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Area Report: Anglers need to use caution on the ice(La Crosse Tribune (Wisconsin)(KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jan. 21--First came the ice. Then came the snow. Now, comes the big question. Is the ice safe enough for anglers? Despite bone-chilling temperatures, anglers must continue to use caution when venturing out onto the ice, according to bait shop owners and Department of Natural Resources officials. The recent cold snap is forming ice once again, but several inches of newly fallen snow may prevent significant ice growth and cover potential weak areas. "Use your good judgment when heading out and avoid any areas that do not look right," said Mick Klemesrud with the Iowa DNR. "Avoid off-colored snow or dark spots in the snow which could be weak spots in the ice. Cut a lot of test holes to check ice thickness. A good rule of thumb is to follow other footsteps when going out." Tony Christnovich, at Schafer's Boats and Bait on Brice Prairie, said fishing isn't so much about "where are they biting," as it is "where can I go?" Christnovich said anglers must remain careful when going onto the ice because the snow acts as an insulator, and now it is even more important to spud your way out to check ice thickness. "Out in front of our bait shop, there are some nice perch being taken, not in great numbers, but enough to keep it interesting," he said. "Crappies are hitting on minnows near the cribs on Lake Onalaska. A few guys are catching them with Swedish Pimples." Christnovich said bluegills are biting on wax worms or spikes, but the fish are running very small. "I have been selling a lot of shiners for northern pike," Christnovich said. Scott Gartner, owner of Bob's Bait and Tackle on French Island, said the last thing ice fishermen needed was snow. "The fishing is OK right now, but we didn't need a bunch of snow on the ice to act as an insulator," he said. "The ice is still a bit shaky, so everyone should be very careful walking around on it, especially because you can't get a good look at it anymore. "I had one customer tell me that the area they were entering Stoddard from before the snow fell has since become too dangerous to cross. That was Monday afternoon," said Gartner, late Tuesday. Gartner said lime green and pink were the hottest colors for panfish before the snowfall. Now he believes it's just too early to tell what panfish prefer, considering there is less light penetration through the ice. Waxies and spikes continue to be the best panfish bait, according to Gartner, while bass are hitting shiner minnows. Farther down the Mississippi River, Donna Boser, at Lawrence Lake Marina and Bait Shop in Brownsville, Minn., said there was at least six inches of ice on Lawrence Lake Bay. Boser said anglers were catching a few large northern pike in the bay in front of their bait shop last weekend. "They were using shiners with tip-ups," she said, adding that a 12-pounder and a 10-pounder were caught. "They also are catching jumbo perch. Pink seems to be the popular jig color with a wax worm," Boser said. Scott Strozinsky, owner of Three Rivers Outfitters in La Crosse, said some nice-sized panfish were being taken from Lake Onalaska. He said crappies and bluegills were being caught between eight inches to 1½ feet below the ice. He suggested using pink and white, chartreuse or white vertical jigs, tipped with a waxie. Crappie minnows on a slip bobber about 1½ feet below the ice, were also working well. Meanwhile, snow is a certainly welcome sight for bird watchers. "Now folks should be seeing more birds," said Karen Perry, co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Onalaska, Wis. "Make sure your feeders are full of seed and a good blend of high calorie high fat foods. Also make sure there is a water source and suet." Perry said many birding enthusiasts are seeing bluebirds and robins. Water is something they seek. "A lot of customers are always surprised to see bluebirds this time of year, but they migrate only as far south as they must to find food and with no snow for so long in the area, they have been able to fend for themselves," Perry said. "You can help them out a little on these frigid days by making sure your bluebird houses are clean. They may use them to roost in at night." Perry said bluebirds will also look for fruit trees and shrubs that have food left on them. She recommends using sunflower chips mixed in with seed along with some fruit, nuts and suet nuggets to attract bluebirds to feeders. Another good idea is to place a feeder dish in an area you have seen bluebirds and try putting some soaked raisins, unsalted, roasted peanut pieces and sunflower chips in the dish along with some crumbled suet or suet snacks. Perry also reported flocks of cedar waxwings in the Coulee Region. These birds are year-round residents. She said they get their name from their red wax-like wing tips and their preference for eating the small berry-like cones from cedar trees. Cedar waxwings travel in flocks from one area to another looking for berries. They are usually spotted more in the winter because of the bare branches of the trees. Bald eagles continue to congregate around open water areas of the Mississippi River. Tom Novak, park manager at Blackhawk Park in De Soto, Wis., reported more than 70 bald eagles in trees and on the ice in De Soto Bay just north of De Soto one day last week. Copyright (c) 2007, La Crosse Tribune, Wis. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |