As winter lingers on, the writer’s thoughts drift to open water, big rivers, and hard-fighting trout and salmon.
Darren Troseth caught a lake sturgeon measuring 78 inches (and 29.5 inches around) and weighing an estimated 120 pounds Feb. 9 while fishing on the St. Croix River near Bayport.
The DNR is considering allowing the walleye harvest during the cool-water periods in the spring and fall. But the exact number of keepers won’t be announced until mid-March.
Central Region Alum Creek Lake (Delaware County) — Anglers are being careful at Alum Creek, and most are fishing just the coves through the ice. The bite has been reportedly a tough one, though. A few stray saugeyes are being reported north of Cheshire Road. Ice was said to be 41⁄2 to 5 inches thick in most of these places….
The polar vortex at the end of January locked up rivers and hastened ice formation on lakes in much of Pennsylvania, only to be followed by unseasonably mild weather. Anglers are urged to exercise extreme caution when venturing onto frozen surfaces. For ice-fishing safety tips, visit www.fishandboat.com. NORTHWEST REGION Presque Isle Bay (Erie County) — As of Feb. 1, perch…
Editor’s note: Ice conditions varied from one region of the state to another. Southern Michigan had been hit with warm, rainy weather, which rendered some lakes unsafe for travel. Fishing will resume as solid ice returns. Always use caution when heading out on the ice. Call ahead for an update on ice conditions. Test the ice ahead of you with…
Hunter Anderson, of Danville, Ky., reportedly landed a 20-pound koi fish, resembling an oversized goldfish, from a pond in Danville on Saturday.
Great Eight LAKE MILLE LACS East – Walleye reports continue to come in although the bite has been inconsistent. The best action continues to come off the deep mud and gravel during the day in 25 to 30 feet with setlines and shiners or small sucker minnows. During low-light periods, the 14- to 16-foot rocks are producing…
With a push to make things more restrictive as far as creel limits in Lake Ontario, should we also be looking at a law or regulation that does not allow captains and/or mates to keep their limits, too? Currently, it’s a gray area. If they have a fishing license, they are entitled to their own limit of fish.
Bag goes from 50 to 25 on most waters starting April 1.
Northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois all are considered part of the Driftless Area, an expansive swath of land that escaped glaciation during the last ice age. And local fishermen know there is more to the Driftless Area than what immediately meets the eye.
The fishing and hunting report is compiled using reports from conservation officers, hunting guides and fishing guides. North Lake Michigan: Most fishermen have been fishing from the dock. There have been very few reports of trout being caught at this time. They are there; you just really need to work for them. Spawn sacks slowly jigged as well as the…
ASHLAND AREA Fishing is good on Chequamegon Bay. Many anglers fishing the Ashland side of the bay are catching mixed bags of brown trout, cohos, perch, northern pike, sturgeon, and smelt. There is about 16 inches of ice and people are driving out on it, but take care. Now that there is ice outside the bay, people are flocking to…
Starting March 1, the aggregate walleye and sauger limit will be reduced from eight to six, with no more than four walleye, on Lake of the Woods. On the Rainy River and in Four Mile Bay, a catch-and-release season will be in effect March 1 to April 14.
Great Eight LAKE MILLE LACS East – Walleye action has slowed a bit, but fish continue to be caught through the changing weather patterns. The deep mud and gravel areas have been best during the day, while there is some evening activity on the 16-foot rocks and other shallow structure. Some nice perch are being found on…
According to the DNR, the first four sturgeon harvested were males ranging from 52 to 60 inches and 25 to 47 pounds. The final two fish were females ranging from 61 to 72 inches and 54 to 80 pounds.
Garmin’s Panoptix ice bundle has been a hot product in the ice market this winter as it offers a powerful combination of sonar technology and high-def mapping. The unit comes with a traditional ice fishing transducer with float and an adjustable narrow beam angle (8 to 16 degrees) for great target separation when viewed as a flasher or traditional LCD…
There are definitely times when fish demand an increase in vibration and flash. But just the opposite can be the attractor, so bring an assortment of colors.
Wear your hunting and fishing colors, visit with your representatives, and help keep protection of public lands and waters at the forefront of state policy this legislative session.
A walleye collected by a North Dakota Game and Fish biologist has set a “new old-age standard in walleye.”
Braided fishing line and a tube of super glue top the list of materials needed to replace a broken line guide on your fishing rod. (Photo by Mike Schoonveld) I use the winter months as a time to sort, inspect and maintain the rods, reels and other gear I use and abuse spring, summer and fall. This way, I have…
Central Region Alum Creek Lake (Delaware County) — Ice is forming in the coves of Alum Creek, but as of this writing on Jan. 18 no one was ice fishing. The spillway bite is still an option for saugeyes, muskies, and crappies, but a major snowstorm forecast for the region might put the brakes on good ice formation. Buckeye Lake…
Unseasonable temperatures in much of the state delayed ice-fishing as of mid- January, when cold, snowy weather moved in. Some anglers were fishing from boats as conditions allowed. Ice anglers are advised to exercise extreme caution. For ice-fishing safety tips, visit www.fishandboat.com NORTHWEST REGION Presque Isle Bay (Erie County) — As of Jan. 18, FishErie reported that anglers were catching…
SOUTHEASTERN LP Lake St. Clair Lake St. Clair was freezing before rain and 40 degree temperatures moved in. Anglers had been getting into bluegills and sunfish at the north end out near the Raft Restaurant and the Fair Haven Launch. The areas both in and outside the canals and docks have been the hot spots. Pike have been seen cruising…
LAKE MILLE LACS Walleye fishing continued to be good last weekend, despite the cold weather. Fish were caught on or near the mud flats, gravel, and rock. Those should remain quality options. Look deep during the day and on top of structure at low-light periods. Most resorts shut their road systems down early this week due to…
Association is worried in particular about a new commercial whitefish season to be held in October.
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