Gamefish season closes sunday night at midnight. Its your last chance to ice that big winter pike you've been dreaming of.
Look for the pike to be in shallow, marshy areas staging for the spawn. The big fish bite is on, and a 41 inch pike was caught on Okauchee last week, with lots of anglers reporting catching 35+ inch fish the last few days.
Classic areas for pike in the last ice/prespawn mode will be shallow between 4-10feet of water with lots of weeds. The North end of Golden, the east bays of Kessus, the North shore of Lower Nehmabin, The Crane's Nest on Okauchee, the bay on Moose and the Kettle on Nagawicka have been my long time favorites. The old saying is: "if there's reed, you'll find what pike need." (Okay I just made that up, but its a good rule of thumb."
Skip the panfish this weekend, get one for the wall.
CT
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Just Two Weeks Left
The open water game-fish season closes two weeks from yesterday. That means the time to get out is right now. After that you'll limited to fishing for panfish on the local lakes or heading to the rivers until opening day.
Pike continue to bite, although reports were sketchy with the weather from last week. Expect to start finding some really big fish in shallow water as we get close to the end of the season. The biggest fish in the lake will be feeding heavily in pre-spawn mode. Go big or go home with your presentation for pike right now. Okauchee, Fowler, Moose, Kessus, Golden and Lower Genessee are all great options for a late ice season wall hanger.
Panfish reports were limited, but deep seems to still be the operative word for keepers. Some crappies are being caught, especially at night and near areas with current. Try Upper Genessee, Forest, Okauchee, Ashippun or Rock Lakes.
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As many of us in the extended Musky Mikes Family are avid bass anglers, we wanted to take a minute to offer our congratulations to Skeet Reese for a hard fought victory in the Bassmaster Classic. Way to go. Beating Ike only made it that much better!
CT
Pike continue to bite, although reports were sketchy with the weather from last week. Expect to start finding some really big fish in shallow water as we get close to the end of the season. The biggest fish in the lake will be feeding heavily in pre-spawn mode. Go big or go home with your presentation for pike right now. Okauchee, Fowler, Moose, Kessus, Golden and Lower Genessee are all great options for a late ice season wall hanger.
Panfish reports were limited, but deep seems to still be the operative word for keepers. Some crappies are being caught, especially at night and near areas with current. Try Upper Genessee, Forest, Okauchee, Ashippun or Rock Lakes.
-------
As many of us in the extended Musky Mikes Family are avid bass anglers, we wanted to take a minute to offer our congratulations to Skeet Reese for a hard fought victory in the Bassmaster Classic. Way to go. Beating Ike only made it that much better!
CT
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Weekend Planner
Conditions remain stable with just a few weeks of open game fishing ahead. The warm weather that rolled through and gave us a little break has been replaced by more seasonal conditions.
Pike remain active, but they do appear to be on the move. The most likely explanation is that the fish are starting to stage for the spawn. This is good news as it means the largest fish will move into shallow areas and feed heavily over the next 10-20 days. Spread your gear out along obvious migration routes to the shallow marshy areas. Set tipups at the mouth of the bay, half way back, and if you have the gear and people, set some up in water as shallow as 6 feet. When you start to connect, move your gear to that position. The closer we get to ice out, the more you'll have to reset your gear. Its extra effort, but it can really pay off.
Panfish anglers have reported mixed results the last 10 days, but expect the bite to pick up, especially after game fish season when anglers will be targeting late ice fish. Crappies are being caught, but mostly in the late afternoon and early evening. Bluegills are being taken from water as deep as 30 feet, and they are suspending off shallow structure adjacent to deeper water.
As for open water, the latest information we have is for the Milwaukee Harbour and the Wisconsin River Dams at Petenwell and the Dells. Anglers who have been braving the cold say the bite is slow, but expect the river fishing to pick up with the next batch of warmer weather.
