Stoddard

Fished by Stoddard today and caught 30 plus gills with 15 keepers. Quite a few people out there with everyone doing fairly well. The biggest gills were hanging right on the bottom.

Welcome to IDA DLarz I see we have another Holmenite joining us. I have never fished the Stoddard area, but plan on it this year What tips can ya give that were working down there?

Is there still 8 inches of good ice?
I did good last week until the traffic on the ice picked up.

There was about 11 inches of ice. The best lure was a small glow jig on a buzz stik. I bought one at the end of the year last year and thought it was just a gimmick but I had the same jig on both poles and caught only 2 fish on the other. I would get the jig down let it sit for a bit and hit the button and would almost every time would get a bite within a few seconds. I was even looking down the hole once while doing this and watched a nice gill come racing in and hammer it.

The best bite Friday was the first and last half hour of light. My fishing partner and I hit all are favorite spots keeping a total of 28 gills, 2 crappies and 2 perch throwing back a bunch of dinks.Chartreuse seemed to be the color of choice.
The wind has the ice dry and slick as snot. Creepers are a must unless your head is hard enough to break your fall.

fished stoddard on saturday, took awwhile to find the fish but when we did, they were nice ones. My nephew went again on Sunday and did very well on bull gills, he and his buddy got their limit. Hope to make it out today. Caught them on glow jigs tipped with waxies. Seemed like they like the horizontal jigs better. Has anyone else noticed this? Good luck to all and wear those creepers, ice is slick.

Once again it looks like I am off a day. So far all this year in Stoddard my nicer fish have been on a horizontal jig. The horizontal jig seems to give the waxie a little more action. There has been times when I have added a plastic tale which seems to help when the bite is slow.

unfortunatly I didn’t make it out today, got a really bad cold. But I should make it tomorrow. Can’t go until afternoon,so hope the bite is as good as in the morning the other day. Only one way to find out. If you are out and about look for a clam 2000 and stop in. John

heading to mississippi thurs………where is Stoddard?? lookin for gills

South of LaCrosse On Hwy 35.

Fishing was sure slow yesterday. I was out for a few hours before the game and only managed 6 small gills. As it turned out I should have stayed on the ice instead.

Bret. Any luck fishing today? I was hoping to go tomorrow. Are you planning on being there?

I limited out on gills. Here is a pic of the nicer ones.

Hey Jim, Make sure you wear your long johns. I am not going today. I am going to stay home and have a few to build my heat reserve bake up.
Good luck.

Thanks Bret, I am not sure what I am going to do yet today. I may try and get out, but it will be later. Nice looking fish. Larry had talked about going out and I asked that he give me a call. I need to get me a heater if I will last very long out there. Also working on getting me a Vexlar, another week maybe.

Thanks, Jim

Where in Stoddard are you going? Are you fishing by the rock wall that goes out in the river?

I have not had to go out that far yet this year. Rumor has it they are catching crappies out there. My best luck has been in 5-8 feet of water. The gills are not always tight to the bottom. The feeding gills have seemed to be 2′ off the bottom and up. The vex is a great tool!

Bret,

I went out for a little while today. I picked up a few nice one between the two islands just west of the boat house. They were biting very slow and soft. I left at around 2:00 and gave Larry appr. 12 fish.? Most of the fish were just off the bottom, but picked a few up further.

Just one more day of work then 3 days on the ice. Has anyone been fishing Stoddard during the week. This will help me put a game plan together.

Bret–my plan is to go this afternoon to stoddard, if I get out, will post tonite–John

Hey John – Not sure if you made it out or not. I am planning on leaving Sparta around 12-12:30 am Friday mornin. I am hoping with the weather front the crappies will be hitting in the dark. Need something other than gills. Plan on fishing through the first light in hopes to get a toothy critter on a smelt. If you head out I am in a one man Scout with the Gander Mnt. logo on the front. It would be great to meet some IDA members. If all goes well pics to follow.

Made it on the ice around 1:30am. To darn early should have slept in. I was catching crappies but not near the size I was looking for. I did play tug of war with alot of gills at light. I kept some for lunch and practiced CPR with the rest. I was just passing time hoping my 2 flags with dandy size smelt would fly. Might as well stayed home and set my tip ups up in the tub The gills were bitting light but it was steady. With a full belly of fish I believe it is time for a nap.

Lunch.

Bret–I didn’t make it yesterday, but did get out for awhile this afternoon. Fishing was ok, kept a few for the table and caught alot of small ones. Fished in about 7-8 ft. caught fish anywhere from bottom up to 2 ft from bottom. they were hitting pretty hard also, using glow jig and waxie.–John — byt the way, going at 1:30 am, that is dedication

Hey John — My wife would just tell you I am nuts I have iced some nice crappies in the past at nite.

Is there a good crappie bite going on newhere? I haven’t been able to get into any decent sized ones this year.

Any plans for Sunday. I talked with Mike on Friday and he thought he was going to try and get out on Sunday. I am planning on getting out first thing tomorrow morning. Maybe I will see you there.

Anyone make it to Stoddard Saturday?

I love my buzz stik….its great! it works well with a rock a roo which is like this little thing with a spinner on it..i have caught lots of nice crappies and gills on that…stoddard sucks this year though! tough luck