Hello folks. I'm heading up to Lake Nokomis in a few days. Does anyone have a fishing report they are willing to share.
Thanks, Pat

Is there any water in Nokomis??? I haven't been there this year.

With the low water levels I'd fish near the dam or below it.

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Thanks Jeff. Yes, from what I heard, it is very low.

I don't want to jinx it, but summer appears to have finally returned up here in the Northwoods after only a handful of 80-plus degree days have been logged so far this summer. Warm weather is forecasted at least through the weekend!
The change has had and will continue to improve fishing throughout the week.
Keep in mind when heading out that this is the warm-up that typically begins in June or July, so the species of fish you're targeting might not be in the "dog-day pattern" as would normally be taking place this time of year.
Had some of the best panfish action of the season last night on an area gin-clear lake. You couldn't keep the perch off the line (using leeches and nighcrawler pieces) in weeds in about 13 feet of water.
Leeches have continued to produce nice walleyes and some bull bluegills. Slip bobbers work, but I've been having pretty good success dragging a red hook and sinker. I've been targeting areas on Mohawksin where slack water and the current meet, with the walleyes on the edge and the bluegills in the slack water. I've been catching 'eyes in mid-day when the water is at its warmest. This might change more to a dawn and evening bite if the warmer temps. persist.
The warm up and resulting storm systems that moved through this past weekend triggered muskies. In the limited time I was able to put in a 38-inch fish was boated (CPR) and several more active fish were seen. Ripping bucktails produced the fish and a couple of additional hits and follows. On overcast evenings the Hawg Wabbler and Topraider have again been producing action. The warmer water should help turn those fickle brutes that have been only browsing into boated fish, as a reckless abandon for topwaters takes over. Target areas with weeds. A storm system moving through, wind, a major/minor and the right time of day can create the active ingredients for a musky of a lifetime.
Good luck to those heading out this week and weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods water time!
FYI. Sorry I didn't get back on the question about fishing Lake Nokomis. The low water levels keep me off the flowage this time of the year, and the guy I know who fishes it regularly couldn't be reached. He's probably snagged up on a rock bar right now!

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Gone Fishin'

Boated a 40-inch musky and missed another pitching a Suick out on the Wisconsin River system in the Tomahawk area this evening. Buddy missed a beast that leaped clear out of the water at his Top raider. Fish were very active with the rain moving through and the new moon phase taking place. Fish were all moved in shallow weeds, with the 40 coming off a small hump of cabbage. Good fishing should continue tomorrow as the storms are forecasted to stick around through the day.
Heading out tomorrow morning to fish the peak period starting at around 6 a.m. Will update if the action persists.
Good luck to everyone heading out. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

Stuck a roughly 40-to-45-inch fish pitching a Suick on the Wisconsin River system in Tomahawk this morning at around 9:30 a.m. After a nice aerial display and some runs at the boat the musky got off after the bait became hooked on the net. That's how it goes sometimes. Anyways, there's a lot bigger ones swimming out there right now. Also put a few nice pike and one smallmouth that probably pushed 20 in the boat.
The front that had fish active pushed through during the day and dusk saw some sunshine and light wind - just enough clouds to make for another beautiful sunset over Mohawksin. What a bonus.
High pressure will be in place tomorrow, so work your lures slow and keep them in the strike zone as much as possible. I've switched from topwater and ripping bucktails to using the twitch baits. We've been seeing the muskies off the edges of shallow cabbage.
Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Looks like summer will be making a return here to the Tomahawk area after air temps dropped to 31 degrees last night. Forecasters are calling for temps in the 70s and a lot of sun over the next five to seven days.
I'll be focusing my water time on muskies through the week, as a full-moon phase is set to get underway tomorrow and last through the weekend. A high pressure system moved in yesterday, so fishing should continue to pick up as the system settles in. It appears we'll be seeing a lot of blue bird skis, so I'll be pitching plenty of lures that have a little a shine to them during light hours. Suicks are my go to bait this time of the year on Alice, and when I'm fishing Mohawksin, I've been having pretty good success ripping bucktails (orange/black) over shallow weed/cabbage beds.
Make sure to always do your figure eight. I was reminded of this Friday evening as a roughly 40-inch fish caught me off guard. At the end of a cast I noticed my bait was covered in weeds, and instead of finishing out my routine, I pulled the lure from the water. Seconds later the musky came racing in from the side in an attempt to grab the lure. If I had gone into my figure 8 this likely could've been followed by a fish picture.
On a side note. Along with fishing picking up as this high pressure settles in, there's always a great day that follows when the next storm passes through. The longer the stable weather the better. Then watch out when the weather turns. If it happens during the full-moon phase this week or weekend, even better.
Also, make sure to be attentive while out on the water. Last week a hatch took place Wednesday or Thursday on Mohawksin. This had lots of panfish feeding on the surface in the shallows. Not surprisingly the muskies and other fish followed. I had a shot at three fish in only a couple hours on the water Friday night.
Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Labor Day Weekend water time.

