Musky Shop Northwoods Fishing Report: Early January

We hope you all had a great 2022 and we wish you all an awesome 2023.

Ice fishing in the Northwoods of Wisconsin has been pretty good. It was slow for a bit in terms of ice travel as we received approximately 16"-18" in a couple of snow falls. The air temps were unseasonably warmer than normal during those 2 weather events thus there was a lot of snow on the ice which created a lot of slush and difficulty moving about on the ice. The snow on top of the ice has firmed up a bit and ice travel is much better now.

Our staff members Fred Palermo and Colton Leman have been out quite a bit and have caught some nice fish. Colton, Fred, and  other local ice fisherman have been finding a good number of fish in the 10'-14' range. Walleyes, Northern Pike, Perch and Crappies have all been in that depth especially where there is some weed and or wood.

Ice fishing on the Rainbow Flowage and Willow Flowages has been good as well as most lakes in the Minocqua area.  As I drive around, I see a lot of fisherman on Minocqua as that chain is a very good fishery. The Wisconsin DNR still has the Walleye moratorium in place where it's legal to fish for Walleyes however the Minocqua Chain is catch and release only for Walleyes currently.

The Minocqua Chain has great Crappie, Northern Pike, and Panfish fishing and there is a lot of area to stay spread out if so desired. Bass fishing is outstanding as well on the Minocqua Chain if Bass is a target for you. 

For Walleyes, Perch, and Panfish, shop guide, Fred and the guys have been using 13 Fishing Tickle Stick ice rods matched up with 13 Fishing Thermo Ice, Wicked Ice, and Descent Ice reels.  13 Fishing soft plastics such as The Sneak have been really good as well as, the Clam Silkie soft plastic. One can fish these plain or tipped with a Waxie, Red Spike or White Spike.

We have a good selection of Ice fishing gear as well as Fresh Live Bait in constant flowing cold well water. Rosey Reds, Crappie Minnows and Wax Worms are great for those who wish to use Live Bait as well as Golden Shiners, Walleye Sucker, and Pike mix for game fish. For Pike, we have quite a few Beaver Dam Tip Ups in stock. The Beaver Dam is a Great tip up and they last for years and years. They are a very durable and reliable Tip Up.

Our retail store is open everyday 6am-6pm during the winter months with much longer hours in the summer and fall months. Please stop by or give us a call with any questions or needs you may have as it would be our honor to serve you. 

If you are like most of us and have Muskies on the brain, our 2023 catalog will be out in early February. If you purchased anything from us through our website in 2022 you will be automatically on the list to receive the 2023 Musky Shop catalog.

If you did not purchase anything through our website in 2022 please keep an eye on our website for when our 2023 catalog is available and you can order a 2023 Musky Shop catalog at no charge.

Lastly, please keep an eye on all of our media outlets for winter sales promotions: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok

It truly is our honor to serve you and please let us know if we can be of service to you.

Good Fishing and God Bless, Jim Stewart