Today’s Top 5
Here’s a 14.5!
14-08 to be precise! Wow! Bay of Quinte:
Ever catch a greenie…
This one was caught on Lake Winnipeg:
…or a GOLD walleye??
Maybe it was the Cheerios??
Would you walk on this ice?
This far?
Stoked!
Luke F and friends on Facebook — doesn’t this say it all?
Does this qualify as ice fishing?
We’re not sure – you?
News
1. Bass Pro Shops buys Ranger Boats.
Though the deal isn’t final yet, Bass Pro Shops announced its intention to buy Ranger Boats (along with Ranger-owned brands Triton, and Stratos). Interesting….
> Gary Roach: “Sitting in the captain’s chair of my new Pro Guide feels like fishing in my living room. The boat’s that roomy, that comfor. And it’s got a bunch of brand new goodies – sweet little surprises for which Lund engineers have become famous. This rig is going to turn some heads.”
Less than 2 years after being brought in to run the place, Ron Ten Berge is out at Pradco, which owns the Lindy, Smithwick, etc brands. Hope they promote from within…within the fishing side. More than very capable hands/brains there.
4. Fed spending bill has pro-lead provision.
NRA-backed:
> The NRA…wants to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from regulating the lead content of both fishing tackle and firearms ammunition.
5. Congress tries to stop Asian carp…
…from getting into the Great Lakes. And we should feel good about that because they’ve been so good at fixing everything else??
6. Ever hear of the Fin Wing?
Get ’em here. Not sure about that tag line because…you know…all lures swim….
7. New SUPERFISH jr. high class.
Ice News
1. MN: NAIFC championship this weekend…
…on Mille Lacs.
2. MIN/WI: Lots of ice not safe yet.
> “In all likelihood, the ice looks thicker — and safer — than it actually is,” said Todd Schaller, Wisconsin DNR’s chief warden.
3. MN: Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza.
Jan. 24, make sure you sign up!
4. MN: Lake of the Woods report.
> 50/50 walleye/sauger mix is the common report this week. Some perch, eel pout and sturgeon showing up as well.
> Hot colors are gold, bubble gum and pink tipped with live minnows.
> On the Rainy River, locals who know ice are catching mornings and evenings. Walleyes most active in 14-17 feet. Use active presentation for best results.
> Ice conditions range from 14-17 inches of ice. Some ice roads open to full size trucks and fish houses.
5. CO: Kokanee bite on at Dillon.
7. WY waters where you can have 6 lines.
8. MN: Teens honored for saving ice anglers.
9. QC: Ice village returning to old port.
10. Ice rescue vehicle IndieGogo campaign.
You know as much as we do — cool idea though:
Here we have a NICE freshwater cod, aka eelpout. These fish have gotten harder to come by after the fall warm spells we had until about 2 years ago – the eelpout started to thin out at certain latitudes. But from the last couple of years, it looks like the fish are coming back. This year’s Eelpout Festival is Feb. 19-22!
‘Eye Candy!
Tip of the Day
From WI’s Pat Kalmerton:
> Fishing Dead Weeds – Baitfish and predators are drawn to vegetation that’s still producing oxygen, especially as winter progresses. “Gotta get to the buffet with the freshest salad and best baitfish.”
> Too Close Together – Where you’re allowed more than one tip-up…imagine the ice as a grid, and position your tip-ups out from your base location along a break at different depths.
> Too Small of a Window – “A lot of anglers put a depth bomb on, come up 6-8 inches for walleyes and 2 feet for pike.” He suggests using a high-quality sonar unit [and] an underwater camera to find the thermocline and baitfish to pinpoint where in the water column fish are feeding.
> Tip-Up Neglect – “Walk around and make sure your tip-ups aren’t frozen in, there’s bait on your line, and it’s free of weeds.” He adds that if you’re setting tip-ups for the evening “power hour,” think about using a Frabill Thermal to keep your holes ice-free.
Quote of the Day
Ten years ago I think anyone that did a fishing show would have paid about $10,000 for a real walleye to hit a real bait in the wild.
– Upper Red Lake guide Brad Hawthorne talking about technology in ice fishing:
Shot of the Day
AWESOME shot by Rapala pro staffer Tom Neustrom — wish we were there!
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