Fishing Wisconsin
If you have never fished Wisconsin before, you really should give it a try soon. In Wisconsin you will find a vast amount of rivers, lakes and streams that are managed for a great fishing experience. Surrounding these great fishing waters you can also take in the beautiful landscapes, wildlife and unforgettable sunsets. While fishing, it is common to see many waterfowl birds, or have a beaver swim by and maybe a whitetail deer come for a drink. You may also see the great Bald Eagle fly over.
When fishing the water around the Badger state, you will find a wide variety of fresh water fish that call these waters home. Wisconsin waters are home to 159 fish species in 27 families. 145 of these species are native to the state, and 14 are introduced as non-native species. Wisconsin's most common fish are bass,black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead,catfish, lake sturgeon, musky, northern pike, perch, walleye, trout and salmon.
Resident and nonresident anglers bought 1.4 million fishing licenses in 2002. A fishing license is required for those 16 years old and over. An annual resident license is $20, and Non resident is $50. Short term fishing licenses are also available at a lower price.
When you begin looking for a place too fish in Wisconsin there will not be any shortage of water too fish. Wisconsin’s inland lakes cover about 1 million acres of the state’s 35 million acres. The portions of Lakes Michigan and Superior that lie within Wisconsin’s boundaries add nearly 6.5 million acres of water to Wisconsin. Some of the largest inland lakes as far as surface area goes are Lake Winnebago-Winnebago County-137,703 acres, Petenwell Lake-Juneau County-23,040 acres, Chippewa Flowage-Sawyer County-15,300 acres, Poygan Lake=Winnebago County-14,102 acres, Castle Rock Flowage-Juneau County-13,955 acres.
Fishing around the state is great spring, summer and fall. But it doesn't stop in the winter around here. Wisconsin has 1.4 million licensed anglers with about one-third of them reporting they ice fish. Once the waters freeze over they come too life with ice fishing and shanty communities. Many anglers love to jig fish for a tasty dinner of panfish, with bluegills, perch and crappies on the menu. Others like too fishing for larger predator fish using tip ups and live minnows. These anglers are typically targeting walleye and northern pike. Ice anglers catch around 14 million fish during the ice fishing season. So yes, being out in the cold can be rewarding for those braving the conditions.
So the next time your in Wisconsin, bring your fishing tackle and pick up a license and enjoy the great fishing that the Badger state has too offer. Be sure too visit Lureandtackle.com often for great fishing articles for around Wisconsin. You can also find fishing gear and tackle at great prices in the Fishing Store.
Good luck on the water from,
Spring Time Catfish
Catfish can be found through out North America in lake, rivers and streams. Sometimes over looked as a sport fish. In fact, catfish give an incredible fight once on the line. The catfish is starting to become more popular around the country the past few years. Is it because anglers are starting too understand more about ol' whiskers, or is it the advances in the tackle and baits we now have too catch these hard fighting fish. Did you know that they are actually easy to catch in the spring.
Just like many other fresh water fish, the spring brings the time when these fish are preparing too spawn, and also aggressive feeding. As other fish do in the spring, they seek out the warmest water they can find with the preferred bottom make up. Catfish tend to seek out a mud bottom for the spawning beds. With this being said, you now know to find warm shallow water (1 to 3 feet) with a mud bottom. Now that we know where too look for the catfish, let's talk about how too catch them.
When fishing for catfish in spring, I tend to use a medium action rod, and a reel spooled with 20 lb. line. Next I use a float to hold the bait just off the bottom a few inches (typically 6 inches). I prefer too use a large float from Thill to suspend my bait. In the spring a variety of baits work rather well. I like to start with live bait. I tend to use large minnows and shinners. I use a strong snell hook, and hook the minnow near the tail. You may also want too offer a cut bait as well, such as a sucker. Other popular choices are chicken livers or beef livers. Cut the sucker into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size of your bait. Hook your cut bait once through the middle. When I fish cut bait I like too use circle hooks. The circle hook makes it difficult for a fish too steal your bait, and allows you great hook sets.
When your ready to get out fishing this spring try catfishing. Using this method is very easy to do, and could give you a spring you wont soon forget. So get out and enjoy the nice weather, and don't over look the mighty catfish. And don't forget the net!
Good luck on the water from,
Bobber Fishing for Spring Crappies
Winter has now past and the water in your favorite fishing lake is now beginning to warm up. With the warming of the water, begins the start of the spring spawning. When crappies are staging for the spawning, they will go the the warmest water in that body of water. Typically this will be the north end of a lake, or on a river system find shallow backwaters. Many times crappies will spawn in shallow areas with mud or sand bottoms. These places warm quickly with the spring sun, and make ideal spawning beds.
Now you know your looking for shallows areas with quickly warming water, also keep in mind that crappies relate to structure. Find a weed bed, fallen trees, reeds or cattails and stumps. With structure you will find fish. Another tip to keep in mind is, when choosing a shallow flat to fish. Find a flat that is near deeper water. Changing weather systems, and heavy fishing pressure can push these spring fish to deeper water.
So now you know where to find your mess of spring time crappies. Now let's talk about catching some paper mouths. My favorite spring time presentations is very simple. I start with a light action rod with 6 lb. clear mono. Then I like to use Thill spring bobbers, followed by a red or gold aberdeen size 4 hook. Generally I fish in 2 to 3 feet of water, so I set my hook at 18 inches under the bobber. If you are fishing with current you may want to try a 1/32 or 1/8 oz. jig head instead of the aberdeen hook to keep your bait in the strike zone. I have found green, orange and yellow to be my top three color choices.
For bait I use minnows this time of the year. I start with with a crappie minnow, about 2 inches in length. If they fish are aggressive, I will go with with a larger fathead minnow. There are more that one way to hook your minnow. If you are going to be casting often, hook them near the tail. You can also hook them through the lips. Just remember wherever you choose to hook your minnow not to kill your minnow, a lively minnow means more fish.
It's just that simple. Cast your minnow and bobber set up out, relax and enjoy spring. If your state allows you multiple lines, cast them out as well. Spring crappies are tricky, so keep a close eye on those bobbers, they will disappear if you look away for a split second.
Good luck on the water from,
