One of the keys to fishing success is to constantly be learning. This is true for each and every time you go fishing– you should leave the water with some type of mental note that you can apply to a future situation. Another big part of that constant learning is to force yourself to experiment with new techniques and baits. This can be a very difficult thing to do because for many anglers confidence plays a huge factor. A lot of anglers tend to do the same things and use the same baits each time out because it has worked for them in the past. It is easy to do something that you’re confident in; it’s not so easy to try something new. One of the ways that I try to shorten the learning curve is by leaving all of my tackle at home, except for the bait that I want to focus on. Doing this ... [ Read More ]
Turkey Patterning Tips
Now that the weather is starting to warm up and spring is here, a turkey hunter's thoughts turn towards chasing turkeys. It's often a lot of work to get that big tom into shotgun range. On top of that - these birds are tough to put down! You want to do everything in your power to make sure that when the opportunity presents itself that you're able to get the job done quickly and cleanly. Turkey patterning is probably the least fun part of turkey hunting. These turkey loads pack a wallop! But it is an important duty of yours as an ethical turkey hunter to do what you can to make a clean kill. Here are a few tips to get you started and make the process more efficient. Guns: Most people who hunt turkeys do not have a customized turkey gun. Rather, most use guns that they already use to ... [ Read More ]
Jigging for walleye Ten Tips to Catch More Walleyes with Jigs
By Jason Mitchell Jigging for walleye the most versatile method in any walleye fishing technique guid, and jigs are the most versatile tool in angler’s tackle box. Like any technique, In walleye jigging there are details and nuances that can make you successful or unsuccessful. If there is one aspect of jig fishing that is often overlooked, it would be the importance of versatility. There is not necessarily a right or wrong way to fish a jig. When the fish are biting, you can fish a jig in a lot of different ways and get bit. When conditions get tougher however, we often see a particular stroke or jigging style produce and catching fish is all about locking into that specific mojo. The best jig anglers can tap into that mojo. The cadences and strokes can vary ... [ Read More ]
Late Ice Perch – Bug Brained Perch at Late Ice
Late Ice Perch - Plastics Plastics Plastics! The author Jason Mitchell with a giant perch caught over a soft bottom transition using a Northland Tackle Blood Worm. There is no silver bullet with late ice perch regarding location but make no mistake, some of the most impressive catches and fishing for the whole calendar year take place in march. Late ice is prime time for jumbo perch but the tactics and patterns can run the gamut. On so many lakes, late ice perch move relatively shallow and become more aggressive as the ice rots. Large sand flats or gently sloping flats that have chara and sand grass often hold fish during late ice particularly if these locations are near the mouths of bays and other shallow water that where these fish will eventually spawn. These shallow flat patterns ... [ Read More ]
That Time of Year!
That Time of Year The season is finally beginning to make a switch and believe me it’s for the better. Last weekend was the first time I could drive my truck on the ice all season, going wherever I wanted to. This counts mid-winter resort ice roads, as the snow was too deep to get off the beaten path. I was pretty much sitting atop a snowmobile for nearly the whole ice season. If I didn’t, I was unable to get to the fishing holes of my choice. Now, however, it’s a breeze, although at the time of this writing (Sunday night) more snow is forecasted for the North Country. Hopefully we won’t get as much as they’re predicting. It’s so nice to fish out of the back of a vehicle, which is what I did last Sunday. Driving around, looking for perch, all of the necessary gear was at arm’s ... [ Read More ]
Ice Fishing Walleye After Dark – Huge Walleye
Night Shift Walleye - Ice Fishing Walleye After Dark Not all bodies of water offer solid after dark fishing opportunities when ice fishing walleye but there are so many notable fisheries where we have traditionally caught the majority of fish or sometimes the largest fish long after the witching hour when the sun sinks into the horizon. On many bodies of water, the best walleye fishing happens after dark. From Montana’s Fort Peck Reservoir to the Finger Lakes of New York with a long list of fisheries in between these two destinations, the night shift is where it is at for catching walleye through the ice. I cut my teeth with after dark walleye fishing on the east end of Lake Sakakawea and nearby Lake Audubon, both large impoundments created by the damming of the Missouri River in ... [ Read More ]
Ice Fishing Panfish Series – The Key to Mid-Winter Panfish
Ice Fishing Panfish If you go ice fishing panfish in mid-winter and you want to have more fun catching fish you want to be mobile and use the tools that help you accomplish that. by Jim Uran The mid winter doldrums as they call it, have set in! But in reality most of the fish out in the lake don't know that. I'm not sure where that term mid-winter doldrums came from, but in all honesty there are ways to deal with them. By now, on your local lakes you will find those out ice fishing panfish at the usual crappie towns located in the same spot year to year, this is the time of year that things slow down for them, not because the lake is slowing down, it's because their spot is slowing down. A spot like that is a good place to fish, but the inevitable happens every year. The ... [ Read More ]
Ice fishing structure to find Walleye
A mistake I have made in the past when ice fishing structure deep is relying too much on the contour line on the map charts. What is more important than any contour is the transition between one type of bottom structure and another. This could be an edge where gravel meets mud, or where large boulders transition to smaller rock. By midwinter on many bodies of water, walleye location can often trend towards offshore structure and, in many cases, deep structure. With the advent of map chips, more anglers are discovering and fishing these locations. This edge is often where it is at for finding offshore walleye. Sometimes the transition lines up with a contour, but so often it does not. When it does not, you end up focusing your attention on the wrong contours and miss the mark. For ... [ Read More ]
Ice Fishing Walleyes Cold Front – Tackling Tough Walleyes
Ice Fishing Walleyes Cold Front - Tackling Tough Walleyes When ice fishing walleyes cold front can put them off their feed. Slow eyes not biting are frustrating. Here is how we GET them to bite under the ice.... by Jason Mitchell Slow rolling walleyes that do not accelerate up to the lure and just nose in can be frustrating. Anybody who has spent any time fishing for walleyes can relate to times when the fish almost appeared timid. Too high of a lift or too hard of a pound results in a sediment cloud as a hard tail flap scoots the fish away , when ice fishing walleyes cold front turns them off… we can actually scare them at times with lures. Some days, walleyes might bight during peak times and than get turned off as the sun gets higher, other situations that shut down a ... [ Read More ]
Ice Fishing Crappies & Gills – Top 10 Secrets to put Crappies and Gills on Ice
Ice Fishing Crappies & Gills If you are going to go out ice fishing crappies and gills you owe it to yourself to read through this strategic article with powerful information by by Matt Johnson We once believed that the best kept secrets for targeting winter panfish were shared at local bait shops, church meeting rooms, neighborhood coffee shops; basically those unknown locations where old-timers spend most of their time spewing the tricks of the trade. On the contrary, the modern age has drastically helped define the new set of secret shared by panfish enthusiasts when ice fishing crappies. Now, don’t go home and tell grandpa that I’m saying he can’t fish, instead just think of this article as the second chapter in the great book of panfish secrets. #1: Stay Mobile – ... [ Read More ]