JANUARY 2023

Episode 1

Snowy Wisconsin Northwoods

Show Date: December 31, 2022

Location: Vilas County, Wisconsin

Accommodations: St. Germain Lodge [715-542-3433 - www.stgermainlodge.com]

The Wisconsin northwoods have got absolutely clobbered with snow, but fortunately we were able to find a few lakes in Vilas County to get out on and wet our lines.  We’ve got 2 days to fish, day one we jig for panfish, and on day 2 we set a big spread of Beaver Dam’s looking for pike and walleye.  The cold-front that came through the area after the snow had a bit of a negative effect on the fish, but we did get great action on panfish.

Episode 2

The Annual Fleet Farm Highlights Show

Show Date: January 7, 2023

Location: Fleet Farm, West Bend, Wisconsin

We’re excited to once again take a look back at the past year, and reward a few lucky winners from the past years Fleet Farm, John Gillespie’s Waters & Woods Fishing Contest. 

Each year we reward grand prizes for each of these categories: walleye, bass, muskie, panfish, northern pike, great lakes, other, and youth. We also showcase our show highlights in those same categories. We have some excellent grand prizes this year from Acme, Blackfish, Beaver Dam, Clam, Humminbird, MinnKota, Johnson Pump, Johnsonville, Kalins, as well as from Fleet Farm. 

Big thanks to all of our sponsors, and to all the viewers! We’re excited for another great year of angling. To enter your big catch this year, head over to any Fleet Farm store to pick up an entry blank, or to FleetFarm.com, and download an entry blank!

Episode 3

Central Wisconsin Flowages

Show Date: January 14th, 2023

Location: Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, Marathon County, Wisconsin

Guide: Taps & Tackle Guide Service [tapsandtacleco.com]

There is a lot of water in central Wisconsin for anglers to get out on, and a large part of it are the flowages of the Wisconsin River system.  This is a great place to visit, especially in January when fishing gets tough. With all of the moving water, there is a lot of oxygen in this system, and the fish stay active all winter.  

We have a great group that put out a spread of Beaver Dams, but we’re also popping around doing some jigging.  This fishery is very diverse, we caught crappie, perch, walleye, & bass during our trip.

Episode 4

Minnesota Winter Crappies

Show Date: January 21, 20213

Location: Cass County, Minnesota

Guide: Ryley Hansen [507-217-1276]

We were scheduled to be in the Hayward area for this week’s show, but conditions continue to be rough in northern Wisconsin; so we headed back over to northern Minnesota, where the travel is much better.  Pro guide Ryley Hansen has a great panfish bite going, and eagerly invited us to get out on the ice with him. Ryley mostly targets basins for crappie this time of year, and sets up in the center, and drills holes everywhere chasing them around.  The key is to keep moving, and not make too much noise while doing so.

Episode 5

Lake Winnebago

Show Date: January 28, 2023

Location: Lake Winnebago; Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Guide: Captain Matt Merten [920-410-2206]

We’re finally able to get out on Winnebago with our good friend and guide Matt Merten.  Ice conditions have not been normal this year because of the mild temperatures we’ve experienced in the southern half of Wisconsin.  Ice conditions are still tricky out there, so make sure you know what you are doing, or are with someone who does. 

Matt has a great guide service, and also teams up with a great group of guys to locate fish, and put his customers on a good bite. This week we welcome Brett & Kevin from Johnsonville Sausage, who won a contest to come fish with us. They each brought a guest, so we will have  a bunch of lines in the water targeting walleye, perch, and white bass. 

Matt has tow-behind permanent shacks that keep our anglers warm when fishing, as well as on the move.  It’s a great way to get on the ice, and be very comfortable while doing so.