Fort Peck walleyes - "The Final Frontier for Fishing" By Carl Madison Today’s anglers are more mobile than ever before. Destination fisheries off the beaten path are enticing the curiosity of more and more anglers and this is true for ice anglers as well. Have rod, will travel. Anglers are exploring remote lakes on the Canadian Shield and driving considerable distances to reach water that has incredible fishing potential with light fishing pressure. Such a destination fishery that continues to attract attention for big fish potential is Fort Peck walleyes in the Reservoir in eastern Montana. Fort Peck Walleyes It is a massive impediment on the Missouri River that is noted for producing huge walleyes, northern pike and lake trout for ice anglers. Walleyes over twelve pounds are ... [ Read More ]
Otter Thermal Stay positive in negative temps – fish in an Otter!
When the high temp is a negative number, Brad Hawthorne is positive his clients appreciate his full-thermal Otter portable ice houses. “I’ve got 15 Otter Lodges out there on Upper Red Lake right now,” says the ICE FORCE pro and fulltime fishing guide. “The windchill is 43 below, but it’s 86 degrees in those Otter shelters – we’ve got a thermostat in one, so we know. It’s absolutely beautiful in ‘em. Even in a deep freeze like the one blanketing the Ice Belt of late, the coldest Hawthorne’s clients will ever be is on the ATV ride out onto the ice. Once they’re inside an Otter and fishing, they’re comfortable and content. “In any other type of portable shelter when it’s this cold, condensation is just instant, and it will get cold inside,” Hawthorne says. “With the Otters, we don’ have to ... [ Read More ]
Using Your Vexilar to the Fullest
ICE FISHING by Matt Johnson We’re all familiar with 3-color flashers. We’ve used them for years and they have become a foundation for most ice anglers. Having the ability to “see” what’s below you and react accordingly is something most of us would never forfeit. It’s to the point now that if we leave our Vexilar at home then we turn around to get it. Fishing is just not the same without your flasher staring you in the face when battling with a finicky fish. But do we really use our Vexilar to its fullest? It’s not just a tool that shows the bottom, the fish and your jig, it’s much more than that… Whether it’s an FL-8, FL-18, FL-12, FL-20 or FL-22, your Vexilar has fast-become your best friend on the ice. Seeing that green flicker turn into an orange line followed by a solid ... [ Read More ]
Innovative Leadcore Improves Catch
Unique applications of the so-called ‘big fish’ line for crappies, perch and bluegills by Mitch Eagan Certainly, the best way to decode what fish are keen on is covering as much water as possible with a multitude of baits. Unfortunately, though, it’s tedious and time consuming – virtually unrealistic. Meanwhile, back on earth, trolling, by far, is the best way to find fish while eliminating unproductive water. But by pulling lures with a conventional rod, reel and line combo, it’s physically impossible to sample the entire water column. And this time of year, fish of all species can be anywhere – high, low, or somewhere in-between. Fall is the perfect time to break out the leadcore line. With this one crucial piece of gear, lures of any stripe can be fished down to whatever depth ... [ Read More ]
Early Canada Goose Hunting Strategies – by Jason Mitchell
The early Canada goose seasons that are now available to hunters across the Country creates some tremendous opportunities for waterfowl hunters. A number of states, which now have nuisance seasons or early resident goose hunting opportunities, stretch from the Midwest to the East Coast. Most of these additional and liberal hunting seasons revolve around the abundance of Giant Canada Geese that typically weigh between ten to twelve pounds. These resident populations of birds that have populated much of the northern tier of the Nation west of the Rocky Mountains are the largest subspecies of Canada Geese. Through massive reintroduction efforts, these birds have been remarkable in their ability to expand and adapt. A bird that was once threatened is now flourishing on golf courses and ... [ Read More ]
Short Line Walleye Crankbaits – Video of Technique Included
What the heck are Short Line Walleye Crankbaits? Time to find out from Jason Mitchell.... Short Line Cranks for Walleyes by Jason Mitchell No two lakes are ever the same so there is no rubber stamp that covers all situations when it comes to fish location. That is the beauty of fishing, you can put together a pattern that works really well on a given fishery and then travel twenty miles and find a completely different set of rules. Even on a given lake, different parts of a lake will have unique characteristics that set each area apart. Places with multiple personalities. Leech Lake in northern Minnesota fits that mold along with Devils Lake in north central North Dakota. Come mid-summer, the reality is that most major walleye fisheries will reveal several patterns ... [ Read More ]
Lindner “Goes Green” On Summer Walleyes
Lindner “Goes Green” On Summer Walleyes Legendary angler Al Lindner continues finding and catching summer walleyes like no one else by adapting, learning and utilizing new technologies. by Jack Busby For over 50 years Al and Ron Lindner have been helping anglers locate and catch fish. From the seminal “Secret Teachings” formula of F + L + P = Success to FRS (Fish Response System), decades of info-packed TV and radio fishing programming, countless DVDs, to Lindner Media’s “Angling Edge” TV series, Al and family have dedicated their careers to the lifelong pursuit of fishing knowledge. Anglers agree, they’re the proverbial “gentlemen and scholars.” Besides making fisheries biology accessible to your average angler, Al and Ron are also responsible for teaching anglers how to ... [ Read More ]
Tweaking Big Lake Tactics for More Home Water Walleyes
With a little modification, the same techniques work wonders no matter where walleyes roam by Mitch Eeagan Walleyes are walleyes no matter where they wander. As a general rule, whether they reside in inland lakes, rivers, reservoirs or the Great Lakes, their year-round habits are shaped by two things: spawning and eating. With that said, you’d think the same techniques would work the same wonders for conjuring up strikes regardless of where you fish. Well, you know what? By and large, they do. But some big water tactics need a little tweaking to produce on you average sized natural lake. Take the trolling ploys used to catch walleyes on the Great Lakes and huge reservoirs of the West; they’ll also work wonders on small inland lakes. The size and depth of the ... [ Read More ]
Snap Jigging Walleyes Early
When it comes to effective tactics, snap jigging walleyes early in the early summer period can be an eye opener. by Nathan Shore Snap jigging walleyes is a key technique in late spring and early summer. If you want to catch limits of big walleyes right now, take this guide's advice and start snapping them up. The jig slips into a world of minnows. It rises and drifts, pops and slides. Clearly different, somehow the same, it looks right at home but stands out. It's getting away, and now it's not. "Snap jigging walleyes means different things to different people," says Jeff Sundin, guide with the Early Bird Fishing Guide out of Deer River, Minn. "Some call it snap jigging, others 'rip jigging.' There's hopping, popping-it's never exactly all the same. Put 12 snap jiggers in the ... [ Read More ]
Slip Bobbering Weed Walleyes
Slip Bobbering Weed Walleyes by Nathan Shore Giant walleyes prowl through weeds all summer long, yet they're pretty safe from most fishermen. Sure, you can know they're in there, but getting them out is a challenge. Few anglers know more about getting big walleyes out of the weeds long-time guide and author of "Master The Art of Slip Bobbering," Greg Bohn. He's likely netted more 10-pound weed-holding walleyes than any other guide in the country. For him, slip bobbering weed walleyes is an art form. Bohn says that successful slip bobbering weed walleyes begins with using the right equipment to deliver baits to the correct depth. Keeping the boat positioned and moving at the right speed also are critical. "I want the boat 20 feet or so off the weedline at all times," Bohn said, ... [ Read More ]