Houston's fishing report:

[Lee Borgersen]

Houston's fishing report: Be aware of changing ice conditions!

1/28/18


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During the course of the past week, we have heard of several changes in ice conditions. Those changes have included but are not limited to ice sheets being swept away on Lake Superior in parts of the Chequamegon Bay area, and new cracks opening up on other waters. The old saying that "ice is never safe" should be in the back of all our heads as anglers.

 
With the slight warm-up we have encountered, mixed in with high winds, it has been a perfect recipe for changing ice conditions. The good news is we still have lots of fishable ice in the Twin Ports area — just be very cautious when venturing out. A rule of thumb we practice is that if we have to question it, we don't do it. More good news is that we are almost through with January, meaning we have lots of winter left.

Lake Superior ice is sketchy in a lot of areas. When venturing out of the Chequamegon Bay area, use extreme caution as this past week has wreaked havoc on select areas. We do not encourage anyone to go off the beaten path until we get back to the ideal low temps and low winds. The safest bet is to stick to the bay near Ashland. We are still catching whitefish and trout mixed in with a few smallmouth bass, walleyes, pike and perch. Aggressive jigging cadences using spoons tipped with minnow heads has been the ticket. Dead sticks have been slow lately. Nothing to report for the North Shore.

The St. Louis River has had decent ice in little-to-no-current areas. I was recently asked if anyone drives trucks out on the river. My answer is NO! Not a good idea. Snow machine travel is the most we utilize, and some outings we are OK with walking. Good exercise, right? Some decent walleyes are biting at sunup and sundown. The key is to think outside the box. Spoons tipped with whole minnows have been producing a few fish. We are also getting some perch and pike as well.

 
Inland lakes have seen the most consistent bite. Walleyes have slowed down, but panfish have been active, as well as pike and bass off of weed edges. Tungsten jigs tipped with soft plastics have been the best presentation. Hole-hopping has been ideal for better catches. It's no secret: Mobility pays dividends. We are starting to see some nice crappies move toward deeper basins. It's important to reel these fish in slowly if you plan to release them. Tip-ups are also getting some decent catches with shiners or suckers.

Jarrid Houston of South Range is a fishing guide (houstonsguideservice.com) on Minnesota and Wisconsin inland waters, the St. Louis River and, in winter, on Lake Superior.