Got out for a short time this past weekend to fish for walleye from shore on the Wisconsin River here in Tomahawk. Between two of us we landed about a dozen fish in just over an hour. All were small males, and to my surprise, not one of them was milking. Hopefully this means the spawn will be going on yet for sometime to come. Along with walleyes, I've been hearing of some nice catches of crappies lately below some of the area dams. Slip bobbers set a couple feet off bottom are a good bet for the crappies, while a hook and sinker rig tipped with a fathead is all that is needed to catch the walleyes.
On a side note, found out mothballs work great to keep mice out of the boat while in storage during the winter. Also learned mothball smell can linger, which is part of the reason I have yet to launch the boat this spring. Just goes to show nothing's ever simple.
Looks like nice weather is again in store for this upcoming weekend. Should provide a great opportunity to get out and enjoy, or to air out the boat as in my case. Good luck to everyone heading out. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Hard to believe the much-anticipated 2012 fishing opener is almost here already. In just over a week's time all area waters will open for the season, and anglers will take to the lakes and flowages in search of gamefish and panfish alike. I spoke with longtime local fishing guide Julio Skonieczny, who provides updates on this website under "fishing reports", to provide a preview of what can be expected for this year's opener. Julio's insight will appear in an article in this week's Tomahawk Leader.
From what Julio said the bite could be fantastic next weekend. Keying in on such things as weather, water temps and time of day could result in an opener to remember for a lifetime. Water temps have been hovering in the low 50s as of late, which is actually a little below where they normally would be for the opener. Some warmer temps in the forecast could certainly change things heading into next weekend. If the forecast holds we could actually be fishing in the 70s, although it is much too early to start getting excited about that possibility.
While I haven't been out much myself as of late, I have heard the panfish have been moving into the shallows on warm, sunny days. This can provide a great opportunity to take the kids out for a day of fun, or to take a meal home for a fresh fish fry.
Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

The 2012 opener is less than 24 hours away as the season sets to open tomorrow. Water temps will be around where they typically are this time of year, which is roughly 54 degrees. Air temps will be dropping after reaching the mid 70s here in the Tomahawk area earlier this week. Winds are forecasted to be out of the east throughout the weekend. Anglers might want to try a number of options to key in on active fish. If weather conditions prevent fish from moving into the shallows be prepared to try other options. Fishing Mohawksin last Sunday I was able to find perch in the mud flats in around 7 to 8 feet of water. We caught them using slip bobbers set just off the bottom using pieces of nightcrawlers. We also got into walleyes while fishing for crappies around the trestles and boated a dozen in a half hour with a few that might have been legals. These fish were caught using a simple hook and sinker tipped with crappie minnows.
Unfortunately the real nice weather from earlier this week won't be sticking around for this weekend, and anglers will have to contend with an east wind over the next couple days. Try some different options if the fish aren't where you expect them to be. Good luck to everyone heading out tomorrow. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your 2012 fishing opener!

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Gone Fishin'

Hopefully everyone had a chance to get out and enjoy some time on the water over the opener this past weekend. Despite the wet weather, our group got into some good walleye, bass and pike action early Saturday and again Sunday afternoon. Warmer weather forecasted for this upcoming weekend should really help improve the shallow bite, which includes crappie and bluegill during sunny afternoons and walleye during low-light periods. We used a simple hook and sinker rig tipped with a fathead to catch walleyes below one of the Tomahawk area dams, and this weekend we will be using chunks of crawler and small crappie minnows below slip bobbers to target panfish shallow. Should be another great weekend to be out on the water. Some really nice sized walleyes being caught in the area as of late, including anglers limiting out and fish in the 20-inch range being caught.
Over three inches of rain that fell in the area last week is really helping fill area flowages. As of today, May 10, the Spirit is down just .3', Nokomis 1.3' and the Willow is 4.6' below full.
Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, have fund and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

A cold front pushed through the area Friday evening that slowed down the walleye bite on Tomahawk area flowages. Fishing this past weekend on Mohawksin and below area dams saw some walleyes caught but not at the level seen over the opener. While the walleyes experienced a bit of lock jaw over the weekend, the shallows came alive as panfish moved up along the shorelines as the weather warmed. As the weather pattern stabilizes the walleye bite should get going again. Forecasted nice weather the remainder of the week should keep panfish shallow and feeding, which is good news when the eyes aren't cooperating. Good luck to everyone heading out this week. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

