Once again that chubby little rodent named Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow and scurried back into his hole for another six weeks of winter. I do think that although the tradition is still carried on we would have weather with or without him. Now once again the PETA folks (People Eating Tasty Animals) have made another ridiculous demand and want the little guy to be replaced by a robot. Is this organization made up of out-of-work comedians or are they just desperate for attention?

Speaking of comedy there are some things in life that you just couldn’t plan out. There have been times in my years of fishing that I have seen or done that I doubt anyone would believe.

Quite a few years ago I went fishing with a couple of co-workers on the Mississippi River in April. The weather was pretty decent and we were looking forward to some good fishing because one of them had lived in the Winona area and knew the river like the back of his hand. Unfortunately he was wearing gloves so the hand’s backside wasn’t readily visible.

As we ventured up one of the backwaters we eventually ended up in about 2 foot of water with a muck bottom. The fish in that bay were non-existent and to make matters worse the trolling motor quit working and it was too shallow for the outboard. “Row, row, row your boat” we did. Once we had extracted ourselves from that area we decided to try our luck below the lock and dam. On the way to the new “hot spot” we went on the wrong side of the buoy and ended up perched on a sand bar.

Once we arrived and started fishing I caught a nice sauger (which was to be our only fish). We did partake of a few refreshments that day and as we sat there jigging I mentioned to one of them that on the river you were allowed to use two lines. The other guy, whom we will call Bob, chewed me out and said “why did you have to go and tell him that?” Maybe I was just trying to show him how much I knew about the rules of the river.

Bad mistake! First it started out with our friend having a line over each side of the boat and catching himself numerous times. After a while we convinced him it would be better with one line because he didn’t seem to be managing two very well. Everything seemed to be going okay until I noticed this guy wearing a Green Bay Packers hat in the next boat was getting ready to set the hook. At the same time our friend was positioning himself to set his hook into what he obviously must have thought was a fresh water whale.

It was quite a sight to behold when both of these guys set the hook at the same time and their lures popped out of the water halfway between our boats. Now our guy definitely had the edge because he almost ripped the Green Bay Packer guy right out of his boat. After an exchange of niceties they untangled their lines and we pretty much decided to call it a day. I don’t think I’ve ever crammed so many unusual events into a single day of fishing but I had to look at it as a one-time happening.

Years ago I knew quite a few fishermen that would venture to the river in March and April to try their luck. I don’t know if it’s quite as popular today but I’m sure that the fishing can still be pretty doggone good. The first time I saw my old neighbor hooking up his boat in the first part of March with the ground still covered with snow I had to ask him about it. He said that he and some buddies did that trip every year as soon as the temperature got above freezing. Now I like to fish as much as the next guy but I also enjoy being warm and cozy on a snowy winter day. I could do wet and cold when I was younger but somewhere along the line I made the transition and decided that being warm and dry was a good thing.

Early river fishing like this can be very good and can actually produce some real “wall hangers” but I have turned into a fair weather fisherman. I have fished openers when the line has actually had ice on it and my fingers felt like clubs when trying to bait a hook. This is not all that fun but if you are catching a few fish then I have to think it makes it worthwhile (almost).

Over the years I’ve done many memorable things while fishing that I can look back and laugh at now.

Here are just a few fishing reports from around the state:

LAKE OF THE WOODS —

Winter weather always brings changes and it also brings changes to the fishing climate. We went from warm temps to frigid air and that slowed the walleye bite last week. However, mother nature is smiling once again and the fish are in tune with that. Ice depth is a solid 28 inches and fish are biting on anything glowing and shiny in depths of 32-34 feet of water. Walleye sizes are ranging from 16-18 inches and saugers have been good size as well. Many resorts are pulling their houses more north toward the reefs, but many are still staying west of Pine Island, Morris Point and north of Zippel Bay. Most parties are limiting out with releasing some walleyes the size of 21, 22, 24 and 27 inches. One jumbo perch was landed at 12 ½ inches. The Northwest Angle and Islands report 30 inches of ice and 17-19 inch walleyes are biting in 25 feet of water.

WINNIBIGOSHISH — Winter keeps rolling along and Big Winnie continues to be one of the better go to destinations in Minnesota this winter. The fishing has somewhat slowed of late with all the fronts going through, but look for everything to improve when stable conditions take over. The north end of the lake, with all it’s structure is a great place towards the latter part of the winter. Small humps and isolated gravel bars are places to find schools of perch and scattered walleyes. Right now soft bottom locals, with all the different wiggly larvae available, are prime spots. As we get closer to March and April the rocky points and bars are the better choices. Northland Tackle’s Scud Bug and Mud Bugs, tipped with a couple euro larvae or waxies, are great choices while big jumbo perch are scouring the mud for food. Drill lots of holes and hole hop with your electronics until you contact fish.

Until next time, use caution on the ice and always take a little time to enjoy our great Minnesota outdoors.

Remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers throughout the year.