March-08 — John Gillespie's Waters & Woods

March 2008

Episode 9
Whitefish on the Bay
Location: Bay of Green Bay, off of Marinette, WI
Show Date: March 1st & 2nd, 2008
Guide: Pro Ice Guide Larry Smith [920-361-4996 | walleyeguide.com]

We join Larry Smith and a few clients on this trek out on the bay of Green Bay on a frigid day in February. Its hovering just around zero, with some wind, but our anglers are enjoying what has come to be a new trend in the area. We have traveled 4.5 miles out to our spot, and we weren't disappointed with the results at the end of the day.

Fishing for Whitefish has become the hot ticket in town, and with good reason. Jigging is always the most enjoyable fishing experience when it comes to ice fishing, so why not. Besides who wants to pick up tip-up this winter anyway. Using a simple jig with a bit of Berkley Gulp tipping the hooks is all we need to get these fish snapping, and snap they do. Our anglers enjoy catching these fish all day, and with a 10 fish limit, there is plenty of food to take home. Larry tells us that if there are cleaned properly, these fish can taste excellent.

Episode 10
Newton Lake
Location: Newton Lake, Newton, IL
Show Date: March 8th & 9th, 2008
Guides: Matt Bichanich – Pro Bass Fisherman, Uncle Josh Pork Baits [unclejosh.com]
Tab Walker, Guide [618-752-5075 | outdoorsportsmanslodge.com ]

When our friend, local bass pro Matt Bichanich, asked us if we wanted to do some large mouth bass fishing in the dead of winter – we said yes. But we didn’t know that it was going to be so close to home. Newton Lake is about 4 hours south of Chicago, and is 1,775 acres.

Newton Lake is a power plant lake, what that means is that a power plant uses the water to cool down their generators. So in turn it keeps the lake from freezing all winter, the average water temps in this lake are between 50-60 degrees. So even though it is 30 degrees out, we can still use the summer patterns. The bass really don’t know its winter, so they get a year round growing pattern, and the anglers get year round excitement.

The weather is terrible, we are fishing in one of the worst fronts we have seen this winter. But you wouldn’t be able to tell by the numbers and quality of fish we are boating. An average bass caught was 3 pounds, with a few up to five. Out host, Tab Walker, says there have been at least four 10 pounders caught on this lake.

Episode 11
Spring is Here
Show Date: March 15th & 16th, 2008
Location: Wisconsin River, Wisconsin Dells
Guide: Pro Guide Big Dave Ehardt [414-803-7160]

It is a sure sign of spring when we once again join Big Dave on the Wisconsin River, in the Dells. A generous rainfall a few days before helped open up the river, so we could experience some great walleye and sauger fishing.

Dave is back-trolling to keep the boat floating ever so slowly down stream. We are using mostly jigs with minnows and blade bates, such as the Zip. Keeping our lines as vertical as possible, and right along the bottom. Most of the fish we catch we don’t mark, because they are so close to the bottom. We do very well as far as size and numbers are concerned. It’s a classic good time every time we are with Big Dave.

Episode 12
Late Ice Walleyes
Show Date: March 22nd & 23rd, 2008
Location: The Bay of Green Bay off of Sturgeon Bay
Guide: Pro Guide Dale Stroschein [ 920-743-5731 | wackywalleye.com]

It’s finally late ice season, and from the winter that we had, it looks like it could be around for another couple of weeks. Well we went up to Dale’s fabulous resort, to host our first annual ‘Yamaha Dealer Outing.’ As usual it is a very early/evening bite for the walleyes. Many of our guests had never been ice fishing before, and for them to experience this is once in a lifetime. It’s certainly not a numbers game out there, but that “CLUNK” could come at any time. You really need to concentrate, and be ready to reel in your trophy.

To mix it up Dale take us white fishing in the middle of day two. Fishing for the white fish in 40 feet of water is a really fun fight.

Staying out late at the end of day two produces a few more walleyes for a few of our first timers, and is defiantly worth the wait.

Episode 13
The Best of Both Worlds
Show Date: March 29th & 30th, 2008
Location: Petenwell Flowage – Adams County, Wisconsin
Guide: Pro Ice Guide Larry Smith [920-361-4996 | walleyeguide.com]

John joins Larry Smith for a two day, two part fishing adventure. Fishing on ice the first day, and open water the second.

Ice fishing on Castle Rock Lake Larry targets perch, but ends up catching mostly crappies, and a bunch of under legal size walleyes. They have a selection of tip-ups set out, but they end up catching most of their fish while jigging. Most of the crew is using blade baits tipped with Berkley Gulp Grubs.

The second day John travels up the river, to the stretch between Petenwell and Castle Rock. They are targeting walleye. John sticks to his guns, jigging with the ZIP. Larry and his co-guide-Matt- is using a jig and minnow. Fishing primarily around a dam, constantly moving and changing depths. Matt put on the school and catches the bulk of walleyes, and some bulky 3-5 pound walleyes.