​The colder weather is tightening some of the slush up. Travel can still be difficult getting on and off the ice please be careful.  Game fish season closes March 6th, which is Sunday.
Northern Pike: We have been finding them from 8-14 feet of water.  Set tip-ups 1-2 foot above the weed tops tipped with a medium to large golden shiner or a sucker minnow. The bite seems to be good all day long until dark.
Walleyes: At this time we are setting up along the deepest weed edges during the day and in the evening we are looking to rock humps that have deeper water around them using tip-ups tipped with golden shiners set 1-2 foot above the bottom.  The bite has just been better in the morning and just before dark. Jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head or tipped with a couple wax worms.
Crappies: We are finding them deep in the main lake basins suspended just a few feet off the bottom. Jigging with tungsten jigs tipped with either plastic tail, spikes or waxies will get you bit. Bite has been fair during the day light hours.
Perch: Finding them on deep rock bars and on the mud flats jigging a tungsten live bait combo of wigglers, spikes, and waxies or crappie minnows.  The bite is good to very good during daylight hours.
Bluegills: Using small ice jigs tipped with plastics, spikes or waxies in shallow weed of 4-8 feet of water.
Happy fishing!  Selective harvest is the way to go.
 Colin Crawford’s Guide Service, www.crawfordfishing.com, crawfordfishing@gmail.com (715) 891-2715. You can also “Like” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Phelps-Outdoors-1382637145290936/)

Changing of the seasons
There are just a couple of days left of game fish season.   Northern Pike: I would keep tip-ups in the deep weeds suspended just above the weed tips with shiners or suckers for the bait of choice.  Walleye: Tip-ups placed on deep weed edges or deep rock pile breaks, tipped with golden shiners or walleye suckers.  Jigging with a spoon like a buckshot rattle spoon or a kastmaster tipped with a minnow head over mud flats will find some good results.   Now, on to the fish of the next two months.  Panfish: Ice fishing for panfish can be great or a bust.  In many cases, the weather will be a big contributing factor.  However, that doesn’t have to be the case.  It’s a matter of being willing to change and try something new.   The night before your fishing outing when you’re making plans hoping for a great day, the weatherman gives you the good news of a favorable day that gets you all pumped up, in the morning you load your combos, tackle, and bait and you’re on your way.
Now that you are all set up, holes all drilled, and your ice rod rigged with a spinning reel and a baited spoon you start hole hopping catching a few here and there. When you notice the bite starts to slow down and you see the sky start to clear up, all the clouds disappear, and the high pressure system gets over top of you before the weatherman predicted, don’t change your plans and quit fishing for the day instead reassess and change your tactics.
What I have been using the last couple of years is a straight line reel on my ice rod and a sensitive strike indicator along with tungsten jigs. These type of jigs are 3 times heavier than lead and, the benefit of  that makes it possible to down size your presentation and still get your bait down to the fish.  The straight line reel helps take the spin out of your bait when it’s down by the fish and, when they go neutral to negative you need all the help you can get.  The other rig I like using at this time of year is a tip down; it is a wooden frame that holds your rod that causes a pendulum action when you get a bite, hence the name.  Tip this with a live crappie minnow suspended above some good weeds and if there is a crappie around it will find you then game on.
   
Best Fishing Times
Mar 3             6:00-8:30am
Mar 6           8:45-11:15am
Mar 9     11:30am-2:15pm
Mar 12           2:15-5:00pm
Mar 15           6:30-9:00am

Mar 4             7:00-9:15am
Mar 7     9:30am-12:30pm
Mar 10       12:30-3:00pm
Mar 13           4:00-7:00pm
Mar 16         7:15-10:00am

Mar 5           7:45-10:15am
Mar 8     10:30am-1:30pm
Mar 11         1:15-4:00pm
Mar 14           5:30-8:00pm
Mar 17         8:15-11:00am

Happy fishing!  Selective harvest is the way to go. 
Colin Crawford’s Guide Service, I offer guiding & lodging, crawfordfishing@gmail.com (715) 891-2715.
You can also “Like” us on Facebook.  Any questions or just want to talk “fishing” give me a call.

Northern Pike: We have been finding them from 8-14 feet of water.  Set tip-ups 1-2 foot above the weed tops tipped with a medium to large golden shiner or a sucker minnow. The bite seems to be good all day long until dark.

Walleyes: At this time we are setting up along the deepest weed edges during the day and in the evening we are looking to rock humps that have deeper water around them using tip-ups tipped with golden shiners set 1-2 foot above the bottom.  The bite has just been fair. Jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head or tipped with a couple wax worms.

Crappies: We are finding them deep in the main lake basins suspended just a few feet off the bottom. Jigging with tungsten jigs tipped with either plastic tail, spikes or waxies will get you bit. Bite has been fair during the day light hours.


Perch: Finding them on deep rock bars and on the mud flats jigging a tungsten live bait combo of wigglers, spikes, and waxies or crappie minnows.  The bite is good to very good during daylight hours.

Bluegills: Using small ice jigs tipped with plastics, spikes or waxies in shallow weed of 4-8 feet of water.
The colder weather is tightening some of the slush up but with warmer weather forecasted it still could be tough to get around. Travel can still be difficult on the way off the ice please be careful.