Will be giving the gear a once or twice over this evening to make sure everything is ready to go for the 2012 musky opener tomorrow. Want to make sure to start out the new season on a good note instead of losing a fish because of a problem that could have been avoided. Despite a preference to fish later in the summer and fall, my boat has seen some pretty good success early in the season in years past. This year we are a couple weeks ahead of normal thanks to the warmer weather, so I'll probably start off with some more traditional size musky lures and only change if the fishing dictates. Topwaters over shallow weeds can be really effective this time of year and will likely be my "go to" bait to start this season off. I've also seen patterns where small crankbaits off points and around islands has been effective this time of year. Smaller black spinnerbaits have also produced some very big fish early in the year on area flowages. It is all about finding the pattern when it comes to musky fishing, and hopefully in my next report I'll be able to share some insight from time on the water this weekend.
With that being said, expect boat traffic to be heavy this weekend. It sounds like we will be seeing a pretty unstable atmosphere that could produce storms and some very active muskies.
From what I have heard the walleye bite has been real good on area flowages as of late. Crappies have also been active up and around shoreline wood. Bluegills have also been feeding up in the shallows and the bass are finishing up spawning and can still be found around beds.
Remember the Tomahawk Main Street's Main Street Memories Car Show is this weekend in downtown Tomahawk. Events start Saturday with the big event planned for Sunday. There's also a number of ceremonies planned around the area this weekend to honor all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our great nation. Make sure to thank a vet this weekend!
Good luck to everyone heading out this Memorial Day weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Had a shot at a very nice mid to upper 40-inch musky over this past Memorial Day weekend while fishing a Tomahawk flowage Monday evening. Unfortunately as using topwaters go, I jumped the gun a bit and set the hook too soon. The fish was in shallow weeds off some relatively deeper water. I suspect shallow will be a good bet for this upcoming weekend, as a forecasted unstable weather pattern should have fish moving again. Also been hearing about some real good crappie fishing on Tomahawk waters as of late. Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Got out musky fishing on Lake Mohawksin before that cold front pushed through the Tomahawk area Saturday evening and saw some very active fish and boated one 42-incher.
I had been out on the water for about an hour with no action when the first fish hit my topwater being worked along one of those classic weedy points. After a short fight I was able to land the fish and snap a few photos before the release. About five casts later I had another musky attack the bait and kick the lure up in the air. Realizing the fish were responding to the front moving in, I headed for a known large-fish area where I had missed a couple big ones earlier in the year. Within the first or second cast, a 40-ish musky exploded out of a weed bed and grabbed the lure. During the battle it went airborne, which unfortunately allowed the lure to pop free. A couple casts later and I had another 40 plus inch fish trailing toward the boat. Unfortunately, I was spotted going into my figure eight and the fish hightailed back for the weeds. As I headed for another spot where I had seen some additional nice fish as of late a line of strong winds swept across the lake, which I think might have been the cold front passing through, since I didn't see another fish the rest of the evening. Not too bad though as I had a shot at four muskies probably within 50 casts of each other. Those days don't come around very often. Sure was fun during the short window it lasted. The forecast is calling for a pretty active weather pattern over the next couple days, so perhaps a replay of my recent outing will be in the works. Good luck to everyone heading out. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Got to spend a few hours out on a Tomahawk area flowage and had a shot at a couple big muskies Saturday evening. Summer patterns seem to be in full swing as the fish were located in mid-lake weed beds. I have been using topwaters during peak fishing times and in-line spinners cast right into the slop when fish are less active. Had two chasers Saturday that I was unable to get a hook in. The first was a mid 40s and the second even bigger. Both were moved on topwater right before dark. The unstable weather pattern certainly seemed to have fish moving. Unfortunately some hot weather is forecasted to move in, which will put an end to fishing for this angler until at least this coming weekend. Otherwise early morning should provide the best bet once this new, sunny weather system settles in around Wednesday. Those planning to fish Lake Mohawksin this weekend will want to keep in mind the lake will be hosting a big musky tournament Saturday. Good luck to all anglers taking part. Heading out tonight and then the cover is going back on the boat for a couple days until things cool down. Stay cool down there in southern Wisconsin as it sounds like it will be a real roaster. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and coming weekend. Good luck, be safe and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

