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Jigging a live minnow is still the most popular way to catch river walleye and sauger, but a few alternatives can often be more effective.  I, for one, have been using plastics, blade baits, and spoons more often in recent years and have caught some of the biggest walleyes of my life, as well as limits of keepers in the process. I used to grab five dozen minnows and a few dozen crawlers every time I went fishing, but now instead of spending $40 on live bait, I'll spend under $10 because (of course), I still must get a few dozen “security minnows” just in case. LOL    …

Have you ever been catching bluegill like crazy and the bite shuts down? Have you ever been pounding the perch, and then the pounding just ends? Well, chances are a predator has moved into the area, been attracted to all the commotion, and is looking for an easy meal. The predator could be a walleye, bass, pike, muskie, or catfish. I’ve known this was true for the forty-some years that I’ve been ice fishing, but I’ve never really seen it happening live and haven’t capitalized on it enough, until now. Watching for big predator fish with a scope Livescope, better known as …

With the recent cold snap, ice fishing is in full swing! If it’s not happening in your area, you just have to drive farther North. If the big lake you usually fish on is still not frozen, head to the channels or smaller bodies of water tucked away out of the wind...it’s happening right now! Just do you - choose your experience Ice fishing is great because you can experience it any way you want. You can do it on the cheap or spend thousands on fishing trips, tackle, and gear. If you're happy just catching a few fish and enjoying setting up a camp, cooking some brats, indulging in a few …

There are a multitude of ways to catch a fish through the ice. Once you find the way that works best for that exact moment you are fishing for whatever species you are after, then BINGO, you’ve solved the fish puzzle for one day, because tomorrow that puzzle might change. I can’t tell you how many times that I thought I had it figured out before I got to the lake. I’ll have a plan, a spot, a species that I’m after and when I get there, everything I believed would happen, didn’t. I’d get to my spot and someone was on it. Which jigs do I need? Should I use my favorite lead jigs or try out t …

When it comes to ice fishing, a big fish will hit a little bait more often than a little fish will hit a big bait. This is where a tungsten jig may fit the bill. It doesn’t matter what species you are after; perch, bluegill, walleye, bass, trout...when the water is cold a fish's metabolism slows and they just don’t feed as aggressively as they do in open water, but that doesn’t me that they don’t like a little snack now and again! Obviously, you can still catch a pile of fish in the winter, if not, why would millions of anglers around the world ice fish every day! Fishing with minimal gea …