walleyemaxx
12-10-2010, 10:38 AM
Hi everyone,
Here's this weeks DNR report for northwest WI.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The cold weather of the past week has thickened the ice cover on local lakes, with many waters now having between 3 and 5 inches of ice. However, some of the large, deep lakes in the area were still reported to have large expanses of open-water and all recreationalists should be aware of the variable ice conditions. As such, any early season anglers should be extremely cautious when traveling on any water body and be especially wary around inlets, outlets, the centers of the larger lakes, and around any moving water. With upwards of 4 inches of ice on some lakes, the first early-season ice anglers have been creeping out onto a few lakes in the area. However, first-ice success has been generally low for walleye, though yellow perch have been providing some fair action. A few catches of smaller walleye have been reported, but for the most part fish have been hard to come by. Action should improve by the mid-December period, as thicker ice and a bit of snow cover seem to make the fish less spooky. Walleye anglers should target the deep edges and mud flats in 6 to 10 feet of water, and concentrate their efforts in the low-light periods (early morning and late afternoon hours). For bait, use small-size suckers or golden shiners, and fish them 1 to 2 feet off the bottom. Northern pike anglers should try to find old weed beds and then suspend a large golden shiner just over the top of any green weeds that are found.
What the DNR doesn't mention is that the Perch and Blugills will still be in any green weeds. Soon, the Perch will migrate to the deeper water mud flats to gorge themselves on the insect larvae.
Good luck fishing and be carefull on the ice.
Walleyemaxx
Here's this weeks DNR report for northwest WI.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The cold weather of the past week has thickened the ice cover on local lakes, with many waters now having between 3 and 5 inches of ice. However, some of the large, deep lakes in the area were still reported to have large expanses of open-water and all recreationalists should be aware of the variable ice conditions. As such, any early season anglers should be extremely cautious when traveling on any water body and be especially wary around inlets, outlets, the centers of the larger lakes, and around any moving water. With upwards of 4 inches of ice on some lakes, the first early-season ice anglers have been creeping out onto a few lakes in the area. However, first-ice success has been generally low for walleye, though yellow perch have been providing some fair action. A few catches of smaller walleye have been reported, but for the most part fish have been hard to come by. Action should improve by the mid-December period, as thicker ice and a bit of snow cover seem to make the fish less spooky. Walleye anglers should target the deep edges and mud flats in 6 to 10 feet of water, and concentrate their efforts in the low-light periods (early morning and late afternoon hours). For bait, use small-size suckers or golden shiners, and fish them 1 to 2 feet off the bottom. Northern pike anglers should try to find old weed beds and then suspend a large golden shiner just over the top of any green weeds that are found.
What the DNR doesn't mention is that the Perch and Blugills will still be in any green weeds. Soon, the Perch will migrate to the deeper water mud flats to gorge themselves on the insect larvae.
Good luck fishing and be carefull on the ice.
Walleyemaxx