Jeff, you aren't full of hockey pucks, the various Lake Winnebago nicknames do refer to the smell. Also, of course this could be urban legend, at one time septic systems drained into the lake. I'm sure this goes back 50-100 years when things weren't always done to code. My husband seems to remember "things" floating while swimming as a kid. Of course "things" as a kid could have been tree bark or the like floating around.

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Life is too short for drama & petty things!
So, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!

Sturgeon spearing is the only way the fish is legally harvested from the Winnebago system throughout the year. Funds from the licenses spearers purchase go toward, among other projects, restocking programs to assure the population remains healthy - be it VHS could have a devastating affect this spring.
The DNR assures the sturgeon spearing season is tightly regulated. The upriver season only lasts two days (or when quotas are met) and only a certain amount of fish are allowed to be taken throughout the season. The season is held before the sturgeon make their annual runs up the Wolf River to spawn on shallow rock shorelines - where they are protected and constantly watched over by Sturgeons For Tomorrow volunteers.
It is a shame we weren't able to harvest the fish my friend lost this past weekend, but the same is true for any bow hunter who is unable locate a wounded deer. The same also is true of the musky that accidently dies because of a deep hook job. It's the nature of the sport, and sometimes accidents just can't be avoided. Trust me when I say my friend was devastated when he lost the sturgeon, but I'm sure he and I will again be out next winter taking part in one of Wisconsin's most unique traditions. Although, all this talk about "things" floating in the water will make me think twice before I ever throw the spear.
Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend and enjoy your Northwoods ice time!

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Gone Fishin'

Isn't this the same DNR that every one in the Northwoods maintains can't estimate a deer population? Yet now they're "dead nuts on" in their estimate of the Lake Sturgeon population of the Winnebago watershed?

I object to the finality of spearing and to fishing a species during their spawning period. These are personal values. If a person wants to spear a fish that is unique in the U.S. to the Winnebago System or fish for species during their spawning period, that's their choice. Just don't expect me to support that choice.

I know all about the benefits to wildlife and fisheries program funding from license fees. It is one good thing that comes out of spearing permits since these programs get minimal funding from our state's budget.

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Jed,
How has the walleye bite been lately on Lake Alice? I don't know if you guys got hit like we did yesterday (12" of new snow), but are there any issues of having trouble seeing tip up flags due to snow depth on the ice?

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Jeff,
The snow is really starting to add up, but I don't think Lincoln County received nearly as much of the white stuff as counties to south recently did - Wausau was reporting 9 inches over the past two days. Before the fresh coating, Lake Alice was covered with some big, solid drifts (three feet high). I've been really cautious about leaving the plowed roads, and I can only imagine the recent snowfall will add to the difficult travel on Northwoods lakes. Make sure to take your shovel.
I haven't really been keeping up with the walleye bite as I've been spending most of my time trying to track down crappies. However, up until last weekend I was still picking up eyes in around six feet of water. The fish have been moving in just before and after dark, and if I'm fishing sluggish fish after a cold front, I'll use large fatheads instead of sucker minnows to increase the bite. Fish should really be snapping this weekend, as it looks like we're moving into a warming pattern.
I'm not sure if we're at the point where tip-ups will start to disappear into the snow base, but I do have a few suggestions new anglers might want to consider to increase catches. When setting tip-ups, I always try to make sure they are compacted into the snow to reduce movement (the tripping of the flag) when a fish hits. If it's early ice and there's no snow, I'll place the tip-up at one end of the hole. If we have a significant snow base like we do now, I'll remove just enough snow from around the hole so the spool is a few inches below the water and I'll push the tip-up down into the snow to form a solid base. If your tip-up spools line easily, this simple tip can increase your catch.
Good luck to every heading out this weekend and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

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Gone Fishin'

Is there such a thing as tip up flag extenders? No issues with the upright wind activated tip ups, but I'm thinking about Beaver Dam styles.

