Mild weather and good fishing – a combination we don’t always get to experience in January here in Wisconsin, but certainly the case this year! The walleye bite has remained steady in the past week or two and continues to be solid during the low-light and nighttime periods. Frabill Pro-Thermal tip-ups baited with large golden shiners or sucker minnows are a good bet. Yes, I said “large” - leave the "small" bait at the bait shop. Look for mid-lake humps, large points extending into deeper water, and channel irregularities in the lakes and reservoirs to be holding fish; begin by working the sharper breaks, especially those adjacent to the deepest water during the day.

As the evening progresses, move tip-ups up the breaks, with some right on the top of the structure. Where weeds are present, locate and fish the greenest weed edges available. Rocks as well as stumps and snags should we fished as well. Keep in mind that some very good-sized walleyes are still coming from depths of water less than 6'. Anglers looking to score while jigging should consider using jigging spoons such as the Buckshot Rattle spoon or lures such as the Jigging Rapala - whichever you use, tip the lure with a minnow head.

Northern pike are greedily wolfing down large golden shiners along the deeper weed lines of back bays, as well as along the stump fields and irregular breaks of sections of main river channel; the bite has been best from mid-morning until late afternoon. Numbers of quality fish are continuing to be caught locally. As January leads into February and the average temperature increases, large dead baits will begin producing some of the biggest pike of the ice fishing season.

The channel catfish population has been active for anglers looking to test their fish-fighting skills on a jigging rod. St. Croix and Frabill jigging rods used to work rattling-style jigging spoons tipped with minnow’s heads are producing action. Start by locating areas of river channel and then key in on the deeper holes within. Begin at the "head" of the hole as the most active fish have been holding there. Keep the bait less than a foot of the bottom and be ready and willing to move to locate sections holding willing cats. Despite the fact we are in the end of January, be wary of ice conditions in areas containing current and exercise extreme caution. There’s plenty of fine ice-fishing to come, I’ll see you on the water…

Wisconsin Angling Adventures
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