Hoping to get back out on the water here in the Tomahawk area sometime in the near future. This recent heat wave has all but ended my musky chasing, since I don't like melting my brain while out on the water and the warm weather can be very harmful to released fish. Perhaps some much needed rain will cool down water temps. Think about giving the muskies a break until the temps cool a bit, otherwise try to fish during the parts of the day when water temps are the coolest. It would be a real shame to see a big fish go belly up because it couldn't recover in the warm water. Might give the area dams a try for walleyes and gills. This can be a pretty good time with leeches and crawler pieces. Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Stay cool and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

After what seemed like forever as a result of the warm weather, I was finally able to make it out on the water here in Tomahawk last night. This heat wave has really been something else. Fortunately up here in the Northwoods we've been experiencing some rain, so flowage water levels are holding pretty good heading into the end of July. Didn't have any action last night, but from what I've heard, topwater has been working early in the morning and lures like bull dawgs have been the ticket as the fish move deeper as the water warms during the day and into the evening. For panfish and walleyes check wood, weeds, the dams and train trestles. Extended forecast calling for more seasonal temps, so hopefully things will only get better and there will be more opportunity to get out on the water going forward. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Got the opportunity to get out and try an area lake this weekend after targeting muskies on area flowages with limited success Friday and Saturday. Was somewhat surprised a buddy did have a hit on topwater Friday from a fish that was in only a couple feet of water in some weeds on a point. That was the only action we had on topwater all weekend. Saturday we tried another area flowage and missed another musky using a Slopmaster thrown into some thick weed cover with deep water nearby. The fish seemed to be reacting to the lure and didn't seem very interested in feeding. The real action came yesterday (Sunday) when multiple opportunities to boat muskies occurred on an area lake we were fishing for the first time ever. Fishing a new body of water can seem a bit daunting, but after a while, we were able to narrow in on what the fish wanted and where they were located. The key to the yesterday's action was, as always, locating the baitfish and the muskies that were nearby. We found active fish in about 10 feet of water in some scattered weeds near a large weedy bay. As the weather conditions improved with an overcast sky, the fish moved up closer to the weeds and began feeding. I was able to boat a short musky and had hooked or missed another four fish in a couple hour window. My buddy also missed a fish and had a follow. I was using a weighted perch color Suick and perch color Bert when we got up closer to the shallow weeds. Both produced fish that I somehow managed to not catch. Had the bites turned into boated fish it would have indeed been a fantastic day. But I guess that's why they call it fishing and not catching. On a side note, we did see a lot of bluegills being caught over the weekend from deep wood, and from those I've spoken with, the big gills have been biting on other area flowages as well. They were bitting so good I almost put down the musky rod to get in on the action. Just a simple hook and sinker tipped with a piece of crawler or leech and a slip bobber if it is needed. This is a great way to get the kids involved in fishing or to get a meal for the frying pan. Another FYI, the much anticipated Antique Boat and Motor Show is in Tomahawk running Wednesday through Saturday (Aug 1-4). Stop by SARA Park if you get a chance to check out some of the rarest and most vintage boats and motors left in existence today. Outboard motors from the early 1900s inside the showroom and antique boat races out on Mohawksin. A real treat to check out if you haven't been to it before. Just keep in mind they will be out on the water through Saturday, so please take a bit more precaution when out on the water especially near SARA Park this weekend. Hopefully our guests have a fantastic stay. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

After a couple week hiatus from the water to complete some home repairs, I was finally able to put the boat in for a couple hours of musky fishing on a Tomahawk area flowage last night. Topwater had really turned off for me when we were experiencing the hot weather not that long ago, but on the advice of area guide, Julio, I hooked on a topwater last night and was able to boat a 35-inch musky. Not a big fish, but it always is nice to get in on some action after being away from the water for so long. The fish was in weeds in about three or four feet of water.
Hard to believe, but local weather reports for this morning had low temps last night dropping to 32 degrees here in Tomahawk. Driving in to work this morning you could hardly see Mohawksin through all the fog over the water. Some trees are just starting to turn and there certainly seems to be a bit of autumn in the air. Even looked like I had a bit of frost on the lawn when I left this morning.
Hopefully an unstable weather pattern forecasted for this weekend will hold. Fishing should only continue to improve as fall approaches.
Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

