WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
January 12, 2006

So with 2006 upon us, to many it has marked the start of planning for the upcoming water season. I just want to remind those that are thinking of fishing this summer, that the dates for next year are filling up quickly and if you are interested in booking a trip, please get those dates requested as soon as possible.

The fishing in the Northland has hit the Winter blues, but even with the Winter blues, one can have a successful outing. Most of my time continues to be on Winnie, and I am excited about the numbers of small Walleyes that we have seen the last couple of outings. This is a sure sign that we will again have good fishing on a lake that seems to be one of the best Walleyes fisheries in the state.

Another week of Winter and another week of warm weather and even some rain. Rain in January that doesn't freeze, now that is something to talk about. So with the sunshine finally showing itself this week, not only did it shock us, but to those fish living in the cold frozen waters of the Northland, it has put them in a state of looking rather then eating.

This last week on Winnie and many of the other local waters proved to be the norm of ice fishing for this time of the year. The fish would rather scare those minnows and just watch them frantically try to get away. The Walleyes just amaze me this time of the year as they play games with those minnows. It is very frustrating as you watch one Walleye after another come up on the Vexilar and go lip to lip with the minnow and then slowly drop back to the bottom after the minnow gives 110% to stay out of the Walleye's mouth. In many ways it is funny to watch, but the fun only last for a short while and then most anglers, including myself, begin to think they must want another presentation.

Most days these fish will not eat, but on an occassion, a small change in presentation will make them bite. Continuing to change from smaller and smaller presentation will trigger a bite, but on other occasions it will just frustrate you. If you find a hump or bar that shows more lookers then eaters, keep moving, or keep changing those baits.

As for the Perch, they are finding the shallows of Winnie to be home still this late is the year. On a typical year, much of the deep-water strucutre is filled with those Perch, but this year, many of the best numbers and size are coming from that 6-16 feet of water. Strange but true. There are some Perch starting to show out in the typical Winter holes, but the most consistent action remains shallow.

Ice depths are slowly improving, with most of Winnie in that 16-17 inch range. Many anglers are driving on Winnie. I would not recommend driving on most other lakes, until checking the depths throughout your travel areas.

Stay safe,

Sean Colter
www.seancolter.com
member of the NMLOG's