That is going to do it for January. It was a month of ups and downs as far as fishing goes. Who are we kidding? That is the way fishing always goes. We have been through warm weather, extremely cold weather and extremely windy weather like we are experiencing this week.
With that said, ice conditions have been nearly perfect in most areas of Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. Many inland lakes have the best ice road conditions we have seen in a few years. That's what happens when you have cold enough weather and not much snow coverage. Currently, most inland waters are hosting vehicle traffic.
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A few things if you decide to drive onto a lake:
- First and foremost, make sure the lake is safe enough to accommodate your vehicle. You should always check in with the local bait shop, resort or an experienced angler or fishing guide from the lake you plan to maneuver.
- Another important deal when accessing ice via car or truck: Don't drive too fast. What happens is you can make a wave under the ice that can mess things up.
- Also, remember to spread out, especially with vehicles trailers and ice shanties.
- The last thing I can think of is drilling holes near houses and vehicles. This can flood areas and make ice conditions hazardous.
OK, let's move on:
Lake Superior has been a popular spot these last several weeks for ice anglers. If you plan on coming up from out of town and are staying overnight, I encourage you to make arrangements with the several lodging companies in the area, many of which are full during the weekends.
We have ice formed from Ashland and into the Apostle Islands. The safest ice is closer to Ashland, of course. However, even Ashland has dangerous spots, so be weary, and again, check in with someone who knows something. I like to get my information from Scotty or Jeff at River Rock Inn and Bait Shop.
From north of Houghton Point and into the Bayfield areas, we are seeing more hazardous ice. Thickness varies, but for the most part, it can be anywhere from 10 inches near Washburn to 4 inches near Bayfield. This last week we had some good days and some bad days.
Brown trout have been the best catches for our team. We have been getting them both on jigging techniques and set lines. I prefer an enlarged buckshot rattling spoon in pink, black or gold. Most fish have been coming in 20-40 feet of water. As usual, it pays to be out early and set up by mid-morning. It is also important to avoid noise pollution and stay away from crowds as best you can. Weekdays will be best.
St. Louis River Estuary is having a wonderful influx of brown trout coming through the system. The old cliche is, "You never know what you're going to catch," and these last few weeks, some lucky anglers have caught some nice brown trout. With that said, read up on the regulations because you may be unable to keep a river trout. Still, very cool to catch, though.
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For walleyes, most anglers have started to leave popular areas like Superior Bay. However, fish can still be caught in said areas, even more so now that the big angler traffic has slowed down. Keep fishing the general jigging-rap or puppet minnow tipped with a minnow head. And make sure to have a dead stick with a live chub nearby. A few perch and pike have been around this last week as well, so be prepared for anything.
On the inland waters of Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin, we are still stomping out some fun panfish bites off weed edges and sharp breaks. Fish have been schooled up, so it pays to be ready if you get into your first and second fish. Further meaning, the school can be close by. Fish will spook, so try and drill the holes in your area early and allow some time for things to settle down.
Set lines like tip-ups continue to be a great option for keeping busy on "hammer handle" pike and a few bass bites. Smaller suckers or big chubs have been good. If you can find some shiners, even better.
Walleyes continue to be a low-light bite. So, work the early morning and later afternoon into dark, and if you can afford it, after dark. Similar to river fishing, jigging-raps or puppet minnows can work wonders.
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