Unless we experience insane boat traffic, this coming Labor Day weekend should be a pretty good one for musky fishing and fishing in general. The high ridge overhead has really stabilized the weather, and the forecast shows we will continue to see bluebird skies heading into this weekend. Stable weather can be a good thing when it comes to musky fishing, and it can be even better if you can get out as a storm moves in and breaks it up, which it looks like it may be the case this coming weekend. A full moon phase starts this Wednesday and runs through Monday, so we also have that working in our advantage. As for recent time on the water, we did have some recent success fishing walleyes with fatheads under a bridge on one of the Tomahawk area flowages. A couple nice crappies that were also caught could have resulted in a nice meal, if we were looking to keep some fish. Basically just fishing in the shade of the bridge in the middle of the day with a hook and sinker tipped with a fathead. However, the air temps did rise later in the day and we did have problems keeping the bait alive. Will be looking for the muskies up in the shallows and along the weed edges this weekend using Suicks, topwaters and maybe even some fast moving bucktails burned across the weeds. We are getting real close to that prime fishing time of the year. Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone and good luck fishing. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Just got back from a week of vacation on Madison Lake in Idaho, so looking to catch up on how the bite is going back here in Tomahawk this weekend. It has been my experience in the past that the first big cool down of the fall, like the one we are experiencing right now, can provide a real good musky bite on suckers. I simply drift the sucker a few feet behind the boat under a bobber using a quick strike rig. Others like to dead stick the sucker off the side of the boat, which can be effective as the bait can be closer to where you do the figure eight. Either way, make sure to set the hook immediately after a fish hits to avoid causing it any unwanted injury. I like pitching shallow running uptown bulldawg magnums this time of year, while lures like topwaters and jerk baits can also be effective. The best will be if you can find these fish shallow, as they will be the ones especially out looking to feed. Will report back next week on how the weekend goes.
Also been hearing of some good catches of nice panfish as of late. Things can really heat up this time of year as the weeds die back as the water begins to cool down. The fall colors are really starting to show here in the Tomahawk area, which makes spending a day on the water a even more enjoyable time. Hard to believe tip-up fishing isn't that far off, but before that some of the best fishing of the year is still to be had. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time.
On a side note, the fishing on Henry's Lake was fantastic. Several 20+ inch cutbows (cut throat and rainbow hybrid), cut throats and big brook trout were caught. Kudos to my dad and uncle on some very nice catches and some fine work with the net. Even kept some for the grill this weekend. Yum, Yum.

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Gone Fishin'

Got out for a couple hours on Lake Mohawksin last evening and was able to put a 38-inch musky in the boat. Didn't really get to fish any of the spots I wanted because of the strong wind yesterday. The fish I did catch crushed the weighted Suick I was pitching toward some wood on shore. Heard the minnow bite has been really productive for walleyes and panfish recently, but dragging a sucker last night did not produce any musky action for me. Tried a topwater for a little while but couldn't direct my full attention to the bait as the fall colors are coming up on peak here in Tomahawk. Not really sure if this slight warming trend will impact the musky bite over the coming days, but I wouldn't expect things to slow down much going into this coming weekend. The forecast calls for stable weather, with highs in the mid 60s heading into this weekend, when a full moon period begins Saturday. All kinds of things going on this time of year. Some are in the woods looking to fill their bear tags or take a few birds, while others are on the water looking for waterfowl or the next big musky. Walleye fishing can be really good this time of year, and others are looking forward to the strong fall crappie and perch bite that should get underway soon on Tomahawk area flowages.
What a great time of the year to spend some time in the Northwoods. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time. Go Pack Go!

