Fishing Report, January 26, 2008

Well,

It looks like we all made it through that horrible cold snap. With warmer temperatures on the way, this would be a great weekend to hit the ice.

Okauchee remains the local hotspot for action. Pike are still being taken on tipups baited with large or jumbo shiners. Anglers are reporting between 10-15 inches of ice in the shallow bays, and are catching the majority of the fish in 5-12 feet of water. Finding green weeds has been more important than depth the last week. Icehouse and Bay Five have been on fire for the anglers who braved the cold, with Stumpy Bay and The Crane's Nest taking second positions.

If you're in the mood for panfish, Okauchee is producing for anglers who brave it right now. The pattern we discussed on Monday is coming into full bloom as the crappie begin to move out of the old river channel and up onto the flats to forage. The turns in the river channel and the weed flats between the Golden Mast and the Hideway have produced consistent action for the last ten days. While the crappie were biting on shiners earlier in this pattern, anglers are now reporting cathing them on panfish jigs tipped with waxies, garlic waxies and spikes. Some quality keepers have been reported, including several fish over 14 inches. The trick is to give yourself some space between you and other anglers. Although the fish appear to be more actively foraging right now, they remain skittish. Setup and keep your movements to a minimum.

In other news, Lac Labelle is turning back on for walleye action. Fish the flagpole flats, the river mouth drop off and the old rock pile edges with tipups baited with large to jumbo shiners. A few 20" keepers have been reported in addition to the usual batch of 14-18 inch fish. Try to setup along the dropoff and weededges bu on the shallow side of the drop. Suspend your bait at least 8-10 inches off the bottom in 8-12 feet of water.

Drop by the shop for more information.

Good Luck,
CT