December 2011 — John Gillespie's Waters & Woods

December 2011

Episode 49
Lake Michigan Monsters
Show Date: December 3rd and 4th, 2011
Location: Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Guide: Charter Captain Brian Settele [414-559-9238 | fishchaserguideservice.com]

On this weeks show we’re trolling for Brown Trout, Steelhead, or Chinook with charter captain Brian Settele. We are using Flicker Shads, following contours in 50 feet of water. We are trolling over rocks, and are putting waypoints in whenever we get a fish, so we can cast the same water a little later. We have no shortage of hits, with many of them coming at the same time!

When it is time to cast, we have a bevy of waypoints in our Humminbird for us to drift over. We are casting spoons with a a slow retrieval, letting the spoon sink half way to the bottom, and this lights up the bites.

Episode 50
First Ice
Show Date: December 10th & 11th, 2011
Location: Bayfield County, Wisconsin
Guide: Ice Guide: Jim Hudson [715-779-5833 | fishchequamegonbay.com]

We need to take the show pretty far north to find some ice this year. Our friend and guide Jim Hudson is as eager as us to get out on the ice, and has us out on a smaller backwoods lake in the Bayfield county area. We are jigging for crappies using plastics and the ZIP. Jim says to look for the deepest parts of the lakes because in late fall, thats where they migrate to. Moving from hole to hole is the best strategy to keep up with the school.

Episode 51
Fishing in the Rain, We’re fishin’ in the Rain...
Show Date: December 17th & 18th, 2011
Location: Vilas County, Wisconsin
Pro Guide Rob Manthei [715-477-2042 | robmanthei.com]

As the warm weather continues, we continue to head north to find ice. The Wisconsin northwoods, is a great place to find ice this time of year, with the multitude of small lakes that the area has to offer. This week we are with Rob Manthei, our guide and friend, who takes us to a few lakes where we can both tip-up and jig fish. We jig all day, but the tip-ups are whats catching fish. We are set up on in weeds and weed edges, anywhere from 8 to 15 feet

Episode 52
I love Ice Fishing
Show Date: December 24th & 25th, 2011
Location: Woman Lake Chain, Cass County, Minnesota
Guide: Rusty Lilyquist [rustysupnorthrealty.com]
For more info, and Lodging: Long Birch Lodge [LongBirchLodge.com | 800-722-0027]

There are some fishing trips that you can’t wait for, and usually as soon as they are done, you can’t wait to go back. This was the case for this weeks trip to northern Minnesota, fishing the Woman Lake Chain. Rusty Lilyquist is our guide, and even though he’s a real estate agent by trade, the outdoors are his passion. Rusty has only been on the ice for little over a week, but he has the bite so dialed in that we know this will be a memorable trip very early on.

We start out jigging for perch with a jig & minnow, 6 inches off of the bottom, and pounding the bottom as well. Moving around to try to keep with the schools seems to be the best way to keep the bite hot. Later on in the day we set up tip-ups for pike and walleye, to make a try for the trophies that swim in this water.

Episode 53
Back to the Backwaters
Show Date: December 31st 2011, & January 1st, 2012
Location: Wisconsin River Backwater Sloughs, Adams County, Wisconsin
Guide: Pro Ice Guide Larry Smith [920-361-4996 | walleyeguide.com]

It’s going to be fifty-three shows this year, and we’re making it a good one. We venture through some fun and interesting terrain to reach our fishing spot. Larry Smith has his guide service dialed in, and is always up early to make sure his guide customers (and us!) are always comfortable and catching fish. We are fishing the backwaters of the Wisconsin River. This area is large and pretty shallow, so we’re able to find safe ice and lots of it, to catch fish.

He’s got a fairly large spread to tip-ups to catch walleyes, and we get to relax and jig for panfish. Minnows are the key to this bite, more precisely “Rosie-Reds” because of they glow-like characteristics. We’ve got a great crew with us today, and they are just as excited to be on the ice as we are, especially since this is our southern-most ice show so far this year.