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Kids go fishing for one reason, to catch some fish. I guess I’m still a kid. I always thought fishing was supposed to be fun, so I really don't get it when fancy pants anglers in big shiny boats pull up, cut right in front of my path and turn their backs as if I wouldn’t notice. Sometimes, I lose my cool and yell a few obscenities. “We’re in a tournament”, they yell back. Watch out for these boys...they’re in a tournament, LOL Oh my...a tournament...I didn't know that being in a tournament was so important that a prerequisite was to wreck my fishing spot and be rude to me. …

I icefish for two reasons; to catch fish to eat and to catch fish to release! I don't go for the camaraderie, to cook a pot of chili or to drink beer and shoot schnapps, I can do that at home or in the garage. I've been ice fishing for more than 30 years now and I might be more excited about it than ever before. I've got my areas I like to fish, some secret spots and all the tackle and gear to make me successful. I like to go ice fishing to get away from the crowds, LOL! Some spots I fish are shallow, no need for a flasher, drill a dozen holes real quick and hop around until I …

Chuck Thompson (AKA the Legend) once told me that he employs 16 different jigging motions until he finds the hot one for the exact time on the lake he is ice fishing, but at any given moment, that could change. So if you are using jigging motion #4, you better be ready to switch to motion #9 or you will miss the bite window. Unfortunately, I couldn't even remember jigging motion #1. Sigh..the challenges of jig fishing! Jig fishing way back when Back when Chuck was in his prime, there were no tungsten jigs available, he relied on lead jigs and copper spoons. He believed that jigging …

Sorry folks, I can't come up with one single "best ice fishing jig ever". But how about a jig that has stood the test of time for more than 40 years, having caught millions of fish during this time! This is one of THE best ice fishing jigs ever for walleye, crappie, perch, rainbow trout and bluegill! The Demon is one of the most effective, versatile ice fishing jigs ever created. It has a unique design, a dash and dart motion on the lift and a flutter-flash on the fall. The Demon is available in five sizes from 1/100 oz. to 1/14 oz. which covers all species of fish. Th …

Oh panfish. I love panfish. They are fun to catch and good to eat. If you’re new to fishing, you may wonder what is a panfish? It isn’t a specific species. It’s a term that refers to many different species of fish that are small enough to fit in a frying pan but large enough to be legal and fun to catch. Perch, bass, crappie, are all panfish and we talk a lot about how to catch them. Once upon a time the Fox Chain in Northern Illinois was a yellow bass factory. Everyone complained that those pesky yellow bass were infiltrating on their bluegill and crappie fishing, but not me and Popp …