Richland County Fishing Report—November 14, 2016
By Wayne Morgenthaler
The ice is a lot safer now with the cold weather. The ice fishing on the backwaters of the Wisconsin River for pan fish has been slow. The bite has been early in the morning and only a couple of feet below the ice. Now that the water temperature is changing the fish should be more towards the bottom. The best depth to fish is generally from around 3 feet to 8 feet.
Expect good things ice fishing Richland County and surrounding river country this winter.
If you can find weeds, make sure you fish in an opening. I watch when I am jigging if there are any weeds on the lure. If so, drill another hole. I usually like to drill about 6 to 8 holes. Then give each one about a 10 minute try. Any time you can find structure such as a dead tree or protruding stumps these are good places to try. I also like to look for beaver houses and stay out from them about 30 yards. Don’t get too close as the ice can be very thin near these structures.
Northerns have been hitting on tip- ups baited with a big minnow and fished a couple of feet below the ice. Always try to place them a few yards away from where you are fishing. Make sure you know the regulations as to how many inches they have to be. Most of the backwaters of the Wisconsin River are located between Arena and Boscobel.
Crappie Shop located on the edge of Arena on Highway 14 is a great place for all your summer and ice fishing needs. Their address is 300 Dalogasa Drive, Arena, WI or you can call 608-753-2727 or emailcrappieshop@yahoo.com. They offer a wonderful assortment of live bait, catfish bait, and fishing lures for pan fish, bass, pike, trout, and catfish. They have the largest display of liquor, beer and wines in the River Valley area. They also carry groceries, apparel and pet supplies. If you want food while out on the river or backwaters, they offer an excellent take out menu, including a Friday all day fish fry. Give them a try, and I am sure you will make it one of your regular stops.