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   

EXCELLENT SAUGER AND WALLEYE BITE CONTINUES!!!

Greetings All:
Well, if you can stand the unusually cold weather, you can catch some truly nice fish on the Mississippi river. From Pool 9 through 16, the action is really going well with many limits of fish coming in. Jig/minnow rigs continue to be the best producer when vertical jigged close to the bottom in the tailwater areas. Three way rigging also catching some fish when back trolled. Right now the bigger minnows are taking the most fish. Minnows in the 3" size range working well. Remember, if you are getting a lot of short hits, add a stinger hook to catch those light biters.

The biggest enemy of the angler is the cold. Make sure you keep dry and stay warm. Once you get wet you will become very uncomfortable quickly. Also make sure you wear that PFD for protection in case of an accident.

Good luck and enjoy the river. In closing, Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers and radio show listeners. Hopefully you can spend time with family and friends.

Regards: Last   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

 

CHECK OUT THIS FABULOUS NEW PRODUCT!!!!!!!!

Greetings All:
 Well folks, every so often a new product comes along that just blows others out of the water. I want to tell you about one that does just that. It's called the GCAN. A revolutionary new fueling delivery system that will change the way you fill the tank on your toys. This wonderful product is made in Canada and is sure to have you wanting one for your own. With that in mind, check out the link I have attached below for more information on this great product. Well constructed and state of the art, it's the GCAN.

http://igg.me/at/gcan/x/5411904 

You can also tune into my radio show on ESPN Radio for more information about this wonderful fueling innovation. 

Till next time,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

BACKWATER CRAPPIE ACTION DOING WELL!!!

Greetings All:

With the unseasonably cold weather we have had lately, the backwater crappie bite on the Mississippi River has been great. From Pools 5 through 16, anglers fishing the backwater areas are catching some really nice crappie. These fish are in the deeper backwater areas and will continue to use this deeper water as the season progresses. I have found that the fish are not always holding tight in the structure but using in water structure to relate to and suspend off of. So with this in mind, make sure you first fish the areas around and away from the structure in the water before moving in and fishing the structure itself.  This way you can catch those suspended fish first.

As far as presentation?, well a simple float rig is great for this. You can adjust your bait as necessary without changing terminal tackle. Top producing baits have been both minnows and also wax worms. Smaller minnows in the 1 1/2 inch size range seem to be catching the bigger crappie. For the wax worms, put two or three on your hook for best results. I like to pinch one of them to release the worms scent into the water and attract fish. 

It's a great time to fish for these backwater crappie. Make sure you dress warm and always wear that PFD.  One last thing. Remember those spots where you catch fish now. When the ice comes they will also produce good fishing.

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com

  

GREAT WEEKEND AHEAD FOR RIVER ANGLERS!!!!

Greetings All:
Well, it looks like Mother Nature is going to give us a great weather weekend to be out on the Mississippi & Wisconsin Rivers for some great Fall fishing. Both of these rivers are producing a good bite right now for the angler willing to wet a line. 

Walleye and sauger are the prime targets of Fall anglers but there are other species available. In the backwaters, look for a decent crappie bite going on right now near structure as the crappie have moved into their Wintering locations. Small minnows and also larvae type baits taking fish. 

On the main river, look for Walleye and sauger taking jig/minnow rigs in the tailwater areas tight to bottom. Use nice lively minnows in the 3" size range and fish them close to the bottom for best results. You can expect heavy boat traffic this weekend up by the dams with the good weather so I recommend heading down river to fish river bend areas, sand flat areas and any obvious current break areas with depth close by. There are many fish down in these areas that never see an anglers bait.

Was out this morning on the Mississippi for a few hours and found many fish on the bite in these types of areas I mentioned. Caught a nice limit of sauger for dinner tonight and headed home. Many other fish released to fight again. 

So if you plan on getting out this weekend, it looks great in the weather department and also the fishing department. Be safe and enjoy yourself.

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com