleyes respond to this burst of icy cold water in predictable ways. First of all, recognize that the fish don't move (or, don't move very far). Biology and instinct has driven them to position on or very near spawning areas, and those biological urges have not disappeared. Unless the dip in water temperatures is also accompanied by an unusual, dramatic increase in water flow, ... [ Pound this link... ]
Dropshot Rig for Panfish
“A dropshot rig is absolutely beautiful for putting a bait at the fish’s eye level—right where they’ve got no choice but to eat it.” Despite its 'advanced' connotation, the dropshot rig couldn’t be simpler. Think split-shot rig in reverse. As a softbait delivery method, the dropshot excels for bass. So it’s no surprise that small baits twitched and wiggled in new and tantalizing ways hold equal appeal for crappies, sunfish and big perch. If you can cast, you’re in. If you can tie a Palomar knot, you can master a dropshot rig. Amazing that such a versatile rig— this prefect presenter of soft plastics and livebait— would be so little employed by panfish fans. In reality, a dropshot rig can be as productive as a bobber and bait, or even a tiny jig. It’s even possible that the dropshot is ... [ Pound this link... ]
North Country Walleye ‘Meat’ The Precision Jigs
Methods like the jig and meat combo start to shine right about now, when cold snaps start getting measured in weeks and that first-freeze rush has kind of petered out. Walleye are still absolutely catchable using lures and jigs with more razzle dazzle, stroked quicker. But season after season, batting cleanup with a well-placed baitfish gets hotter and hotter the colder it gets. What's nice about these colder periods is they force me into moving around less and slowing my entire approach way down. How is that even remotely a good thing? For one, camping out on good spots really lends itself to being thorough, meticulous and maximizing what I'm doing. There's nothing better suited to soaking great structure than a baited jig. Use the cold and rougher travel to your advantage. Ma Nature ... [ Pound this link... ]
Ten Ideas to Cure the Winter Fishing Blues
For many fly fishing enthusiasts, this winter has been especially long and hard - and for others it always seems to be a long time before the start of the summer fishing season. Here are ten ideas to help shake off those winter blues and start looking forward to summer. Reward yourself with an early trip. Winter may be the off-season, but that doesn't mean you can't catch fish. Chasing steelhead on a winter stream can be an unforgettable experience and many fishing operations offer discounted rates during the colder months. Take a saltwater fly fishing trip, or it's a great time during the shoulder season to take a trip, when you have the water almost all to yourself. Attend a local fly fishing show. Winter and spring are great times to attend fly fishing shows and ... [ Pound this link... ]