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... ]
In The Zone For Vertically Stacked Bass By Brett Richardson
The first migrations of the late winter / early spring can be interrupted by multiple fronts and high wind conditions. This scenario forces migratory smallmouth and largemouth bass to be stacked vertically throughout the water column, as both groups of big fish and solitary giants make their way toward secondary staging locations. Many trophy bass hunters experience good results with slower horizontal presentations during this early time frame until fronts arrive. The stacking bass factor seems to elude many, as bass tend to have a miniscule strike zone and are suspending. These groups of fish can be located in various depths through the water column and generally in neutral to negative mode. Throughout the decades, I've seen this scenario every season and have made a habit of locating ... [ 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... ]
Go Small or Go Home
by Matt Johnson Modern day society continues to push the mentality of doing things “big” and bold. “Go big or go home” is no longer just a term used on the sports field, but also rather in the office, at the factory, or even in the classroom. We are wired to take things to the max and “push it to the limit.” But what about fishing? Or better yet, what about those first few weeks after ice-out when the panfish are still in “ice mode” trying to find their appetite? “Go big or go home” might send you off with the latter, but “go small or go home” could be the ticket to an amazing day on the water. So what does “ Go Small or Go Home ” mean exactly? For me, it means keeping you ice fishing tackle with you when you first hit the open water scene. When you sit back and think about ... [ 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... ]
Erie Walleyes Angler Take Notice of Perfect 10
By Abe Smith Charter captains on the Great Lakes don’t waste much time testing every new lure that hits the market. They know the two or three best baits for trolling for walleyes and that’s that. Don’t even bring a new lure to the party. So, when a lure crashes in from nowhere to enter the ranks of elite Lake Erie walleye baits, the old timers get a little upset. Solid belief systems are shaken. Old confidences are questioned It happened last fall in the Central Basin. The Smithwick Perfect 10 Rogue counted coup on walleye and topped the performance of every hardbait competitor, old and new. “By season’s end a lot of captains had all but abandoned the traditional trolling lures they’ve used for years,” says angler Matt Hougan. Derby winner If Hougan gets exuberant over the success ... [ Pound this link... ]