SNOWCONDITIONS.com

Well with the 15" of snow, 10 of which was quite heavy, last week getting around on the lake is difficult to say the least. Tried to go out on a lake yesterday in the truck, what a mistake. We were stuck 3 times and spent 2 hours shoveling, about 3" to 4" of a top frozen layer with about a foot of slush and water underneath. Snowmobiles and 4-wheelers are also having a lot of trouble. Best to stay on packed trails if possible. Hopefully with the colder temps forecasted thru this coming weekend things should start to get better. If you're one of those diehards that just has to get out there, it's best to break a trail first and make sure you can get there with just the snowmobile before trying to haul all your gear in tow with you. Bring a shovel and some man power, you'll probably need it. We'll, with that said lets talk about the fishing.

Walleye - It's been a tough year all year as far as consistency. Seems one day the bite is good and the next day the bite doesn't exist. The best bite seems to still be in the evening and after dark.. Walleye suckers have been the bait of choice. These fish are feeding in 8' to 15' of water on the outside edges of the weeds early and tight up in them as the evening progresses. There has also been a good day bite at times in deep water. Find your favorite mid-lake hump and set up around the perimeter of it.

Northern - These fish seem to be biting best in the afternoon and towards evening. Target these fish in 3' to 8' of water in the weeds. Suckers and shiners are both working well.

Panfish - There has been a pretty good perch bite lately. These fish can be found in 5' to 10' of water in the weeds. Crappie minnows, wigglers and waxies all working, but wigglers seem to be working best. Some bluegills are also being caught mixed in with the perch. Waxies and spikes are the bait of choice here. We've also been catching bluegills suspended a little deeper in 20' and 25' of water, 10' to 15' feet down. Crappies have also been caught on this same pattern with crappie minnows.

Trout - These fish have been fairly consistent all year. The best bite seems to from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. These fish can be found in 20' to 45' of water. Tip-ups set with small shiners and fat heads 5' to 10' off the bottom will get you some pretty good action. You can also jig these fish with any small flasher type lures,(Swedish pimples, little Cleos, cicadas etc.) Tip these with the head of a fathead or small shiner for best results.

Well, lets hope these cold temps can freeze that slush up soon. Until then it's going to be tough. So be prepared for the worst. Good luck fishing and best of luck getting there. We'll keep you up to date on that slush.

TGFI (thank goodness for ice)

GOOD LUCK ANGLERS & HAVE FUN!!

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