February 20, 21, 23-25

My brother, two friends, and I fished at two different private sand pit lakes in the afternoon. We caught good numbers of crappies up to 14 inches, largemouth bass between 10 and 18 inches, and a few nice bluegill up to 9.50 inches. We caught these fish around the drop off next to deep points, edges of flats next to deep water, and underwater brush piles in depths of 28 feet or less. The largemouth bass were caught on ½- and ¾-oz. football jigs with plastic craw trailers, a small jig head with Berkley Gulp! Minnow, a tube bait, a Tiny Shad Assassin, and a 4-inch Senko. The crappies and bluegill were caught on jig head with a Berkley Gulp! Minnow, a tube bait, and a Tiny Shad Assassin.

February 19

I fished Red Willow Creek (open water below the dam of Red Willow Reservoir) in the afternoon and caught good numbers of largemouth bass between 10 and 15 inches, bluegill up to eight inches, and a few small crappies. I caught these fish on a small jig head and Berkley Gulp! minnow, a tube bait, and a Tiny Shad Assassin around the deep holes in the creek.

February 10-12

I fished at a private sand pit lake (open water) for a few hours in the afternoon. I caught good numbers of crappies up to 13 inches, largemouth bass up to 16 inches, and a 9-inch bluegill. These fish were caught on a drop shot rig using a Berkley Gulp! Minnow, a jig head with 2 ½-inch Gulp! minnow, a suspended jerkbait, and a 4-inch Senko around underwater brush piles in deep water in depths of 25 feet or less.

January 22, 30 and February 1

My two brothers, a friend, and I fished Medicine Creek (open water below the dam of Medicine Creek Reservoir), and we're still catching good numbers of small white bass, a few walleyes, channel catfish, and freshwater drum. We caught these fish using a 1/8-oz. Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner, a jig head with a Berkley Gulp! Alive! 2-inch minnow, a drop shot rig using a Gulp! 2-inch Minnow, and small spoons around the deep holes in the creek.

January 17

My brother and I fished Medicine Creek (open water below the dam of Medicine Creek Reservoir) and caught good numbers of white bass between 8 and 13 inches, five walleyes between 15 and 20 inches, a few small channel catfish, and a wiper around 15 inches. We caught these fish around deep holes in the creek using a jig head with a Berkley Gulp! Alive! 2-inch minnow.

January 8, 10

My two brothers, a friend, and I went ice fishing at Swanson Reservoir. We caught good numbers of white bass up to 15 inches, crappies up to 14.75 inches, channel catfish up to 26 inches, a few wipers up to 18 inches, and a small perch. We caught these fish on a modified Lytle's Secret tailspinner for ice fishing, and small homemade jigging spoons along a ridge next to a river channel near the dam area in depths of 26 to 34 feet. The ice is still averaging around 7 inches.

January 2

My brother and I went ice fishing at Swanson Reservoir and we're still catching good numbers of white bass up to 15 inches, channel catfish up to 28 inches, a few non-keeper walleye, and a 13-inch crappie. We caught these fish along a ridge next to a river channel near the dam area in depths of 26 to 34 feet using a modified Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner for ice fishing, and a homemade jigging spoon. The ice thickness is averaging around seven inches.

Top