Episode 48

Lake Trout & White Bass

Show Date: November 31th & December 1st, 2019

Location: Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin & Lake Poygan, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Guide: Captain Matt Merten [920-410-2206 | https://www.badgersportsmanoutdoors.com/ ]

This week's show takes us to two locations, as well as two entirely different experiences. We start out fishing the Milwaukee harbor for trout, and we think we were just a little bit early for the bite, and didn’t do as well as we had hoped. The fish that did bite stayed on, and gave us amazing fights.  As many times as we’ve been out there fishing, we still find it hard to believe that this amazing fishing is right in our backyard in a major metropolitan area. 

We then head north, to get onto VERY early ice, with guide Matt Merten, which was sort of a preview of things to come this ice season on the Winnebago system.

Episode 49

Jumbo Fox River Walleyes

Show Date: December 7th & 8th, 2019

Location: Fox River, Green Bay, Wisconsin 

Guide: Brett Jolly [715-581-5678 | captainjollycharters.com]

It’s normally ice fishing season this time of year, and we had planned to be in northern Wisconsin this week jigging and setting tip-ups.  All of our plans changed when a severe front pushed through, and dumped of 2 feet of snow in some areas. All that snow on top of ice that was just forming creates very unsafe conditions, so we were forced to look elsewhere to fish.  Luckily we were able to coax Captain Brett Jolly out of hibernation for a couple of days on the Fox River in Green Bay, and he did not disappoint!

Brett tells us that the fish are grouped around hot water discharges, chasing shad to bulk up for the winter.  There are a number of them, which come from power plants & water treatment plants, all along the Fox from the mouth to the dam. Using jerk minnows, jerking-type baits, or blade baits all can work, but the key is to slow down your presentation.  Nothing has more of a bearing as to whether or not you’ll catch fish than the speed of your retrieve, if you’re too fast, you just won’t get the bites.

Episode 50

Snow & Cold in Vilas County

Show Date: December 14th & 15th, 2019

Location: Vilas County, Wisconsin

Guide: Pro Guide Rob Manthei [715-477-2042 | robmanthei.com]

Nature DOES NOT CARE that we have to shoot a TV show every week, and that was on full display in the northern Wisconsin these past 2 weeks. Winter hasn’t yet officially arrived, and a large portion of the state is buried under multiple feet of snow.   Snow coming down this heavily right as the ice is forming on the lakes is the absolute worst combination possible, making travel very difficult, and much of the ice unsafe.  

Rob Manthei managed to find a few spots that had safe ice, but getting to them was a battle. Jigging for panfish one day, and setting up for pike and walleye the next was our only options.  We got on some fish, and made the best of it - at least we’ve got a story to tell!

Episode 51

The 2019 Fleet Farm Highlights Show

Show Date: December 21st & 22nd, 2019

Location: Fleet Farm, West Bend, Wisconsin

It’s our annual year in review. We take a look back at our highlights from the show, as well as randomly select from top winners in each species category to be the grand prize winners, which get to collect a great prize from one of our wonderful sponsors. 

Huge thanks to Fleet Farm for the contest each year.  Thanks to Clam Outdoors, Jiffy Ice Drills, Humminbird, ACME Tackle Company, and Beaver Dam Ice Fishing for providing the grand prizes.  Thanks to all of our sponsors and views, without you, our show would not be possible. 

We’re looking forward to a great 2020! 

Episode 52

Red Lake Walleyes

Show Date: December 28th & 29th, 2019

Location: Upper Red Lake, Waskish, Minnesota