Weekly fishing report

Bluegill fishing has improved with the warmer weather. The best action was around weed beds in 7-15 feet of water. A Marmooksa, Ratfinkee or Gill Pill style ice jig baited with a waxworm or spikes has produced. For finicky gills, try using wigglers, ice plastics or a Purist ice jig with no bait. A spring bobber is a must to detect bites. Deeper-water areas have held bigger gills either suspended or tight to the bottom. A flasher is a must to find these fish. Tungsten-style ice jigs work best for gills in deep water.

Northern pike action was good, with many 30-inch-plus fish caught. Look for them around shallower weeds/sand areas searching for areas to spawn. Drop-offs adjacent to these areas also will hold pike. Rig your tip-ups with a heavy fluorocarbon leader and a No. 4 or No. 6 sized treble hook. Also try adding a small spinner blade or beads to your leader for an added attractant. Large golden shiners or medium suckers produced the most fish. Jumbo smelt placed on a quick-strike or flagel-bait rig worked well, especially for big fish.

Crappie action also has picked up. Look for them around weeds in 10-18 feet or suspended over deeper water. A small minnow, waxworm or wiggler baited on a Rocker, Ratfinkee or 1/80th-ounce jig worked well. Dead sticking a small minnow on a No. 14 treble hook also worked well. A Lil Cecil, Frostee or Forage Minnow jigging spoon have taken aggressive crappies.

Perch were found in various depths from 8-25 feet, near the bottom. An ice jig baited with spikes, waxworms or wigglers have produced. A small jigging spoon tipped with a piece of minnow or spike enticed bigger perch. Anglers also had success catching big perch on tip-ups. Rig tip-ups with a 4-pound fluorocarbon leader and a No. 14 treble hook. A large fathead, lake shiner or small golden shiner minnow works best.

Walleyes were found around weeds or rocks in 8-18 feet of water during low light conditions. Jigging with a Jigging Rapala, Shiver Minnow or Swedish Pimple tipped with a piece of minnow has worked well. Tip-ups rigged with a fluorocarbon leader and No. 10 treble hook, and baited with a medium golden shiner or small sucker also produced.

Becky Smith

LAKE MICHIGAN, MILWAUKEEWinter eased its grip on the fishery this week. A lot of the outer harbor has opened up to shore fishing. The areas behind the amphitheater, under the Hoan Bridge and at the north end of the harbor have become free of ice. The action has been slow, but anglers are still trying to dial into some consistent bites.

Most of the action will be found in the lower half of the water column or near the bottom until the surface warms. Soaking spawn or small minnows on a Wolf River rig is a good live bait option. Lures that can be fished slow and deep also are a good bet. Jigging spoons, jigs tipped with Gulp minnows or blade baits are very good deep-water options.

Concentrate on the bottom 4 feet of water. Brown trout have produced the only activity so far.

Ice anglers are still fishing the McKinley Harbor basin and the Lakeshore State Park estuary. Spawn on tip-ups along with jigging spoons or jigging Rapalas have provided most of the catches. There aren't a lot of fish being caught but the ones that have been are quality trout. Early mornings and late afternoons have been best. The warmer temperatures have caused some problems with the ice, so use extreme caution, especially around rip-rap, seawall and pilings.

The inner harbor has given up a few small browns to shad-colored crank baits and spawn fished on Wolf River rigs. Most of the fish have been small. Some ice has started to move down the rivers, so access varies day to day in the inner harbor. The area where the Milwaukee and Menomonee join has been a somewhat consistent producer.

Boats getting out of Riverfront launch will be treated to some great action at the clean water discharge as well as some action that will begin to develop in the gaps.

Although the tributaries haven't completely opened for fishing, that could change soon if the warm weather continues. Some ribbons of flowing water have begun to develop, so stream anglers should keep an eye on this week's developments.