Ashland Area Fishing Report for Feb. 11, 2016
~ Fishing guides from Anglers All, 715/682-5754, report the following:
This report is about the Ashland side of Chequamegon Bay. A wide variety of fish continue to be caught in the area, including brown trout, whitefish, perch, northern pike and splake.
“People are fishing up to Houghton Point now,” said Carolyn Swartz, co-owner of Anglers All in Ashland, who advised anglers who venture out on the bay to “watch for pressure cracks.”
“Out in the channel there’s approximately a foot of ice,” she continued, “and anywhere from 8 inches to a foot of ice inside the bay proper.”
Carolyn recommends travel on the ice by snowmobile/ATV or on foot. “The ice isn’t such that you would want to drive a car or truck out there.”
Out at Second Landing, about 3 miles east of Ashland, anglers have been bringing in perch, walleye and northerns.
Over by Washburn, they’re getting browns, splake, whitefish and some perch, Carolyn said. She noted that the whitefish can be “extremely finicky” right now because off the abundant amount of bait fish they have to feed on at the moment.
On the S-curve (or Bono Creek Landing) between Ashland and Washburn, Anglers All employees have been hearing reports of good trout activity.
Fishing guide Josh Teigen of Iron River caught this estimated 34-inch northern pike last weekend on Chequamegon Bay. “What a weekend on the ice!!” Josh enthused. He said his group finished up with “9 different species in 3 days of fishing, including a few BIG fish!” (Photo courtesy of Josh Teigen’s Guide Service)
This happy ice angler proudly shows off the large musky he caught and released on an inland lake last weekend while fishing with Josh Teigen, owner and operator of Josh Teigen’s Guide Service in Iron River. (Photo courtesy of Josh Teigen)
Josh Teigen (left), owner and operator of Josh Teigen's Guide Service in Iron River, has been enjoying great success recently out on Chequamegon Bay with his buddy, Acorn Armagost. Here, the two Iron River residents display the beautiful whitefish they caught in late January while filming a segment for "John Gillespie's Waters & Woods." (Photo courtesy of John Gillespie and John Teigen)
“There's some real nice brown trout out there this year and they've been a blast,” observed Luke Kavajecz, fishing guide with Anglers All. “Concentrate on areas north of Washburn in 25-30 foot of water early in the day,” he advised, “and slide out over deeper water as the day progresses to have a shot at one of these fish.
“I've found some great fish out over 50-60 foot of water, but jigging only 10-15 feet below the ice,” Luke added. “Good numbers of whitefish are being caught, too, in those deeper areas.”
On the inland lakes, people have been finding some good crappies and bluegills over in the Iron River and Delta areas. “There is a lot of slush reported on most of the inland lakes,” Carolyn noted.
With the unusually warm winter the northland has experienced, Carolyn urged anglers to be very mindful of ice safety.
“People are going to have to be prepared for some conditions they don’t normally face here at this time of the year,” she noted. “They really need to go back to checking their way as they go and using extreme caution.
Located at 2803 E. Lake Shore Drive (U.S. Highway 2) in Ashland, Anglers All is a full-service tackle and fly shop with a professional guide service for Lake Superior and area inland lakes and rivers, offering the largest selection of baits and tackle in the Chequamegon Bay area. For the most complete and up-to-date fishing report, just give them a call at Anglers All and they will gladly keep you informed!
~ Fishing Guide Scott Bretting from River Rock Inn and Bait Shop, 715/682-3232, reports the following:
Windy conditions have resulted in a lot of drifting of the snow cover out on the Big Lake, but the frigid temperatures have definitely helped firm up some of that ice again.
“This cold weather is tightening up those areas that had slush on the bay,” said Scott Bretting, fishing guide and owner/operator of River Rock Inn & Bait Shop. “High winds have been preventing good ice from building up in the South Channel or out by Houghton Point, so those areas are still a no-go.”
Likewise, Scott said he wouldn’t advise people to head out off of Red Cliff, north of Bayfield. “Don’t go there; the ice conditions are not good,” he commented. “The ice thickness out there goes from 8 inches down to like, 1 inch, and it’s covered with snow, so you can’t see the change.”
That fresh snow cover can be deceptive because it hides the ice transition outline, making it very dangerous, he explained.