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Gone Fishin'

Got a good reminder over this past weekend of the importance of always being prepared. Out on Mohawksin Saturday evening hooked into a 30+ inch pike casting a Suick. Not wanting to net the fish, I decided to get the hooks out using the needle nose while the fish was still in the water. Big mistake. The fish was hooked pretty good in the mouth and not as bad in the gill. Figuring I would get the easier one out first, I went to pop back hook free. The fish began to splash in the water as I removed the hook from the gill plate, and as it did so, a #5 treble buried in my hand. Holding the lure in one hand to prevent the thrashing fish from ripping my other hand to shreds, I realized I was in a real bad spot. The girlfriend tried and was unable to use my wire cutter to cut the hook. So she called 911 and then drove me back to the SARA Park boat landing with hand, lure and fish dragging along. Fortunately, TPD officer Tom Tollefson was waiting at the dock and was able to borrow a side cutter from a group of anglers when we arrived. In no time my hand and the pike were free from the lure and the fish was back swimming in the lake. I couldn't thank Tollefson and the anglers who assisted enough. Needless to say the girlfriend will be treated to a nice meal out and I will be investing in a better side cutter. Had family in town Sunday and tried below some area dams for a couple hours. Found fishing to be pretty slow with only a few small walleye and pike to show for it. Hoping to try out the dams again this evening for some walleyes to see if my luck changes. At least I won't have to worry about sticking a musky lure in my hand. I'll report back on how I did. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. We certainly need the rain as most stayed south over the weekend and the flowages remain very low.

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Gone Fishin'

mrbrowns seems awful quiet lately. I always knew he was hooked on fishing but isn't this taking it a little too far !

Reminds me of a song, "I fought the Pike (law) and the Pike (law) won" !

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God and the Soldier we all adore,
In times of trouble and then no more
when war is over and all things righted
God is forgotten, the old soldier Slighted.

Hey Old Scout. Good one. Otherwise the song "Once Bitten Twice Shy" pretty much sums up how I've been feeling about getting my hands near any musky lures as of late. Actually got out for the first time last night musky fishing since "the incident." Hooked what I thought was a big musky below Bradley Dam. After a couple minute heart-pounding battle I brought the fish to the surface, which turned out to be a very big red horse snagged in the back (really had me singing the blues). Guess I ended up with the trick while all the kids were out getting treats in Tomahawk. On another fishing note, I tried below Kings Dam in town for walleyes the other night and things were pretty slow there. Managed only three small eyes in an hour. Not sure if it is the lack of water flow, but things for this angler have been pretty slow below area dams as of late. Hoping to get out this evening to take advantage of the full moon phase underway. Had lows in the mid teens in Tomahawk last night, so it shouldn't be too much longer and we'll be talking first-ice and early season walleyes. Hopefully Tom Petty's "Free Falling" won't sum up that outdoor adventure for me. Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

The snow is just starting to let up here in the Tomahawk area after falling all morning. Hard not to think about the upcoming ice fishing season as skim ice has started to form on some area waters, and the extended forecast shows a good cool down coming later this month. Should be much better than last year, when the ice fishing season lasted just three months. There's still a small window for any hardcore anglers to get out on the water before freeze up, however with the recent cold temps and the rut now underway, many have redirected their focus to the forests and fields. Previous years have produced a good perch, walleye and musky bite in November. Deep holes will be holding walleyes, perch can be caught on crappie minnows in shallower mud and stump fields and the musky can get really active at times when they move up onto breaks and points near deeper water. Depthraiders and Bulldawgs worked a bit slower can be good baits for muskies right now. Jerk baits like the Suick, Phantom and the soft-tailed Reefhawg are additional lures I like to continue using throughout freeze up. Remember as soon as the significant freeze up begins in the coming weeks I will be providing regular updates on ice conditions on a number of bodies of water here in the Tomahawk area. Some of the best walleye action of the season is right around the corner, so keep checking in to see what to expect when the first-ice season does get here. Don't forget to get out and vote today. Good luck to everyone heading out this upcoming weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water and woods time!

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Gone Fishin'

The countdown is underway for the start of the early ice season as highs today are expected to only reach the mid 20s here in the Tomahawk area. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for safe-ice, if there is such a thing, to form considering the extended period of cold temps forecasted and the strong winds we've been experiencing that continue to gust outside. Wouldn't be surprised if some wind-protected bays have fishable ice by early next week. Will also be interesting to if early fishing is impacted by how dirty the water is because of the wind leading up to freeze up. Remember to keep checking in as I will be providing ice reports and fishing reports on area lakes hopefully starting Monday. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and the hunting season is going well. Might want to start thinking about getting the ice fishing gear ready. I don't think it will be long now and we'll be talking fishable ice and the big walleyes that come with it. Remember to follow all safety procedures when heading out during early ice. Good luck, be safe and enjoy your upcoming Northwoods ice time.