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

I do have a couple tip-ups I purchased with the flag extensions, but they are both the round Polar style. I prefer the Polar over the Beaver Dam, but among other tip-ups, I consider these two brands by far the best on the market. Not to get off track, but a lot of the cheap tip-ups you see being sold in big box stores are junk. Of the tip-up brands I've used, I wouldn't recommend any other than the Beaver Dam or Polar.
I only have one Beaver Dam, so I'm not sure if you can detach the flag and staff from the tip-up or whether it is built in. I know they sell the flag and staff extension, and the piece is pretty easy to replace for the flag and staff on the Polar tip-up. I usually only use the "extendos" when I'm trying to cover distance when fishing pike. (TIP: if you're fishing pike on a sunny day cover the hole with snow so light doesn't shine down). When I'm fishing walleyes I'm not usually as spread out and I use lights that I attach to my tip-ups.
It sure is fun to see the extendos go off though. These you really need to compact into the snow as when the flag is triggered there is a lot of recoil. You also have to clear a launching path so the spool is in the water and there's enough room for the extension and tip-up to sit evenly on the snow.
Sounds like you'll be taking to the ice this weekend Jeff. If you are, good luck and remember to take a shovel. With all the snow on the ice, I've been hearing a lot of talk about people going shallow. Friday night I'm planning on setting off a deeper point (12 feet) and Saturday evening will be moving in to fish in around 6 or 7 feet of water. Hopefully the warmer temps will have the fish cruising.
Be safe out there everyone and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

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Gone Fishin'

One Polar, two Beaver Dams, & two HT wind jiggers here. Maybe instead of flag extensions, I should install audio alarms. (Imagine the consternation I could cause in Shantytowns!)

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Car alarms in a shantytown would definitely cause some commotion - I was sleeping in one of the villages just the other day.
Curious if you've had the chance to try these tip-up pagers yet? Because of the price, I've been waiting to get some feedback from a few people I know who have been using them this winter. From what I've been told, you can pick up a signal from a pretty good distance and they are reliable in all weather conditions (another benefit is they're not as loud as a car alarm). Call it being lazy or just the advancement of technology, but they sound like a really nice investment.
Just a few upcoming dates to keep in mind. The inland lake game fish season closes this Sunday (March 2), and after March 12, all permanent and portable ice shacks in the area will need to be removed from lakes daily. The statewide DNR spring hearings are also just around the corner in April, and some of the questions that will be asked concern the Wisconsin River Flowage. Make sure to mark your calendars so your voice can be heard.
What a fun time of the year to be out on the ice. The recent warm spell knocked down the snow base and local lakes and flowages are again pretty mobile with a pretty thick ice base. I came across active wigglers in a shallow flowage bay this weekend and was able to get on some nice size perch and crappies. Walleyes also will begin feeding on wigglers this time of year (although in most waters they must be let go).
Spring is just around the corner, so make sure to get out and enjoy your Northwoods ice time while there's still time left!

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Gone Fishin'

It isn't fantastic yet, but the crappie bite appears to be slowly turning the corner and the forecasted warm temps should only increase the action.
Friday: Hi (13) Low (-19)
Fished with a friend for a couple hours before dark and we were able to take home a dozen decent-sized slabs. Most were caught using tip-downs and rosie reds. Using pink and orange jigs set about six inches off the bottom.
Saturday: Hi (21) Low (-6)
Fished the same location between the river channel and a stump field on the Wisconsin River Flowage (in about 10 feet of water) and again found some active fish - the biggest was a 14-inch dandy. Along with the tip-downs, we also caught suspended fish (about four feet off bottom) using small jigs and waxies. Talked with a group of fisherman nearby who didn't have much luck crappie fishing, but they did have action. One guy told me he caught a 38-inch musky on six-pound test.

After an entire week of sub-zero lows, it now appears we'll be ice fishing well into April - we're at the point where the handles of your power auger touch the ice when drilling holes. If you're heading out any time soon, make sure to take along a shovel and some cat litter isn't a bad idea either. I speak from experience, since I've been stuck each of the past two weekends on Buckskin Lake and Pelican Lake.
Good luck to everyone heading out this week and enjoy your Northwoods ice fishing time.

