In honor of the few 45 degree, rainy, cloudy, and somber days we have left before spring is in full swing, I wanted this month’s beer review to be of a stout I’ve now sought out multiple times- Strumpet by Dead Bird Brewing Company. What’s that? You’ve never heard of Strumpet? Dead Bird?! Well, I guess that’s why you’re here. Spring has really thrown my beer fridge into a swirling vortex of confusion this year. So much so, that I’ve had to start keeping extra beer in my regul

MADISON CRAFT BEER WEEK PEOPLE! www.madbeerweek.com I know, we are all excited about Madison craft beer week, and we should be! But there is soooo much going on that there is no way I could possibly talk about every event. Available at many breweries is a pocket book with all the events and there’s also an app (search the app store for Madison craft beer week). Here are some of the events I’m particularly interested in, along with events highlighting Wisconsin beer. Enjoy! Fr

This past Saturday, April 23, was the 20th Annual Spring Fling tournament hosted at Lakeside Bar and Grill on Lake Wisconsin. There were a total of 56 boats. 1-7th place was paid, and 8th place won a big pack of baits. The weather was warm, sunny, and relatively calm for this time of year on Lake Wisconsin. With such a great turn out the weigh in was one of the biggest in recent history. I was able to bounce around with my GoPro documenting the event at all stages. I was e

The bite continues to be holding in warm, shallow water around Madison. Live bait, particularly crappie minnows have been producing larger fish, however wax worms and Gulp have also been working well on small jigs. Crappies have been holding tight to structure such as boat lifts, docks, stumps and rocks. The game fish have also been more active in the last week, so should you accidentally catch one, be sure to release it immediately. Good luck and tight lines! Below you will

Most people have probably never even heard of lead core. No, it’s not a new genera of death metal, nor is it a new type of ammunition. Lead core is an old-school trick that is vastly underutilized in this day and age, but can produce when the going gets tough. So, let’s get into why fishing with lead core should be something to keep in your back pocket! The main idea behind using lead core line is to let the line itself sink, enabling whatever lure you are trolling with to re

Well, I’ll just go ahead and say it: if you are serious about walleye fishing, you should be serious about trolling. However, common amongst many anglers is a sense of apprehension about trolling. There are so many factors that play into piecing together the perfect presentation, and it can seem overwhelming at times. One of the most important parts of any modern walleye trolling setup is inline planer boards. At first glance they may seem intimidating, but in time you will l

The panfish bite is hot in shallow bays and the backs of creeks and channels. Some popular areas include the channel off of Squaw Bay, right across from Winnequaw park. There is a parking lot right next to the channel holding fish. It fills up quickly, but overflow parking is available on the street. Live bait (minnows and worms) are producing the most fish. If you prefer to use artificial baits, crappie tubes (black/white, blue/white) and gulp baits are producing fish as

Springtime is by far my most favorite time of the year to fish. You get to go outside after being cooped up for months, use a normal sized fishing rod, and catch some of the biggest fish of the year. One species that is popularly targeted in the springtime, particularly on river systems where you can legally target them all year is the Northern Pike. Yeah, I’m a walleye guy by trade, but I love all fish with teeth! Pike generally spawn right away at first ice out and occasion

Trying to find the perfect line while wandering down the endless aisles of super lines, braids, monofilaments, and fluorocarbons can be quite a daunting task. With literally hundreds of different lines on the market in so many colors and breaking strengths, finding the right stuff for a particular tactic can be next to impossible. For those of you who find yourself agreeing with the above mentioned statements, this is for you! In this piece, we are going to look into which li

As a tournament angler, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is about which rods to use in certain situations. It is somewhat surprising to me how many people use the wrong stuff. Many times the rods are too heavy, or they are built with the wrong components for the technique they are being used for. I am a firm believer that having the right equipment, especially rods, is an easy way to make just about anybody a better angler. With that, let’s take a look at what