WELL FOLKS, THIS IS GOING TO BE IT, THE FINAL ICE FISHING REPORT OF THE SEASON. THIS DOESN’T MEAN THAT THE ICE FISHING SEASON IS COMPLETELY OVER, IT JUST MEANS THAT THE ICE IN SOME AREAS IS NEARING THE END AND WE DON’T WANT FISHERMEN TO THINK JUST BECAUSE THE REPORT IS STILL ON OUR SITE THAT IT MUST MEAN “THE ICE IS PERFECT AND SAFE” BECAUSE THIS TIME OF YEAR THAT GENERALLY IS NOT THE CASE. THIS TIME OF YEAR IS WHERE EVERYONE HAS TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THEIR SENSES ARE WORKING PERFECTLY ESPECIALLY YOUR “COMMON SENSE”! SO, WITH THAT SAID IF YOU VENTURE OUT MAKE SURE YOU TRY TO FISH WITH A FRIEND OR AROUND OTHER FISHERMEN, BRING YOUR SPUD BAR TO CHECK ICE AHEAD OF WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO WALK, BRING A ROPE, WEAR A FLOATING SUIT OR LIFE JACKET AND KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE WIND DIRECTION, ESPECIALLY OUT ON THE BIG BAY.
THE PERCH FISHING REPORTS HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN ON THE UP AND UP AS THEY USUALLY ARE NEARING THE CLOSE OF THE SEASON. JUST A REMINDER, PERCH SEASON CLOSES ON MARCH 15TH AND SHACKS HAVE TO BE OFF ON THE 16TH, WHICH MOST OF THEM ALREADY ARE. SOME AREAS TO TARGET PERCH, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR, INCLUDE SAWYER HARBOR AND THE STURGEON BAY AREA BOTH SHALLOW AND THE DEEPER MUD, RILEY'S BAY, LITTLE STURGEON, ALONG WITH SOME OF THAT DEEPER MUD FROM LITTLE STURGEON SOUTH PAST CHAUDOIR'S DOCK, AND OF COURSE THIS ALL DEPENDS ON THE ICE. FATHEADS, BABY GOLDEN SHINERS AND ROSIE REDS UNDER TIP UPS, TIP DOWNS OR HAND LINES WILL WORK ALONG WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF JIGS TIPPED WITH WAX WORMS, SPIKES, PLASTICS OR MINNOW HEADS ALSO VERY EFFECTIVE ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PERCH ARE A BIT FINICKY.
THE WHITEFISH ACTION CONTINUED TO STAY PRETTY STRONG RIGHT UP UNTIL THE LATEST MONSOON WE GOT IN OUR AREA. THE REPORTS HAVE BEEN A BIT LIMITED BECAUSE OF THAT AND ALSO BECAUSE A MAJORITY OF THE GUIDE OPERATIONS PULLED OFF OF SOME OF THE DEEPER WATER HOT SPOTS AND THAT’S WHERE WE GET A LOT OF OUR REPORTS. WE WILL HAVE TO SEE HOW IT ALL SHAKES OUT AS THE WEEK AND WEEEKEND PROGRESSES. FOR THE WHITEFISH, THE BEST BAITS HAVE BEEN SOME TYPE OF LEAD HEAD JIGS TIPPED WITH SOFT PLASTICS LIKE KEITECHS, ZMAN, MEGABASS DARK SLEEPERS OR HOWIE TUBES IN ALL SIZES. AND YOU CAN RUN SOME TYPE OF SLIDER HOOK ABOVE THEIR MAIN JIG LIKE A FLY OR PLAIN HOOK TIPPED WITH A WAXY, SPIKE OR AN ARTIFICIAL BAIT LIKE GULP OR A MUMMY WORM IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO. IF YOU DO PLAN ON VENTURING OUT ON THE BIG BAY, MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND USE GOOD JUDGEMENT OUT THERE.
THE PIKE FISHING REPORTS HAVE ALSO BEEN PRETTY DARN GOOD THE PAST WEEK OR SO AS THOSE FISH ALSO GET QUITE FIESTY THIS TIME OF YEAR. SOME AREAS TO TARGET PIKE INCLUDE DOWNTOWN STURGEON BAY AROUND THE MARINAS AND OUT ON THE STURGEON BAY FLATS, THE POTAWATOMI PARK SHORELINE ALONG WITH THE BAYS OF SAWYER, RILEY'S AND LITTLE STURGEON AS THOSE FISH WILL HANG AROUND THE PERCH FOR THE OBVIOUS REASON. MEDIUM AND LARGE GOLDEN SHINERS, SUCKER MINNOWS ALONG WITH FROZEN SMELT UNDER TIP UPS AND AUTO FISHERMEN GENERALLY THE MOST POPULAR METHOD.
LIKE ALWAYS THE WALLEYE BITES ARE BECOMING MUCH MORE FREQUENT AS THEY USUALLY DO THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE FIRST AND LAST HOUR OF LIGHT IS GENERALLY WHEN YOU WANT TO BE SITTING ON A BUCKET POUNDING A JIG. AREAS LIKE HENDERSON'S POINT AND SOUTH PAST CHAUDOIR'S DOCK WILL HOLD A FAIR AMOUNT OF WALLEYES ALONG WITH SOME AREAS AROUND LITTLE STURGEON, RILEY'S BAY, SAWYER HARBOR AND SAND BAY AREA ALWAYS GO-TO SPOTS THIS TIME OF YEAR. RAPALA JIGS, MOONSHINES, ODD BALL JIGS ALONG WITH SHIVER AND BINKS SPOONS TIPPED WITH MINNOWS AND MINNOW HEADS CAN ALL BE EFFECTIVE FOR THE WALLEYES.
ONCE AGAIN FOLKS, BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT ON THE ICE STOP IN THE SHOP OR CALL US FOR UP-TO-DATE FISHING INFORMATION AND ICE CONDITIONS AS THEY WILL CHANGE QUICKLY.
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