2-13-14 Ashland Fishing Report

Fishing Guide Nate Baron from Up North Guide Service and Fishing Guide Scott Bretting from River Rock Inn and Bait Shop, 715-682-3232 (http://riverrockinn.net), report the following:

The trout and salmon fishing has been good this past week on Chequamegon Bay and Lake Superior as more anglers get further out in the Apostle Islands. Anglers have been able to get out to some areas that have been inaccessible for years due to the lack of good ice. The fishing pressure on the bay has been at a very minimum, due to the great amount of ice in the islands. This is going to be an epic year for bobbing lake trout.

Ice thickness varies from 14" to 18" off of the Bayfield Peninsula. Anglers are heading out of Bayfield and Red Cliff on snowmobiles with good traveling. ATV travel is possible now off of the Washburn and Bayfield shore. The snow currently on the ice is very hard-packed and slush pockets are at a minimum. The bobbers that are out for lakers have been able to get out as far as Manitou, Stockton, Cat and Outer islands with reports of good success in 175-220 feet of water.

A fair number of lake trout and whitefish have also been found in 50-90 FOW. Beetles and Chequamegon Mackinaw Jigs dressed with herring strips, shiners or smelt along with Zimmer Spoons and large Swedish Pimples have been working real well. Check with the local bait shops on the availability of bait herring and fresh smelt.

Anglers have been doing excellent on the whitefish this past week. Limits of whitefish are being caught around the Apostle Islands in 80-120 FOW on jigging Spoons and jigging Rapalas tipped with a couple of waxies or shiners. Orange and gold or Firetiger colors seem to be doing the best, but this varies from day to day.

Near-shore fishing for browns, coho and splake has slowed down, but still can be quite productive in certain areas. Cover the depths from 14 FOW out to 40 FOW on steep breaks off the shorelines with tip-ups and Automatic Fisherman with a live shiner to increase your chances on the roaming trout and salmon. Fish shallow early in the day for the brown trout and move out deeper as the sun gets higher in the sky.

Some nice walleyes are being caught on tip-ups and jig and minnow before dawn or right near dusk near the lighthouse and off of First and Second Landing. The access off of Second Landing has been reduced to snowmobile travel only due to snow conditions. Anglers have been concentrating on 10-14 FOW and once you find the walleyes, the action can be fast and furious for a short period of time. Good catches of coho, brown trout, whitefish and perch have also been reported on the bay.

While jigging, be sure to cover the entire water column to catch multiple species of fish that are roaming through at different depths. The coho and herring will often move through in large schools high in the water column. More and more coho salmon are starting to enter Chequamegon Bay now as the season goes on. The perch fishing has also improved substantially in the past week and anglers are picking up some real nice catches of perch.

The smelt have really started moving into the bay this past week. Some anglers are reporting catches up to 100-150 smelt a day. Hali or Schucks jigs tipped with a piece of shiner fished near the bottom in 20+ FOW seems to be doing the best. The smelt is excellent table fare this time of year and also makes for some great bait for chasing other species. Please check your fishing regulations when using smelt as bait on other bodies of water.

There are currently ice roads on Chequamegon Bay leaving from Kreher Park, Anglers All and Second Landing. Check with an area bait shop for a current report on ice road conditions.

At the present time, ice surrounds nearly all the Apostle Islands from Eagle Island on the west all the way to Devils Island on the north and Madeline Island to the east. The Ice Road from Bayfield out to Madeline Island is now open for vehicular travel. As always, travel at your own risk!

Ice conditions can change rapidly on Lake Superior with currents and the high winds! Please have all the necessary safety equipment and check ice as you go along. If you are unfamiliar with the area you will be fishing, consult with a local guide or bait shop prior to venturing out on the ice.

Good luck on the ice and tight lines to all!

Fishing Guide Roger LaPenter from Anglers All, 715-682-5754 (http://www.anglersallwisconsin.com), reports the following:

This report is about the Ashland side of Chequamegon Bay. Anglers are doing well catching fish during the daylight hours in the channel and off the coal dock. They are reporting catching a lot of perch as well as walleye and northerns. They are having good luck in the 40 to 70 FOW out by the islands.

People are walking out from shore to ice fish and using snowmobiles. They are checking their way with a spud. If you are thinking of venturing out to ice fish in other areas, it is very important to call ahead to ask what other anglers and guides are saying about the ice in those areas.

Fishing has been best in the 20 to 35 FOW in the channel or the major drop-offs to the channel out by the lighthouse, the coal dock and near the former ore dock. The wet spots have most likely frozen over, but anglers should always be aware that there may be some near shore.

Anglers are reporting every species of fish seem to be biting, including smelt in the channel. You never know what you will catch on any given day. For jigging, Lake Shiners and Waxies are the bait of choice, but everything seems to be working right now. Anglers are using larger minnows on tip-ups such as sucker minnows and Golden Shiners.

To catch cohos or herring, you will want to have one line set just a couple feet under the ice. Perch are being caught in the weed beds a couple hundred yards off Second Landing. A huge number of small perch are being caught so anglers will have to sort through their catch to get the larger ones. Northerns are also being caught in the shallows in the same area as the perch.

The walleye fishing is best either very early in the morning or right at dusk, during those low-light hours, a couple miles off Second Landing or over by the hot pond or the coal dock, in the shallower waters.

The ice roads have some drifting snow. Be aware of numerous snowdrifts and hard-packed drifts. We strongly urge you to use snowmobiles or bring a snowmobile with you for easier access, or use an ATV with tracks on it.

The inland lakes in Ashland County have had decent crappie and pan fishing. Most of the slush is now frozen over on the inlands. For a safe and up-to-date ice fishing report, give us a call at Anglers All and we will keep you informed.

The Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, www.visitashland.com, 1-800-284-9484, reports:

If you would like an updated ice fishing report or an updated snowmobile report, check outwww.visitashland.com. Fishing is great in the Chequamegon Bay area!!

This Saturday, February 15^th, is the annual Book Across the Bay, a 10K cross-country ski race and snowshoe trek across the ice of Chequamegon Bay at night by the light of the stars and over 1,000 luminary lights.

Photos submitted by Nate Baron, Up North Guide Service of Ashland.