Stay Safe and Good Luck,
CT
Pike remain active, but they do appear to be on the move. The most likely explanation is that the fish are starting to stage for the spawn. This is good news as it means the largest fish will move into shallow areas and feed heavily over the next 10-20 days. Spread your gear out along obvious migration routes to the shallow marshy areas. Set tipups at the mouth of the bay, half way back, and if you have the gear and people, set some up in water as shallow as 6 feet. When you start to connect, move your gear to that position. The closer we get to ice out, the more you'll have to reset your gear. Its extra effort, but it can really pay off.
Panfish anglers have reported mixed results the last 10 days, but expect the bite to pick up, especially after game fish season when anglers will be targeting late ice fish. Crappies are being caught, but mostly in the late afternoon and early evening. Bluegills are being taken from water as deep as 30 feet, and they are suspending off shallow structure adjacent to deeper water.
As for open water, the latest information we have is for the Milwaukee Harbour and the Wisconsin River Dams at Petenwell and the Dells. Anglers who have been braving the cold say the bite is slow, but expect the river fishing to pick up with the next batch of warmer weather.
Stay Safe and Good Luck,
CT
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
We have launched a Facebook group for the shop. we'll be adding content over the next couple weeks. If you have facebook, please join the group.
On a related note, if you haven't done so already, head over to the main page of the shop and sign up for out newsletter.
Cheers
CT
On a related note, if you haven't done so already, head over to the main page of the shop and sign up for out newsletter.
Cheers
CT
Monday, February 16, 2009
JS Online Article
There was a decent article on water releases and lake level control on the Oconomowoc River system in the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel.
Here's a link:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/39646342.html
CT
Here's a link:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/39646342.html
CT
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The weekend......
Lots of things happening this weekend. Spent some time on the phone and here's the low-down.
Local Lakes: The warm weather and the light we got this week haven't changed the ice conditions considerably, but you should use caution when heading out. Although the ice remains solid for the most part, the drainage of the melting snow and rainwater opened a few holes wider. Someone described seeing a few out there with the term "tire-busters."
If you're heading out for the jamborees this weekend. The pike are staging at the ends of the spawning areas. A few are still being caught in the bays, but the mouths of bays, especially those with access to deep water have been the hot spots. Big bait means big fish. Moose, Golden, Nagawicka, Lower Nehmabin, Okauchee, Kessus and Fowler have all been consistent the last ten days.
Panfish are in the deeper water, suspending off the mainlake structures. Look for crappies just under the ice to about six feet down, with bluegills close to, but not on, the bottom. Structure in 15-22 feet of water seems to be holding the most fish right now.
Fox, Pine, North, Oconomowoc and Lac Labelle have all been giving up walleyes, although the bite has been hit or miss. Look for the bigger fish to be out as deep as 25-30 feet, but you may connect with some decent fish in 12-18 feet of water.
If you're hitting the ice, now's a great time to stop by the shop. Our ice-fishing gear is on sale during the month of February.
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If catching isn't your thing, spearing might be. This weekend is the opener for sturgeon spearing. Reports from my Oshkosh sources say the ice is in pretty good shape, but the ramps are a little beat up. The water had been gin clear, but the rain and drainage has muddied it up a bit.
When I went to school in Oshkosh, I looked forward to this weekend every year. I never did see one, but sure had some great times with friends.
If you're heading up, drop us a line. If you get one, send us a picture.
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I don't know about you, but I have an itch for open water, and I hope to be able to scratch it next week. If you're tired of the ice, you have a few options.
Milwaukee Harbor: The ice is gone for the most part, and there's boats fishing for walleyes and brown trout right now.
Wisconsin Dells: The ice is gone off a stretch of the river below the dam. You can launch at the River's Edge Resort. Early reports have guys already connecting with a solid batch of walleyes and saugers.
Petenwell Dam: The launches are open, but reports on lake-link have them as very icy yet. I've only heard from one person, but he said there are fish biting, and that the area below the dam is open.
Rock River: The river is still iced in, and you won't be able to get a boat launched but the Dams at Jefferson, Newville and Indianford all apparently have some open water that is accessible from shore. Scattered reports indicate some walleyes are already being caught, but I would guess these are full time river fish rather than an early batch of males.
