Battle on Bago – $160,000 Ice Fishing Tourney

First let me say I am in no way connected to any groups running this tourney nor soliciting on their behalf – just a fisherman participating in 2 days of fun.

All ice fishermen should put this in their calendar. $160,000 in prizes will be given out including a 2013 new F150 pickup for 150th place and a 19′ Lund with 150hp 4-stroke for 400th place. All in between are thousands in cash, augers, marcum lx5 and lots of other stuff. Largest fish only pays 2,000 so the greatest prizes go by luck of what size fish get registered. So, 2 folks will win awesome boats and 1 will win a new truck for simply registering a small walleye or whitebass, or an average perch etc.

Dates are FRI Feb 21st 6am till Sat Feb 22 at 2pm and includes all night fri. $30 PER TICKET per fish that you choose to register – as many as you like. Check out all the official info at battleonbago.org.

Weather should be awesome and the bite great with a long stable pattern. We will be getting sunburns out on the ice!

Any Ido’ers from out of town who want to do this but want some info send me a PM and ill help you with some general info on whats working and where.

Seriously check out how this thing is run and what’s all given away – amazing.

Bagobum

Living just over an hour south, I have never ice fished Bago…. but still may come up and take part in this weekend. I’ve heard it is a great time…. now just need some luck to stick one of the few “big” walleyes I have caught in the summer, and released.

I will be living on the lake for a few days – jiggin by day and watching tip ups at night while nappin in the truck. Good luck to you if ya venture out. Start at going onto the ice at Merritt street in Oshkosh and look for the cities of folks scattered about. Best fishing for whitebass is usually in the ‘tight’ massive groups while the walters and crappies are getting hunted and followed by mobile fishermen in looser, smaller communities in slightly shallower water.

Looking forward to the Battle! This will be my third year going, and I will be bringing 3 newbies with…my wife, my brother and his girlfriend. We all have off work on Friday the 21st, so we’re heading there early from the Madison area to fish day 1. Driving off Merritt street and hopefully we can get into those schools of whitebass right away. Should be a blast! Good luck at the tourney, Bagobum!

With several thousand people heading out… I would think finding areas away from the traffic would be a good thing, but difficult.

Do you think the tight groups do well on white bass, as maybe the activity and noise actually keep the fish in the area?

A lot of anglers on Bago work in teams. They’ll split up to find an active school and when someone finds active fish, they’ll call the others over. Often when there’s a group, there’s fish. This isn’t always the case though — just as often groups form because people think there is a school and follow for no other reason than there’s a few shacks in an area. Hardwater Bago can be a VERY frustrating experience.

However, fishing usually starts to pick up this time of year. Given the forecast, there might be a little current starting to flow out of the mouth and the fish will be starting the early staging for the eventual spring runs.

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However, fishing usually starts to pick up this time of year. Given the forecast, there might be a little current starting to flow out of the mouth and the fish will be starting the early staging for the eventual spring runs.

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Coming in blind I would recommend bringing a quality set of binoculars – they double as fish finders. If its whitebass you are after the action/groups are hard to miss. It should be so warm that many will be sitting out in the open. You can watch as the groups develop or dissolve based upon whats happening. The giveaways are guys scattered about moving every 5 minutes and then all of them come to one location and stop (here’s your sign). Drive around a bit and start with the groups – venturing out on your own if it doesnt produce. I’ll be fishing in quieter waters in 8.5 – 11 fow for the walters but may come out deeper to catch a few whitebass to register in the battle. Lets be realistic – the biggest prizes for 150th and 400th will in all likelihood be won with whitebass or perch so at some point I may have to head out into one of the gangs.

Best of luck to you folks making the trek over.

So how many fishing tickets do people buy? I was just reading the rules and was surprised you have to pay $30 per ticket before the tournament starts. I just assumed you paid when you went to weigh in your fish.

From others I talk to it seems anywhere from 1-3 seems to be the norm. I personally will get 3 tickets. 1 for big fish if I get one, and the others for smaller fish that weigh approximately what I feel will be required for 150th place and 400th place (based upon previous years results).

Gotta have a horse in the race to win Red!

And yes you are right – ticket sales end the minute the tournament begins so you have to have ‘pre-bought’ a ticket. Not sure why thus comes as a surprise to anyone……I’m sure you’d rather fish for free and then come to win prizes if you caught some great fish, or simply drive away $30 richer if you didn’t catch anything – but it’s set up like a tournament. You have to enter the tournament (buy tickets) first.

This seems very logical to me. Good luck to you if you decide to enter.

The tournament is a charitable fundraiser. In order to promote as many ticket sales as possible, tickets need to be purchased in advanced. If you only had to buy a ticket at the time you register, people that got skunked would not bother buying a ticket.

We got 6″-8″ of snow on the north end last night. Oshkosh got a good snowfall, too. Travel will be tough. Bring a shovel & tow strap and ‘pay it forward’.

Me thinks there is gonna be lots o melt with 40f and rain showers thursday before the tourney. Its gonna be sloppy out there.

I’m seeing mixed reports for Thursday’s weather. Some are forecasting rain-wintery mix, some are forecasting 4″-8″ of wet heavy snow (WBAY). Rain would knock the snow down and make travel wet but a little better. More wet heavy snow and good night Irene. I’m going to skip the rodeo and head down to Big Green for some laker action (hopefully).

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The tournament is a charitable fundraiser. In order to promote as many ticket sales as possible, tickets need to be purchased in advanced. If you only had to buy a ticket at the time you register, people that got skunked would not bother buying a ticket.

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Thanks for the info, I assumed it was a way for them to guarantee they bring in a lot of money even if people don’t catch fish, but didn’t think about the fact its for charity.