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Gone Fishin'

As expected, this settled in high pressure and full-moon phase have the muskies responding nicely on the Wisconsin River system in Tomahawk. Last night boated two fish and missed another. This evening a 42 was boated, photographed and released ripping a bucktail over shallow weeds. That's three in only a couple hours.
Friday and the Labor Day weekend should be fantastic as no cold fronts are forecasted and the full moon will continue! Gotta love muskie moons and September.
Good luck to everyone heading out this Labor Day weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

The 28th annual Tomahawk Fall Ride won't be the only thing making big waves in the Tomahawk area this coming weekend, as a new-moon phase starting Thursday and lasting through Monday will trigger an aggressive bite.
Like other anglers I've spoken with recently, I've been patiently awaiting the start of fall since September arrived, which is quite ironic considering the summer we've had. Over the past two weeks we've seen plenty of warm temps and blue bird skies. Regardless of what the weather is like come Thursday, this new-moon phase should provide that much needed trigger to turn on the fish.
I haven't had the success some anglers have been reporting using topwater for muskies. Ripping bucktails over shallow weeds has also slacked off for me on Mohawksin over the past couple weeks. Last night I boated a small musky throwing a Suick along the deeper channel edge of a weed bed.
Over this coming moon phase look for the bucktail, Suick and topwaters to again produce as fish move into the shallows to feed. If this presentation doesn't work, then try switching to more of a fall pattern and pitch bull dawgs along the channel edge. Water temps are still a little too warm to start dragging suckers.
Local fishing guide Julio hit it on the head in one of his most recent fishing reports when he said to target areas where baitfish are active on the surface, since this can identify weed beds and where the resulting hierarchy food chain of life is unfolding. I would also add after spending a few hours fishing panfish last Saturday afternoon that the bluegills are pretty thick in shallow areas that still have green weeds.
Many anglers will understandably avoid Tomahawk over this coming weekend. However, with the new-moon phase and muskies getting ready to put on the fall feed bag, you might want to reconsider letting a few thousand bikers stand between you and that next trophy catch. If you do decide to fish Mohawksin this weekend avoid the boat landings on North Fourth Street and at SARA and Bradley parks. Instead, put in at the landing on Bay Mill Road off County Road CC.
We're running out of time, but, no doubt, the best times are still ahead of us. A couple more moon phases in October and two in November, if we're lucky, and the 2009 musky season will be over and we'll begin chasing first-ice walleyes.
Good luck and be safe to all those heading out and stopping in town for the Fall Ride this weekend. Have fun and enjoy your Northwoods leisure time!