That being said, ice fishing remains very active in Chequamegon Bay with lots of bait fish, especially smelt, being spotted.
“There’s a lot of herring coming through chasing the smelt,” Scott noted. “People have reported seeing some Cohos, too. They are pretty finicky right now though with all of that food out there,” he added.
The perch bite off of Second Landing is going very well, Scott said. “Travel is pretty good out there by snowmobile, but four-wheelers could get stuck in the snowdrifts so beware.”
“But they are getting some nice perch for sure,” he continued, adding that lake shiners are working well for perch and for most fish.
Scott said the S-curve and Washburn “are producing some nice fish.”
“We love to welcome the Book Across the Bay folks, and we’re glad to have them here,” he said. “But with 3,000 racers heading across the ice Saturday evening, that’s going to add some commotion off Bono Creek and the S-curve, so anglers might not want to venture out that way this weekend.”
Out by the Ashland Breakwater Lighthouse, folks are catching some nice whitefish. “They are getting whitefish to the west of the lighthouse along with browns and splake,” said Scott.
With the high winds on the bay, some people are choosing to fish the inland lakes hoping for better conditions. “They’ve been hitting the smaller lakes, either walking out or taking a snowmobile,” Scott said, “and catching bluegills and crappies. A lot of the inland lakes have too much snow on them for four-wheelers to travel well.”
Scott said anglers are using “crappie minnows” or “small fatheads” on the inland lakes to get those panfish like bluegills. “Or waxies are working, too. They’ve been putting out tip-ups with a golden shiner to get northerns on those smaller lakes.”
Scott reminded anglers that northern season is coming to an end on the inland lakes on March 6.
** Stop in and see their wide variety of live bait, fishing tackle, gear, accessories, smoked fish, local cheeses, meats, and microbrews, and much more at River Rock Inn & Bait Shop, 1200 W. Lake Shore Drive (U.S. Highway 2), in Ashland. Call River Rock for the most current ice fishing report and they’ll give you the 411 on the bay area!
~ The Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-284-9484, reports:
Fishing is always a thrilling adventure in the Ashland area! Chequamegon Bay is famous for its world-class smallmouth bass fishing. The 12-mile-long bay’s rock piles and breakwater structures make for perfect bass habitat.
Don’t miss this week’s episode of Larry Smith Outdoors as the Berlin, Wis., guide and outdoorsman teams up with Tommy Hicks of Ashland and Beyond the Catch Guide Service to tackle Chequamegon Bay. Trout are on the menu along with whitefish when Larry and Tommy head out on the ice in “one of the prettiest parts of the state.”
The 15th Annual ABC Sportsmen Kids’ Ice Fishing Contest that had been planned for Saturday, Feb. 20, at Kreher Park in Ashland has been CANCELLED due to unfavorable ice conditions. Call 715/373-2088 with any questions.
The 12th Annual Jonny Angel Foundation Fisheree will be Saturday, Feb. 20, at Dick and Joan’s Butternut Resort, 11633 Lakeview Rd. (County Rd. B), Butternut, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cash prizes will be awarded in multiple categories. Raffles and prize drawings throughout the day. For more information, call 715/769-3333 or check out www.butternutresort.com.
The Neighborly Bar 2016 Ice Fishing Tourney and Ice Raffle will be held Saturday, Feb. 27, and will feature cash prizes in seven categories of fish, including walleye, lake trout, perch, crappie and more. And whoever catches the biggest fish overall will be crowned the 2016 King of the Lake! Tickets must be purchased by bar close on Feb. 26. Entry fee includes food and prizes. Fish any lake. All fish must be registered by 5 p.m. on Feb. 27. Ice Raffle drawing at 6 p.m. Need not be present to win. Call 715/682-9908 for more information.
The Annual Claus Kraetke Memorial Ice Fishing Jamboree at Donner’s Bay Resort, 2974 Hiawatha Rd., Butternut, on the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage, will take place Saturday, Feb. 27, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cash prizes will be given for the largest fish caught in several categories. There will be hot food, warm & cold beverages and tickets for many raffles for sale inside the resort's lodge. For more information, call 715/476-2555.
The Mellen Rod & Gun Club Annual Ice Fishing Contest on Lake Galilee is planned for Sunday, Feb. 28, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drawings will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Call 715/274-2080 or 715/274-2330 for more information.