Thursday, January 11, 2018

Live shiners, grubs, and jigging lures

Prior to Grayson, several lakes and ponds did see some action. Ice continued building to where auger blades were put to the test. Walleye, perch, and largemouth bass were caught through the ice, both with tip-ups and jigging sticks. Depth and structure were the keys in locating fish. Time of day, as in the case of walleye, was a determining factor. With opal eyes, the bite generally is better at day’s end when light diminishes.
Live shiners, grubs, and jigging lures by themselves or tipped with bait is as simple as it gets. Bring along a skimmer to keep your hole clear of ice and a manual sounder to check depth. A spud will assist in testing the ice and wind-resistant clothing can prevent you from testing the weather.
It might take a few more days for the trout streams to recoup from those frigid temps now that the air is warming up. Certainly, the salmon waters, as well as the sea run trout rivers, are in play. A January thaw is in the making and should jump-start the rivers. However, conditions on the lakes may get a bit slushy and caution should be taken.

Saturday, January 06, 2018

Ohio ice walkers

Walleye are a favorite fish among Ohio ice walkers, and they're easy to find in winter. Come the early ice they'll likely still be fairly shallow around points and near shore bars, rock piles, sunken roads, sudden dropoffs and other good ambush cover. Then as the season progresses most will move to deeper water, mid-lake humps and reefs, and as spawning time nears they'll turn shallow again. The best time to catch walleye is an hour or so before dawn and an hour after, then an hour or so before dark and an hour after, though they'll bite sporadically all day and night.

Wednesday, January 03, 2018

GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE):

 low to mid 30s, clear, about ½ foot low. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reports: 100% ice covered. Ice is 8 inches thick west of the causeway. There is also safe ice in the state park coves. Anglers have been catching some white bass, wipers, and striped bass along the river channel, but fishing has generally been slow. Crappie have been slow, but some caught on the brush piles. The park pond is 7-8 inches thick except around the tube and anglers are cautioned to stay away from the tube if ice fishing on the pond. Use extreme caution when ice fishing and always fish with a partner!

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/outdoors/article192712099.html#storylink=cpy

Friday, December 29, 2017

Wallace Lake

The best ice fishing in the area this weekend and next week will be found around the Cleveland Metroparks, with a focus on Wallace Lake on Valley Parkway in the Mill Stream Run Reservation in Berea. More than 3,000 rainbow trout in the 1- to 2-pound class have been released in the Cleveland Metroparks lakes, and Wallace Lake received the lion's share of the annual winter stockings.
Wallace Lake also has received a big slug of coho salmon, and a stocking program this year at Wallace featured big bluegill and largemouth bass. The ice cover is slowly becoming thick enough to support ice fishermen, but check before walking out on the ice.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Cleveland Metroparks

Lake Erie is luring walleye anglers from all over the state and around the country with friendly fishing weather this week. It has given boaters and shore fishermen the opportunity for some outstanding late-season catches.
The Northeast Ohio rivers are low and the current is slow, but some steelhead trout are being caught from the rivers and around the mouths of the tributaries. The Cleveland Metroparks has begun its winter stockings of rainbow trout.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Portage Lake in Cass County

Balm, Big Bass, South Twin and Deer lakes in Beltrami County; Portage Lake in Cass County; and Flour, Hungry Jack and Two Island lakes in Cook County: These eight lakes with restrictive size regulations (either a 12-20 inch protected slot or catch-and-release only regulation) on bass will be modified to a less restrictive, 14-20 inch protected slot with one over 20 inches to allow additional harvest of small bass while still protecting quality sized fish. Although the existing regulations were shown to be effective, the new protected slot is expected to provide a similar protection to quality fish and with the added benefit of allowing additional harvest of abundant smaller bass.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

NW Angle is frozen

NW Angle is frozen over with good ice in most spots but some weak areas in some known locations. ATV and snowmobile travel on designated marked trails. Resorts are checking ice conditions, marking trails, and placing houses. 10-15" of ice where resorts fish and fishing is electric. 

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Lake Erie ice

Lake Erie ice cover at bay and giving fishermen a chance to fill their freezers with
some of the biggest walleye of the year.
Easily old enough to remember when the fishing boats were put in dry dock in October, where
they would sit until April or May back in the 1970s, this year’s weather has given the trailer boat
crowd plenty of reasons to stay up late. Layered in waterproof thermal wear, the anglers are
trolling diving plugs and spoons to catch limits of walleye.
The local breakwalls and piers are still just as busy after the sun goes down. A small box of
crankbaits, a long-handled fishing net and a lantern are the main ingredients for some superb
after-dark walleye angling. With a full moon rising this week, and the daytime air temperatures
forecast to be in the mid-40s all week, the walleye season certainly isn’t over.
This weather, however, does not bode well for the winter ice fishing for walleye. Unless there is
an Arctic blast in the next couple of weeks, this will be the third winter in a row of poor to
mediocre ice fishing for walleye.