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Gone Fishin'

Snow was reported falling over in Eagle River a couple days ago, and this morning in Tomahawk the temperature bottomed out at a crisp 22 degrees. Time to dig out the thermals, as I think its safe to say fall has finally arrived in the Northwoods.
With the return of fall and a full moon phase set to begin tomorrow and running through the weekend, now is the time to be on the water if you want a shot at boating a trophy musky. Just last Friday I had a monster of a fish hit at boat side. All I saw were teeth, tail and a big pair of eyes as the Suick I was using flew over my shoulder.
Water temps have dropped considerably on Lake Mohawksin over the past few days. The last report I heard was 56 degrees yesterday afternoon. Time to start dragging suckers, if that's part of how you like chasing esox. A local guide I was talking with a few weeks ago told me he spoke with a local warden about running a sucker line off the side of the boat. The warden told him it was legal as long as you aren't using your trolling motor to fish up wind - as this could be considered trolling. Trolling is legal north of the North Fourth Street Bridge in Tomahawk and south of the Highway A Bridge on Lake Alice. On the other portions of these bodies of water find a nice drift and go with the wind.
Jerk baits should consider to produce action this fall. I'll also begin throwing more Bulldawgs as the water continues to cool. When the water drops another 15 degrees begin targeting fish along the channel with Depth Raiders while dragging suckers.
To top off what should be some fantastic fishing over the next few months, the scenery throughout the Northwoods right now is hard to beat. The canvas of fall color splendor is almost complete.
Good luck to everyone heading out this week and weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

On the opposite side of the game fish spectrum: The Perch bite was fantastic on Lake Alice yesterday. While drifting a bay near Pine Shore Lane looking for Walleyes, we were intercepted by a school of Perch that ran up to 12 inches. (Nancy caught that one.) Needless to say, we abandoned the Walleye hunt & stayed on that school of Perch. Slip bobbers & fathead minnows were the ticket to fast action. Surf & turf was on the menu last night at Zipp One Cottage.

Sad to say, reality called & we're back home & to work. It would have been nice to chase those buggers a second day!

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Then it dawned on me, my sucker bobber hadn't gotten stuck on a stump as I had suspected, but instead, the seemingly unmovable force now tugging at the other end of the line was indeed a Mohawskin monster that I was about to do battle with.
She was the third in a learning curve that began the night prior. While out battling strong winds and covering a lot of water without any action Thursday afternoon and evening, I decided to give one last stretch of water located along the channel edge a shot before calling it a night. Not even a minute into the drift and the sucker pole reel was clicking off line. I set the hook and after a brief battle the 45+ musky let go of the bait. The same thing happened the next day on the same stretch, when another beast smacked the roughly 12 inch sucker I was dragging. After a short fight the well over 40 inch fish was gone. Deflated, but not defeated, I decided to head out later Friday evening to again drift the weed line butting up against the channel. As I made my way toward the end of the drift, I noticed several stumps submerged just below the surface. As I drifted and casted my way through the stump field the bobber stopped. It didn't peel off line or make any indication it was anything other than a snag. As I worked to position my boat above what I though was the snag. I'm not sure if the fish decided to take line or what, but the next thing I realized it felt like I was moving a log on the bottom of the lake. A couple head shakes later and the battle was on. Like most muskies I hook on the Wisconsin River system, I didn't give the fish any line in an effort to keep it from snagging in stumps. She made several dives and even made a run for the motor, but after a few minute battle, she was in the net. After a few photos of the 46-inch musky, I set her back in the water and she swam off still quite green. Unfortunately the pictures I got were very bad, as the wind and fish I was trying to get back in the water quickly didn't cooperate.
On Sunday, it was my good friend and editor of the Press Star in New London, the catfish King John Faucher's shot at putting a beast in the boat. After a morning throwing for muskies, we decided to hit the drift that had produced my musky earlier in the week. Almost as soon as we dropped the sucker, the reel began clicking off line. John set the hook and the sucker pulled free from the fish. The now bleeding sucker didn't last long, as minutes later and a few hundred feet from where the first fish hit, I heard Johnny yell another fish had taken the bait. I yelled back to John to set the hook with everything he had. I watched as he reeled up the slack, and just as hard and as soon as I saw him put the brakes on the fish, the rod doubled back over hard as the fish headed the other way. Suffice to say, John was pretty bummed when the hooks came back empty. After also missing two earlier in the week, I had to smile and remind him that's how it goes. "Sometimes its nice just to be invited to the prom, even if you don't get asked to dance," I said to John with a smile. Regardless of the outcome, we had a blast chasing the beasts on Lake Mohawksin and look forward to the next time.
Suffice to say, dragging suckers proved to be pretty exciting on Lake Mohawksin over this now passed full moon phase weekend. The stretch where I located the big fish was off an inconspicuous weed line on the channel edge that many might have just cruised by in search of active fish. There's still plenty of time left this fall. Slow down your presentation, drift a sucker and enjoy the unlimited beauty now out there before the snow starts to fly.
Jeff,
It was great to be able to finally talk with you face to face while you were in Tomahawk last week. I can't wait to give that lure you spotted me for walleye and bass a shot. She looks like she'll be a killer. Hopefully I'll get some teeth marks in her soon. Also good to know you got in on some of that hot perch action. I hit them late in the fall last year and it was a blast. I was just using a hook, sinker and crappie minnows in shallow bays on the Wisconsin River system in Tomahawk. If its anything like last year, they should be shallow and feeding ferociously at least up until ice over. It sure is hard to beat those tasty brown morsels in the deep fryer.
Good luck to everyone heading out this week. Fish safe and enjoy your Northwoods water time!

