Thursday, January 12, 2012
Happy New Year from Critter's!
Hard water has finally overtaken the surface of Lakes Poygan and Butte des Morts, and winter Walleye, Northern Pike, White Bass, and Panfish ice fishing action is heating up! We've got about 10 inches of ice on Poygan on average, but there are still some questionable spots out there so please use caution and good judgement.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from the area’s most-targeted species during the 2012 season, and also a few of Critter’s hottest tactics to pull more fish through the ice.
Walleyes are thriving in these Upper Lakes of the Wolf and Fox River systems right now, and as a result so are anglers targeting them! Tip-ups with a shiner or a fathead is always a safe bet. If you prefer a more hands-on approach, my go-to choices for jigging up winter Walleyes are the Northland Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon, and the Rapala Jigging Rap. Either of these lures can be fished plain or tipped with live bait, and both of them tend to entice even those lock-jawed ‘Eyes into biting.
Sooner-the-better is definitely my best advice for Panfish anglers seeking local ice fishing opportunities, as the channels of Poygan and Butte des Morts consistently hold better concentrations of quality size bluegills and crappies now than later in the season. To take full advantage of this early season pattern, Tungsten-based jigs are all the rage amongst Panfish anglers looking for an edge. The environmentally-friendly Tungsten weighs close to twice as much as its traditional lead counterpart. What this means to anglers is a smaller jig for a stealthier presentation, without giving up the sink rate and feel of larger lead jigs. One of my favorite Tungsten jigs is the Northland Mooska. Try one tipped with live bait or your favorite soft-plastic, and you’ll find out why this high-tech tackle has been dominating ice fishing tournaments for over a decade.
Northern Pike are another very good reason to venture onto the Upper Lakes ice this season. A combination of limited fishing pressure due to inconsistent ice conditions last winter, along with this year’s shad die-off is certain to contribute to a better-than-average opportunity to catch the trophy of a lifetime! Tip-ups are the time-tested approach for Pike in this area, and my favorite way to set up the business end is by tying on a ‘quick-strike’ style rig like the Northland Predator. Paired with a golden shiner or other large baitfish, I’m confident we’ll see more than a few record-book-worthy fish fall prey to this approach in the coming months.
Last but not least, the true celebrity of these icy waters… the ever-abundant White Bass! Providers of the most consistent ice fishing action available, White Bass have long been the first choice of winter anglers looking to battle as many hard-hitting, tough-fighting fish as possible in a given outing. Further, this past open water fishing season provided one of the White Bass best years I’ve ever seen in terms of both numbers and size of fish, so that will most likely carry over through the ice as well. My top choices for winter Whites are the Hog’n Jig, or a Northland Forage Minnow tipped with live bait.
Good luck fishing, and hope to see you out there!
Chad Koser
Critter’s Wolf River Sports