February 2011 — John Gillespie's Waters & Woods

February 2011

Episode 6
Fishing with the Kids
Show Date: February 5th & 6th, 2011
Location: Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Guide: Ben Kueng [414-477-2972]

This week we welcome some newcomers, a group of high school kids from University School of Milwaukee, all of whom have never ice fished. The group joins us to see how we film the show, and to experience some of the great fishing that is very close to home.

Also a newcomer is our guide, Ben Kueng, who has been guiding southeastern Wisconsin for eight years. Ben guides ice and open water, specializing on the inland lakes. For todays bite, we deploy a large spread of tip-ups, targeting pike and bass. Along with the tip-ups, many of us are jigging for panfish, and we are connecting with some very nice bluegill and crappie.

Episode 7
Fishin’ in a Blizzard
Show Date: February 12th & 13th, 2011
Location: Lake Winnebago; Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Guide: Pro Ice Guide Larry Smith [920-361-4996 | walleyeguide.com]

If you were any where in the United States besides southern Florida, you’ve experienced the epic winter storms that swept across the entire country. As our show goes, we don’t really get to pick the days we fish, so we were out when the wind was just about at its worst. Luckily our fantastic guide, Larry Smith, has some very robust permanent shacks that can withstand the high winds. The shacks actually make you forget about the cold; with the propane heater, and most importantly, getting us out of the wind. Fishing a very enjoyable experience, staying inside the whole time, and enjoying some wonderful fishing.

It’s all jigging all day, and you can your lure of choice, whether it be a ZIP, spoon, or a hot tamale. One key ingredient is tipping the hooks with spikes. We are catching some beautiful perch, white bass, and crappie; and we are doing it all day long at will. Call Larry, where the weather is always fine!

Episode 8
Giant Erie Walleyes
Show Date: February 19th & 20th, 2011
Location: Lake Erie; Port Clinton, Ohio
Guide: Charter Captain Mike Patterson [419-308-6925 | mikessportfishing.com]

This is the ice show that we’ve been waiting for, and will not soon forget. We were able to get out to where the walleyes are cursing on Lake Erie, and hooked up with some absolute monsters.

Our guide, Charter Captain Mike Patterson, spent many days with only a spud to find a safe trail for travel to the spot. Those many days have paid big dividends for our crew on this outing, where may of the anglers caught the largest walleye of their lives.

Happening upon an impassable crack on our way out to the spot ends up being a godsend, because the walleyes are drawn to the light line that the crack produces. Lined up in a row along the crack, all of our anglers jig using mostly spoons and jigging rapalas tipped with minnows. As stated earlier, these walleyes are cruising mud flats, and the crack we are on is like a magnet. This magnet is drawing in some massive walleyes, massive, unforgettable, huge slob-o-saurus walleyes!

Episode 10
Big Dave is Back!
Show Date: March 5th & 6th, 2011
Location: Wisconsin River, Wisconsin Dells
Guide: Pro Guide Big Dave Ehardt [414-803-7160] Rivers Edge Resort [608-254-6594]

Big Dave Ehardt has been a staple on Wisconsin’s Waters & Woods since 1992, and was sorely missed last year while he was recovering from back surgery. Although not 100% quite yet, he is very close to being done with his physical therapy, and was able to get back on the water with us for some walleye, sauger, saugeye, and incidental sturgeon fishing. The end of the previous sentence is one of the great things about Big Dave, he catches everything, and just loves to be on the water fishing. The river off of Rivers Edge Resort is almost completely open
This week we get the Frabill out for some nice eating walleye and sauger. We have a great time vertical jigging using Gulp and ZIP’s, catching some nice slot-fish as well, which of course are released to start the next generation. Also, helping Dave along the way is his co-guide Nate, who lands some of the largest fish of the day.