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Gone Fishin'

The temperature is 12 degrees at 8:30 a.m. here in the Tomahawk area Thursday morning. Most area lakes have frozen over with the recent cold temps. A warm up is scheduled for this weekend, but pending any significant rain, I would think the ice will remain fine where people have been getting out already. Ice depths are ranging between two to three inches in back bays and other areas protected from the wind that kept ice from forming early. In more open parts of lakes, I'm hearing there is anywhere between a half inch to an inch of ice. Anglers will obviously want to use extreme caution if heading out on this early ice. I use an ice pick and "spud" my way out before every step - this is really important as ice depths can vary greatly depending on when the ice formed. Fish with a friend, if you can, and have a flotation device along and a pair of ice picks on hand in case you do go in. Remember, you don't need to get out very far to get in on the great walleye action that can be found this time of year. Especially if there's a layer of snow on the ice or the ice is somewhat cloudy, walleyes will move in at dusk and feed off rocks, weed lines or stumps. I've even picked up some nice fish off of a sandy bottom along the shoreline in about four feet of water where deeper water was located nearby. This time of year I will use bigger bait like shiners and suckers, however, I also like to have some fatheads in the bucket just in case the fish are finicky. Stump fields and remaining green weeds also can be great places to find active perch and bluegills during early ice. Early ice is finally here, so time to get out and enjoy some of the best walleye fishing of the season. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe, have fun, and I have been waiting to say this for a while now, enjoy your Northwoods ice fishing time.

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Gone Fishin'

A light rain is falling here in the Tomahawk area on a dreary Monday afternoon. The early ice fishing season has all but ended as rain and warm temps over this past weekend resulted in some unsafe conditions. There was about four to five inches of ice on the bay I fished on the Spirit Saturday evening (I heard of a couple inches in other areas). Conditions were deteriorating quickly, and on Sunday I heard of someone going through as they tried to get off the ice. Hopefully the ice stays on, and the cool down forecasted in a couple days is enough to freeze the standing water that is now on the ice. Maybe that will make for some fishable ice again. Wish there was better news. At least the Badgers and Packers put up big wins to make the lack of ice less painful. I'll let everyone know what I'm finding in a couple days after the more winter-like weather returns.

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Gone Fishin'

Temps down around the single digits last night here in the Tomahawk area really helped harden up the ice that made it through the recent warm up. Checked the bay at Bradley Park this morning and there was about five inches of solid ice. Areas that opened up remain unsafe but are mostly frozen over again. Should be in good shape as far as ice fishing goes heading into this weekend. Just make sure to continue using caution when venturing out. Ice kreepers are a good idea as the ice will be slick. Remember to continue checking ice depths with the spud as ice depths can range greatly this time of year. Those waiting for safer ice before heading out might want to check out the first-ever Ice Fishing Expo taking place at the Patriot Center in Wausau this weekend. The event will include some of the biggest names in the industry and feature some of the newest products on the market. Should be a lot of fun to checkout. For more on the event, visit www.icefishingshow.com. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and upcoming weekend. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

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Gone Fishin'

We're making ice here in the Tomahawk area this Tuesday afternoon as the temp is around 25 degrees. Got out on the Spirit Flowage last night and the ice conditions look pretty good - all things considered. I had about five inches in the bay I was fishing. An ATV and ice shack went through on Lake Alice off the Birch boat landing last week, so continue to "chip it out when in doubt" as ice conditions will vary greatly on area lakes and flowages until we see more steady cold temps. I continue to hear reports of panfish action in the stump fields and channels. I've been sticking to walleyes using tip-ups set an hour before dark. I released two short eyes and a pike last night using shiners in about four feet of water after an hour of fishing. Hopefully with the better ice comes better reports as anglers are able to get to better fishing spots. Wishing everyone a happy holidays and many big fish in 2013. Be safe, have fun and enjoy your Northwoods ice time. Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend.

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Gone Fishin'