January 2015
Episode 1
Rain and Sunshine
Show Date: January 3rd & 4th, 2015
Location: Lake Winnebago System; Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Guide: Pro Guide Larry Smith [920-361-4996 | walleyeguide.com]
It's the first episode of the new year! We're ringing it in with Larry Smith on the Winnebago System out of Oshkosh Wisconsin. The first thing we need to stress is ice safety, with the warmer than usual temperatures, the ice isn't solid (or even present) in many parts of the lakes you may want to get out on. So please make sure you know what you're getting into before you head out - no fish is worth paying for with your life.
We are doing mostly jigging, looking for whitebass and crappies, using Kastmasters tipped with spikes. Pounding the bottom will poof up the sand and attract the fish. Doing this method coupled with your Humminbird locator is the best way, because you can see when you’ve attracted a fish, then raise up your lure to see if it will follow. They may hit on the pause too, so keep a tight line so you can feel the bite.
We fish 2 totally different weather days Day one is raining and gloomy most of the day, while day 2 is a high blue sky day without a breath of wind - this is what we would describe as an ideal ice fishing day.
Episode 2
The 2014 Mills Fleet Farm Highlighs Show
Show Dare: January 10th & 11th, 2015
It's that time of year! We get to take a look back at the biggest fish we've caught throughout 2014. More importantly, we get to award grand prizes to a few lucky viewers that submitted photos to our Mills Fleet Farm 2014 fishing contest.
This show is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors like Mills Fleet Farm - the host of the show, and by the sponsors that provided the great prize packages for the lucky (randomly selected) winners in each category - Jiffy, Frabill, Pure Fishing, & Humminbird.
Best of luck to all of you, as the contest continues in 2015!
Episode 3
Frigid Lake Superior Trout
Show Date: January 17th &18th, 2015
Location: Lake Superior, Bayfield, WI
Guide: Josh Teigen [715.813.0575 | joshteigen.com ]
It’s the first cold front of the year, and we find ourselves trying to get a show when the fish won’t bite. The very first two days of the cold front were spent on a fruitless outing in the Hayward area. We tried everything across two different lakes, and a multitude of spots and presentions.
Day three we take a chance by moving our entire operation to Lake Superior with our trusty guide Josh Teigen. Josh had been looking on inland lakes, and came up with the same result as us - not much. The ice had just solidified (in the area we ended up fishing) so Josh went out to check the ice on foot with a spud before inviting us along to find fish.
Trout are less effected by the weather changes because they spend most of their time in the deeper parts of the lake. Josh says these trout will bite pretty much all the time.
Episode 4
Wacky Whitefish
Show Date: January 24th & 25th, 2015
Location: Sand Bay Beach Resort - Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Guide: Pro Guide Dale Stroschein [ 920-743-5731 | wackywalleye.com]
Captain Dale Stroschein knows how to entertain a large group on the ice, and keep them all comfortable. This weeks we’ve got a full house of great people that have joined us for the annual “John Gillespie Outing” at Sand Bay Beach Resorts. They’re all here to target whitefish, and maybe mix in a few bonus walleyes during the early morning hours and sunset.
Dale has us set up on a spot where the whitefish are scouring the bottom looking for bait. These fish are aggressive eaters, with a few of our catches having other baitfish in their mouths in addition to our lures. During the twilight hours, we move to the walleye spot. Dale has Frabill one-man shelters for each person to use to keep warm while the sun is either rising or setting. This show is all jigging using
Episode 5
Lake Erie Jumbo Walleyes
Show Date: January 31st & February 1st, 2015
Location: Lake Erie, Port Clinton, Ohio
Guide: Charter Captain Mike Patterson [419-308-6925 | mikessportfishing.com]
When the water freezes across parts of Lake Erie, it transforms into a magical place that can find any angler with the fish of a lifetime on the end of their line - but first they need to reel it in.
We are back to ice fish Lake Erie with charter captain Mike Patterson and a great group of guys, some of which were here last year and hoping to relive that excellent fishing. This hot jig bite starts as soon as you can safely get on the ice, and gets hotter as the winter progresses. Mike is a mobile guide, and we find ourselves moving quite a bit the second day to zero in on fish. We are all jigging, using lures like the Kastmaster, Jigging Rapala, and Little Cleo. Most of the time we’re tipping the hooks with a few minors - to make a large presentation, other times just a minnow head to let the lure do all the work.
We have a blast, seeing quite a few behemoth walleyes caught, and one other special surprise that you’ll need to tune in to see.