Category: General

First and foremost, no ice is ever safe ice.
Well, the cold weather is finally here, and the Green Bay big boat traffic has ceased, so we are all hoping
for much better ice conditions moving forward.
Green Bay waters are still not completely locked up, so paying very close attention to the wind direction
every day is still critical
Areas like Volks Landing and Bayshore Park and Red River the ice has become much more stable and the
fishing there has been more on the positive side than negative. Mostly Whitefish have been reported in
the catches with a Walleye showing up on occasion in all three locations. Jigging with weight forward
style jigs has been the most popular tactic. Tipping the jigs with Plastics like Keitech Easy Shiner or
Grumpy Baits Goby’s has been productive and some folks are having success tipping their jigs with a
minnow tail. #5 Jigging Raps are always a good choice for Walleye.
Dead Horse Bay, and the Suamico area are still producing some Perch catches, along with some Walleye
activity a few Whitefish. Crowds in areas have slowed the bite at times for Perch. Tip downs are still the
most productive set up for Perch. Tipping with a small shiner or Rosie Red. Word has it that Smokey’s
on the Bay has a fresh stock of Tip downs in store! Ask Jeff about them when you pick up your Perch
minnows! If you are looking for Pike on Tip ups or Automatic Fisherman rigs head shallow and look for
some weeds.
Sugar Creek to Little Sturgeon still had some unstable ice as of Saturday. The shove ice in those areas is
also bad and even when the ice locks up travel will be difficult.
Guys walking out at Lime Kiln Rd near Little Sturgeon are having some success with Whitefish.
Little Sturgeon Perch action on tip downs has been continued to be good and some Pike are being taken
on Tips ups with Large Shiners. Getting away from the other fishermen has been key at times.
The Sawyer Harbor area has also had good action for Perch and Pike. Tip up and Tipo down set ups are
doing the work here. Ice in these areas has been in good condition holding at 8”-9” inside the bays. Do
use caution still as there have been pockets that have been only 4-5” still as of Sunday the 29 th of
January.
Most other locations in Door County continue to have very bad ice conditions and it is suggested to stay
off until this cold weather has a chance to dig in and build some ice for us. At the very least scout and
poke around cautiously.
The Fox River has begun to skim up again, but I would hold off for several days yet before I would
venture out there.
We have begun putting our Whitefish Rental Shacks in Door County out on the ice as of Sunday. We are
hoping to kick off our season guiding starting Thursday. We will eb fishing near shore to begin and are
cautiously optimistic we will begin to look to the deeper water soon. If you are looking to book
something, give me a call, we have plenty of openings weekdays and Sundays. Most Saturdays in
February are full but March we have open spots still.
Be careful out there no fish is worth your life.

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!
Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com

First and foremost, no ice is ever safe ice.
Due to continued warm weather in our area, and the strong winds this past week the Green Bay has
continued to be spotty at best and dangerous. Ice was blowing around like a washtub most of last week.
Green Bay waters are still far from locked up, please pay very close attention to the wind direction every
day. Ice breaking operations and large boat traffic on Green Bay has continued but will come to a halt
after this week.
We do finally have a cold spell working its way into our area and hopefully the areas around the Bay will
begin to become more stable.
Dead Horse Bay, and the Suamico area are still producing some decent Perch action, along with some
Walleye activity a few Whitefish and some Pike on Tip ups.
In U-Bay the Joliet Part area has still has decent ice for walking out for those looking to find a possible
Walleye and a few Whitefish. Using weight forward style jigs and plastics or minnow tails would be the
suggested tactic, but Tip Ups and Automatic Fishermen set ups are also taking some fish.
Volks landing is fairly unstable at this point and should be avoided.
There have been folks continuing to walk out of Bay Shore landing targeting Whitefish. Action has been
OK most days, but you have to work at it a bit. A few Walleyes have even shown up at times. Most are
using jigging techniques like weight forward jigs and plastics or small gold jigs and wax worms or a
minnow tail.
Red River has seen a few brave souls venturing out but use caution there with the exposure to potential
cracks. I do not know how the fishing has been there, but I suspect a few Whitefish are around.
Little Sturgeon Perch action has been continued to be good and some Pike have been taken on Tips ups
with Large Shiners. Getting away from the other shacks has been key at times. The Sawyer Harbor area
has also had good action for Perch and Pike. Tip up and Tipo down set ups are doing the work here.
Most other locations in Door County continue to have very bad ice conditions and it is suggested to stay
off until the weather takes a turn for the colder.
The Fox River has open water. Over the past 4 or 5 days several boats have ventured out from both Fox
point and the fair grounds and Walleye action has been decent. Boat traffic will most likely end soon as
our temperatures drop again. For now, there is no safe ice on the Fox.
Looking at the extended forecast we are hopefully that we will begin running Door County Whitefish
trips the first weekend in February, but we will have to wait a bit to see what Mother Nature has in store
for us.

