Fishing Report: A hardwater year to remember

NORTHERN WISCONSIN – We’ve got 18 to 24 inches of ice on most bodies of water now, and people are driving their vehicles out on many lakes.

We seem to have a fairly normal winter pattern coming this week, but as has been the case all year, things can change quickly. It sure feels good out there on the days when the sun is shining – bring your sunscreen! That, along with the noticeably longer daylight, can make for a really nice day on the ice.

With the little bit of snow we got last week, it sure is beautiful in the woods and on the lakes right now.

Walleye fishing has been decent, aside from the ups and downs that come with the extreme changes in temperature we’ve had for the last few weeks. We’ve had some good late afternoon runs on the Chain, and on some of the bigger lakes. The early morning and after-dark bites are the strongest. We’re seeing these fish in or near the holes, and most action coming from tip-ups with medium sized shiners. On some of the deeper lakes, anglers have been getting some good action jigging with minnow heads in deeper water, basically as deep as you can go. Deep, green weed edges are a great place to set up.

Northern have been the most consistent game fish for the last several weeks. Both jigging over deeper weeds and tip-up action has been good, and the best thing about this fish is that it’s a daytime feeder. Try setting some tip-ups with large shiners in or near weeds mid-day, and do some pan fishing at the same time, in the same areas.

Panfishing slowed down a lot during the last cold front, though things seem to have recovered. We’re seeing a lot more green weeds than normal for this time of the year, with the lack of snow cover – and those weeds are what you’re looking for. We have heard of some decent crappie action in the holes on the Chain, as schools of crappie are roaming through those holes at different depths. Both tip-downs rigged with minnows and jigging with waxies on vertical jigs about five feet off the bottom have been productive. We'll see a lot more of this action as things move toward spring. The bluegill have been hitting on waxies or red spikes in the weeds. Perch are on the mud flats. Look for them to be near the bottom in softer areas where they’ll hang out for the rest of the winter.

It looks like we’ve got a little more snow coming this week. We’ll take it! The little bits we’ve had have made for just “ok” skiing and snowmobiling. No need for snowshoes yet this year – but there’s still time. We’ve got a lot to look forward to as far as the fishing goes. This is one of those hardwater years that you’ll remember for decades to come, with fantastic ice conditions and no slush! Get out there and enjoy it while you can.

Good luck and good fishin’!