Each and every spring, crappies seem to occupy the minds of nearly every fisherman in the Midwest. Springtime crappies pile into the shallows with intentions of creating the future generations. These mass schools of fish are followed closely by schools of fishermen with intentions of obtaining a few meals of fish.
Just before I cross the Highway 51 bridge coming into Minocqua, I roll down the windows and the fresh spring air with the smell of pine comes rushing in. After a quick stop at the bait shop, I’m launching the boat at one of my favorite lakes. A loon welcomes me with his long familiar call and a pair of bufflehead take off and disappear over the horizon. Upon reaching my first spot, I cast out with excitement and anticipation. After a short wait, the bobber slowly disappears below the surface and it’s fish on! A beautiful black and gold colored crappie rolls and fights on the surface. Continue Reading
By: Blake Tollefson
Spring is here. You can feel it in the air. A feeling of rejuvenation has been breathed into the natural world. Water temperatures are rising, and fish and anglers alike have one thing on their mind: the spawn. Continue Reading
The author Jason Mitchell believes that anglers can sometimes target some of the biggest crappie and sunfish by fishing high in the water column right under the ice.
Panfish can suspend anywhere in the water column and a big equation for locating fish and putting together a pattern is dialing in that productive zone. Before electronics, anglers often fished down through the entire water column. The edge that sonar gives us today is that we can speed up the process of getting back down to fish which makes us more efficient. Continue Reading
A new season, a new adventure…
By: Larry Smith
A new ice-fishing season is upon us, and with the arrival of this year’s layer of hard water comes new opportunities for adventure, fun and fishing success. Even though I may fish across the Midwest in pursuit of different species and unique fishing scenarios while filming Larry Smith Outdoors, I spend a tremendous amount of time, both guiding and exploring, on the system that I like to call home: The Winnebago System. Continue Reading
Andy Moore caught and released this potential Nebraska state record black crappie
On December 15, 2013 Andy Moore may have caught a fish that would have propelled him into the record books, but he decided to make a short video and let it go so that someone else could enjoy it. Continue Reading