Tricks for Opening Day

The weather on the last Saturday in April can be fickle. You might be blessed with a glorious sunshiny day and temperatures in the 60s or more. Or it could be spitting snow or sleet with temperatures below freezing. That’s just the way April is in Michigan. Chances...

Turkey Vest Essentials

With the spring turkey season in April, now is a good time to thoroughly inspect your turkey vest to ensure you have all the essentials for a successful spring hunt. Turkey vests have evolved over the years. Once just a vest with pockets, modern turkey vests have...

Saginaw River Walleyes 2023

This year will mark the first time anglers have been able to fish the Saginaw River for walleye between March 15 and the last Saturday in April since the system’s walleye began their historic comeback. In past years, anglers got a taste of the potential when ice...

Go hard baits for CRAPPIES

Plastics are a go-to bait for winter crappies because crappies feed mainly on minnows. Friends who fish the NAIF ice-fishing circuit tell me when they know specks are the likely target, plastics are on the end of their lines. But there are times when a change in baits...

FRESHWATER DRUM or SHEEPSHEAD

Great Lakes anglers are surprised when they set the hook and find they’re attached to a sheepshead. Freshwater drum can be found across the Great Lakes and in the larger tributaries. They are regular catch by anglers targeting other species. Most are disappointed when...