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Gone Fishin'

Lakes in northern Wisconsin are now in ideal condition for late winter ice fishing. Some of the landings are getting a little worn, but other than that, there's still plenty of ice and the snow base has dropped considerably over the past week due to the seasonal weather. Some are now beginning to question whether the ice will be gone by opening weekend, but, either way, it was nice to get out this past weekend without getting my truck stuck!
The crappie bite hasn't gone gangbusters yet, but decent size fish can be caught using tip-downs and rosies. I've been having my best luck using pink and orange jigs set a half foot off the bottom in 10 to 12 fow. I've also been hearing reports of anglers catching big crappies suspended in deep water. The time is almost here when the water starts running into the holes - which many say is the best time to be out crappie fishing.
The snow birds aren't the only ones starting to migrate back to the Northwoods. Bald eagle sightings have really increased over the past week. No robins yet, though.
If I don't report back before this weekend, odds are I've found those deep-water suspended crappies. Good luck to everyone heading out and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Ignorant here. I have tip ups, but what's a "tip down"?

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Jeff,
I figured the best way to explain a tip-down is to show you one on the ice. You can see in the attached photo the tip-down basically works because the jigging rod is on a swivel, so when the fish hits, the rod tip smoothly lets line down to the hole - unless the crappie crushes the bait, in which event, you need to run. The rod isn't attached to the wood base, so you can just pick up the pole and set the hook. This also means you need to be observant and not set them too far away because a fish could (and I've heard they have) taken poles down the hole. I picked up these tip-downs at Chuck's Bait Shop and Aquatic Arts - this brand sells for around $20 apiece and they work very nice.
Now as for why I do so much better using tip-downs for crappies than jigging, I'm still not completely sure. Sometimes wind helps give the bait movement, but I still do better with tip-downs over jigging on days when it isn't windy. About the only conclusion I can draw is because the tip-down holds the bait at a different angle then when jigging.
After a slow weekend, the crappies did start picking up some the last two evenings. Last night the fish got more selective and I had to switch bait colors until I found one they preferred - a pink and white mix. The night before I was catching fish on plain pink and orange.
There's still plenty of ice on the lakes, so anyone with plans to make the trip north this weekend need not hesitate. The crappies are getting more active and will continue to feed more as more snow melts off the ice. Another nice bit about fishing the Tomahawk area is if the panfish aren't feeding you can always go after game fish.
Good luck to everyone heading out and enjoy your Northwoods ice time![attachment=0]Tipdown.jpg

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Gone Fishin'

I fail to find the humor in Mother Nature's April fool's joke (we received around 8 inches of wet snow in the Tomahawk area last night), but I guess area flowages need the precipitation to fill up this spring, so we'll take it.
The good news is air temps are expected to warm back up over the next few days, so I expect vehicle travel again won't be a problem by the weekend. The bad news is conditions at some of the local boat landings have deteriorated, which means four-wheeler and foot travel may soon be the only options. The County Rd. D and County Rd. A landings on Lake Alice are still in good shape and are accessible by vehicle. The Birch Road landing is in very bad shape, and I wouldn't recommend anyone try driving a vehicle off it. The boat landing at Bradley Park in Tomahawk also is in rough condition, as I've heard some of the landings are on lakes north of the Tomahawk area. There's still plenty of ice out there, however, and the fishing will start picking up as the snow base melts off the ice.
Many of us who try to share with fellow anglers the conditions and fishing reports are starting to sound like broken records. Winter just won't let go here in the Northwoods. This past week I fell into the trap of thinking it was good crappie fishing weather, and didn't switch up and try fishing for perch or walleyes when the crappies weren't feeding. I would recommend to anyone heading out to keep your options open. Don't target, like I did, a specific species and sit on your bucket waiting for them to bite. Find the feeding fish.
To end on a good note, two weeks ago I was drilling a hole near the County Rd. A bridge on Lake Alice and wasn't able to bust through. Sunday night I tried again in the same vicinity and actually had a few inches to spare before my auger handlebars hit the ice! Although it doesn't look like it outside today, it appears that spring will soon be at our doorstep.
Good luck to everyone heading out and enjoy your Northwoods ice time!

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Gone Fishin'

Jed,
What about putting a cardboard "collar" disc larger than the diameter of the hole on the rod, after the reel? Fish bites, rod falls off stand, run to the hole, slip off collar & bring in fish?

