Fishing has been great last few weeks for crappies. Because it’s an evening bite, I’m able to run out to my fish house with the boys after school. Few pizzas chips, pop and we have a quick dinner while fishing. We usually watch a movie on the tv and jig those suspended crappies. Fishing in 27 feet and jigging at about 10 feet off the bottom, is where the bigger crappies are cruising. They are not aggressive at all. So, we use small tungsten jigs with 1 red spike. I even managed a decent walleye on a tungsten jig! Using a spring bobber helps catch these light biters and holding the rod still once one shows up is key. By the time the movie is over, we have a nice one-man limit of crappies. We
Warm and sunny temperatures this week have made for some excellent weather to get out on some ice, but the nicer weather has also brought on a high barometer, causing fish to be more lethargic. Patience and lure selection could be the name of the game for those who are looking at going out. This weekend, temperatures are expected to be in the high 40s or low 50s, but the pressure will be heading downward as well starting Saturday, which could lead to some more aggressive fish and near perfect weather for families or groups. Caution is advised, however, for those looking to hit up the walleye lakes or the main body of Pactola. With these conditions in mind, here's the current reports from are
Rare is the day when nearly every condition is near perfect. Most days, if it's sunny, it's also windy or the barometric pressure is sky high. Or if it isn’t windy, it's raining or snowing. Or if it's sunny and not windy, the fish aren't biting. Getting all these conditions to line up for what could be considered perfection is about as rare as a solar eclipse most days. But all three factors nearly lined up last weekend to create what could be considered an almost perfect morning of fishing. We had a couple of friends visiting from the east side of the state for some hockey and ice fishing action. Saturday morning, Chad and I didn't have much success on Pactola Reservoir, but I was confident
Some days when you hit the ice, the fish are easy to find and catch, and makes for a very fun and rewarding day. Then there are days that you really need to work and look, drill many holes and keep on the move. When the days are like this, after many fruitless holes, the feeling of satisfaction overwhelms you once you have located the fish. Then comes the jig size, bait of choice as well as the colors that these fish are looking for. Had started working an inside edge that typically holds these pumpkinseeds, went from 21 feet of water up to 15 feet on the upward slope of structure. There were plenty of perch in the area but that wasn’t what we were looking for. After a couple of hours of not
Last month, I was asked by J.R., one of the leaders of a local veteran's group called Casting Vets, if I would be willing to help some members of their group with an on-ice trip. I jumped at the chance and said yes immediately! What an honor it would be to help these guys out who sacrificed so much to keep our country safe! If there was even a small way to give back to them, to show how much their service was appreciated, this was a way. So, we planned for up to six members to join me, our local fishing plastics maker Anthony (who is also a veteran), and a couple of helpers with the trip. Stockade was chosen because of its proximity to the group's location in Hot Springs. Last Saturday, Anth
We all have our mentors from our youth growing up in the outdoors. Many of us have dads, moms, uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, or friends who got us into the outdoors and kept us coming back for more. They were the ones who inspired our passion for fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, or dozens of other outdoor recreational activities. My dad was mine. My first fishing memory is when I was 5 and we were shore fishing and reeling in bullheads and silver bass from one of the smaller lakes near my hometown in Lemmon, SD. My pops have been an avid fisherman for as long as I can remember. Specifically, he's been an avid walleye fisherman for that time. When we fished, we usually went for 'eyes. W
I’ve hit the ice a few times now down in Bay City and Maiden Rock, WI. Seems to be a consistent 8 inches of ice. This is a river so please check for yourself as conditions are always changing. I’ve managed a few nice crappies in 12-14 ft water along with some perch. Using a small tungsten jig tipped with red spikes. Moving out deeper, you can find a few more active walleyes and sauger. Our best luck has been in 15-17ft. Using red rattling flyer as my go to down here topped off with a minnow head. Dead sticking didn’t seem to out produce jigging. I’ve had the opportunity to fish 4 times down here. First day was pretty good. Lots of eater sized walleyes and perch. Day two, crappies and a coup
