If you're looking for a powerful fishing technique here is the spring bull bluegill formula by Matt Johnson As anglers we find ourselves looking for a reason behind the decisions we make. We want to justify that the decisions we make will have a positive outcome on our day of fishing. Let’s face it; we don’t want to make decisions that result in a poor day of fishing. So we analyze the situation and make the best decision based on the given conditions. We start to build a pattern and then execute that pattern. Right or wrong, we tell ourselves—through our gut instincts—that these specific moves will help us catch more spring bull bluegill. Sometimes we turn towards our network of fishing buddies to help guide us, other times we just wing-it and hope for the best, but regardless ... [ Read More ]
After Bite – Post-spawn Crappies
Forget the fallacies… Anybody can find and catch post-spawn crappies with the right electronics and gear By Mitch Eeagan Early in the spring season, before the urge to procreate was great, post-spawn crappies gathered together in massive schools and were fairly easy to locate and catch. When spawning is in full swing, those same fish move back into the shallows, where antagonistic strikes from aggressive adults guarding eggs are simple to conjure up – so much so it might be prudent to leave well enough alone and let life happen without interruption. But soon the post-spawn crappies period will be upon us and catching these most desired fish will be tough. Or at least that’s what the majority of anglers think. The truth is, it’s not that the fish are unwilling to eat, but ... [ Read More ]
Ice out panfish for the shore bound angler – By Wayne Ek
In my region it happens somewhere around late March or early April; the ice starts to pull away from main lake shorelines. When it happens streams, creeks and culverts start to run hard with melting snow or rain. Finally, it’s time to chase ice-out panfish. At this time of year you don’t even need a boat; in fact fishing from shore may be more productive. Now is the time to be mobile and willing to jump from lake to lake, culvert to culvert or backwater to backwater. You need a full tank of gas and a willingness to check as many fishing locations as possible. You also need to keep it simple, no live bait, no stringers, no arsenal of rods or multiple boxes of lures. The simpler and less cluttered you can make this, the more successful you’re going to be. What to look for: The main ... [ Read More ]
Ice Fishing 5 Species – 5 Early Ice Tips
Ice Fishing 5 Species – 5 Early Ice Tips by Jim Hudson The beauty of early ice fishing - fish are normally very plentiful and usually pretty easy to catch. The caveat - most of the time, there are too many species biting well at the same time, making it darn hard to figure out which one to pursue on any given day. But, hey, fishing is fishing, and any of the fish that are “snapping” are fun to catch. So, let’s take a look at the top 5 on my list and some of my tips on how to catch them once the ice gets here in Wisconsin. Walleye Like most of you, I can attest to the excitement I get when I see that first sheet of walk-able ice hits my favorite walleye lake. Most walleyes during this early ice fishing time frame are very active still and for the most part have not felt the fishing ... [ Read More ]
Panfish You Want Slabs or Dinks?
SLAB SUNFISH, BLUEGILLS & CRAPPIES by Jim Uran Is it human nature to pick on things that are smaller than us? To take advantage of things that are susceptible? There is a new breed of anglers out there that would like to turn this mentality around, and I’m here to voice our opinions. Why is it that bluegills and crappies are thought of as a lesser species, “panfish” we call them. Why aren’t they babied and nurtured like walleyes, muskies, and bass. We rarely see any special regulations involving our beloved panfish species, and it shows in our cyclical panfish populations in the lakes that we fish. Their population swings are due to over-harvesting, their lack in size is due to the same factor. These “uneducated” anglers will find a “hot” lake and over-harvest it and move on ... [ Read More ]
Weed Edge Largemouths off the Deep End – By Matt Johnson
It’s no surprise to find out that bass spend most of their time in weedy areas, in fact, I would go as far to say that in most lakes that’s one of the only spots you’ll find bass. So, what better structure to begin our search then where the culprit lies—weeds—and in order to fish the weeds you need to begin with the infamous weed edge… Weed Edge Largemouths Bass are notorious for cruising the weed edge in search of an easy meal. Actually, bass will dominate the weed edge and even chase down prey regardless of how hungry they are. Bass can be bullies and bass will pound a presentation that crosses their path. Weed edge fishing makes things easy for not only locating bass, but for getting bit more than once. Locating the right weed edge can be half the battle. You want to focus on areas ... [ Read More ]
History Lessons – By Bob Bohland
We have all had a great fishing spot ruined. Whether it is from a mouthy friend who likes to brag, someone else finding your spot, or just dumb luck by a few locals. There isn’t much you can do other than fish with the rest of the crowd (which can amount to torture to me) or find a new honey hole. This can take a lot of work and, at least in my experience, a lot of failure before you hit pay dirt again. Many keep a log of lakes they have fished and what they have caught, sometimes even with pictures or GPS coordinates to remind them. Why keep old lakes that have gotten out in the back of your mind? Simple, because panfish, especially crappies can recover in lakes that have seen the limelight of internet forums, magazine articles, and TV shows, and can return to their once lost ... [ Read More ]
Super Summer Walleye Pattern on Lake of the Woods – By Ron Anlauf
There really aren’t a lot of places where walleye angling starts out good and keeps getting better through July and August and even into September. Lake of the Woods is one such place and is a real jewel and why it might be a good idea to schedule a trip to this northern most border water. Lots of pole bending is what we’re talking about and includes fish of every size; from the smallest sauger to monster ‘eyes and everything in between. Although the action can be red hot it isn’t everywhere and there are some things to look for as well as some specialized equipment needed to be effective. Summer Walleye Pattern The predominant summer pattern is trolling basin areas with crankbaits and is super effective way to cover water and put fish in the boat. There is more than one way to get it ... [ Read More ]
April “May Fly” – By Greg Clusiau
I finally got into them. It was a last minute thought from Blake, last Friday, when he messaged me from work, asking “fishing tonight?” That’s all it took. I’m easy, especially when it comes to fishing. Although both of us work different jobs, we do have the same 6-2 day shift and only live two blocks from one another. This makes those last-minute decisions happen a lot easier so it was no surprise when I got home and found Blake pulling up next to the house, only minutes behind me. We headed to one of my early-spring “go to” spots, hoping the water had warmed up enough to get fish moving in shallow. I had been there a few days prior and it just wasn’t happening. Maybe it was finally ready. I keep a close eye on the water temperatures of a handful of local lakes. Doing this allows ... [ Read More ]
Think Outside the Box, the Jig Box! – By Leisure Outdoor Adventures
For decades, anglers across the country have said if they could have only one lure in their tackle box, it would be the ever versatile jig. The standard jig has so many ways it can be used to catch fish from vertical jigging and snap jigging, to casting, and pitching. This versatility, combined with the evolution of the fishing industry, allows the fisherman to have an array of choices in his tackle box. Jigs have a diversity in sizes, shapes and colors and we here at LOA, feel that the jig is something that has to be part of every fisherman’s arsenal. LOA’s Jeff Anderson has been fishing jigs since he could tie one on his first fishing rod. Jeff’s range and skill with his jig fishing put him at an elite level and he stopped by LOA country to share some tips. When it comes to ... [ Read More ]