Chequamegon Bay & Hayward, Wisconsin Ice Fishing Report 2-26-14
Winter refuses to let go, and the past week has been filled with more snow and cold throughout the Northland. A major system moved in last Thursday that dumped another 15″ plus of new snow on us, and the typical deep freeze has followed. However, before that system moved in we got a look at a very special fish that’s the very reason every ice fisherman continues to drill holes. Last Wednesday Josh and Acorn had the day off, and what else would they do???… Of course, they went fishing. The plan was to chase some larger lake trout around the Apostle Islands that Josh hasn’t had a chance to get at yet this year. The extended cold weather we’ve had has given anglers an opportunity to fish spots that haven’t been accessible in several years, providing one heck of an opportunity at some truly magnificent fish roaming the depths of Lake Superior. What the guys didn’t expect however was that they would hook into the fish of a lifetime! It’s been well documented that Acorn has been on one heck of a roll this year. Well… You guessed it! He connected on a fish that won’t be forgotten. After a 30 minute battle Josh slid his trophy through the 10″ hole, and all that was left was measurements, pictures, and a clean release back to the big lake that she calls home. Although I wasn’t there personally, I can tell you that they were incredibly excited. The phone call from Josh was priceless. When someone who’s on the water as much as that guy is cranked up, you know it’s a big one! After looking at the pictures I was speechless, and that giant keeps getting bigger the more I look at them. It taped out at 40″ long with a 20″ plus girth. Lakers in the big lake live to a ripe old age, and that one is definitely a dinosaur. Funny though, Acorn wasn’t done! By days end, the crew had landed 5 more lakers between 20″ and 25″. The fish were caught in 100′ to 190′ of water on spoons and Beetles tipped with herring and shiners. Congratulations Acorn on an incredible fish. You’re definitely on top of your game my friend! By the way… If any of you would like to rub Acorn’s head for luck just give me a call. I’m sure we can work something out!
Now that’s going to be hard to top, but you have to try! The snow storm forced us to cancel our weekend trips, but Brent Good from Superior, WI and his fried Jacob arrived on Monday for a crack at the bay. On a half day trip they landed a nice mixed bag that included 2 browns up to 21″, 1 laker, and 7 herring. Everything was caught on Vibratos and Echotails in 20′ – 50′ of water. Not a bad morning after a front I’d say. Nice Job Brent and Jacob! A big thanks goes out to Josh as well for battling some incredibly tough conditions this winter and continuing to put our customers on fish. You’ve earned your stripes for sure, and we all appreciate it!
With the new snow on Chequamegon Bay, snowmobiles are about the only travel option there is unless you want to strap on the snow shoes. The plowed roads on the Ashland side aren’t currently usable, and there’s also more slush pockets forming. There’s still a lot of ice in most areas, but travel is difficult at best. Unfortunately if you’re not well equipped, it’s very tough going out there right now. The inland report isn’t any better either. In fact, it’s worse. With heavy amounts of snow on top of what was already there, conditions have become very treacherous. Heavy slush and deteriorating ice have pretty much ended any hopes of getting on most lakes at this point. I hate to say it, but I “DON’T” recommend anyone venturing on our inland lakes at this time. We’ll keep you posted on any new developments. Hey folks… We’ve still got plenty of fishing to do on Chequamegon Bay with the late ice run on the way. Stay tuned!