First and foremost, no ice is ever safe ice.
Please use extreme caution especially on any early ice. Walking out should be the only option on these
early ice conditions. Wear your ice picks spud your way-out checking ice thickness as you go. Tell others
where you are planning on heading out to fish and use the buddy system never fish alone.
Venturing out on Green Bay especially on early ice conditions pay very close attention to the wind
direction, it does not take much to separate the ice between you and shore and send you a drift. Green
Bay is NOT locked in at all making every location vulnerable to ice shifting.
Locations on the lower west shore like Dead Horse Bay, Suamico, and Hook Rd, Guys are walking out just
offshore finding 3”-5” and having some mild success for Perch. Tip downs with minnows and Rosie Reds
brining most of the success.
In U-Bay the Joliet Part area has similar ice conditions 2”-6”, some Walleye and Whitefish activity has
been had with standard jigging techniques taking most fish. Jigging raps tipped with a minnow head and
Jigs/minnow along with some plastics all having a few bites.
Moving up along the east shore there have been a few guys also walking out and finding mixed success
with mostly Whitefish. Volks and Red River being the main targets. All these locations up the East Shore
will be very suspect to the South winds we are going to experience. EXTREME CAUTION is advised.
The Sturgeon Bay area is still very shaky for any ice conditions outside of a few folks walking out on Little
Sturgeon to target some early ice Perch jigging and with tip downs and Pike on tip ups. Most other
locations in Door County have very bad ice conditions.
The Fox River has what seems is the largest gathering of early ice fishermen locally. Both Walleye and
Whitefish catches have been good from all reports. Jigging various baits like jigging raps, spoons, and
blade baits being popular among anglers. The river ice is also varied in thickness and travel should be
limited to foot traffic only at this point.
This next 10 days we will see warmer temps and some rain possibility enter our weather pattern so
please use caution on all ice in the area. No fish is worth your life.
It looks like more consilient colder weather is coming our way soon so stay tuned! Yah, only at Smokeys!!!
Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com
