Category Archives: Articles

Pre-Spawn River Smallmouth

Mike Mladenik People will often ask me when the best time on the calendar to catch big pre-spawn smallmouth is. My answer is from ice out through the first six weeks of the season. While that may         not  be the answer they want to hear, it is impossible to put aContinue Reading

Small Lakes In June Offer Action And Variety

Mike Mladenik While small lakes may not offer big fish, they can be your best bet for a big catch. By June, many anglers begin concentrating on large reservoirs and natural lakes. Scattered throughout the upper Midwest are countless small lakes with limited fishing pressure. These smaller lakes can see increased usage by mid-summer, butContinue Reading

Spring Walleyes

Mike Mladenik To successfully catch spring river walleyes, anglers need to be aware of present conditions. Water temperature, prevailing weather, current, and water levels are all critical for both walleye location and presentations. Once you establish a pattern, don’t make the mistake of getting in a rut. Spring is known for changing conditions, and asContinue Reading

Fall River Smallmouth

Mike Mladenik Being a full time guide, I spend at least 170 days per year fishing open water. Through the years, I have spent more time pursuing smallmouth bass than any other species. Like most bronzeback anglers, I feel any day on the water is a good day, but it’s even better when I catchContinue Reading

Late Ice Panfish in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin

by Jeff Winters With the arrival of March signaling the end of the game fish season in many parts of Wisconsin, ice fishermen begin to turn their attention towards serious panfishing. Here in the township of Boulder Junction in Northern Wisconsin lies an ice fishing paradise for these late-ice tasty treats. With 194 lakes withinContinue Reading

Hooking Live Bait

by Chip Leer In simple mathematics, the sum is always greater than the parts. In fishing, a jig is just a jig and a minnow is just a minnow when they stand alone. However, if you put them together, they make a lethal combination for springtime walleyes across the Midwest. Like Puckett and Hrbek orContinue Reading

Early Season Walleyes on Lac Vieux Desert

By Dave Lamoreaux The early season (opening day-Mid May) is the best time of year to catch numbers of Eyes on the ” Desert “. For the first couple weeks in May, the fish are usually in some part of their spawning ritual – pre-spawn, spawning, or post-spawn. For that reason, they tend to beContinue Reading

Anchors – Fishing’s Forgotten Tool

By Captain Marty Papke Take a look in any angler’s boat and the one thing that you will almost always see is an anchor. Watch any angler fish and the one thing you will almost never see them use is that same anchor. It seems like, for most anglers, anchors are something that we haveContinue Reading

Shoreline and Dock Fishing!

by Captain Marty Papke On Little Bay de Noc and Big Bay de Noc, Michigan much of the fishing is done by boat fisherman. This doesn’t mean the shore angler can’t be successful. Lets look at these ideas on your next trip to our Bays water. Anglers love to fish piers. Beachfront piers, public piersContinue Reading