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!
Be careful out there no fish is worth your life.
Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net

First and foremost, no ice is ever safe ice.
Due to the lack of ice building weather in our area, and the strong South winds this past weekend the
East Shore of Green Bay has become very dangerous. A large portion of the ice pack blew out creating
open water areas even closer to shore. I highly advise not venturing out on any East shore ice north of
Point Sable until we get a blast of colder weather.
Green Bay waters are still far from locked up, please pay very close attention to the wind direction every
day. It now takes much less to separate the ice between you and shore and send you a drift.
Ice breaking operations and large boat traffic on Green Bay continue as the USCG Mobile Bay and
Mackinaw continue working in the main shipping lanes.
People venturing out on Dead Horse Bay, and the Suamico area are still finding some decent Perch
action, along with some Walleye activity. This ice will possibly take a beating with the rain and warmer
temps the next couple days, use caution.
In U-Bay the Joliet Part area has still has decent ice for walking out to chase some Walleye and Whitefish.
Using weight forward style jigs and plastics or minnow tails would be the suggested tactic. For Walleye
don’t forget to bring along your tip ups.
Little Sturgeon Perch action has been continued to be fair and some Pike have been taken on Tips ups
with Large Shiners. The Sawyer Harbor area has also had fair action for Perch and Pike.
Most other locations in Door County have very bad ice conditions with the wind conditions from this
past weekend.
The Fox River has open water. The wind and warm weather have moved all that ice. Do no venture out
on any ice on the Fox River.
Hopefully Mother Nature will give us a deep freeze in the future so we can begin to rebuild some of
what we lost.
Be careful out there no fish is worth your life.

Yah, only at Smokeys!!!
Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com

First and foremost, no ice is ever safe ice. Please use extreme caution especially on any early ice.
Due to the lack of ice building weather in our area, walking out should continue to be the only option
when heading out on these ice conditions.
Green Bay waters are still far from locked up, please pay very close attention to the wind direction every
day. It does not take much to separate the ice between you and shore and send you a drift. Ice
breaking operations on Green Bay continue as the USCG Mobile Bay has been working in the main
shipping lanes since last week.
People venturing out on Dead Horse Bay, and the Suamico area are still finding some decent Perch
action. Tip downs with minnows have been the best bet in the shallower waters.
In U-Bay the Joliet Part area has still been good action for some Walleye and Whitefish. Using weight
forward style jigs and plastics or minnow tails have been taking most of the Whitefish. Jigging raps
tipped with a minnow head have been a solid choice for Walleye along with tip ups.
Folks walking out at Volks, Bayshore and Red River area are all finding mixed success daily in the
shallower waters with mostly Whitefish but a couple Walleye have shown up also.
All these locations up the East Shore will continues to be very suspect to the South winds. EXTREME
CAUTION is advised.
The Sturgeon Bay area is still very shaky for any ice conditions
Walking out on Little Sturgeon Perch action has been fair. Some Pike have been taken on Tips ups with
Large Shiners. The Sawyer Harbor area has also had fair action for Perch and Pike.
Most other locations in Door County have very bad ice conditions.
The Fox River continues to be solid action for both Walleye and Whitefish. The warmer weather has
deteriorated the river ice in areas so use very extreme caution.
This next 10-day weather pattern will continue to see mild temps and some rain/snow. Hopefully
Mother Nature decides to give us a deep freeze soon so we can begin to move out to other popular
fishing areas. Be careful out there no fish is worth your life.
Capt. Robert Claus
FinFanatic Charters
920-360-2904
finfanaticcahrters@yahoo.com
www.finfanatic.net

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

We have been getting flooded with calls asking where there is safe ice on the bay to fish. Remember ice is never 100% safe. With the cold weather we are experiencing this week some of the small bays are fish-able. On the west side Dead Horse bay has been producing some nice perch and pike are being caught off Hook Rd. On the east side fishermen are getting out of Joliet Park and are catching white fish and a few walleyes. Please do not venture out far from shore as the ice gets thinner the farther out you venture. On the Fox River the smaller harbors boarding the river has some safe ice on them. Perch, walleye, whitefish and crappie are being caught. Do not try to drive anything out on the ice at this time. Also beware of the ice breakers that will be in service through January on the bay and into the mouth of the Fox River. Always have the proper safety equipment with you and use the buddy system when fishing the early ice. for more information give us a call at 920 593 1749. Yah, only at Smokeys!!!

