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Spent the first day of the weekend searching, and I mean searching, for a crappie bite that just wasn’t going to produce. Spent the afternoon going from deeper water to shallower water and later afternoon, back out into deeper water. Just couldn’t find the crappie, all in all, was only able to put 3 bluegills on the ice and we won’t even talk about their size. Had no problem finding the fish as just about every hole they were there. They would come up and look at it and just

After my seminar back in December one of the attendees, Summer, had pulled me aside and asked for some advice on catching fish. She'd said that they could see fish on their flashers, but they hadn't caught anything in almost 3 years of trying out ice fishing. I gave her a little advice and ask her to contact me again with any questions or to possibly arrange a time that we could meet up on the ice for some in-person instruction. About a month after the seminar, she contacted

I am always about trying new things and there are times that they don’t work, but when they do, can be something that will be used more than others. Todays technique was to try tight lining and get a feel for that, as the tournaments that we fish, it is becoming a critical part of the fish catching process. Tight lining is using a fiberglass noodle rod, a small Schooley reel, light fishing line and a light jig with some sort of meat or plastic. This setup is a hand lining opt

Like most, whenever I take a group out for ice fishing, particularly beginners, the hope is always that the fish will be plentiful and hungry. You can fish in an area that has been productive for a few days, but then the next day, poof, there's nothing there. It is the nature of fishing that things never stay the same from one day to the next. A fellow co-worker of mine had his mom, Vicky, visiting from California and she'd heard that he'd been out on the ice with me a few ti

We drove 3 hours from Kissimmee to Bokeelia FL to fish with Bo Johnson. Our plan was to go out about 18-20 miles, offshore where it was only 75ft deep. It was a very windy day. Captain Bo navigated around and in between 3-foot swells. The water splashed over the sides getting the boys wet. Saltwater running down their face and wet cloths. I was worried they wouldn’t make it the whole trip. Once we arrived at our spot, we rigged up some spinning rods and a jig head tipped with

Every year, I get a few opportunities to fish with my dad. My siblings and I were fishing with him from early ages, both in the boat and on the ice. He was always one of the reasons why I grew up loving the sport and learning about conservation of this precious resource. As a "walleye purist", as I refer to him as (hates catching anything that isn't a walleye), he rarely kept fish unless we were wanting some for dinner and anything over 20" was automatically thrown back. As k

Got the boys and their friend out for some early morning action. Caught a few right away in the AM and it looked like a promising day. Until they started running circles around the fish house, pushing shovels and throwing footballs. Lol, I just sat back stared at my Vexilar and listened to their goofy comments. Getting them out to enjoy the outdoors is important whether they are fishing or not. Boys will be boys!

The number one question I get as an ice fishing professional is, "How do I put my reel on this rod?" "You want me to spend how much money and it doesn't have a real seat?" Yes, I want you to purchase quality, high end rods whether they are custom, or mass produced. Why? Because your results will be increased tenfold. The new revolution of fishing rods has become paramount to the ice fishing industry. Consumers are appreciating the same quality and action as they would with op

As the new year brings us in, a large percentage of folks attempt a new goal or change a few habits to be a bit healthier. Of course, in our home we love to fish, and we love enjoying our harvest from time to time. For Christmas this year, I purchased an air fryer for Alie. Yes, it is an unwritten rule not to get your lady appliances, dishes, pots, pans etc. but she really wanted one of these. I must admit, it does not disappoint. One of our favorite ways to have fish is fish

Winter ice is about fishing and learning new waters that you can’t do on the open water season for a variety of reasons. Ice fishing keeps everything basic and anyone can do it with minimal equipment and still be able to catch fish. Every year the goal is to learn a few more new waters and that in turn, gives you more varieties and options for fishing all depending on how the winter season goes. Learning local waters, waters that are an hour away to longer distance destinatio