If women always say that guys are late for everything they may be on to something….Old man winter finally decided to show up yesterday, blanketing the region with a layer of that fluffy white stuff called snow!  I would have preferred the cold weather first and then a light layer of snow but this was a little too much.   Even though we didn’t get the foot or so like they were originally calling for, the 3-5 inches that we did get will make everything look the same.  Safety is going to be the biggest concern as nobody will be able to tell where the bad ice is or isn’t.   PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN HEADING OUT TO THE LAKES THIS WEEKEND!!!

Fishing continues to be good to very good depending on the day.  I have found the sunny days to be ok for panfish and whitebass but the walleyes have preferred low light conditions.  The morning bite has definitely been better than the afternoons for the walleyes as well.  Panfish in the bays have been varying in size but a few hours of fishing and sorting through some small ones will result in nice bucket of gills perch and crappies.  Waxworms or spikes on the fiskas or diamond jigs in glow red or copper colors is my preference for bait.  The bass and eyes have been on a mix of the slender spoons or our custom painted Swedish pimples in either the clown, copper and orange or Viking colors.  Stay away from the crowds and keep moving until you get on a school of fish. Then sit tight for a while and be patient.

With the recent snow, the sunny days may not be so bad with some snow cover on the lakes.  One thing for sure is it will make walking a lot easier!  Sign up for the updated “Reel Reports” and ice conditions on your cell phone by texting “reelreport” to 41242.  Also don’t forget to come into the store and sign up for the free icefishing contest.  You must be signed up before you bring in a fish to register.  Check back next week…..we will be searching for some giant bluegills and crappies!

Tight lines everyone and be safe and smart!