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Gone Fishin'

I wish we would have soaked a sucker while we were "perch jerking". There were two intervals where Nancy & I weren't getting bites. Now I wonder if there was something larger cruising the area at those times!

If you take a brown sharpie marker & "paint" that B1 Minus, it's look more like the native minnows than that chrome/chartruese finish. I wish I had known that Manns was going to discontinue the bait. Their "Crystal Glow Shiner" pattern was a Northwoods hotty. I would have ordered a dozen.

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

There's been some exceptional reports of musky fishing on the Wisconsin River system here in the Tomahawk area over the past few weeks. And then there's been days like my buddy and I experienced over this past weekend.
We spent the majority of our time targeting fish along the channel edge. This produced a hook up on a Bulldawg Thursday evening and another strike on a sucker Friday before dark. Neither fish was boated. Casting Suicks in remaining weeds produced a follow Saturday and a small fish Sunday afternoon. Make sure to fish slow and search for fish both deep and shallow this time of year. When the fish turn on it can be some of the best action of the year. Keep an eye on and try to fish the majors and minors. Some rain in the forecast later this week should have the muskies binge feeding again.
A lot of anglers were out targeting walleyes over the past weekend. The trestles on Lake Mohawksin looked to be the hotspots. Another guy I spoke with said the fishing was pretty decent below Kings Dam. A simple hook and sinker or jig tipped with a fathead minnow is all you need to catch 'eyes this time of year.
Jeff,
Thanks for sharing the tip on the B1minus. Pretty neat you were able to "match the hatch" by modifying the bait. Too bad they discontinued the product line. At least now you have an excuse to indiscriminately purchase new fishing gear!
Good luck to everyone heading out this week. Be safe, stay warm and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Those looking to boat a big musky will want to be out on the water this weekend. A cold front is currently pushing through the Tomahawk area and a new moon phase starts tonight and lasts through Wednesday. These next few days is the period many trophy hunters like myself have been waiting for the entire year!
The reports I've been receiving have been of some pretty sporadic action. But there's also been some nice fish being caught, including a 47-inch hog Chris Voelker of Tomahawk caught and released while out fishing on a small area lake Wednesday. Congrats to him.
Make sure to work presentations slow this time of the year. Dress warm (I like to wear a pair of doctor synthetic gloves) and try to target deeper areas near weed flats or along channel edges where you find baitfish.
The walleyes were active this past week in deeper holes on the Wisconsin River system in Tomahawk. The old standby of a hook, sinker and fathead minnow is all that is needed to catch them. I've also received some reports of a good perch bite. These fish are being caught in the 4-6 foot range near weeds and submerged timber.
There's still plenty of time to get out and enjoy the fall. However, if the extended forecast holds true, it looks like we'll be getting that ice fishing equipment ready very soon.
Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

