Mixed bag of opportunity for ice fishing with January thaw

Good ice became punky ice with snow and then accepted a slushy covering. An inch of ice-building per night was reversed leading to cries of caution, be very careful, and finally stay off.

There will be more trout people out Saturday and as long as there’s no wind. There will definitely be more on the banks and using subsurface lures, said Bret Schultz, in Black Earth in Dane County, where the same-name stream runs through.

Wally Banfi, at Wilderness Fish and Game in Sauk City, saw 11 bald eagles while on a lunch break hike along the Wisconsin River. Sauk City’s Bald Eagle Watching Days are Jan. 14-16.

“Before the thaw, I was on the Mississippi River, with six inches of ice, but we began losing it fast,” Banfi said. “So now many places aren’t good; be very, very careful. Some places aren’t safe anymore.”

With multiple layers of snow, slush, and water above the ice it’ll be difficult to get the ice back in good shape for a while.

“Don’t put the long poles away just yet,” advises Doug Williams, at D W Sports Center in Portage. “But check the rule book for the water you’re on first.”

Kate Mosley, at Kate’s Bait & Sporting Goods on Hwy 23 north of Dodgeville by Governor Dodge State Park, spoke of 5 to 7 inches of ice and a good bite to the point of wondering if fishers might actually get tired of fishing and catching on Cox Hollow and Twin Valley lakes in the park. First good ice, she adds.

“If we can hold what we have,” she said, “we’ll be alright.”

Waxworms, red spikes, medium shiners, and gold and purple jigs are working for panfish and walleyes.

There’s been a run on glow dot jigs that “charge” up when hit with sunlight or a flashlight.

“Ice fishing doesn’t have to be an expensive activity,” said Mosley, who is getting ready for her ninth ice fishing tournament. “Buy in and then go fishing on any area lake and bring the fish back; or I’ve a system to receive a text image, with a number and ruler if the angler wants to release the fish on remote locations.”

Banfi highly recommends caution, a float on 50 feet of rope, teamed up, and having a fully charged phone.

Or stay ashore with binoculars and watch geese, ducks, eagles and other wildlife, Williams says.

Saturday should be a day to remember when the early, catch-and-release trout season opens. The conditions were comfortable fly fishing with subsurface lures, the anglers’ logs might read.

“Most have a certain temperature when they won’t go out for the opener and beyond, but it appears the temperature will be above that for this season,” Schultz said. “They’re itching to get out.”

Depending on the area, the water added to the trout streams through precipitation and runoff shouldn’t be a problem.

“If there is water coming into the steam (melt), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. fishing should be OK,” Schultz said. “Subsurface lures are a sure bet. Most of the time early trout fishing is relatively simple; a simple game with a couple patterns.”

Any cold weather can be a problem for caught and then released fish. Schultz likes to keep everything within a 10-second time slot regardless of the day.

“If you’re using a net, reach down with a forceps and take the hook out and let the trout go,” he said. “If it’s a really big fish and you want a photo, keep the fish in the net bag, get the camera ready, lift the net up for two seconds, get the shot, and get the fish right back in the water.”

Snow fish photos are not recommended and any handling of the fish should be without gloves, which almost always will remove some of the fish’s valuable protective coating.

Watch for water levels, Schultz recommended, and notice that beavers might be the biggest issue in some area streams. Get a trapper, during season, to come in and remove a few, They are often willing regardless of pelt prices.

Bird feeders may be less active because birds in natural setting are out feeding. That will change off and on during the winter.

Bald eagles are repairing perennial nests. The working birds will be those 5 years old and older, completely white heads and tails, yellow bills, and generally skittish birds. Know and stay your distance.

Deer have put the brakes on and have found plenty food without coming into yards usually. The last gun season, Holiday Hunt, closed Jan. 1. It’s still OK to wear blaze orange while rabbit, grouse, and squirrel hunting, though.

Archers have a little longer to hunt, but check the regulations.

Registrations continue to grow. Totals for all seasons now top 321,950.

The grass is green where the snow melted. Watercress and duckweed is bright lime green in spring waters.