December 2013
Episode 49
Icebergs Everywhere!
Show Date: December 7th & 8th, 2013
Location: Wolf River; Fremont, Wisconsin
Guide: Pro Guide Larry Smith [920-361-4996 | walleyeguide.com]
We’re on the very last bit of open water this year with Larry Smith on the Wolf River in Fremont Wisconsin. We are surrounded by large icebergs all day as we search out the delicious Winnebago System walleyes. Larry says the bite has been fantastic all year on this system, for every specie that swims here, not just the walleyes.
We are using mostly 2 different presentations, jig & a minnow; and blade baits like the Vibrato and ZIP Lure. With the live bait, a stinger hook is crucial, because the fish are very lethargic with the recent cool-down of the water. We are catching a lot of ‘eater’ sized fish, Larry says this isn’t trophy fishing, but rather a way to find spots for when the ice is covering the river pretty soon.
Episode 50
First Ice!
Show Date: December 14th & 15th, 2013
Location: Petenwell Flowage, Adams County, WI
Guide: Pro Ice Guide Larry Smith [920-361-4996 | walleyeguide.com]
It’s first ice, and we’re very excited to be guided by Larry Smith, the man who always seems to find the very first ice each year. We are also joined by Matt Bichanich of Hard and Soft Fishing to give our new Beaver Dam tip-ups a run for walleyes. We are on the Petenwell Flowage in Adams County, Wisconsin. We’re jigging for crappies using small Kastmasters, tipped with spikes or wax worms. We’ve also got a array of tip-ups set up for walleye, using live bait. We stay in one general area, hopping from hole-to-hole for crappies, and catch them at will most of the day. It’s a great start to the ice fishing season!
Episode 51
A Cold Wisconsin Ice Fishing Trip
Show Date: December 21st & 22nd, 2013
Location: St. Germain - Vilas County, Wisconsin
Guide: Pro Guide Rob Manthei [715-477-2042 | robmanthei.com]
Accommodations: St. Germain Lodge [ StGermainLodge.com ]
We certainly picked a chilly couple of days to hit the ice with Rob Manthei for the first time this year! The first day was -14℉, and the second warmed up to -5℉. We can’t worry about that though, we have a fantastic crew with us, who are eager to start yanking walleyes through the ice.
Episode 52
Ice Fishing Northern Minnesota
Location: Woman Lake Chain; Longville, Minnesota
Guide: Rusty Lilyquist [rustysupnorthrealty.com]
We packed up a big crew this week to venture over to northern Minnesota to head out on the ice with Rusty Lilyquist on some water we’ve had great success in the past. We have some pretty cold temps, around 15 below zero, and poor travel conditions. We won’t be deterred though, Rusty has a lot of spots to fish!
It’s a grab-bag the first day, as we start out for perch, only to find they aren’t cooperating. We move into a shallower area for crappies for the last hour of light, and some trophy-class crappies are caught. On day two the poor travel conditions really de-rail our plan, and put us in a by close to shore, where we tip-up fish for pike in a variety of depths in weeds.