5A Report from 12/13

This spot is called 5A, it is fastly becoming my favorite spot on the Chippewa system, the ice is geeting drivable and the fishing is just plain nuts. Today my first three fish were a 7.75# northern a 2# bass and a nice 18″ walleye. We set up mid morning setting ourselfs up for a afternoon bite with a big front moving in. Well the game fish thought different. We were catching mid morning walleye bass and pike in basically 2-4′ of water. This is the first time I have caught mid morning walleye in this shallow of water, it was a pleasent surprise! The bite died a bite mid day, but the pike really hammered down late afternoon into evening. All the while we were doing quite well on eater perch to 10″ and alot of nice gils in the 8″ range. The northerns were 9#,8#,7#,6#,5# and a few snakes. The walleye were 20″,18″ and 15″. It was a very good to be on the hard water….

Very nice Bill, Thanks for the report.

good job looks a lil sloppy out there nice day but windy

Just wanted to know if where you are fishing is a river? Thanks Keep up the good work!

Sweet! Love the pics!

The chippewa system like the mississippi system is a series of dam’s that create pools or lakes with the river running through it. Just on a smaller scale. This is a backwater right off the river, the river channel is about 100 yards away from were we are fishing. Thanks guys we had a blast…

Very nice fish, any of the northerns released??? FF

I generally don’t keep northern or bass, my exceptions are ice fishing if we are targeting them-pike not bass. This was one of those times when I exerceised my right to keep the fish. So in answer yes we kept them, but that is 1 time out of about twice a year I keep some pike for the table. I also dont like keeping little pike unless I am pickling, its not worth keeping small pike for the table unless I can filet out the y-bones which is not worth it on dink pike. I only keep pike I can filet. They were shared with the three familys that were out fishing..

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I generally don’t keep northern or bass, my exceptions are ice fishing if we are targeting them-pike not bass. This was one of those times when I exerceised my right to keep the fish. So in answer yes we kept them, but that is 1 time out of about twice a year I keep some pike for the table. I also dont like keeping little pike unless I am pickling, its not worth keeping small pike for the table unless I can filet out the y-bones which is not worth it on dink pike. I only keep pike I can filet. They were shared with the three familys that were out fishing..

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Nothing wrong with keeping those fish if the fishery is in good shape. Pike from cold, clean water is as good if not better than walleye any day.

The fish are certainly very healthy, and while I am no fishery biolgist I would say this whole water way is very healthy. I was actually fishing my tip ups for jumbo perch so I was catching about 50% of the pike hitting my tipups, I had some break offs at the hole or right at the initial hook set so in a sense I released quite a few. Lets just say it was a very sporting way to catch pike that size, the other funny thing is the biggest walleye came on a steel leadered tipup and we caught northern, walleye and bass on little jigs and waxies. I would say we were at the right place at the right time with the full moon and a big weather system moving in. The thing is, the Chippewa River system in general is under fished in my humble opinion. I do put in hard work to find spots to fish but I generally am fishing by myself or with family and friends. The pressure is minimal, summer and winter. Alot of guys complain about fishing Dells Pond or Old Abe or Cornell flowage. Not just the fishing but also all the hazards- all these are Chippewa river dam created lakes/rivers because they cant catch fish aka no community spots to milk. I love it, I love the challenge of striking out on my own and finding “new” hotspots. When I moved up here ten years ago from living in the SE corner my whole life, I new nothing about fishing this river. But the more I look the more I find. And in that challenge I am enjoying fishing now as much as any time in my life while maybe inspiring other oportunistic anglers to strike out away from the crowds and see what they can find, I know they will like it

Nice report Bigpike! That looks like a lot of fun away from the crowds. It also looks like the ice got a little slushy on you.

Nicely done Bill.

I’ve got to get you and Sully to take me out one of these days.

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Nicely done Bill.

I’ve got to get you and Sully to take me out one of these days.

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Jason it would be my privilege to get out on the ice with you and Sully, lets set that up it would be a blast!!!

PM sent!

Wow. Looks great. Nice catch!

Sweet