January 2011 — John Gillespie's Waters & Woods

January 2011

Episode 1
Happy New Year! Catch Another Trout!
Show Date: January 1st & 2nd, 2011
Location: Milwaukee Harbor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Guide: Charter Captain Brian Settele [414-559-9238 | fishchaserguideservice.com]

It’s a new year, and with every new year comes resolutions. On this weeks show we resolve to catching trout one-after-another. Charter Captain Brian Settele takes us out on the Milwaukee Harbor for a world-class bite that you don’t need to travel the world to experience.

Maneuvering through some gigantic ice chunks to get to and from the spot, its nice to have a charter captain that knows what he is doing. Brian really knows the drill once we get to our spot, as he puts us on a fantastic bite that is enhanced by the light tackle that we’re using. Fighting these fish can easily be a 15 minute ordeal; “It’s really fun, especially on this light tackle” Brian tells us. We are using walleye rods with 6-8 lb. test, using either a jig & Gulp or jig & spawn sack.

Episode 2
Mills Fleet Farm Highlights Show
Show Date: January 8th & 9th, 2011

It’s our favorite time of the year! We get to take a look back at some of the monster fish that has made 2010 such a great year, and we get to give away prizes to our show fans. This win-win situation is all made possible by Mills Fleet Farm, for the great contest that they put on year after year. It’s is also made possible by the sponsors that donate the fantastic prize packages that we give away to our grand prize winners.

Brian Sticka makes his co-hosing debut, helping John pull the winners and the prizes they’ll receive. We have grand prize winners in the following categories: Pan Fish, Bass, Trout/Salmon, Walleye, Pike, Muskie, Other, & Kids.

Thanks to all of our show fans, this wouldn’t be possible without you. We are looking forward to your entries for 2011!

Episode 3
Lake Erie Perch on Ice
Show Date: January 15th & 16th, 2011
Location: Lake Erie, Put in Bay, Ohio
Guide: Charter Captain Mike Patterson [419-308-6925 | mikessportfishing.com]

We endured the slick ice, we endured a snow storm, and we endured the wind; all to bring you all an awesome Lake Erie ice show. Our guide, Charter Captain Mike Patterson, takes us out where the ice is safe, and the perch are biting. We have a substantial and reliable group with us as well. Along with our fearless guide Mike, we have Captain Paul Pacholski, Kim Salinas, Pete Maina, Tex Maina, Mike Pitts, Mike Pitts Jr., and Brian Schram. All are dedicated anglers, and all are out to have a great time.

Captain Patterson has us fishing out of the Island of Put In Bay, where the ice is landlocked between a few smaller islands. “Even though there is open water many other places, we can still get out on the ice” he tells us. The picky perch that we are after only seem to be feeding right near the bottom, and seeing that mark on the Humminbird follow your bait up and ultimately hit it, is a blast. Thanks to the Frabill ice shacks we have, fishing is comfortable too, especially in the snow storm that we found ourselves in.

Special Thanks to DB Air (formerly Dairy Air) & The Black Squirrel Bed & Breakfast!

Episode 4
Larry's Whitefish Bonanza
Show Date: January 22nd & 23rd, 2011
Location: Lower Bay; Green Bay, Wisconsin
Guide: Pro Guide Larry Smith [920-361-4996 | walleyeguide.com]

This week we get back out to the fantastic bonanza that the whitefish have provided for the anglers that brave the cold on the bay of Green Bay. This week we are on the lower bay of Green Bay Larry Smith takes a crew out that loves to catch fish, and this fishing provides just that; a one-after-another experience that can get you to your limit a lot faster than you might expect. Along with some clients, we welcome our friend Sgt Mark Meunier, a retiree of the US Marines and Amy who is also a Purple Heart recipient. Thanks for your service to our country Mark.

Whitefish like to hang out near the bottom, so having a Humminbird flasher makes the fishing a much more enjoyable experience. This is a pretty no-nonsense bite so a simple small jig or a spoon is all you need. We were also tipping the hooks with minnow heads or spikes.

Episode 5
Dale’s Ice Fishing Party
Show Date: January 29^th 30^th, 2011
Location: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Guide: Pro Guide Dale Stroschein [ 920-743-5731 | wackywalleye.com]

Dale Stroschein knows how to throw an ice fishing party in style, from his wonderful Sand Bay Beach Resort, to the heated shacks that he has set up on the ice. We have a wonderful crew with us for our outing, and they are determined to catch fish.
Dale has us up in the wee early hours in the morning to target the huge walleye that often swim in these waters. The walleye are being uncooperative on this trip, so its a good thing that we have the always hungry whitefish to aim for. The whitefishes’ unstoppable hunger for our bait makes for two fun-filled afternoons of fishing. We are using a small spoon or jig, because whitefish have very small mouths; because when they hit, it’s much more fun to catch than to miss.