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 ... [ Read More ]

Downsize to ice fishing microplastics for more panfish this ice season by Scott Glorvigen In the 1990s we discovered the benefits of downsizing to 1- to 2-pound test and using Rat Finkies and Hornets for hardwater panfish. It was incredible—we began to experience unprecedented bites on tiny horizontal jigs while guys near us fishing minnows struggled to put fish on the ice. But it wasn’t good enough that we were catching lots of fish. Since I have a hard time accepting that fish eat just for the sake of eating, I had to find out why we were catching so many fish. It was odd. You’d catch a bunch, keep a few, clean them and find nothing in the stomachs. But I knew they had to be eating something. So I started cutting their bellies open, dumping the milky stomach contents into ... [ Read More ]

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 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 ]

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 ... [ Read More ]

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 ]