Happy fishing!  Selective harvest is the way to go.
​
 Colin Crawford’s Guide Service, www.crawfordfishing.com, crawfordfishing@gmail.com (715) 891-2715.
You can also “Like” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Phelps-Outdoors-1382637145290936/)

​
Northern Pike: We have been finding them from 8-14 feet of water.  Set tip-ups 1-2 foot above the weed tops tipped with a medium to large golden shiner or a sucker minnow. The bite seems to be good all day long until dark.
Walleyes: At this time we are setting up along the deepest weed edges during the day and in the evening we are looking to rock humps that have deeper water around them using tip-ups tipped with golden shiners set 1-2 foot above the bottom.  The bite has just been fair. Jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head or tipped with a couple wax worms.
Crappies: We are finding them deep in the main lake basins suspended just a few feet off the bottom. Jigging with tungsten jigs tipped with either plastic tail, spikes or waxies will get you bit. Bite has been fair during the day light hours.
Perch: Finding them on deep rock bars and on the mud flats jigging a tungsten live bait combo of wigglers, spikes, and waxies or crappie minnows.  The bite is good to very good during daylight hours.
Bluegills: Using small ice jigs tipped with spikes or waxies in shallow weed of 4-8 feet of water.
The colder weather is tightening some of the slush up but with warmer weather forcasted  it still could be tough to get around. Travel can still be difficult on the way off the ice please be careful.

Happy fishing!  Selective harvest is the way to go. 
Colin Crawford’s Guide Service, www.crawfordfishing.com, crawfordfishing@gmail.com (715) 891-2715.
You can also “Like” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Phelps-Outdoors-1382637145290936/)

Thanks to everyone that voted for the School District of Phelps, WI Class of 2016 entry in the Northwoods BLIZZARD BLAST Snowman Building Contest. They placed 2nd in their category! Special thanks to CJ a/k/a Chilly Charlie(for part of the event).  Spent some time volunteering at Northwoods BLIZZARD BLAST. Great winter event that raises funds for area ems and fire departments (Conover, Phelps and Land O' Lakes). This yearMariah Haberman of Discover Wisconsin was there filming this family friendly event.

​

https://basicfront.easypromosapp.com/voteme/214542/633740170
Cast your vote for our fishing snowman and for our daughter's school class entry of the blue bear roasting his marshmallow.
VOTE FOR BOTH--WE'RE SEPARATE CATEGORIES.

Northern Pike: We have been finding them from 8-14 feet of water.  Set tip-ups 1-2 foot above the weed tops tipped with a medium to large golden shiner or a sucker minnow. The bite seems to be good to very good all day long until dark.
Walleyes: At this time we are setting up along the deepest weed edges during the day and in the evening we are looking to rock humps that have deeper water around them using tip-ups tipped with golden shiners set 1-2 foot above the bottom.  The bite has just been fair. Jigging we are still using rattle spoons tipped with a minnow head.
Crappies: We are finding them deep in the main lake basins suspended just a few feet off the bottom. Jigging with tungsten jigs tipped with either plastic tail, spikes or waxies will get you bit. Bite has been fair during the day light hours.
Perch: Finding them on deep rock bars and on the mud flats jigging a tungsten live bait combo of wigglers, spikes, and waxies or crappie minnows.  The bite is good to very good during daylight hours.
Bluegills: Using small ice jigs tipped with spikes or waxies in shallow weed of 4-8 feet of water.

The weather is still making it tough to get around as there is a lot of slush on top of the ice after you drill your holes. Travel can still be difficult on the way off the ice please be careful.

Happy fishing!  Selective harvest is the way to go. 
​
Colin Crawford’s Guide Service, www.crawfordfishing.com, crawfordfishing@gmail.com (715)891-2715.
You can also “Like” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Phelps-Outdoors-1382637145290936/)

Northern Pike: We have been finding them from 8-14 feet of water.  Set tip-ups 1-2 foot above the weed tops tipped with a medium to large golden shiner or a sucker minnow. The bite seems to be good to very good all day long until dark.
Walleyes: At this time we are setting up along the deepest weed edges during the day and in the evening we are looking to rock humps that have deeper water around them using tip-ups tipped with golden shiners set 1-2 foot above the bottom.  The bite has just been fair. Jigging we are still using rattle spoons tipped with a minnow head.
Crappies: We are finding them deep in the main lake basins suspended just a few feet off the bottom. Jigging with tungsten jigs tipped with either plastic tail, spikes or waxies will get you bit. Bite has been fair during the day light hours.
Perch: Getting them on deep rock bars jigging a tungsten live bait combo of wigglers, spikes, waxies or crappie minnows.
Bluegills: Using small ice jigs tipped with spikes or waxies in shallow weed of 4-8 feet of water.
The weather we are having is making a lot of slush on top of the ice after you drill your holes and could make travel a little more difficult on the way off the ice please be careful.
Happy fishing!  Selective harvest is the way to go.  Colin Crawford’s Guide Service, www.crawfordfishing.com, crawfordfishing@gmail.com (715) 891-2715. You can also “Like” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Phelps-Outdoors-1382637145290936/)