Tips & Features
Steve Piatt: This year, I’ll fish more after devoting 2023 to preparing for a mountain goat hunt
I’m still handling some posthunt details, focused mainly on the mount that will hopefully be coming home later this year for a spot on the wall.
Wisconsin’s Leah Saffert, age 10, catches 50-inch, 34-pound muskie through the ice
Fishing with her dad and brother, 10-year-old Leah Saffert, of Rice Lake, Wis., was tending tip-ups on Minnesota’s Lake of the Woods when she hooked, and then landed, a 50-inch muskie Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023,
Bobbers can be the perfect fit for ice fishing; here’s how to utilize them
Bobbers, also called floats, are ideal for vertical presentations we employ when ice fishing.
You need to match your bobber to your quarry. Panfish demand a much smaller float than one used for pike
Steve Griffin: The best part of the hunt isn’t always the kill
The best part of the pheasant hunt wasn’t even in the field.
It was the campfire.
OK, there wasn’t a fireplace, or a fire, around which eight or 10 of us sat after
Going light is key during ice-fishing seasons of inconsistent ice; here’s where to cut weight
Not that shaving a few pounds is an excuse to creep out on thin ice, but saving some weight keeps us nimble and after the fish, especially when hand-dragging our gear so late into what’s
Is your food plot in need of improvement? Try frost seeding this spring
Did last fall find your clover plot a bit underwhelming? If “opportunities for improvement” topped last season’s food plot report card, frost seeding might help give your plot a boost this spring.
Frost seeding
Ask a fish biologist: Fishing clear ice is tricky
Ice fishing conditions are different from what we experienced last year. Last year there was ice on many of the small lakes when we received a big dumping of snow. That led to slushy conditions,
Dead-sticking vs. bobber system for catching walleyes – video
“Tackle” Terry Tuma suggests using a longer rod and one that has a soft tip and is flexible, making it easier to see when a fish strikes the lure.
For catching panfish, different baits shine for different reasons
Recent snowfall has been a real ice-fishing game-changer. The new overhead cover (for fish) has really gotten the panfish biting hard. At this time of winter, I’m an aggressive jigger, and I use a variety
