AS EXPECTED, THE EXTREMELY COLD ARCTIC BLAST EARLIER IN THE WEEK HAS REALLY GOT ICE FISHERMEN EXCITED AS THIS WEATHER IS GIVING ANGLERS MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO START VENTURING TO SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE HOT SPOTS MORE COMFORTABLY AS OUR ICE THICKENS. WITH THAT SAID THE ICE IS NOT TOTALLY LOCKED IN, ESPECIALLY ON THE BIG BAY, SO YOU NEED TO REALLY BE SMART AND AWARE OUT THERE. JUST KNOW THAT SHIPS ARE STILL COMING IN AND THE SHIPPING CHANNEL IS OPEN. ANY TYPE OF SOUTH WIND CAN AND WILL MOVE THAT ICE NO MATTER HOW THICK IT IS AND YOU CAN ULTIMATELY GO FOR A RIDE. OUR WEATHER FORECASTERS SAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BIT OF A WARMUP TODAY AND TOMORROW WHICH WILL MAKE FOR SOME BEAUTIFUL ICE FISHING WEATHER. ANOTHER EXTREMELY COLD BLAST FROM THE NORTH WILL SET IN ON TOP OF US OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK AND IT SHOULD REALLY BE “GAME-ON” AFTER THAT.
AS FAR AS WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON UP TO THIS POINT, THE PERCH FISHING REPORTS CAN BE CLASSED AS GOOD OVERALL. SOME DAYS ARE FANTASTIC AND SOME DAYS, WELL, THEY CAN BE NOT SO FRESH IF YOU WILL. ALONG WITH THE OVERALL GOOD PERCH FISHING, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ABSOLUTE GIANTS CAUGHT IN RECENT WEEKS WHICH YOU CAN CHECK OUT ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. SOME FOLKS ARE KEEPING A FEW TO HANG ON THE WALL AND SOME ARE TAKING PHOTOS AND RELEASING THOSE HUGE ONES AS THEY ARE FINDING OUT THAT THEY DON’T MAKE THE GREATEST TABLE FARE COMPARED TO AN 8 TO 10 INCHER. PLUS IT’S GOOD FOR OUR FUTURE PERCH FISHERY TO LET SOME OF THE BIGGIES GO. NO MATTER WHERE YOU DECIDE TO FISH, WHETHER IT’S IN ONE OF THE BAYS LIKE LITTLE STURGEON, RILEY'S BAY, SAWYER HARBOR OR EVEN THE BAY OF STURGEON BAY YOU REALLY NEED TO STAY RELATIVELY QUIET OR THESE FISH WILL SPOOK. ONCE YOU GET OUT TO SOME DEEPER WATER AREAS IT TENDS NOT TO BE AS CRUCIAL, BUT WHEN YOU ARE SHALLOW, IF YOU ARE NOT QUIET YOU WILL JUST BE FISHING AND NOT CATCHING. TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM OTHER FISHERMEN THE BEST YOU CAN AND STAY AWAY FROM MAJOR TRAVEL ROUTES FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. FATHEADS, LAKE SHINERS AND ROSIES UNDER TIP UPS OR ON JIGS WILL WORK ALONG WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF JIGS TIPPED WITH WAX WORMS, SPIKES OR MINNOW HEADS
THE PIKE FISHING HAS ALSO BEEN GOING QUITE WELL OVERALL WITH SOME REALLY BIG FISH CAUGHT UP UNTIL THIS POINT. SOME AREAS TO TARGET PIKE INCLUDE DOWNTOWN STURGEON BAY AROUND THE MARINAS, POTAWATOMI PARK SHORELINE, THE FLATS ALONG WITH THE BAYS OF SAWYER, RILEY'S AND LITTLE STURGEON. MEDIUM AND LARGE GOLDEN SHINERS ALONG WITH FROZEN SMELT UNDER TIP UPS AND AUTO FISHERMEN ARE THE TICKET THERE.
WE ARE STARTING TO GET SOME OK WHITEFISH REPORTS AS THE ICE CONTINUES TO THICKEN. MOST OF THE REPORTS HAVE BEEN FROM ANGLERS FISHING NEAR SHORE AREAS LIKE AROUND HENDERSON'S POINT. SOME FOLKS ARE TRICKLING OUT TO THE MOUTH OF LITTLE STURGEON AND RILEY'S BAY. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTS OF NEAR-SHORE ACTION OFF OF SHERWOOD POINT AND NORTH OF THE OLD STONE QUARRY. WE WOULD BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS WHEN VENTURING OUT ON THE BIG BAY IF YOU DO GO. FISH WITH A FRIEND AND CONTINUOUSLY CHECK THE ICE AHEAD OF YOU, BE AWARE OF ANY CRACKS THAT YOU WALK OVER AND KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE WIND. LEAD HEAD JIGS TIPPED WITH SOFT PLASTICS WORK EXTREMELY WELL FOR THE WHITEFISH AND SOME FOLKS WILL 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.
THERE HAVE BEEN A HANDFUL OF WALLEYES CAUGHT RECENTLY NOW THAT YOU CAN GET OUT TO SOME OF THAT STRUCTURE ALONG WITH SOME OF THOSE NEAR SHORE ROCKY SHORELINE DROP OFFS. THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WILL DEFINITELY BECOME MORE ABUNDANT THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. AREAS LIKE HENDERSON'S POINT AND SOUTH TOWARDS CHAUDOIR'S DOCK WILL HOLD A FAIR AMOUNT OF WALLEYES ALONG WITH SOME AREAS AROUND LITTLE STURGEON, RILEY'S BAY, SHERWOOD POINT AND LARSEN'S REEF ONCE THE ICE BECOMES TOTALLY LOCKED IN AND SAFE OUT THERE. RAPALA JIGS, MOONSHINES, ODD BALLS AND SHIVER 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. THEY CAN AND WILL CHANGE QUICKLY, ESPECIALLY ON THOSE WINDY DAYS. WE WANT EVERYONE TO GET ALONG SO BE KIND AND CURTIOUS, NO REASON TO YELL. GIVE ONE ANOTHER ENOUGH SPACE OUT THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF ICE FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY.
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