Effective winter patterns to consider trying for the season on selected streams predominantly include nymph patterns. The trout become lethargic in the cool winter moths and try to expend as little energy as possible. With water temperatures hovering between 34-40 degrees for most of the winter, trout will not chase their food down, but will suck it in as it floats by. That is why nymph patterns are so effective. Several nymph patterns are effective for southeastern Minnesota. The basic pattern is the scud, or freshwater shrimp in an orange or yellow color usually tied on a size 14-16 curved nymph hook. I usually use this pattern as my main nymph and tandem rig it with a dropper fly (the traditional two fly system). The scud is effective because of its color and appearance, not to mention ... [ Read More ]
Mallards In the Field
by Jason Mitchell Jason Mitchell hosts the outdoor program, Jason Mitchell Outdoors which airs on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Midwest. Show times and listings can be found at www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com. For many duck hunters, duck hunting is all about cattails and mud, ducks splashing on the water with a wet retriever shaking in the blind. Field hunting opportunities are not present everywhere but in the heartland of the Midwest; mallards routinely get conditioned to feed on waste grain, wheat, barley and other crops. Field hunting offers an exciting in your face perspective. In order to experience incredible field hunting where flocks of bowed up mallards are dropping down over the decoys, you have to be set up where the birds want to be. In farm country, there is no ... [ Read More ]
Ice Fishing tips for Walleye – Fish Posture and Strategy
Ice Fishing Walleyes by Jason Mitchell When you watch walleyes while ice fishing on an underwater camera, you can usually tell if that fish is going to eat just by how the fish is postured. Let’s take walleyes for example, walleyes that are in attack mode typically have a different posture… the fins are up and the back is arched. All fish including bluegills and crappie have that posture where they mean business. The fish are cruising and alert. These are the fish that make us look good as anglers and there are often key windows through the day where you get this activity. On the flip side, the fish that are not cruising that have their fins tucked tight to the body are much more difficult to catch. Not very often, but every once in a while I have observed mass migrations of fish ... [ Read More ]
First Ice Fishing Homework Starts Now
Hitting the ice at the start of the season is a new beginning. There are times where we find fish right where we thought the fish should be at first ice and there are times when the fish are not where you think they should be. Some lakes that were good last winter will not be good this winter and vice versa. Finding fish at first ice is a process of elimination. There are lakes I cannot wait to hit this winter but I truly will not know whether they are good or not until I start drilling some holes. Enhance your Edge on First Ice Fishing If there is one thing however that can greatly enhance your edge at first ice, my advice would be to watch fall bites closely. If possible, look at some lakes that you intend to ice fish during the fall. Not only can you get a really good handle of the size ... [ Read More ]
A Hit List Bear
by B-man715 Baiting season has been on for a couple weeks now, but only one of mine has been getting hit. This is in the no-quota area of Minnesota, where you can shoot two bears every year. I'm used to drawing one tag every eight years in Wisconsin!! He and one other bear have been coming in quite regulary, often times as early as 2pm. Go figure that two days before the season opens, my only hot bait goes stone cold......... This bait is nearly a half mile walk from the truck, which makes popcorn the logical choice (ever carry 5 gallons of cookie dough a half mile??? that dump is heavy!!) I figured another baiter had come in with a more appetizing offering. The heat had also kicked it up over the last few days too. Temps have been in the mid eighties. This was my logic for the bait ... [ Read More ]
Where Are Those Ring Necked Pheasants?
Ring-necked pheasants were first imported to America in 1881 from China, and they have since become among the hottest upland game birds of Minnesota. It's a grassland-dependent species mostly found in rural areas near grain harvests and grassy fields, like corn. Ring Necked pheasants can survive a comparatively broad variety of temperature conditions and eat grain, weed seeds and insects. Basic description Span: 20 to 36 inches, including the tail variability. Sounds: Ring necked pheasant roosters crow loudest in summer and springtime, particularly at twilight and dawn. Loud, fast beating of the wings that can be in the field generally follows a rooster's crow. Roosters additionally frequently cackle when they fly. Reproduction: Pheasants start mating in May and April. Hens lay ... [ Read More ]
The Panfish Assault: Operation Inline Spinners
by Matt Johnson Exploding through the water like a torpedo, the monster bluegill crushes the shiner minnow—a hearty meal that’s typically found on the menu of a bass. This is a common scenario that often goes unseen within our favorite bodies of water, abundant with panfish. See, panfish are kamikazes, and have been known to devour baits twice their size. If that’s the case, then why do we settle with small-profiled presentations when targeting these underwater bullies? We’ve been taught that when thinking about smaller fish, we must throw smaller baits, but that’s definitely not the case… Lures that we commonly use to target bass and larger gamefish also have their place in a panfish angler’s arsenal. Granted, we might have to downsize slightly, but the common practice of throwing ... [ Read More ]
Giant Bass Through the Stages of Fall
Bite windows for giant fall bass can be short and intense, but this has always been my favorite season for searching for out-size fish. Between the last phase of late summer and into fall turnover, giant bass can be found locating at variable depths on waters throughout the country. While shallow water impoundments find fish locating either in heavy vegetation or on inside and outside turns on edges of expansive weed flats, deep impoundments can offer a chance at giant bass that locate on and around on off-shore structures. During the first stage of turnover, off-shore haunts also offer topwater opportunities to boat quality largemouth and smallies. Many fish are suspending on forage pods out over main basins. During prime bite windows during the night and early morning hours, larger ... [ Read More ]
Crazy Catfish (Squeaky-Clean Whiskery Schemes)
Who says you need to always use stinky stuff to catch catfish? Sometimes, cats are as happy to actively swim and chase prey as any freshwater predator. In fact, as anglers continually discover, catfish can be caught with a whole array of methods previously ascribed to their ‘glamorous’ aquatic brethren. Driven by broad powerful tails, forceful frames and muscular mandibles, the catfish clan—channels, blues and flatheads—is entirely capable of kicking bass and waylaying walleyes in any underwater arena. You’ve heard the stories—probably even yourself caught cats using unorthodox methods at one time or another: Channel catfish caught on curly-tail grubs; flatheads falling for Fat Raps; blue cats bombarding buzzbaits. Far from supernatural fishing phenomena, these seemingly unlikely events ... [ Read More ]
Experience Wins Over – Ice Fishing Perch, Crappies & Bluegill
Experience Wins Over - Ice Fishing Perch, Crappies & Bluegill Being in the fishing game as long as I have, a slight bit of common sense seems to take over every once in a while, certainly a whole lot more than it did when younger. A “two group” Ontario lake trout outing got me to thinking about this.Planned a month in advance, there would be eight of us. I use the word “us” loosely, as Blake and I weren’t planning on making the trip, as we were penciled in to help with the annual “No Child Left Inside” program, put on by the Nashwauk-Keewatin school district. Scheduled for a Friday, it would be the same day the trout outing would get underway on Lake Manitou. I thought about running up there late Friday or early Saturday but came to my senses after watching the weather ... [ Read More ]