With docks being removed from launches and Mother Nature putting an icy grip on the Bay, this will be our last open water report of 2022. Once the ice is safe to fish Smokeys will have weekly ice fishing reports by Captain Claus, his reports will target perch, pike, walleye and whitefish on the bay of Green Bay and the Fox River.
The walleye bite continues to be good on the Fox River, as both day and night bites are still going strong. During the day, mid river edges of current are holding the most fish. Jigging hair jigs, casting ripper minnows, rippin raps, blade baits and crankbaits in rocks are taking the most fish. Trolling below the 172 flats and around University Bay was consistent, though ice formation is making the Bay unfishable. Trolled flicker minnows in purple and natural colors was best. Muskie action was slowed but some are still being caught. Trolling speeds of 2-2.5mph with shalllw diving crankbaits was best. Don’t be afraid to downsize your presentations for these large predators, as many fish are taken with 5-6” stickbaits meant for walleyes. Shore fishing has been hot out of Metro Launch and Voyager Park with nice catches of perch, walleye, pike and musky.
Thank you again to Tilky and all our followers of this report. Be safe, take a kid fishing, and I’ll see you in March! Yah, only at Smokeys!!!
Capt Jerry Ruffolo
Anglers Plus Guide Service LLC
920-973-2868

Walleyes and musky remain active around Green Bay and the Fox River. Water temperatures are falling with the weekends cold front, and big fish are active. Jigging for both big and eating size walleyes was excellent, with good fish found at the mouth of the Fox and south to the bridges and flats. Ripper minnows, hair jigs and blade baits have been best. The musky bite slowed a bit but good fish are still being taken at the mouth of the Fox and in University Bay. From second hand sources, I’m told perch are active in the Suamico Bay and River, Deadhorse Bay, and Oconto River. Fathead minnows should be an excellent choice for these fish. Shore fishing is on fire down at Metro Launch, huge walleyes, perch, pike and muskies are being caught, the bite is the best around dusk. Voyager Park is also doing very good for walleyes. If you go, please be safe and take a kid fishing. Yah, only at Smokeys!!!
Capt Jerry Ruffolo
Anglers Plus Guide Service LLC
920-973-2868

While the numbers of walleyes in the Fox River and Green Bay were plentiful, the catching was a bit tougher over the last week. Night fishing up near the dam on the Fox was still accounting for good numbers of fish, as anglers were casting swim baits or crankbaits to catch walleyes. The day bite, on the other hand, was very tough. Low current and migrating baitfish slowed the bite, with the best presentation for numbers being hair jigs, ripper minnows or blade baits in deep water around Walnut St or Mason St bridge. Walleyes are still biting on the Bay, with good fish and numbers found around Young’s Reef in Oconto and University Bay in Green Bay. Perch fishing has been good, with a good bite going in Sturgeon Bay, Little Sturgeon Bay, Oconto River, Suamico, and Deadhorse Bay. Fathead minnows on spreader rigs or night crawler pieces are best. The musky bite is still going well, with fish still taking large crankbaits around Kidney Island, east shore up near the Eagles Nest and on the Fox River. Shore fishing by Metro Launch and Voyager Park also slowed down this past week but with the rain and colder temperatures the bite should pick back up. If you go, be safe, and take a kid fishing. Yah, only at Smokeys!!!
Capt Jerry Ruffolo
Anglers Plus Guide Service LLC
920-973-2868

Great Walleye fishing on Green Bay and the Fox River continues, as unseasonably warm weather has brought out more fishermen, and the bite has not disappointed. On the Fox, good fishing at night up in the shallows near the dam has been hot, with casting crankbaits taking both big and eating size walleyes. While the river flow has been slow, daytime walleye fishing downriver has been good. Casting hair jigs, ripper minnows, blade baits and jig/plastic is taking many fish. For the trolling crew, good walleyes are biting on the flats below the 172 bridge. Musky are also present in the Fox, and trolling the flats is taking many fish. On the Bay, walleye and perch are still very active. Trolling crankbaits or casting hair jigs is taking the most walleyes. University Bay, Vincent Point, and Young’s Reef have been consistently putting out nice fish. Perch have been active around the shipping channel edges, in Deadhorse Bay, Suamico, and Oconto. Fathead minnows and crawlers are taking most of these fish. Shore fishermen are also catching some nice perch, pike, musky and walleyes from Metro Launch and Voyager Park. If you go, please be safe and take a kid fishing.
Capt Jerry Ruffolo
Anglers Plus Guide Service LLC
920-973-2868