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What if you absolutely had to catch your daily bag limit of fish every time you hit the ice? What jig would you use? What fishing techniques would you apply? Well, here are three pros employing their favorite techniques to catch more fish! Kevin Fassbind and Nick Smyers Kevin Fassbind is one of the top anglers on the NAIFC tournament trail. Along with his partner Nick Smyers, they have won or placed in the top 5 in just about every event they have entered in the past dozen years. Kevin's approach is simple and straightforward when he is after bluegill. He studies a map, drills …

I was headed to Fulton County in Illinois to fish the Herman Brothers strip pit lakes and I was chasing after my favorite fish through the ice...the bluegill. But not just any bluegill, these were stocked hybrids..these were trophies and like fishing for any trophy, it was a catch, photo, and release deal. In this part of the state, you get one month of fishable ice, then it's over. The water was shallow, under 8 ft. and clear, you could see the bottom or watch the action on the underwater camera. The presentation needed to be precise. Small jigs, light line, no noise and being able t …

A lot of fishermen will identify themselves by the species of fish they target, this is especially true in the open water season. There are bass fishermen, walleye fishermen, crappie fishermen muskie fishermen, and even cat fishermen! While ice fishermen usually aren't as species-specific, we do tend to get pigeonholed into fishing a specific species until the bite wears out and then we're lost. By becoming a better multi-species ice angler you can avoid the "dead bite" and the doldrums of winter! The benefits of multi-species fishing I've had many a trip where the walleye bite …

Winter has come and there is nothing as exciting as the rush I get from my first expedition on early ice. That first step on the ice is the beginning of a great new season with endless opportunities on the hard water. One small step for Walt, one giant leap for new innovations! Because you see, I am always tinkering with new ice gadgets, new lure styles, lure colors and ideas in general that make it easier to catch more fish on the ice. Safety on early ice With a quick, hard freeze I’ll go for it on three inches of ice and take that first step. Thankfully I’ve never f …

We’ve had some great fishing trips in Canada. We’ve gone to drive-to destinations and brought our own boat and we’ve taken all inclusive fly-in trips. With few exceptions, they have all been great trips. A week fishing in Canada still carries a mythical quality. A Canadian fishing vacation is still the holy grail of angling to the Midwestern angler! For our money, nothing beats bringing your own boat loaded down with all the fishing lures. Whether you have a 16 footer rigged with the basics or an 18 footer loaded up with all the latest gadgets, chances are your boat will be better than us …