Chequamegon Bay?

[Northlander]

Jimbo you have mail. I will call ya on my lunch break.

[Bob Horn]

I would like to thank Northlander, Matt Breuer, Ray at the bait shop, Jim and everyone else who made my trip to ashland a great one. This was my first trip up there and will not be my last. The smallies were a blast. I don`t think I can make it back up that way before the season closes on them but I will be there for some open water fishing for sure. Thanks again everyone, Bob.

[Jim Hudson]

You bet Bob, anytime you are coming up let me know and we can go out fishing. Them smallies are even better in the open water, my opinion anyways..

[Bob Horn]

The smallies got more and more lethargic as the week went on. I put the camera (Marcum560)down on the last day and even live shiners were spooking them. I did get 4 that day and seen 25-30 on the camera. I would have to agree open water is a better fight but there isn`t to many places that you can catch smallies of this class through the ice. When does the season open again for them?

[Jim Hudson]

Bhorn...

The season is still open until March 6 then will close until May 1st where it is catch and release until the middle portion of June...But basically it's catch and release all year long, there are a few 22 inchers or bigger caught but not too many...

[Bob Horn]

I was told that the season closed Feb 15th. Things are looking go for another trip up that way.

[Jim Hudson]

I checked the regs and it says the season closes March 6th. And I havent heard anything different to say it is closing sooner...

[Jim Hudson]

I guess this thread has died down because the fishing did the same in the bay!!!

Anyways, not too many good reports coming from the bay itself, most people are now out searching for lakers and or other species north or Washburn. Should pick up here again next month....

[BEAMER]

Fished bay all weekend with little luck, just two small lakers and two whitefish. It was my first time on the ice and I dont really know what to use or where to go yet. Can somebody give me some pointers on how to catch any type of trout?

[Bob Horn]

Was thinking of coming up on sun. or mon. but after hearing the reports or lack of maybe I will wait a couple of weeks.

[Jim Hudson]

I will keep ya posted Bob on when fishing picks up again. I have been seeing and hearing reports of people fishing in areas that are usually late ice spots already. But I do not think they are managing that many fish as I have not heard any good reports. Starting here at the end of the month and first part of next month it should pick back up again.

[Bob Horn]

Has the fishing changed yet or is it still slow?

[FlagUp]

Any vehicles been traveling on the ice road in Bayfield? Thanks for any info

[Jim Hudson]

Bob, last I heard, still slow. I havent fished the bay personally in awhile, but I wont start until the first of March or so.

For the ice road Flag Up, they re-opened the road again to vehicle traffic. I have seen everything from passenger cars to three quarter ton diesels running the road. But my truck will stay on land and I will run my snowmobile. Ice is just spotty this year. But they say it is safe enough to drive so "travel at your own risk"

Beamer, for trout species, jigging spoons are pretty much the norm, from sweedish pimples to slender spoons and everything inbetween. If your fishing semi-deep water to really deep water, for lake trout, I use bigger jigging spoons and flying type lures called beetles. Just match the weight of your presentation to the depths and current you maybe fishing in. This could be 1/8 ounce all the way to 6 or more ounces depending on where your fishing. I tip my jigging spoons with a shiner head or wax worms. In shallower water dont be afraid to set out tip-ups and or deadsticks while your jigging, using lake or golden shiners on these set-ups, but this time of year I would opt for the smaller lake shiners. And for deeper water, I usually use cut bait herring or smelt on my rig for the lakers. Trout are always on the move so you can find them almost anywhere in and around the bay proper. I always try to fish a spot for a half hour and if I dont hook-up I move and try to find active fish. Trout can be finicky devils and somedays you can catch the motherlode where the next you are lucky to even get a hit.

Best times are early and late ice in and around the bay, but this year action around the south channel area and in towards Houghton Point and over to Washburn's coal dock have been producing well throughout the year for mixed bags trout/salmon and whitefish. I hope this helps a bit...

[BEAMER]

JKH431, thanks for all the info on trout in the bay. Going to try again this sunday off the ice road for a few hours and see what happens. Four of us went up to red lake this saturday and caught our crappie limit in 3 1/2 hours so it might be hard to sit for long without any action. Is there any special way to cut up herring and smelt? What colors seem to be working the best? Again, thanks for all the help.