For the first time this year, I noticed on my way to work this morning a thin layer of ice forming along the shoreline of Sawdy Pond. Not too much longer and we'll be busting out the tip-ups for some hot early ice walleye action. As in past years, I'll again be checking area lakes and giving ice updates as the season draws near.
If the extended forecast is accurate, there calling for 50s and maybe even 60s this weekend, then musky anglers will have a few more opportunities to boat a big hog this fall. Target stretches on area flowages where weedy and woody bays drop off into river channels, points that extend out to the channel and near the trestles and bridges on Lake Mohawksin. Use deeper running lures like Depth Raiders and Bulldawgs. Expect to hook into some wood-structure snags along the way. Work these areas thorough and slow.
Walleyes are also snapping and can now be found in the deeper holes. Dragging a jig or hook and sinker tipped with a fathead is the presentation to use now until freeze up.
The window of opportunity appears to be closing, but there's still time to get out and enjoy a day on the water. Be safe, stay warm and enjoy your Northwoods water time.

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Gone Fishin'

Spent a very pleasant evening out throwing for muskies on Lake Mohawksin the other evening. The fish didn't cooperate, but to be out in the boat this time of the year and not be frozen to the floor is a blessing in itself. A couple eagles soaring overhead and some young of the year loons calling made up for the lack of action. There's still time, but the window is quickly closing as only 10 days remain before the 2009 muskie season ends. We might actually get to fish up until the Dec. 1 close for the first time in sometime this year.
On the flip side of the nice weather, it looks like it will be a little longer before the ice fishing season begins. Hopefully a cool down forecasted around Thanksgiving will start the big freeze. We've had ice on Mohawksin a couple times already, so it shouldn't take long once the temperatures start to drop. Time to get those tip-ups and jigging rods ready.
Good news, the Tomahawk-and-Rhinelander based 951st Sapper Engineer Company is coming home tomorrow (Saturday) after a tour in Afghanistan. Sounds like they'll be coming through town around 1 to 1:30 p.m. on their way to Rhinelander for a big welcome home ceremony at the Rhinelander High School, which is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.. Congrats to all the Guardsman and the their families. I don't think you could ask for a better Thanksgiving holiday gift.
Stop by and say hello if you're attending the the Tomahawk Regional Chamber of Commerce's Free Venison Feed this afternoon. Venison burgers hit the grill at 11:30 a.m. I'll be selling chili as part of a fundraiser for the downtown.
Good luck to everyone hitting the woods for the opener of the 2009 gun deer season tomorrow morning. Already seeing a lot of blaze orange and ATVs on the back of trucks this morning. Good luck to everyone hitting the water over the next few days, too.

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Gone Fishin'

Hunters and musky anglers will get one last shot a trophy as the 2009 gun deer and musky seasons come to a close this weekend - actually, Monday is the last day for muskies up here. Good luck to everyone hitting the woods and water.
While delayed considerably over the past few years, the start of ice fishing season might not be that far off. If the extended forecast holds, early ice angling could begin on some sheltered bays as early as next weekend. Temperatures in the Tomahawk area are expected to drop into the 20s for highs and lows in the teens and single digits later next week, which is the perfect recipe for making ice. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope strong winds don't accompany the cold temps.
This writer will be heading out on Lake Mohawksin for one last shot at a trophy this weekend. Along with working the channel edges, which have been producing some action but no fish, I'll also be mixing things up by fishing some shallower water to see if I can find active fish. The perch are now up in the shallows, so it makes some sense that the muskies might be close by.
Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It's now time to enjoy those turkey sandwiches and the few remaining days before winter sets in.
Good luck and be safe.

