blind wander

Ice fishing is not for the lazy, especially for those who walk their gear out long distance. I'm no sissy but my sled kicks my ass sometimes. Throw in some snowy drifts and sub zero temps, and its a real knock out. After a strenuous exertion sometimes I get content sitting down over unproductive holes for longer then they deserve. The shack is warm and the ice is thick, and hand cranking 24 inches...

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the next generation of ice anglers

Whats better then catching a big fish, or catching a lot of fish? For me, there is no better feeling then putting my kids on some fish. Dress em warm and bundle em tight and keep your interest on them having fun. Make the trips as short as their interest levels dictates. Follow these steps and you will create memories that both of you can carry forward forever. next generation ice angler, looking...

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going back to early ice

early ice in lake county illinois Cold and windy, those are the words that come to mind when I think back on this winter. I often question my sanity for choosing to continue residency here but I do admire the resiliency of our people. We have endured record low temps this winter without even missing a beat. I'm not gonna go on about a polar vortex, negative 42 wind chills, or the consistent...

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fall fly fishing in review

In a blink of an eye, Wisconsin's fall fly fishing season for Great Lakes salmon and trout came and went. In recent years we had experienced a great variance in the severity of Midwestern winters, some mild and some not so mild. Just a few years back we rang in New Years by throwing streamers to big brown trout in flowing water. Conversely, this fall, it was just Thanksgiving when rivers started to...

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the breath of life

a stupid pike photo to make it look like a fishing report In 2014 I have decided to breath new life back into my fishing blog. I have no regrets for taking a step back from writing and posting a quarter way through last year. It's been almost four years to the day that this site was created and that amount of time is something I don't take lightly. I never have tried to use this site for profit,...

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