ANOTHER MAJOR ARCTIC BLAST ALONG WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW LAST WEEKEND AND INTO THE START OF THE WORK WEEK GIVES WAY TO SOME PRETTY BEAUTIFUL WINTER WEATHER ACCORDING TO THE LATEST FORECAST. LOOKS LIKE WE WILL HAVE DAYTIME TEMPERATURES THAT WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 20’S THEN CLIMBING INTO THE UPPER 30’S AT THE END OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK. THE WARM UP WILL HOPEFULLY KNOCK SOME OF THE SNOW DOWN OUT ON OUR ICE WHICH SHOULD MAKE ICE TRAVEL MUCH EASIER. AS FOR THE REPORT, THIS IS WHAT WE’VE GOT.
WE HAVE BEEN GETTING SOME REALLY GOOD WHITEFISH REPORTS IN THE PAST WEEK OR SO. THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE THOSE DAYS WHEN THEY DON’T BITE THE BEST, BUT OVERALL IF YOU ARE ABLE TO DO A BIT OF SEARCHING AND CHANGE UP YOUR DEPTHS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO CATCH PLENTY OF FISH FOR A MEAL. THERE ARE MANY AREAS THAT YOU CAN CATCH WHITEFISH, BUT SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR AS OF LATE HAVE BEEN THE HENDERSON'S POINT AREA, SHERWOOD POINT ALONG WITH THE VERY POPULAR LARSEN'S REEF AREA, THE SHORELINE FROM THE OLD STONE QUARRY NORTH UP TO EGG HARBOR, INCLUDING ALL OF THAT OFF-SHORE STRUCTURE WHICH INCLUDES MONUMENT SHOALS. FOR THE WHITEFISH, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT BAITS THAT WORK, BUT SOME OF THE BEST ARE SOME TYPE OF LEAD HEAD JIGS TIPPED WITH SOFT PLASTICS LIKE KEITECHS, ZMAN, MEGABASS DARK SLEEPERS OR HOWIE TUBES IN ALL SIZES. 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. AND AGAIN, IF YOU DO PLAN ON VENTURING OUT ON THE BIG BAY, MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND USE COMMON SENSE OUT THERE.
THE PERCH FISHING REPORTS WERE DEFINATELY ON THE UP AND UP AT LEAST UNTIL THAT BIG ARCTIC BLAST AND DUMP OF SNOW THAT WE RECEIVED WHICH HINDERED SOME FISHERMEN'S EFFORTS TO EASILY GET OUT THERE. THE PERCH FISHING GENERALLY GETS BETTER OVERALL THIS TIME OF YEAR RIGHT THROUGH THE CLOSE. THE KEY TO GOOD PERCH FISHING IS TO STAY MOBILE, THE FISHERMEN THAT DO THE BEST GENERALLY ARE ON THE MOVE UNTIL THEY LOCATE AN ACTIVE SCHOOL. WHEN IT’S TOUGH TRAVELING ON THE ICE, THAT WILL MAKE LOCATING THOSE FISH OBVIOUSLY MORE DIFFICULT. AREAS TO TARGET PERCH INCLUDE SAWYER HARBOR AND THE STURGEON BAY AREA, RILEY'S BAY, LITTLE STURGEON ALONG WITH SOME OF THAT DEEPER MUD FROM LITTLE STURGEON SOUTH PAST CHAUDOIR'S DOCK DEPENDING ON THE WIND AND CRACKS OF COURSE. FATHEADS, LAKE SHINERS (WHEN AVAILABLE), 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 OR MINNOW HEADS ALSO VERY EFFECTIVE.
THE PIKE FISHING REPORTS HAVE ALSO BEEN PRETTY DARN GOOD THE PAST WEEK OR SO. 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. MEDIUM AND LARGE GOLDEN SHINERS, SUCKER MINNOWS, ALONG WITH FROZEN SMELT UNDER TIP UPS AND AUTO FISHERMEN ALWAYS A GOOD BET.
THERE HAVE BEEN JUST A SMALL HANDFUL OF WALLEYES GETTING CAUGHT RECENTLY NOW THAT YOU CAN GET OUT TO SOME OF THAT STRUCTURE ALONG WITH SOME OF THOSE NEAR SHORE ROCKY SHORELINE DROP OFFS. WE WOULDN’T CLASS THE WALLEYE FISHING AS GOOD BY ANY MEANS, BUT IT IS JUST NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR HERE IN DOOR COUNTY. THE LATER INTO FEBRUARY WE GET AND THEN INTO MARCH THE BITES WILL START TO BECOME A BIT MORE FREQUENT. 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 AND SAND BAY INCLUDING LARSEN'S REEF. 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. 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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