Steady Panfish Bite, Good Night Bite for Walleyes
By Phil Schweik, Licensed Wisconsin Hunting & Fishing Guide
As we move into the new year the panfish bite continues to remain very good. Shallow weeds in 3 to 6 feet of water are holding a good majority of the gills but some larger fish are holding deeper. Small ice jigs in purple and green have been the best producer this past week when tipped with either waxies or spikes.
We have been catching quite a few nice crappies this past week holding in about 12 to 16 feet of water . The crappies are suspended about 4 feet off the bottom and by using your flasher unit finding them and the depths that they are holding at isn't very hard. Tip downs set at appropriate depths and baited with small minnows has been working very well but jigging with small teardrop jigs tipped with plastics or live bait has been the most productive way to catch them.
The walleye bite has been very good especially during low light conditions and after dark. (Above:Phil Schweik with a nice musky caught while ice fishing.) Tip ups baited with small suckers and golden shiners have been our go to set up. We are running the tip ups in 3 to 8 feet of water along weed edges and shallow gravel bars.
Northern pike activity has been a pleasant surprise this winter season as we have encountered quite a few nice fish over the past couple of weeks. (Above: Ken Zingler with a couple of pike for pickling). For anyone looking at catching a few try running tip ups baited with large golden shiners in 4 to 8 feet of water. Set your tip ups so your bait is anywhere from 1 to 2 feet off the bottom in the deeper water and right under the ice in the shallower holes (less than 5 feet). Add attractants such as colored beads and blades on the line above the bait to bring more attention to your offering and increase your catch.
Have a great week, Phil Schweik
Licensed Wisconsin Hunting & Fishing Guide
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