[FlagUp]

I was out off the ice road on Sat. 2/19 by the 6th tree fished from noon till dark no fish but had a couple hits. We tried smelt and cut Golden shiners

[Jim Hudson]

What I do for rigging my lure with cut-bait is always fillet a smelt or herring first, and usually with a smelt fillet you can fit the whole fillet onto your beetle with the tail end in back of the main hook. Some people run their bait skin down, where I run mine skin up, especially on smelt, as it holds better on the beetle allowing to get multiple hits from them finicky light hitters which can turn into hard hits as you raise them up off the bottom. For a herring fillet, I cut the tail section first making somewhat of a mini fillet, and cut it to the size of beetle I am using, always trying to keep a flapper piece of meat behind the hook to allow for flutter action while your flying the beetle. Again, I bait my lure skin up, pushing the pins through the bait, then running the main hook into the cut bait. I always check my bait to make sure it is flying good too, send it a ways down the hole and jig it a few times to make sure you have good action and it is not just going up and down. If that happens you either have the bait on wrong or the bait is too heavy, trim it and try it again.

For colors, you can never go wrong with white. It is so dark down there I believe it stands out the best. This is especially true when the fish are off. White seems to produce on them days, usually... But chartruese and off yellow has been working for me also. Switch up and find what they want. Like I said before, these trout can sure be finicky on certain days.

[Jim Hudson]

Quick update on the bay proper itself and the fishing down there around the Ashland area.... I have heard good reports of salmon starting to smack lures again in and around the coal dock along with the browns and smallmouths getting a bit active for people fishing around there.. Also, heard decent reports of perch fishing off Second Landing again... I may go give it a shot next week to see how accurate these reports are...

[lotalota]

Hey Jim,

I may be free on Wednesday if you have the time go get out then. Are the cohos still a morning bite or has it moved to later in the day? I think I got my hands on a sled so was thinking maybe try round 2 with that pig I lost on Tuesday. Thanks again for showing us around the other day...days really, and the gathering afterwards. How late do you think the ice will be safe up in the islands? I'm hoping for a few more weekend and mid-week outings before the rivers open up and the steelhead start haunting me.

The south shore apparently got broken up this morning. I'll drive by tomorrow a.m. and see for sure. Still hoping for a crack at those SSeyes with a few pout in the mix.

Lota Lota...

[Jim Hudson]

Lota, from what I heard, it is a morning bite and people have been leaving pretty early with a limit of fish. So it sounds like they are snapping pretty good. Today when I was over in Ashland there was a few shacks out that way and I seen a few of them throwing fish onto the ice as I was watching them through my binocs... And that was at about 3pm, so it could be an all day thing too. I shall see when I fish down there again.. Maybe Monday I will poke around...

For lakers, sure we can go.. but (Contact US Regarding This Word) you guys are gonna kill me.. Today I took a well needed break from fishing.. and now I am ready for another three week stint.. looks like we should have good ice for a couple weeks anyways in the islands as long as we dont get any big winds. People are starting to poke around deeper into the islands, with people running to Trout Point off the north side of Stockton, but only on about 4 inches of ice... so no thanks for me.... Even on Wed I seen people running sleds over towards Quarry Bay, on what looked like to be pack ice that locked in...

Give me your e-mail, and we can converse there about details..

Jim

[FlagUp]

First year i have really fished The Bay and defintly loving it. This area you mentioned where the salmon are snapping can you drive out there and where do i get on the lake at also how deep of water. Sorry for so many ?'s

[lotalota]

Jeez Jim, you better watch your language...

Shoot me a note at esoxesox at hotmail dot com. We'll talk.

We are taking a little family outing tomorrow to Ashland to play in the snow and see about those coho (maybe). How long do you think a 2 year old boy can manage inside an otter?

Lota Lota

[Northlander]

Lota a 2 year old should be at poolside with mommy dont ya think? Then the guys can hit the bay and when done take the family out for a nice warm meal. Win Win stuiation!

[Jim Hudson]

You should have mail Lota... And Northlander, did you get my last e-mail?

Flag up, if ya like fishing the bay, ya should of fished it about 10 years ago... The fishing now no where comes near what it used to be. Dont get me wrong, fishing is still good, but we need to start looking at changing some regulations on the big lake to get the fishing back to premier status. And we need to start developing a selective harvest nature in and around the bay... But for your questions, the coal dock is just east of the power plant aka the hot pond. You can access the area by vehicle right at the coal dock.

[Northlander]

Jim Im not sure wich one you talk of. Maybe send it again tonight? I will be around for a few hours after 10pm or so.

Lota is in Ashland fishing as I type.