Depere: Still iced in, but expect this to change with some additional warm weather or more rain.
On the ice or in the boat, we'll update the reports as information comes our way. Help us to help you. If you're out, send us a report on ice or river conditions. We don't need your secret spots, just the basics will do.
Good Luck and stay safe....
CT
Local Lakes: The warm weather and the light we got this week haven't changed the ice conditions considerably, but you should use caution when heading out. Although the ice remains solid for the most part, the drainage of the melting snow and rainwater opened a few holes wider. Someone described seeing a few out there with the term "tire-busters."
If you're heading out for the jamborees this weekend. The pike are staging at the ends of the spawning areas. A few are still being caught in the bays, but the mouths of bays, especially those with access to deep water have been the hot spots. Big bait means big fish. Moose, Golden, Nagawicka, Lower Nehmabin, Okauchee, Kessus and Fowler have all been consistent the last ten days.
Panfish are in the deeper water, suspending off the mainlake structures. Look for crappies just under the ice to about six feet down, with bluegills close to, but not on, the bottom. Structure in 15-22 feet of water seems to be holding the most fish right now.
Fox, Pine, North, Oconomowoc and Lac Labelle have all been giving up walleyes, although the bite has been hit or miss. Look for the bigger fish to be out as deep as 25-30 feet, but you may connect with some decent fish in 12-18 feet of water.
If you're hitting the ice, now's a great time to stop by the shop. Our ice-fishing gear is on sale during the month of February.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If catching isn't your thing, spearing might be. This weekend is the opener for sturgeon spearing. Reports from my Oshkosh sources say the ice is in pretty good shape, but the ramps are a little beat up. The water had been gin clear, but the rain and drainage has muddied it up a bit.
When I went to school in Oshkosh, I looked forward to this weekend every year. I never did see one, but sure had some great times with friends.
If you're heading up, drop us a line. If you get one, send us a picture.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know about you, but I have an itch for open water, and I hope to be able to scratch it next week. If you're tired of the ice, you have a few options.
Milwaukee Harbor: The ice is gone for the most part, and there's boats fishing for walleyes and brown trout right now.
Wisconsin Dells: The ice is gone off a stretch of the river below the dam. You can launch at the River's Edge Resort. Early reports have guys already connecting with a solid batch of walleyes and saugers.
Petenwell Dam: The launches are open, but reports on lake-link have them as very icy yet. I've only heard from one person, but he said there are fish biting, and that the area below the dam is open.
Rock River: The river is still iced in, and you won't be able to get a boat launched but the Dams at Jefferson, Newville and Indianford all apparently have some open water that is accessible from shore. Scattered reports indicate some walleyes are already being caught, but I would guess these are full time river fish rather than an early batch of males.
Depere: Still iced in, but expect this to change with some additional warm weather or more rain.
On the ice or in the boat, we'll update the reports as information comes our way. Help us to help you. If you're out, send us a report on ice or river conditions. We don't need your secret spots, just the basics will do.
Good Luck and stay safe....
CT
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Fishing Report
The weekend was very productive with lots of large pike caught. Two fish over 39 inches were brought in from Okauchee alone.
Keep fishing the edges of deeper water near bays and current areas for pike. Bigger bait is now the ticket as we approach the pike spawn. Big fish will be staging and smaller fish will move towards shallow weedy and marshy areas. Kessus, Okauchee, Fowler, Golden and Moose are all hot right now.
Walleye fishing has been good, Lac Labelle, Pine and Fox have been producing fish, especially at night. Look for them as shallow as 8 and and as deep as 30 feet. Spread your gear across multiple depths until you find fish. If you're catching all small eyes, move out deeper.
Panfishing has been slow but steady, and the most consistent action has been from crappie fisherman at night. Crappie tend to suspend just below the ice, so if you're seeing marks on your flashers high in the water column, you might be over a school of them. A live minnow, tailed hooked on a small red hook or a teardrop with spikes or waxies should do the trick. Bobber discipline is mandatory. The Genessee lakes, Okauchee, Golden, Nagawicka and Forest have all been productive. The Madison chain is giving up some decent bags, but pressure has been heavy.
