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It’s late December… temperatures are racing towards 0 degrees. Ice is covering most of the lakes in Wisconsin and getting thick on the lakes in the Northern half of the state.

This is the time of the year when the die-hards come out to take on the bitter cold to do what they love… fish!

But ice fishing doesn’t have to be just for those fishing fanatics. If you usually put fishing into the back of your mind during the cold winter, you might want to think about reaching back and pulling it to the front a few months early. Ice fishing is definitely different than fishing in the middle of a muggy Wisconsin summer, but it may be more fun than you might be thinking it is.

Ice fishing isn’t just about staring down into a dark hole in the middle of a big cold lake freezing your butt off… if you put your line in the water and do nothing but sit and stare at the hole and never get a bite, that could end up being a long boring day, but you can make it fun (but if the fish are active and biting, then it will be fun regardless!)…

Go with friends! Unless you need some “alone time,” ice fishing with friends or family always makes for a better experience. Since ice fishing is more of a waiting game than fast-action summer fishing is, if you don’t have somebody to talk to, you might start talking to yourself! If you do go along, at least bring a radio.

Got snowmobiles or ATVs? Do you know somebody who does? Take them out on the lake with you. Set your tip-ups up, and then go for a ride around the lake… as long as you don’t get to far away from your tip-ups, you may be able to do a little exploring or have a little fun while your waiting for that 8 pound walleye to take your bait.

Don’t forget that hot chocolate or coffee! If it’s cold, nothing helps keep you warm like a hot drink… and to me, no other hot drink beats hot chocolate. Soup is always good too… and if you plan on making a lunch on the lake from all the fish your catching, be sure to bring cooking supplies, including something to actually cook the fish with.

If you’re going with friends, bring something to toss around… a football, frisbee, hacky-sack, whatever… just don’t kill yourself diving for a catch on the ice! These things will at least keep you busy while you wait for that tip-up flag to spring up.

Just remember, to make sure that you stay close enough to the tip-ups at all times so that you can respond within a reasonable time of the flag going up.

So, if you’ve always stuck to summer fishing and never wanted to venture out fishing during the winter months, you ought to give it a try this winter… you might just find out what a great rewarding experience it can be…

And just remember, unlike Wisconsin’s muggy summers, there are absolutely no bugs biting you while you are ice fishing, so you can keep that mosquito spray at home!

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Scott Pinkert runs a great Wisconsin fishing resource site called Go Wisconsin Fishing. The website is an excellent resource for everything you want or need to know about fishing in Wisconsin. You can check out the site by visiting http://www.go-wisconsin-fishing.com. For more articles like this, sign up for his monthly newsletter at http://www.go-wisconsin-fishing.com/newsletter.html

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I was fishing a small lake in central California back in 1980, I think it was that year. I had been fishing for a couple of hours and doing ok, catching some 1-2 pound fish and in a far I was fishing a small lake in central California back in 1980, I think it was that year. I had been fishing for a couple of hours and doing ok, catching some 1-2 pound fish and in a far distance I could see this man walking up with a bright red jacket.
The closer he got, the more I noticed his jacket and all the patches on it, one said 1978 World Top Water Bass Fishing Champion, along with about 20 other patches. We began to talk, of course, I wanted to know all about him and he began to tell me about how he became champion. Now, I do want to say one thing here, I forget what he told me and I don’t even know for sure if there is such a tournament for the World Top Water Championship but I watched this guy fish.

He was probably in his 50’s or early 60’s at the time and fished this lure different than I have seen before so I paid special attention. Finally, after seeing him catch a half dozen fish while I caught two I asked him what he was doing and what bait he was using that he was doing so well. He said he only used one kind of bait and opened up his tackle box. Can you imagine my surprise when the only lure he had in there was Rapalas. I mean bunches of Rapalas, every color and size you could imagine. I said where’s the rest of your lures, he smiled and said this is all I use. By the way, at the time I was fishing with a Rapala, that was ironic to me. I said “that is what I’m using now”.

He said “yeah, I see that but you’re not fishing it right”. Well, I had fished for bass for about 25 or so years then and wondered what in the world he was talking about, me not fishing it right. I had fished Rapalas for as long as I can remember. So, I said “what are you talking about not fishing it right?”. He said “well, all you’re doing is throwing the lure in and reeling it back. I said “yeah”. He said” have you ever noticed a minnow or shad or whatever, he said they never go very far, they usually move a few inches at a time and they dart.” He said “that lure of yours is supposed to imitate the baitfish the bass is after so make it act like one.” Then he showed me and guess what? He was right!

His acted just like a baitfish and even looked like one swimming the way he did it. As he stood there twitching the end of his rod and letting it sit every two or three twitches then twitch it two or three times more and let it sit, I seen his point. I also seen him catch another bass, which made me a believer. Now I don’t know if this man was the top water champion or not but I do know one thing………his technique works.

I have used it on most of my retrieves anytime I fish top water and it works. Cast the lure, let it sit, twitch the end of your rod two or three times and let it set again. The only thing I have done is add one additional move. I throw the lure out and let it sit, twitch the rod two or three times and let it sit and then I move the lure so slow it barely cause a ripple and that is when I get most of my hits. Try this techniques the next time you fish your favorite top water lure and see the results.

Charles E. White has fished for almost 50 years for bass. It is estimated that he has caught over 6,000 bass in his lifetime. His biggest bass is a 12 pound 14 ounce bass that hangs on his office wall. Charles has fished with people who have never fished before and taught them to become successful anglers and has also fished with the pros in Florida. His new website is at:
http://www.bassfishingweekly.com