MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT DUBUQUE, IOWA

Greetings All:
For all you folks that ice fish the Mississippi River, just a quick note that there has been some excellent ice fishing going on in the Dubuque, IA area. Anglers are fishing the ice below the dam with good results. One spot that has been producing well is O'Learys lake on the Wisconsin side of the river up near the dam. Fished there the last two days with excellent results. All through the day, Stripers and other panfish were moving in and out of the area. Some nice yellow perch were also caught. This is a great place to ice fish due to the many species of fish you might catch. Don't be surprised if you also tie into a walleye or sauger in this area also. Both minnows and larvae type baits were working. Friendly group of ice anglers there will help you with any questions you may have. 

So while this relatively mild weather continues, you might want to consider hitting the ice there and trying your luck for a seafood dinner. Good luck and as always, wear that PFD on the ice for safety.

Regards:  Lastcast   Mike Cyze   Lastcast13@yahoo.com

GREAT WEEKEND TO BE ICE FISHING!!!!

Greetings All;
With the relatively mild temps compared to just a week ago, it's a great time to be out on your favorite body of "Frozen" water doing some ice fishing. Here in the Midwest many spots are producing good catches. Backwaters of the Mississippi have panfish biting along with a good supply of Northern available for the angler fishing for them. Set a tip up with a frozen smelt or big minnow and the Northern will find it. One thing though, be quiet in the area you are fishing for the fish spook easily from noise. Crappie are being also caught with many nice fish on minnows and waxworms.

Another spot that is producing excellent fishing is those farm ponds. Great catches coming in on larvae baits. Make sure you get permission to fish them as most are on private property. 

All in all, this mild weather is a wonderful time to get out and shed some cabin fever.  Be safe and enjoy the Great Outdoors!!!

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

IT'S "SHOW TIME"!!!!!

Greetings All:
Here we are moving right along through the very cold month of January and it is time to start thinking about what I call "Show Season". It's getting to be that time of the year when sport and boat shows all across the Midwest are taking place. What a great opportunity to get out of the house during this very long Winter season and wet your appetite for the upcoming Spring season of adventure in the great outdoors. From hunting to fishing, camping to boating, you will find it all at the sport shows that are oriented to the sportsman. 

Personally, I will be traveling the Midwest and Canada doing many seminars and look forward to meeting you folks at the shows. Make sure you stop by and say hello. It is a busy time of the year for me but a really enjoyable one also.  Stay tuned to my show on ESPN Radio for more updates on where I will be appearing.

So check those listings now for a sport show near you in the coming future. You will have a ball and also get that "Spring Fever"!!!  Hope to see you there.

Regards:  Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

BRUTAL COLD HAMPERING ICE FISHERMAN!!!!

Greetings All:
Well, the Polar cold has arrived here in the Midwest making for some truly brutal conditions to be outdoors. Even though many ice fisherman fish from some type of an ice shanty, getting to your spot and setting up can be a real challenge in these very frigid conditions. Wind chills near 45 below zero making outdoor activity not advised at this time. I was out very early this morning before the winds picked up and believe me folks, it was cold!!!  Managed to catch a few small sauger through the ice from the comfort of my ice house but heading home was really cold and uncomfortable. 

Best advise I could give right now is to stay inside, keep warm and do some necessary cleanup and repair if needed on your equipment. When this brutal cold passes in a few days, you will once again be ready to head out and enjoy some great ice fishing that is happening this year in the Midwest. 

Well, gotta run for now, have to get back to my recliner by the fireplace so I can relax and watch the football playoffs all day long. Life is Good!!!!!

Regards:  Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

BACKWATER CRAPPIE FISHING RED HOT!!!!

Greetings All;
Well, the backwater areas of Pools 11-12 & 13 are producing some great crappie catches through the ice. Was out this morning in Pool-13 and caught many nice sized crappie. Keep in mind that with the year classes of fish available you will most likely have to cull your catch of the smaller fish to get some keepers for the frying pan. Make sure you release those smaller fish back into the hole so they can continue to grow. Don't do like some ice anglers and toss them out on the ice to die. That is a waste of a valuable resource for the future. 
Best baits have been small minnows followed by wax worms. I like to set one "Dead" rod and slowly jig another. Doing this will many times get two fish on at the same time and what a blast that is. Small gold rocker style jigs, Rat Finkie jigs and also small ant imitation jigs tipped with bait doing the best. If you find the minnow bite slows, try switching to the wax worms. You can usually catch a few more fish by doing this.

