Central Wisconsin Outdoor Report 12-29-12
With good ice on many northern lakes anglers are getting out and having great success. While a lot of the attention is being focused on panfish, don't rule out early season walleyes and northern pike as they can provide excellent action at this time of the year. They both put up a hefty battle through the ice and they make for great table fare.
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| Glenn Moberg with a couple of nice perch | Clayton Heller and his wife with her first ice fishing walleye. |
For early season walleyes try running tip-ups baited up with small walleye sized suckers or medium golden shiners. Set your tip-ups in 6 to 10 feet of water (preferably with some deep water access) and run your baits about one foot off the bottom. You may catch a straggler or two throughout the day but low light periods and after dark are the best time to pick up a feeding walleye.
The action for pike through the ice can be fast and furious, especially if you are set up properly and in the right area. I normally look for shallow weeds in approximately 3 to 6 feet of water. Preferably an area with weeds that top out within a foot or two of the surface. Run tip-ups baited up with large golden shiners or sucker minnows and set the baits so they are right below the ice (6 inches to a foot) and get ready for the action to start. You will also want to be ready and paying attention too, because when a big pike strikes they don't fool around, they are off to the races and they can "spool" you in a matter of seconds.
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| Clayton Heller and his son with a couple of nice walleyes taken through the ice after dark | a couple of nice "after dark" ice walleyes |
Panfish anglers are finding lots of fish in weed chocked bays and downed timber in 4 to 8 feet of water. A lot of action is coming on the new tungsten jigs from Northland Tackle. Reds, yellows and greens have been very popular especially when tipped with a waxie or a couple of spikes. We have however seen better action from the larger fish when tipping our jigs with tiny plastics like wedge tails or IMPULSE tails and working them in a horizontal manner.
Deer hunters are finding that the new fallen snow is helping them out in an enormous way. The heavy snow that we have been receiving is forcing deer to basically herd up in smaller tighter areas near food sources, thus making it easier to locate possible hunting locations and opportunistic stand positions. If you are still trying to fill that archery tag try searching out remaining standing food sources, and now with all the snow on the ground it should be very easy to see where the deer are entering and leaving the field. Once you determine where their route is, locate a possible stand location and get set up. Don't worry about hunting all day long either as every late season deer that I have shot has come late in the afternoon, usually in the last half hour of the day.
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| Glen Loppnow with his 2012 late season archery buck | Clayton Heller's son with a good early ice walleye |
One last note: Hooksetters will be hosting an Ice Fishing Tournament out of Halfmoon Resort on January 19th on Halfmoon Lake. Please visit our website at www.hooksetters.biz for more details and information.
Good luck and have a great week.
Phil Schweik
Licensed Wisconsin Hunting & Fishing Guide
Hooksetters Guide Service www.hooksetters.biz
Ruttnut Guide Service www.ruttnut.com
Reed & Hoppe Wildlife Food Plots www.foodplotting.com