Pete Stoltman
01-31-2011, 12:35 AM
As January comes to a close we find fishing in the St. Germain area to be generally good overall. Ice conditions are still somewhat variable and you’ll likely find most ice to be between 16 to 20 inches thick on most area lakes. Snow during the past week and over the weekend has made travel on the ice slightly more challenging but not bad at all.
Pike and panfish have been hitting pretty steadily during the daylight hours. Pike have been hitting shiner minnows under tip-ups. Set your line so the minnow is just over the weed tops. Best action for pike has been in about 5 to 8 feet of water.
We’ve been finding bluegills and some perch in those same areas. Electronic locators will help pinpoint position but look for the gills to be not too far under the ice. I’ve had some reports of crappie action starting to pick up but haven’t tried them myself just lately. Perch have been running a little deeper than the bluegills and both seem to be responding well to small jigs dressed with a waxworm or spike. The bite has been a little on the light side so use of a spring bobber is very helpful in detecting those nibbles.
Walleye have been hitting fair to good with action improving in the last week. Set tip-ups in 12 to 18 feet depending on the lake. Watch for the walleyes to be actively feeding on the deeper break edges. The best action of the day by far has been from about 4:30 in the afternoon until about an hour after dark. Bait preference has been a mix with medium golden shiners and small walleye suckers (about 3 to 4 inches) getting the bulk of the bites. Walleyes on some lakes seem to exhibit a preference for one or the other and it may vary from day to day. My suggestion is to bring a few of each and experiment until you can pattern what the fish want that day.
Remember that fish respond to weather conditions in the winter just like they do in the summer. Approaching fronts usually signal increased action while clear days with high pressure can be tough. Slow down your presentation if jigging in those conditions or downsize your bait under tip-ups when the going gets tough.
There are a good number of ice fishing events happening around our area throughout the month of February. Many of these tournaments benefit a charity or public service like fire departments. Most have low entry fees and tons of prizes so you may want to consider joining in the fun if you’re visiting the area in the next several weeks.
Pike and panfish have been hitting pretty steadily during the daylight hours. Pike have been hitting shiner minnows under tip-ups. Set your line so the minnow is just over the weed tops. Best action for pike has been in about 5 to 8 feet of water.
We’ve been finding bluegills and some perch in those same areas. Electronic locators will help pinpoint position but look for the gills to be not too far under the ice. I’ve had some reports of crappie action starting to pick up but haven’t tried them myself just lately. Perch have been running a little deeper than the bluegills and both seem to be responding well to small jigs dressed with a waxworm or spike. The bite has been a little on the light side so use of a spring bobber is very helpful in detecting those nibbles.
Walleye have been hitting fair to good with action improving in the last week. Set tip-ups in 12 to 18 feet depending on the lake. Watch for the walleyes to be actively feeding on the deeper break edges. The best action of the day by far has been from about 4:30 in the afternoon until about an hour after dark. Bait preference has been a mix with medium golden shiners and small walleye suckers (about 3 to 4 inches) getting the bulk of the bites. Walleyes on some lakes seem to exhibit a preference for one or the other and it may vary from day to day. My suggestion is to bring a few of each and experiment until you can pattern what the fish want that day.
Remember that fish respond to weather conditions in the winter just like they do in the summer. Approaching fronts usually signal increased action while clear days with high pressure can be tough. Slow down your presentation if jigging in those conditions or downsize your bait under tip-ups when the going gets tough.
There are a good number of ice fishing events happening around our area throughout the month of February. Many of these tournaments benefit a charity or public service like fire departments. Most have low entry fees and tons of prizes so you may want to consider joining in the fun if you’re visiting the area in the next several weeks.