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Northland Tackle, Fishing the Midwest and HSM Outdoors have teamed up together for bringing you a new Video series called "The Northland Fisherman". This episode: Early Ice Crappies - Mike Frisch

Even if the fishing doesn't work out as planned, sometimes just admiring the scenery is more than enough to have a good time on the ice. One of the best things about living in the Black Hills is just that -- the scenery. From the rolling, pine-covered hills to the steep and craggy cliffs and protrusions, there's always something to admire here. Recently, I headed out to Deerfield to meet up with a guy who I'd wanted to fish with last season, but we never got our schedules syn

When my son and I fish, he has a way that he likes to fish and I have a way that I like to fish. So, having two different varieties of techniques, he likes fishing with traps and I like jigging, there are a couple of lakes that we fish that don’t adhere as easily to both methods. We typically will alternate our choices of lakes and since our last outing was for jigging crappies, his choice was to run traps for bass. This particular lake has a good population of largemouth and

First ice is always a special time and all of the excitement has finally come to a realization that we are going to be wetting a line on the hard water once again. Ice season is a very special time and I get to spend many days out there with my fishing partner, my son. We typically have to drive north for first ice and have a few lakes that we will target at first and last ice and there is a good population of crappie that swim there. Upon arriving at the lake, we were fortun

For most people around the United States, hunting season is over, freezers are full and a lot of people have turned their focus on ice fishing. This is the time of year I start making all sorts of smoked sausages along with one of my favorite things to make with venison....JERKY. Anyone can do this and with pretty much any cut of meat. I like to use the shoulders as they are generally a little tougher but the top round and bottom round steaks from the hind quarter work good t

Northland Tackle, Fishing the Midwest and HSM Outdoors have teamed up together for bringing you a new Video series called "The Northland Fisherman". This episode: Making Better Fishing Video's with Bill Linder.

Ventured out again this morning with the same sloppy conditions on the local lakes. The group of people fishing today are always fishing the same areas and it gets hit hard. They all left early today so I was guessing that the bite was slow. People are so afraid to try something new. My last 3 of 4 outings, I fished a new spot with no one near me and still caught beautiful gills and keeper perch. My best advice is to get away from the crowds. These fish are getting pushed far

With the lakes around the Black Hills ready to go for this ice season, I had a couple of friends who had recently gotten new flashers as well as one with a new Clam Conversion Kit auger, but they hadn't had a chance to really test them out on the hard water yet. I also had a number of new lures and plastics I wanted to try as well as my new Vexilar FLX-28 I had just gotten in the mail a few days before. I received an ice report from another friend who'd been down to Stockade

Happy Holidays! We are seeing ice conditions in the Twin Ports, anywhere from 4-8". Some inland lakes are starting to see snowmobiles and ATVs, however, anglers are encouraged to check ice for themselves and not rely on reports, etc. Fishing has been excellent as early ice always seems to be a good bite. Lake Superior still has a ways to go for ice in the Ashland area. There is about 5" most areas on the Ashland side, but Washburn to Bayfield remains open water. St Louis Rive

Weather: Windy Ice thickness: 8 inches Travel: Difficult Target species: Bluegill It felt great to be back on the ice again. My first time out this year and I got spoiled with some very nice gills. The ice on the lake I was fishing was clear 7-8 inches with drifts a foot deep holding water beneath the snow. It made it for slow travel by 4 wheeler. I passed everyone fishing the same area that always produces action. But I had my mind set on where I caught some nice gills befor