Jeff

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Jeff,
That's a very nice idea that probably would help save some poles along the way. Plus, the cardboard also could serve to keep the holes from freezing over when it is cold outside.
The only part where I could see this causing a problem is when you're pulling a crappie up with a tip-down you don't really have the time to stop and remove the cardboard - the crappie could pop the hook if tension isn't kept on the line. However, you could probably remedy this by putting a sinker six inches above the hook (many who use small treble hooks already do this anyway) that could serve to keep the cardboard from hitting the fish when you pull it through the hole.
Thanks for the tip and I'll make sure to give it a try to let you know how works. This could be a real benefit for those who fish the Willow Flowage and often risk the chance of loosing poles to small hammer heads.
On a side note, I drove my truck out on Lake Alice last night and did come across some slush, but nothing that I couldn't get through in four-wheel drive. The warm temps yesterday really helped knock down the recent snow, so travel should be pretty good by this weekend. Also, the thought came to me that if I ice fish into May (which with some 30+ inches of ice still on many lakes it looks like I very well could) it would mean that this winter season I ice fished during seven months out of the calendar year. I really enjoy ice fishing, but I'm not really sure how I feel about that.
Good luck to everyone heading out and enjoy you Northwoods ice time!

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Gone Fishin'

7 months of hard water fishing is too long for any one's sanity!

I got to fish the walleye bite below the last dam before the Fox enters Green Bay a couple of nights ago for the first time. We fished a ledge paralleling Voyageur's Park about a quarter mile below the dam. Yellow jig heads & fatheads were the ticket.

The fishery is catch & release. One fish over 28 inches per day can be kept. My buddy & I caught & released 20+" fish all evening, but nothing over 23". I didn't see any huge one caught around us. Two days later he went out again & picked up a 26.5".

The DNRs of Wisconsin & Oregon believe the next world record walleye will come from Green Bay or the Columbia River. If any of you get the opportunity to fish Green Bay in the early Spring JUMP at the chance!

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Sorry about the repeat post which I just deleted.

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Jeff,
I've never fished the Fox River near DePere, but I've seen some photos of the monster walleyes the fishery produces each spring. Sounds like you and your friend had a blast. Feel free to post pictures of any big "eyes" you catch this spring. I'd love to see some of those DePere hogs!
My brother recently moved to Washington and has been telling me about some of the walleyes he's been seeing coming out of the Colombia River. From what he's been saying, a 20 lbs. fish isn't that far of a stretch, and, he said, people have been catching fish weighing well into the teens. WOW!
Open-water walleye fishing here in the Northwoods might not be far off thanks to some warm weather and rain this past weekend - actually, I've heard some anglers are already boat fishing the Wisconsin River off State Hwy. 107. From Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, the ice on the channel at the County Rd. A bridge on Lake Alice opened completely. I was pretty shocked to see this upon returning home after a weekend fishing trip, since I was cross-country skiing and snowmobiles were driving on the channel just last week! When I left Friday the ice on the channel was just starting to turn dark. Now the river is open nearly as far as the eye can see to the north and south of the bridge. Talk about a quick break up. The same is true at the Veterans Memorial Bridge (North Fourth Street) here in Tomahawk, although signs of ice deterioration started much earlier on Lake Mohawksin.
Vehicle travel on lakes was safe through this past weekend, but I wouldn't recommend driving on the ice anymore (this sounds kind of strange after talking about open water). It'll still be a while before area flowages and lakes are ice free, but the ice at the boat landings in many areas is really starting to break up. Looks like four-wheeler and foot travel from now on.
Wasn't able to find much for active perch while fishing Lake Metonga, Lac Vieux Desert and Pelican Lake this past weekend. However, I was able to catch my first musky of the year (25-inches) while fishing with tip-downs on Pelican Lake last night. Yes, I almost had to kick myself for not yet trying the bit with the cardboard we had previously discussed, Jeff. Fortunately, I was pretty close when the fish hit, so my rod survived to fish another day.
Be safe and good luck to everyone heading this week. Enjoy your Northwoods ice and open water time!