One last thing. Start your search for the crappie in the deepest water you can locate in the backwaters and move as necessary from there. Also, these fish will suspend so make sure you check out all depths. You will find the crappie using different depths at different times so adjust as necessary.

Dress warm, wear that PFD and have a ball catching some backwater crappie on the Mississippi River.

Regards:  Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com  

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY 2014 TO ALL!!!!!

Greetings All;

Well, in not being politically correct these days, I still say MERRY CHRISTMAS, not happy holidays. With that in mind on this Christmas Eve, I would like to wish all of you wonderful folks that use my outdoor blog, listen to me on the radio and also read my print media work a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY 2014. May the season of the birth of Christ bring many smiles and joy to you and your family. Also, may your hearts be filled with many great memories of family and friends, both here and departed. 

I sincerely wish all of you an upcoming year filled with many new and great adventures in the outdoors. Peace be with you.

Regards:  Lastcast    Mike Cyze     lastcast13@yahoo.com

OUTSTANDING EARLY ICE FISHING CONTINUES!!!

Greetings All;
The outstanding early ice fishing that has been going on here in the Midwest continues. Excellent bluegill action on farm ponds along with some great crappie action in the backwaters all along the Mississippi river. With the fresh snow cover on the ice, use caution when venturing out. Some great tip-up action for Northern's also happening in the backwater areas using either frozen smelt or chubs for bait. Many anglers are overlooking this great Northern bite and are missing some really big fish that are available. With cold temperatures forecast well into next week, look for ice conditions to stay good.

It's a great time to be in the outdoors doing some ice fishing. Best part is the fish are cooperating. So dress warm, wear that PFD and enjoy the time of your life fishing the "Hard Water".

Regards: Lastcast   Mike cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com   

FARM POND BLUEGILL ACTION REALLY HOT!!!!!

Greetings All;
Well, with the safe ice finally here it's time to think about getting out and enjoying some ice fishing. Right now I have been experiencing some great farm pond action for some big bluegill. With many farm ponds here in the Midwest now safe, (Always check ice conditions before venturing out!!), the fishing has been excellent. Look for those bluegill along the deeper side of the weed beds right now. Also look for them in deep water locations that contain bottom weeds and structure they can relate to. Remember that this time of the year the warmer water is actually in the deeper locations. Larvae type baits such as spikes, (maggots), wax worms and mousies have been catching fish. Small ice lures like those made by Custom Jigs & Spins have been catching a lot of the bigger fish. 

Use light line no heavier than 4lb. test for best results. I have been using 2lb. test with great results. Remember that you can land most pan fish with no problem on light line if you don't try to "Horse" the fish through the hole. 

So if you like farm pond fishing as much as I do, search out some that contain panfish and have a ball catching them. Keep enough for a meal and always return those non-keepers back into the pond so they can grow for next season. Dress warm, be safe and have a ball.

Regards: Lastcast  Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com

USE CAUTION ON FIRST ICE OF THE SEASON!!!!!

Greetings All:
Here we are experiencing the coldest air of the season so far and many folks are chomping at the bit to get out and do some ice fishing. First ice can be a great time to catch some fish but you also have to remember it can also be a very dangerous time. Especially now with the snow cover on many frozen over areas it becomes increasingly difficult to tell if the ice is safe to venture out on. Wear that PFD, bring a spud pole so that you can test the ice ahead of you for firmness and also either make or buy yourself a set of "Spikes" you can wear around your neck should you accidentally fall in. The spikes will assist you on getting out by you being able to stick them in the ice and pull yourself to safety. One last thought, don't head out alone. Bring a friend along and watch out for each other. When walking out on the ice, keep distance between each other rather than walking side by side. This way you are not concentrating the weight load in one area. And don't forget to tell someone what area you are heading for so they know where you are. 

Remember, first season ice can be great for fishing, but it can also be very dangerous. Be safe, dress warm and enjoy the outdoors.

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

A CHANCE TO WIN A FABULOUS GCAN FOR YOUR VERY OWN!!!!!

Greetings:

Well folks, here it is. A great chance to win the fabulous GCAN you have heard me speaking of on my radio show and also previewing at my seminars all across the country. Right now by going to the link that I have included below you can enter for a chance to win a GCAN for your very own. It's just that easy. Follow the directions in the link and you just might be the winner of the greatest refueling system to come along in many, many years. This great innovation makes refueling your toy's a snap with no more messy spills.  Believe me my friends, once you see it in action, you will want one for your very own.

As I mentioned, just go to the link I have posted below and GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

Giveaway Link: http://woobox.com/mipmq5

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com