LOCAL INFORMATION:   Ironwood area is the Western Gateway to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the major city in the area with a population of over 6000.  Ironwood is a major four season recreation area rich in natural resources.  In summer, the area offers camping, hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, mountain biking, and sightseeing.   In winter, “Big Snow Country” offers hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails, and four major ski areas within a 15 minute drive of Ironwood.

LOCAL LINKS:

Ironwood area Snowmobile Trail Report

Ironwood area Lodging Ironwood area Dining

FISHING REPORTS: (from Tommy Zinda) Well folks, 3 inches of snow fell yesterday across the Great Northwoods. Time for me to head south to Arkansas to continue to fish "soft" water. This whole fall has been as goofy as the rest of this fishing season. Water temps finally have dropped into the low 50s, even into the high 40s. This normally occurs in late September. Muskies the past two weeks have picked up dramatically as expected. Most fish are now being caught on live suckers. Northerns and bass have remained strong in October, but walleyes have been much more finicky. Eyes that have been caught have been in the deepest holes in all lakes in mud, adjacent to rock humps, feeding on wigglers. Fat head minnows on 1/8 or 1/4 oz jigs dragged in this mud is the way to score. There has been movement of larger eyes into shallower weeds the past few days as turnover is now complete in most lakes. However, green weeds right now are the key and deeper weed edges are the ones to fish. In a few more days, these bigger eyes, along with larger pike, will move into shallow weed flats of only 5 to 10 feet, where they will remain for early ice fishing. This is because they are feeding on larger perch that are now in shallow water, too. It's a great time to start fishing these shallow weed flats of 3 to 8 feet with 1/32 or 1/16 oz jigs tipped with fat heads for jumbo perch. Not only will you catch lots of these perch, but eyes and pike will hit these fat heads, too. Take advantage of any decent weather that is around until ice up now and you will produce. The remaining shallow water open water bite will be short and sweet this year. As usual, it was a blast to fish with all you folks again this season and report to the rest of you. As usual, I will continue to report our progress on the water in Arkansas starting next week, so keep checking this site. Have a great winter and come join me in Arkansas if you can. See ya soon. Good Fishin' jeff bolander <jeff@upnorthpublishing.com> - Friday, October 31, 2008 at 08:51:24 (PDT)

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