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Gone Fishin'

As I was preparing to call the walleye run officially on Tuesday morning, the weather changed and the walleyes turned off as the water temps dropped. The warmer temperatures forecasted for next week should start the walleyes moving and feeding again, however, until then, I'll be focusing my time on panfish.
Perch on the Wisconsin River have continued to feed even with the cooler temperatures over the past few days. Lots of bugs are crawling out of the mud, and I've been finding fish in the shallower mud flats. These fish are moving, so put out the tip-downs or tip-ups using fatheads while jigging other holes.
We didn't lose much ice since last weekend, so travel should be pretty safe where water current isn't present. However, it sounds like we could be getting another dumping of snow tonight, so things may get very sloppy until it warms up again.
Good luck to everyone heading out and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

First make sure your taxes are filed, then take time to enjoy some of the fantastic fishing the returning warm weather has brought with it to the Tomahawk area.
Whether through the ice or open water, perch will remain active and walleyes should begin feeding as they make their way up river to spawn. Crappie fishing should also pick over the next few days as the snow cover melts off the ice. It is completely up to each individual angler, but I prefer releasing big females and keeping the smaller males. They make better fillets, plus, by doing this, we can help assure fish populations remain strong into the future.
It's still too earlier to know whether the ice will be off area lakes for opening weekend. Some boaters are finding ways out onto the Wisconsin River, however several area boat landings are still frozen shut. This could easily change this week with temps in the 60s and rain expected.
On a side note, I should have put into practice what Jeff and I were discussing about putting a piece of cardboard over the hole to stop pike from stealing tip-down poles. Last night on Lake Alice, I watched as my first pole of the winter disappeared. I think the fish felt (or heard) me running to the hole, and if I'd had another second, I'm sure I would have been able to save my pole. Live and learn, I guess.
Good luck, be safe and enjoy your Northwoods ice and water time.

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Gone Fishin'

After the winter we've had I can actually say I've never been so happy to see rain, which it has been doing all day here in Tomahawk. Well, that and I know it will really get the crappies biting.
Several boats were fishing near the County Rd. A bridge last night on Lake Alice - which hopefully they enjoyed since this could very well be the last year after Tuesday night's Spring Hearings. There also were several trucks with boat trailers parked next to the North Fourth Street bridge in town, so I guess you could say the open water fishing season has begun. I haven't heard much yet about what stage the walleyes are at in spawning. I caught (CPR) a big female through the ice last week as she was heading up stream and she looked like she was ready to explode.
There's still ice out on the lakes, which I plan on taking full advantage of this weekend. I heard a little something about trying to fish right below the ice for crappies this time of year. I'll give it a try and report back next week.
There's only a couple weeks remaining until opening weekend, and it looks like some of the bigger lakes will likely still be covered with ice. I've written an article for the Tomahawk Leader's "Spring Into Summer" section, in which, I detail how this will alter my plan of attack for the annual holiday.
Good luck and be safe to everyone heading out this weekend and enjoy your Northwoods waning ice and open water time!

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Gone Fishin'

mrbrowns,
What about placing the cardboard disc on the rod, just after the reel on your "tip down" rigs? Rod tips down, you grab rod with one hand while removing disc with other hand. You'd lose the insulating properties of the disc covering the hole, but be able to remove the disc more easily.

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Jeff,
Not a bad idea. I've also thought of drilling holes in the end of the handle of the pole and attaching a rope attached to a close hanger - which would hopefully catch and stop the pole from going down the hole while not affecting the hook set. I'll have to give these ideas a try when I get the ice fishing equipment back out next fall. Thanks much for the ideas and I'll let you know how they work!
Earlier I said I may try to ice fish into May to make it seven months of hard water fishing during this past calendar year. I think I could have done it since several lakes are still frozen, and probably will still have roving ice plates for opening weekend, but to be honest, I caved earlier this week when I saw all the boats fishing out on Lake Alice. The walleye run is in full swing, so there's plenty of action to be had from boat and the shoreline. On Sunday ice bergs were floating down the river, but as of Monday, I haven't seen one since. Earlier I was finding walleyes where small creeks emptied warm water into the river below the County Rd. A bridge. Last night, I only caught a few, be it nice smallmouths, so it appears many of the walleyes have already headed upriver.
If I had one time of the year I could spend on the Wisconsin River near Tomahawk this would surely be it. Along with the buffle-heads, mallards, coots and many bird species awaiting open water on inland Northwoods lakes, unimaginable numbers of loons are active on the river right now. Their calls can be heard all day long as they look to find a mate before leaving the staging ground for where they'll make their summer homes. Add in some walleyes, and an evening on the water right now is a truly splendid treat.
Good luck to everyone heading out this week and enjoy your Northwoods water and ice time.

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Gone Fishin'

I'm jealous Jed.

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?