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Gone Fishin'

There's a pretty steady wind out of the north and temperatures are at 31 degrees this afternoon in Tomahawk. The forecast for the foreseeable future is calling for temps to drop below freezing for highs and lows in the teens. If we can catch a break from the wind, which is also in the forecast, we may be able to get into some early season ice fishing this weekend. I usually look for a couple days in the 20s and lows in the teens to make safe enough ice on sheltered bays and small lakes. The main factor going forward will be this blasted wind.
I'll be posting ice conditions on area waters once we get going. Hopefully it will be before this weekend.
If we're not out by the weekend, it shouldn't be long after before we're icing walleyes. Let the fun begin.

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Gone Fishin'

Good news to report on the ice conditions here in Tomahawk. A check of some area waters this morning showed many back bays and small lakes are now froze completely over. Entire sections of the Jersey Flowage are frozen, as is Half Moon and some of the bays on Lake Mohawksin - I actually walked out a little ways on the ice down in Bradley Park this morning. The ice overall is still pretty thin, but with conditions not getting above freezing today and lows dropping in the teens tonight, the start of the ice fishing season should start this weekend. The best part about early ice fishing is you don't need to get to deep water to catch walleye. Find some wood structure or weeds in shallower water and the walleyes will move in before dark. Panfish are also up in the shallows at this time, so don't forget the jigging rod and the waxies.
The ice should come quick, as the extended forecast shows temps will stay below freezing for the foreseeable future. Just make sure to use caution if you're heading out anytime soon. Ice conditions will very due to wind we've been having and because of a fresh, thin layer of snow that is now on the ice. If you plan on getting out this weekend try to find one of the back bays or small lakes that will have more ice. Use your ice pick to check the ice ahead of you, bring a flotation device, and if possible, fish with a friend and bring along some rope. The ice should be freezing pretty hard now, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

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Gone Fishin'

I checked several area lakes and flowages this past weekend and was unable to find any that had safe ice. On average there was about 1 1/2 inches of ice and a thin layer of snow on small lakes and back bays - bigger bodies of water are also now frozen over. I have heard of a few people out on the ice already. Hopefully single digit lows last night will allow the rest of us to join them. I'll be giving it a shot later this afternoon on either Lake Alice or Mohawksin. Some walleye and a Packer victory would make a great end to the day.
A winter storm forecasted for tomorrow evening might cause some problems going forward. The last I heard we could get up to six inches. We'll certainly need to keep an eye on this as ice conditions might be affected. Either way, ice fishing should finally be in full swing up here in the Tomahawk area by next weekend as a much bigger cool down is forecasted. As always, use cation and I'll be updating what I see in regards to ice conditions before Friday.
Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods ice time!

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Gone Fishin'

There's no better time than ice fishing time, and it's safe to say the 2009-10 ice fishing season has officially begun here in the Tomahawk area. Fished a somewhat sheltered bay on Lake Mohawksin last evening and had around three to four inches of ice. Based on what I've seen on other area lakes and flowages and when they all froze, I would suspect most have at least the same amount - except where there's current or areas that may have remained open because of wind on larger bodies of water, obviously.
This is a good time of year to target any standing weeds that might still exist in the shallows. As an example, last night I found some big bull gills still in about four feet of water as well as some jumbo perch. Pike can also be caught in these weedy bays, so talk about a fun filled afternoon just waiting to be had. Walleyes can often be caught cruising through these areas right before and after dark. The panfish will move out of the weed beds as we gain more ice (which might come quick with temps forecasted to drop way off this week) so now is the time to explore the shallows for these fish. I like to target deeper wood structure on flowages once these fish move out, which may come quick with the big cool down expected.
Another big factor concerning ice conditions that is now in play is a significant snow storm headed this way. It started snowing here in Tomahawk a few hours ago, and from what I understand, it isn't suppose to stop until Thursday. I've heard reports of up to a foot of snow. Looks like we have to get the snow plows and shovels ready. As far as how much it will affect the ice conditions, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Remember to be safe if heading out and only take what you plan to eat. These resources are a true gift and will one day be passed on to future generations. Enjoy your Northwoods ice time!

