Mother Nature says….It’s time to Ice Fish on Lake Winnebago, Lake Poygan and other area lakes. The heavy cold snap is predicted to last long term, and the lakes continue to produce new ice every day. As of 12/8/13 bays on Lake Winnebago were in the 4-7 inch ranges, while the main lake had 2-5” inches of ice.
Earlier in the week, the main sheet of Ice on Lake Winnebago was blown east with heavy wind. It is advisable to be very cautious along the west shore as some of the ice is “new”. Fishing in the area was fairly heavy, with a lot of anglers venturing out on the ice. Some anglers were deterred by the below zero temperatures, opting to either stay away or shorten the length of the trip.
The main target of area anglers is pan fish. Many of the bluegill, crappie, and perch are schooled up in the bays or any other areas which either provide added oxygen or warm water. Activity of the fish is being dictated by overhead traffic noise, and availability of food.
The Big Hole (Fond du Lac harbor): This area is “spotty.” Ice is solid, but the fish attitude is fairly negative. This area has been pounded by anglers, and with the dredging project occurring in the channels, the fish have become fairly elusive. Ample feed is in the area also.
Chaparral (North Fond du Lac): Small fish are the norm in the very shallow bay. One of the anglers said the depth of the lagoon has dropped to about 2 feet deep.
BP Gas Station (Luco Road FDL): No real activity just yet
Millers Bay and Asylum Bay (Oshkosh); Variable ice depths here, so proceed with caution. The reports that are coming in say that the quantity of the fish is moderate, but the quality of the fish has been excellent. Jumbo perch are reported regularly, along with hand sized bluegills. Waxies and spikes are the meat of choice. Bare plastics are also working well. Don’t be afraid of minnows as a bait choice either. First year class walleyes are also common.
Little Lake Buttes Des Mortes (Neenah/Menasha): Some key spots on this lake have been very busy this week. Fishing has been excellent for small perch and medium sized bluegills. Larger crappies and bluegills are present in pockets. This area had up to 8” of ice (just one hole), and seems to be lacking baitfish. On Saturday, we took a two man limit (3 guys) and tossed back nearly 200 small perch and bluegills as a group. Waxies are dominate here, and don’t be afraid to add two or three spikes in addition to the waxie. These are hungry fish. Gold and fire tiger were the best colors. There were also some solid numbers of largemouth bass cruising around on the cameras.
Lake Poygan: The heavy winds earlier in the week was detrimental to the ice sheet on Poyagn. There is inconsistent ice on the lake currently. Overall, about 4-6 inches of ice is the norm. On Sunday, 4 wheelers were starting to venture out. The main fair here is white bass out of Noffke’s Landing/Spruce Lane. Bluegill and perch are also common. Walleyes are just starting to be targeted, and no news is available just yet.
River Haus in Fond du Lac is carrying a large assortment of spikes and waxies, along with minnow and etc. They also have red spikes, which took a lot of fish for me this week. Tell Don, myfishingpartner.com sent you!
Cold temperatures for the near future will only solidify the ice in the next week. By next weekend, we could see individuals starting to venture onto Lake Winnebago’s central ice sheet.
It’s not too late to enter the Myfishingpartner.com contest going on with our Facebook page. You could win a $25 gift card from Cabelas!
As always, I am seeking your fishing reports. Please feel free to email me at [email protected]. My early 2014 sports show schedule/seminar schedule is filling up fast. This year’s topic will revolve around trolling tactics on Lake Winnebago. Stay on top of the ice!
