Recent ice conditions in and around the central Wisconsin area are not good, most area lakes are wide open and the ones with remaining ice are unsafe. If you travel further north you will find lakes with decent ice anywhere from 8 to 14 inches. We are now looking at lakes in the Minocqua area and north of that. But be careful this recent warm weather and rain will make even those area lakes questionable.
With that said fishing remains very good with great catches of panfish. Crappies are topping out the list with bluegills coming in a close second followed up by perch. Most of the fish we are catching are related to one of two locations, deep mud flats in 12 to 16 feet of water, or thick weeds in 4 to 8 feet of water.
The best advice I can give you right now is to use your mapping, find what look like likely looking locations, and drill a bunch of holes. Once your holes are drilled, stay mobile and use your electronics to find active fish. If you aren’t seeing anything don’t sit very long waiting for something to happen. Give each hole 3 to 5 minutes and if you aren’t seeing any fish its time to move. Sometimes I won’t even sit at a hole unless I am either seeing fish or some sort of structure.
With open water already at some locations it is time to start thinking about getting that boat out and ready or maybe it’s even time to buy a new boat. Give the guys down at Amherst Marine a call for all your boating needs. 715-824-5635
Have a great week,
Phil Schweik
Hooksetters Guide Service
Phone: 715-693-5843
