Fishing Information

Ice Fishing in the Wisconsin Winter


It's late December... temperatures are racing towards 0 degrees. Ice is covering most of the lakes in Wisconsin and getting thick on the lakes in the Northern half of the state.

This is the time of the year when the die-hards come out to take on the bitter cold to do what they love... fish!

But ice fishing doesn't have to be just for those fishing fanatics. If you usually put fishing into the back of your mind during the cold winter, you might want to think about reaching back and pulling it to the front a few months early. Ice fishing is definitely different than fishing in the middle of a muggy Wisconsin summer, but it may be more fun than you might be thinking it is.

Ice fishing isn't just about staring down into a dark hole in the middle of a big cold lake freezing your butt off... if you put your line in the water and do nothing but sit and stare at the hole and never get a bite, that could end up being a long boring day, but you can make it fun (but if the fish are active and biting, then it will be fun regardless!)...

Go with friends! Unless you need some "alone time," ice fishing with friends or family always makes for a better experience. Since ice fishing is more of a waiting game than fast-action summer fishing is, if you don't have somebody to talk to, you might start talking to yourself! If you do go along, at least bring a radio.

Got snowmobiles or ATVs? Do you know somebody who does? Take them out on the lake with you. Set your tip-ups up, and then go for a ride around the lake... as long as you don't get to far away from your tip-ups, you may be able to do a little exploring or have a little fun while your waiting for that 8 pound walleye to take your bait.

Don't forget that hot chocolate or coffee! If it's cold, nothing helps keep you warm like a hot drink... and to me, no other hot drink beats hot chocolate. Soup is always good too... and if you plan on making a lunch on the lake from all the fish your catching, be sure to bring cooking supplies, including something to actually cook the fish with.

If you're going with friends, bring something to toss around... a football, frisbee, hacky-sack, whatever... just don't kill yourself diving for a catch on the ice! These things will at least keep you busy while you wait for that tip-up flag to spring up.

Just remember, to make sure that you stay close enough to the tip-ups at all times so that you can respond within a reasonable time of the flag going up.

So, if you've always stuck to summer fishing and never wanted to venture out fishing during the winter months, you ought to give it a try this winter... you might just find out what a great rewarding experience it can be...

And just remember, unlike Wisconsin's muggy summers, there are absolutely no bugs biting you while you are ice fishing, so you can keep that mosquito spray at home!

--- Scott Pinkert runs a great Wisconsin fishing resource site called Go Wisconsin Fishing. The website is an excellent resource for everything you want or need to know about fishing in Wisconsin. You can check out the site by visiting http://www.go-wisconsin-fishing.com. For more articles like this, sign up for his monthly newsletter at http://www.go-wisconsin-fishing.com/newsletter.html ---


MORE RESOURCES:

Wilkes Barre Times-Leader

Ice-fishing festival gets assist from cold weather | Outdoors
The Seattle Times
With a deep freeze settling into areas east of the Cascades, anglers are breaking through the ice to catch fish. By Mark Yuasa No comments have been posted to this article. With a deep freeze settling into areas east of the Cascades, ...
Mild weather not as nice as iceWilkes Barre Times-Leader

all 2 news articles »


Bellingham Herald

OUTDOORS: Lower Columbia fishing set, halibut hold line
Bellingham Herald
Early 2012 salmon, steelhead and sturgeon fishing seasons are now set for the lower Columbia River, giving anglers some hard information on which to plan trips. Expectations rate as good for the lower Columbia's early returning chinook fishery this ...
Biologists predicting strong run of Columbia spring chinook this yearTheNewsTribune.com
Outdoors Digest: Tuesday's ODFW meeting will explain public proposalsCoos Bay World

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Minister Ashfield Announces a 2011 National Recreational Fisheries Award ...
MarketWatch (press release)
GRANBY, QUEBEC, Feb 04, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Gateway, today announced that Claude Bernard is a winner of a 2011 National Recreational ...

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For-profit fishing limited on reefs off Georgetown
MyrtleBeachOnline.com
Commercial spear fishing was stripping clean artificial reefs that were meant for recreational fishing, anglers claimed. Two years later, after The Post and Courier's 2009 report of the alleged abuses, a federal law has been put on the books to ...
For-profit fishing limited on reefsCharleston Post Courier

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Craftsmen have a passion for bamboo fishing rods
Duluth News Tribune
He's fishing a bamboo rod again. But he didn't buy it. Bamboo rods are prohibitively expensive for most anglers, running from $800 to $3000 or more. So, in his retirement, Johnson learned to make bamboo rods. He buys bamboo from the south of China.

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Feb. 2 fishing report
The Tennessean
There's still too much generation at the dam to allow for decent fishing. • Center Hill. Lots of smallmouth bass are being caught on swim baits and jigs. Try the creeks. • Cheatham. Striper are being caught below the dam. Crappie bite is good in main ...
Fishing reportsPryor Daily Times
Fishing Report 2-6-12Log Cabin Democrat
Outdoor notebookMuskogee Daily Phoenix

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The first fish of Feb Fest
Chanhassen Villager
(Photo by Richard Crawford) Mason Hagen checks in with the first fish of the ice fishing contest. Denny Laufenburger, master of ceremonies for the event, was on hand for an interview. Mason Hagen, 6, of Chanhassen, landed the first fish, a perch, ...

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Federal wildlife officials offer ice fishing day in Mississippi River refuge
The Republic
Federal wildlife officials are planning a free ice fishing day for kids on the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Children between the ages of 6 and 13 will be allowed to fish for free at a Mississippi River boat landing in Winona, ...

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Fly Fishing Film Tour hits Seattle on Feb. 4
Highline Times
Fly fishing's most celebrated annual event, the Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T), the original and largest event of its kind begins its continent-wide trek January 26th. The Traveling spectacle serves as a stage for the best filmmakers in the industry, ...
A fish tale, in honor of tonight's fly-fishing photo show, Surface Film IIWestword (blog)

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BBC News

Prince Charles optimistic for fisheries' future
BBC News
By Richard Black Environment correspondent There are reasons for optimism about the future of the world's fish stocks despite their currently dire state, said the Prince of Wales at the launch of a report from his green think-tank.
Prince Charles learns about Island's approach to fishing conservationisleofman.com
Prince Charles presents proof of profit in sustainable fisheriesThe Guardian
Charles in sustainable fishing pleaThe Press Association
Telegraph.co.uk -The Grocer -Fishnewseu
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