April 2015
Episode 14
Spring Walleye Run
Show Date: April 4th & 5th, 2015
Location: Fox River, De Pere, Wisconsin
Guide: Brett Jolly [715-581-5678 | captainjollycharters.com]
This week we’re in De Pere Wisconsin with charter captain Brett Jolly to fish the spring walleye run that happens each year in the rivers around the state. The walleye are headed up stream to spawn, and the night-bite is usually the best time to put a trophy in your boat. A jig & minnow and plastics like the Kalin’s Grub and Jerk Minnow are the baits we’re using throughout most of the day. After dark we cast crank baits to lure in the big female fish that are out feeling before the spawn.
Episode 15
Last Ice of the Season
Show Date: April 11th & 12th, 2015
Location: Lake of the Woods; Sioux Narrows, ONT, Canada
Guide & Accommodations: Crawford’s Camp [1-888-COM-FISH (266-3474) | www.crawfordscamp.com/
It’s the last ice of the year, and for April it’s pretty thick yet on Lake of the Woods. We’re staying at Crawford’s Camp, which is located on a picturesque point on Lake of the Woods near Sioux Narrows in Ontario. It’s great to be right on the lake, we leave on our Yamaha’s right from our front door, and head to the spot - which at times is many many miles from camp. Getting to the spot is a big part of the adventure, where we cross big swaths of ice, and small portages over islands; all combined together really drums up the excitement of getting a lure in the water.
Our guide Sean, and camp owner Matt know where the spots are. We’re glad too, because with a lake that’s over 1,000,000 acres with 15,000 islands; it is very easy to lose your way and end up lost. Once to the spot, we’d better catch fish; because if we don’t, we move to the next one. These guides don’t sit in one place, which is awesome for anybody that likes to catch fish, they put us where we had the best chance.
We target lake trout and pike during this trip, and we caught plenty of quality fish of both species. While set up for the trout we were jigging in deep water using Little Cleo’s, and plastics like the Jerk Minnow. Using a bait that we normally use to cast for walleyes in open water may sound strange, until you see the guide reeling them in, then you change your tune. Sean said “match the hatch” was working, so a white lure was the ticket.
Moving on to shallow bays for pike is where we set up our Beaver Dam’s. Using dead bait was was on the tip-ups, and Pete Maina even set up a few muskie rods with a quick-strike rigs on them (just make sure to tune in if this sounds strange).
Episode 15
Last Ice of the Season - Part 2
Show Date: April 18th & 19th, 2015
Location: Lake of the Woods; Sioux Narrows, ONT, Canada
Guide & Accommodations: Crawford’s Camp [1-888-COM-FISH (266-3474) | www.crawfordscamp.com/
This week is part 2 of our Canadian ice fishing outing.
It’s the last ice of the year, and for April it’s pretty thick yet on Lake of the Woods. We’re staying at Crawford’s Camp, which is located on a picturesque point on Lake of the Woods near Sioux Narrows in Ontario. It’s great to be right on the lake, we leave on our Yamaha’s right from our front door, and head to the spot - which at times is many many miles from camp. Getting to the spot is a big part of the adventure, where we cross big swaths of ice, and small portages over islands; all combined together really drums up the excitement of getting a lure in the water.
Our guide Sean, and camp owner Matt know where the spots are. We’re glad too, because with a lake that’s over 1,000,000 acres with 15,000 islands; it is very easy to lose your way and end up lost. Once to the spot, we’d better catch fish; because if we don’t, we move to the next one. These guides don’t sit in one place, which is awesome for anybody that likes to catch fish, they put us where we had the best chance.
In this episode we further explore the diversity of Lake of the Woods. We target crappies at the start of the day, using plastics and minnows. The second half of the day is the exciting culmination of the entire trip - Eelpout! We’re using a variety of presentations, and these tasty fish are hitting just about all of them.
We had an absolute blast during this trip! We wan’t to thank Matt and Crawfortds Camp for hosting us, Sean for showing us where the fish are biting, and Ontario’s Sunset Country for inviting us to a beautiful place to fish.
See you next year!
Episode 16
Jumbo River Mouth Walleyes
Show Date: April 25th & 26th, 2015
Location: Bay of Green Bay, Oconto, Wisconsin
Guide: Brett Jolly [715-581-5678 | captainjollycharters.com]
It’s spring in Wisconsin, and for most anglers that means river fishing. The ‘walleye' run is alive, and may rivers are teeming with gigantic walleyes., both post and pre-spawn. We are joined by Rob Manthei, and are guided by Brett Jolly.
We are fishing in the bay of Green Bay just out of the river mouth in Oconto Wisconsin. We are casting a variety of plastics, and making sure to be in constant contact with the bottom.