Perch fishing and waiting on fishable ice returning locally

It went 28 and 1/4 inches. My personal best through the ice.

Hi Dale - I was lucky to get out on Lake Michigan over the weekend to go after Perch. A friend brought me out on his sons boat and we caught about 17 with a few Jumbos mixed in. It took some searching for the pods of bait and Perch but they’re persistent guiding put us on a couple good spots. A great weekend with boat show on Friday then Perch fishing Sunday.

. . .

Groups still fishing slips and doing good some days some days super slow. Rosie reds and xl fathead minnows best.

When wind and weather allow 50 to 55ft straight out of portage and towards the west has givin up some perch you must move and find them but they are quality perch.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting Free Fishing Weekend Jan. 21-22 to share the fun and excitement of winter fishing. No fishing license or trout and salmon stamps are required.

Anglers can fish state waters where there is an open season. All other fishing regulations apply, such as limits on the number and size of fish you can keep and any seasons when you must release certain fish species.

As a reminder, anglers cannot fish spring trout ponds during the Winter Free Fishing Weekend. Please review the trout regulations and 2022-2023 Hook and Line regulations for more information.

My recommendation for those that want to ice fish is to wait a week as old man winter is coming back with many days of ice making temperatures. Single digit lows to close out the month. If you need to fish head to the McHenry dam and fish open water the next couple of days. Extra large fatheads on a 1/8 once jig head.

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.

It’s hard to tell if it’s early March or mid January. The odd winter weather continues.

Area lakes- we have open water opportunities south of I-80. Most fish will be found in the same locations as they were during ice fishing.

. . .

TTYL

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Ken Husker O’Malley

Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

Bank fishing and boat fishing at Spring Lake after 1:00 during the late Canada Goose season.

Back to the ole stomping grounds of the mighty dupage. First fish of 2023!

. . . If you need to fish head to the McHenry dam and fish open water the next couple of days. Extra large fatheads on a 1/8 once jig head.

Fishing Report – 1/15/2023

Mike Norris

Big Green Lake – Ice anglers are accessing the east end of the lake from Sunset Park and are having success fishing for lake trout and cisco in sixty-feet of water with three-eighths ounce spoons or tube baits, both tipped with small chunks of processed cisco meat. Bluegill up to nine inches in Beyer’s Cove remains an option on tungsten jigs tipped with red or purple plastics, though that bite is now on and off. All area lakes have excellent access right now due to the lack of snow on the ground but are difficult to traverse for anglers without cleats on their boats.

Lake Puckaway – Anglers fishing a local ice fishing derby were greeted with sunny skies and air temperatures in the low 40’s last weekend. Ice conditions have improved on Puckaway, and some anglers are now towing their shelters out across the ice. Derby contestants, caught, photographed, and released pike up to thirty-two inches long, walleye to twenty-six inches long, and crappie to fourteen inches long during the derby.

Beave Dam Lake – Beaver Dam continues to be the local hotspot for ice fishing right now as the early evening and night bite continues to produce walleyes for numerous anglers throughout the lake. Large shiners on tip-ups are doing the damage with most action coming from the north end of the lake. Hickory Bay, Sunset Beach, and the Railroad Trestle access area are attracting the most anglers

Went back to the kankakee and caught 4 more walleyes and missed a 5th one and my dad [Frank] ended with with a nice 17.5in smallie. Biggest walleye today was 25in and super fat, full of eggs. Out of the 11 eyes I’ve caught in these two trips I’ve kept 3, two 17,s and a 17.75in. Even if it were legal to keep the big ones no way I would. Much rather have them spawn!

Dear Dale,

Steelheading is supposed to be best in the morning on cloudy days. So breaking all the rules, I snuck out and was Flicker Shad after noon in perfectly clear water at one of our great harbors, with the sun shining down with not a cloud in the sky.

What’s great about bright light is I could see this steelhead take the bait!

Happy New Year!

-Laurance

Good morning, just a few ice reports from Northpoint, but now ice is squishy!

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.

It’s hard to tell if it’s early March or mid January. The odd winter weather continues.

. . .

Madison Chain-lakes in the area have 5 1/2 to 6 inches of clear ice. Mondays heavy rains will cut into it.

Bluegill were decent along weed flats fished with WYW jigs tipped with a variety of plastics.

Perch could be found mid day working a gold tungsten jig tipped with multiple spikes on the edge of drop offs.

TTYL

—

Ken Husker O’Malley

Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

The incredibly mild January continues! With average lows in the mid-20’s and highs in the low/mid-30’s cold is no excuse for getting out on the ice this winter. If there is a negative to this balmy January it’s that many lakes don’t have enough ice (clear ice averages are 8-14) to support truck travel. Also, some slush still being reported. Overall access and travel for foot, snowmobiles, ATV’s, and UTV’s has been good. Yet with the lack of cold, be careful. Today (1/16) we’re experiencing rain, which can lead to slippery boat landings, crust and added slush on the ice.

Northern Pike: Very Good – Lots of reports of #’s and some nice sized fish. Most anglers using large shiners & suckers. With warm weather and not a lot of ice, Pike very active in weeds of 4-10’. A few anglers jigging larger spoons tipped with minnow heads or using Jaw Jackers with live bait for the fun of catching these fish on rod & reel.

Crappie: Very Good – Locations have been mixed. Most anglers at this time of year are targeting basin Crappies over mud in 22-34’ of water. Jigging small spoons tipped with spikes or tip-downs baited with rosies. There is still a good number of Crappies in the weeds. These fish are taking slow dropped plastics on rocker spoons and Lethal Cecils.

Largemouth Bass: Very Good-Good – They like this warm weather. Good action and nice sized Bass in weedy flats of 6-10’. Medium shiners 2’ off bottom under tip-ups or Jaw Jackers.

Bluegill: Very Good-Good – Similar to LMB, weeds of 6-10’. Small jigs tipped with waxies or dark plastics. Early AM best for larger Gills. Some being found suspended along deep weed breaks of 12-16’.

Walleye: Good – Bite picking back up. Off shore humps of gravel or sandgrass getting visited towards dusk. Suckers seem to be preferred best, river shiners second choice. Jigging Raps and Rattlin Raps scoring also. Very early AM (pre-dawn) also a good time slot.

Yellow Perch: Good – Mud flats of 20-30’ best bouncing Time Bombs, Pinhead Minnows or Pimples to stir up mud. Bait up with wigglers or red spikes.

Lots of people up this past holiday season taking advantage of the mild weather and extra day to fish. Don’t see much of a change coming in forecast, New Moon on Saturday always a plus.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook

Kinda on the slow side with no ice fishing going on around these parts.

Groups still fishing slips and doing good some days some days super slow. Rosie reds and xl fathead minnows best.

When wind and weather allow 50 to 55ft straight out of portage and towards the west has givin up some perch you must move and find them but they are quality perch.

St Joe is on fire

Ice conditions are poor, back to walking. Perch and gills still biting good. Some walleye and white bass on Poygan near the horseshoe hole