Home Waters

Got out yesterday for the first time of the season on the Rock River in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. February 23rd probably stands as the earliest I have ever goten out in a season to open water fish, which is pretty cool. I fished for a couple of hours yesterday with nothing to show. My roommate was fishing minnows on a river rig that I outlined before. I used the same rig, but also spent some time throwing a BFishN Tackle Moxi plastic on a 1/2 oz. orange jighead. The Moxi jig is posted just below:

I have had good luck with the moxi jig, as well as other BFishN Tackle products over the years. If you re interested at looking at their products more, here is the url to their website: (http://customjigs.com/bfishn-tackle/). The color I used yesterday was the same one as the picture, chartreuse with orange core. That is a great color combination when the water has a tea-like color to it. What was really interesting was that the water level and current was not typical of the early season. Usually, snow melt causes high water and high current, but as you may have noticed, we just did not get the snow this year. As rainier weather moves into our area as spring goes on, that will change.

There is one rig that I use 95% of the time in river systems in our area. It is an effective rig and it is also fairly inexpensive to compile. It has three components: a sliding bell sinker, a small split-shot sinker, and a panfish hook.

1. The first component that you put on the line is the sliding bell sinker. The sinker will slide down the line, this is okay. These sinkers usually come in 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 ounce sizes, and I decide which one to use based on current. If there is little to no current, you won’t need to use much weight, so a 1/8 or 1/4 will do. If the current is really ripping, like it will be during the spring walleye run as the ice melts, a 1/2 ounce will likely be your best bet.

2.  The second component of the rig is the split shot sinker. split shots are also sinkers, but they don’t slide freely. They are built to be crimped in the center in order to hold on the line. Their purpose in this rig is to keep the bell sinker from running down straight to the hook. To do this, crimp the split shot 12to 18 inches above the hook after putting the bell sinker on the line.

3. The final component of the rig is the hook. I look using smaller panfish hooks because they aren’t too bulky and usually kept well-hidden from fish.

Purchasing the three components of this rig should cost you no more than five dollars. While you don’t need to use Water Gremlin and Eagle Claw products as I have, I do recommend them based on their price and their quality. I use this rig for everything from walleye to catfish. For bigger fish like catfish, you may want to consider bigger hooks, but otherwise the rig has proven to be solid.

Hello all,Read the story here

Welcome to mid-February, or as I like to call it, the beginning of the end for ice fishing season. Ice fishing is a very popular winter sport in our region, and people like to utilize as much time as they can in the winter months out on the hard water. Unfortunately, this time of year poses risks for many ice anglers, as warming temps cause ice quality to deteriorate rapidly. Many have gone out on the ice and have not come back off. Just a couple weeks ago, an angler lost his life after falling into Lake Geneva. Read the story here (http://fox6now.com/2017/01/25/town-of-linn-man-drowns-in-geneva-lake-while-ice-fishing/). With that in mind, here are some tips that will keep you safer on the ice as spring nears.

1. NEVER go ice fishing alone

2. Be aware of your surroundings (other people on ice, open water spots, other hazards, etc.)

3. Dress Appropriately (base layers, waterproof layers, etc.)

4. Do not drink excessively on the ice

5. Let people know where you will be

6. Don’t push it-do not go onto unsafe ice, do not drive atv’s or vehicles on ice that is not thick enough. A few fish are not worth your life.