Hope everyone will go out to enjoy the forest and achieve some deer hunting success. We still have some way to go before our rifle season in Wisconsin, but I know that when I say we are being pumped, I speak for most deer hunters!

At this time of the year, there are no anglers in the waters in most areas, although some people will organize some successful fishing trips. If you decide to leave, I can assure you that you will own the entire lake. The water temperature in most of the waters in our area has dropped to more than 40 degrees. I don't know when we will have the first piece of ice, but it is coming. Most fishing at this time of year is done in the form of chasing leukoplakia or musk, although several different species are using late-season open water feed bags.

Let us not forget to mention that we are now entering daylight saving time, so our afternoon is shortened. If you plan to go out, please make sure you realize that the sun has set before 5:30pm. Let us dive into some recent reports:

At the time of writing, it is the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which is a story about Lake Superior. At this time, the story of the anglers on Lake Superior was silent. Except for some stubborn Chequamegon Bay and Apostle Islands fish heroes who have caught some scaly fish, brown fish and small mouth fish, few reports have appeared.

If you want some splashes and browns, it pays to be close to the shoreline while combing the waters. Smallies continued to be captured using a series of different strategies in and around Ashland. Some successful fishing methods include slow towing small fish, ripped bait bait or fan-throwing smaller crank bait. Stream anglers around the area are still practicing some swinging flight patterns and some hard bait movements. Some beautiful fish will definitely appear. Be sure to check your local regulations, as some river waters will be closed!

There is also almost no activity for anglers at the mouth of the St. Louis River. Most of the tugboats that stop in the "upstream" river area are hunters. For the few who left (I can count with one hand), the fish are cooperating. It is still mostly live bait on the work area in early spring. However, please don't get me wrong, if you find fish on electronic devices, they are likely to bite people. Fish can be found in all parts of the estuary. As we all know, at this time of year, fish try to get fat before freezing.

Inland lakes are still producing some good live bait. Walleye and other predatory species are near the edge of weeds in shallow areas. This is especially true on clear lakes. If you are interested in going out after dark, choose a clear lake that can accommodate leukoplakia and fish in shallow waters. These areas will continue to maintain productivity throughout the entire ice age.

Panfish are tricky, but if you can make them "react", some fish will be willing to take a bite. This means that the fish are slow, or floating, instead of trying to get them to chase something. In cold temperatures, panfish will enter a slower stage until they adapt. However, for leukoplakia, barracuda or small fish, the situation is different. These fish are still aggressive in some cases. At this time of year, throwing crank bait on the shoreline can be very fun.

See you on the water, see you in the woods! Good luck, hunter!

Jarrid Houston in the South Range is a fishing guide for inland waters of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the St. Louis River, and Lake Superior in winter (houstonsguideservice.com).