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Gone Fishin'

Ice conditions now very considerably on area lakes and reservoirs as a result of the heavy snow we received last week. In some areas where the winds that followed blew the snow off, there's as an easy six inches of ice. In other areas, which can be only a few feet away and covered with snow, there can be as little as an inch or two of ice. Some areas even had a half-inch of ice, an inch or two of slush with an inch of ice below, so continue to use caution and consider wearing boot kreepers when heading out. We're expecting a high of 4 degrees today with lows in the negative double digits tonight, so it shouldn't be long before we have a consistent base. On a trip north this past weekend I even saw a snowmobile on Lake Minocqua.
A wicked winter cold has kept me off the ice, but the anglers I've spoke with said action has been pretty steady here in the Tomahawk area. When the fog clears in my head and I can get back out on the ice, I'll resume targeting shallow weeds and work my way deeper, if need be, to find active panfish.
The good news is you can fish light this time of year and be pretty active in searching for fish. Don't hunker down too long on a location that you think should hold fish. Even in weedy bays, the panfish might be located in different areas and depths, so take the ice pick along and do some exploring to find fish.
This is a great time of the year to enjoy a day out on the ice. Whether it's chasing pike-tripped flags or setting up to take in a sunset and some fantastic walleye action, make spending a day out on the lake with family and friends a priority on the Christmas list. And make sure to take along some extra grubs and minnows, as the bite can be pretty intense from now until the spring thaw begins in only a few short months.
Be safe and enjoy your Northwoods ice time.

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Gone Fishin'

Jed,
Re: "Wicked Winter Cold", have you tried tequila??
Takes the congestion away!

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What if there were no hypothetical questions?

The tequila also cures soar throats, broken bones, sorrows over lost trophy fish and just about any other ailment that needs fixing. I'm more of a beer and NyQuil kinda guy, but it's always nice to have a backup plan.
From what I've been hearing, reading and experienced this past weekend, I wouldn't feel bad if you didn't ice as many fish as you expected yesterday. Even the anglers taking part in the North American Ice Fishing Championships on Boom Lake in Rhinelander had a tough go at it Sunday from what has been reported.
Some family and I spent the afternoon on a usually productive lake just north of Tomahawk and the fishing was so-so. Things started off hot, the second tip-up went off immediately after I set it and produced an 18 inch walleye, but things cooled off quickly from then on. After four hours of fishing three guys iced two walleye and about two dozen 8-11 inch perch. When the fish become inactive like this it's a crucial to be on the move. The tip-ups, baited with fatheads, gave us an idea where the perch were, and from there we punched several holes and jumped from one to another to catch active fish. We also made sure to bring jigging rods along when we got flags, as this allowed us to quickly catch other active perch that were in the area.
Some good news is fishing action should get better later this week as a major storm system is forecasted to move in around Christmas. The bad news is some lakes still have slush on them and will become very sloppy for a long time coming if we get dumped on. Almost every lake I've been on so far this winter has had different ice conditions. From only a couple inches and slush, to others that have 6 to 8 inches and light coating of snow, keep in mind when you head out there it wasn't a unilateral freeze this winter and conditions will very from lake to lake. It might be sometime before we're able to drive vehicles on all area lakes. Many people are driving ATVs and snowmobiles out now, but I'd caution to know where your heading before you do this. There's been reports of ATVs as well as even a couple vehicles already going through the ice.
Good luck and be safe to everyone heading out this week and upcoming weekend. Happy holidays and enjoy your Northwoods ice fishing time!

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Gone Fishin'