FISHING WITH THE GUIDES with George Langley - WEEK 3/16 to 3/23

While ice fishing is coming to an end, we’ve still got a bit of time to get out there.  We’ve seen some sunny shorelines pull back during this last week of really warm weather, but as long as you can get on the ice, the fishing has remained very good! The nice thing right now is that action has moved to the shallow water. If you’re wanting to fish deep, especially for perch, look for places where the water is flowing from on top of the ice down into the holes. The fish gather in these spots, as this water is oxygenated. As a general rule, anywhere you see this happening you’re going to find some fish.

As always, this is the time of the year that begs caution. We’re seeing anywhere from 15 to 25” of ice out there on most bodies of water, depending on the lake and location. While this coming week doesn’t look to be bringing too much really warm weather, conditions can change quickly. Stay vigilant and be very wary of areas with current, like close to the channels on the chain.

Crappies continue to be found along the shallow weed edges in 6-9 feet of water. Action has been best during early morning or late afternoon and evening, with small vertical jigs tipped with waxies or crappie minnows producing solid numbers.

Bluegill fishing remains steady, with fish suspending a bit deeper, but again we’re hearing reports of shallow action, too. A small jig tipped with waxies or red spikes is the go-to presentation. With these guys, the lighter the tackle the better.

The perch action has been good and while they are still being caught over the deeper mud flats, we’re finding them up in the shallower water now, too. If you’re looking for bigger perch, using larger rosy reds will help keep the little guys off your line. They can be tricky to find but when you do, you can expect fantastic numbers.

The weather forecast looks a little psychotic for this week, with the possibility of some snow on Wednesday. Welcome to March in Wisconsin! That’ll definitely make thigs messy out there. But we’ve got consistently cold nighttime temperatures for the foreseeable future, which makes getting around in the mornings easier as things firm up overnight. Expect it to be easier to get out there than it is to get back in.

Now is the time of the year to start dreaming about open water. While it looks like we’ve got at least  another couple of weeks on the ice, it’s never too early to start checking out your warm-weather rods and reel. Clean and oil those reels up and replace old line. And if you’ve got any broken tips or guides left over from last year, now is the time to get those taken care of.  Hopefully this is one of those year where we go from standing on the ice to standing in a boat nice and fast.  

Good luck and good fishin'!

                                              Wisconsin Fishing Information

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