By Ted Peck

That bucket full of jigging sticks in the corner of the garage hasn't had much time to gather dust since the last time folks in northern Wisconsin got out on the ice. Late in April, many folks were wondering if they should put new line on the long rods or re-sharpen hooks on the tip-ups with opening day of the general fishing season just days away.

Tip-ups are already getting a workout on sheltered waters in the northwoods as you read these words, with downstate anglers taking tentative steps on the hardwater as well. In a couple of weeks the entire Badger State will have the deer guns cleaned and be in ice-fishing mode again.

The following is a look at some waters where you can chase the finned equivalent of the "turdy-point buck" this winter.

The one-fish-daily, 32-inch-minimum limit in place on both these Forest County waters has created the true potential to ice a trophy on either of these lakes, with a large percentage of pike hanging in waters less than 6 feet deep.

Pike are primarily sight-feeders. With few weeds to obstruct their view in 900-acre Franklin, it won't take the fish long to see your bait hanging just under the ice. Although the pike population is low, the quality here is tremendous. Get a flag, and your next call may be to the taxidermist.

On Butternut, set two boards along the edge of any remaining green weeds. A slightly squished smelt on a quick-strike rig is a good way to draw pike out of hiding. Pass the time waiting for a flag by jigging a third line with a No. 3 Jigging Rapala. You never know what you'll catch.

Contact: Eagle River Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-236-3432 or www.eagleriver.com.

Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Puckaway still holds Wisconsin's northern pike record. Although besting this mark is an incredible long shot here, there is no better lake for teaching kids the finer points of running boards. Encourage the youngsters to bring along a toy rake. A major key to success can be opening up a hole in the weeds below the ice, and a rake that will fit through an 8-inch hole is a wonderful tool for this purpose.

Smelt have an edge over shiners for pike on Puckaway, maybe because scent can be a factor in the heavy weeds. Puckaway is also full of forage. The aroma of something that will obviously be easy to catch may also be a factor.

It is important that the smelt be suspended below the ice in a natural horizontal orientation. A "Bortz Bullet" is a great leveling device. The late, great Fred Bortz came up with the idea of using a 30.06 shell to help the bait hover seductively - an accomplishment that outweighs this legend's record for taking out the greatest number of mailboxes in a single pass with a county snowplow truck, and fathering a lummox named Mark who played a major role in helping Da Bears to their last Super Bowl win.

Contact: Green Lake Area Chamber of Commerce 1-800-253-7354.

This is one place where you want to have a second battery of tip-ups ready to go and rigged for walleyes when the light gets low. Shawano has some truly humongous marble-eyes swimming within its 6,000 acres. Locals will tell you that it's easier to catch one of these big gals now than during the open-water period.

Ice roads crisscross the lake. The key is to trudge away from these paths and set tip-ups baited with golden shiners along the 12- to 15-foot contour, targeting main-lake points.

Contact: Shawano Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-235-8528 or www.shawanocountry.com.

Like Shawano Lake, Winnebago has a fairly sophisticated ice road system in place once serious winter arrives, with a veritable city of permanent shacks dotting this vast lake's numerous humps and reefs. Play enough hands of euchre in one of these hardwater hotspots, and a tip-up will eventually pop. But if you want to catch walleyes rather than debate the benefits of brandy over schnapps, you've gotta be mobile.

The best way to find active fish is hitting the ice with several other anglers who fan out on different vectors via ATV or snowmobile, equipped with portable marine radios. Fishing HotSpots (1-800-500-MAPS) has an excellent map with GPS coordinates. Each member of your search team should also have a map. Savvy anglers know better than to refer to locations by names printed on the maps. It's better if all in your party have a numbering system when they head out. An urgent call to "bring a gaff to No. 3" enables your party to take advantage of a hot bite without drawing a crowd. GPS, compass and a marine radio can be more important than a gas auger on this big water.

Milwaukee shiners are a popular bait for Winnie's walleyes. Keep the presentation simple - just a No. 8 treble hook and split shot, with the bait hovering about 18 inches off the bottom. And hook the minnow under the dorsal fin.

Success on Winnebago is a run-and-gun operation. Start by poking at least nine holes, then move tip-ups every 20 minutes until you find active fish. Keep a jigging stick handy. Once walleyes are located, there are days you can fill out the rest of a limit jigging a Swedish Pimple before the rest of your gang can arrive on scene.

Contact: Dutch's Trading Post, Fond du Lac, (920) 922-0311.

A variety of game fish and panfish species are present, with pike, walleyes, smallmouth bass and salmonids all having trophy representation in the bay, with great action often found a long stone's throw from the ports of Ashland and Washburn.

Even though there is good fishing within sight of land, the only way to fish here is with a snowmobile or ATV. And by season's end you may very well need an extension for the Strikemaster power auger. Get away from shore and you'll find game fish attracted to subtle humps, many of which are clearly marked on the newest Fishing HotSpots map. The first few times you experience this ice, venturing no farther than the first breakline offshore is a real good plan.

The walleye bite is essentially low-light or ahead of an approaching weather system. Smallmouths, salmonids and pike can bite all day long. Although tip-ups and fishing after dark are sound tactics for Chequamegon's walleyes, a jigging stick with a Lindy Rat'lr spoon is the way to go for other species, with a Vexilar FL-18 flasher definitely part of hooking up on a consistent basis.

Contact: Outdoor Allure guide service, (715) 373-0551 or www.outdoorallure.com.

This is the kind of place where you can consistently fill a 10-panfish limit all winter long, with three fish of either species enough to feed the heartiest appetite. Nelson has a history of producing whopper bluegills, with a chance of icing an honest 2-pounder, with 14-inch crappies also a part of any serious day spent on the ice.

Since Nelson is fairly shallow, it is one of the first lakes to freeze in the cool, blue north. However, use due caution because ice is often weaker under the serpentine Totagatic River that winds through the lake, and under bogs that drift around Nelson which are now locked up in ice.

Locals know these bogs are panfish magnets, especially under first-ice conditions. Later in the year, remaining green vegetation and wood in Crappie Bay is a popular community spot, just out from the boat ramp access, as is Dutchman's Hole where the old river channel runs in close proximity to a large hump covered with woody structure. Locals have augmented the appeal of "The Hole" with several cribs and other cover. You won't need a GPS to find this spot. Just look for the light of lanterns. Come within earshot and you'll hear considerable laughter and the sound of fins slapping the ice.

Contact: Hayward Area Lakes Resort Association, (715) 634-4801 or www.haywardlakes.com.