As for conditions, the warmer weather has thinned the ice, but most reports have it solid on the local lakes. As always, caution is never a bad thing. If you're heading to Koshkonong or Winnebago, double check with the locals on the conditions.
Good Luck,
CT
PS As of this posting there is open water at the dells. Stay tuned
Keep fishing the edges of deeper water near bays and current areas for pike. Bigger bait is now the ticket as we approach the pike spawn. Big fish will be staging and smaller fish will move towards shallow weedy and marshy areas. Kessus, Okauchee, Fowler, Golden and Moose are all hot right now.
Walleye fishing has been good, Lac Labelle, Pine and Fox have been producing fish, especially at night. Look for them as shallow as 8 and and as deep as 30 feet. Spread your gear across multiple depths until you find fish. If you're catching all small eyes, move out deeper.
Panfishing has been slow but steady, and the most consistent action has been from crappie fisherman at night. Crappie tend to suspend just below the ice, so if you're seeing marks on your flashers high in the water column, you might be over a school of them. A live minnow, tailed hooked on a small red hook or a teardrop with spikes or waxies should do the trick. Bobber discipline is mandatory. The Genessee lakes, Okauchee, Golden, Nagawicka and Forest have all been productive. The Madison chain is giving up some decent bags, but pressure has been heavy.
As for conditions, the warmer weather has thinned the ice, but most reports have it solid on the local lakes. As always, caution is never a bad thing. If you're heading to Koshkonong or Winnebago, double check with the locals on the conditions.
Good Luck,
CT
PS As of this posting there is open water at the dells. Stay tuned
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Fishing Report 2-4-09
Midwinter can be a tough time to have lots of success on the ice. To have really good days, anglers need to be prepared to move around and re-set up over active fish, now is that time.
Pike continue to bite, and will do so right up until last ice. The size of fish has dropped off a little over the last week, but anglers continue to connect with decent numbers of fish. Fish are starting to roam weedy, flat areas and having a wide spread to your gear is the best way to connect with active fish. While I have been recommending the use of larger live bait the last few updates, you might want to mix it up a bit now, baiting with different sized shiners to see what the fish are chasing. Our lakes have incredible baitfish populations, and shiners are one of the key forage species, but if the fish are keyed in on a certain size, they may not chase bait that is smaller or larger.
Panfish fishing has been somewhere between slow and slow the last twenty days. I would venture that most anglers are still trying to target them in early ice locations instead of looking for the suspended over deeper water. Look at a map, or remember your summertime structure fishing. Look for structure in 12-22 feet of water, chances are if you focus your efforts in these areas you will find fish. Electronics: flashers, graphs or cameras can really cut the searching time down. Right now I suggest drilling a series of holes around structure then going back for a look-see with you gear. Be ready to move around to find active schools.
Good Luck,
CTY
Pike continue to bite, and will do so right up until last ice. The size of fish has dropped off a little over the last week, but anglers continue to connect with decent numbers of fish. Fish are starting to roam weedy, flat areas and having a wide spread to your gear is the best way to connect with active fish. While I have been recommending the use of larger live bait the last few updates, you might want to mix it up a bit now, baiting with different sized shiners to see what the fish are chasing. Our lakes have incredible baitfish populations, and shiners are one of the key forage species, but if the fish are keyed in on a certain size, they may not chase bait that is smaller or larger.
Panfish fishing has been somewhere between slow and slow the last twenty days. I would venture that most anglers are still trying to target them in early ice locations instead of looking for the suspended over deeper water. Look at a map, or remember your summertime structure fishing. Look for structure in 12-22 feet of water, chances are if you focus your efforts in these areas you will find fish. Electronics: flashers, graphs or cameras can really cut the searching time down. Right now I suggest drilling a series of holes around structure then going back for a look-see with you gear. Be ready to move around to find active schools.
Good Luck,
CTY
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