Articles by Doug Stange

I’ve fished many of the greatest walleye fisheries in North America—and I’ve fished many of the most average, just like some of those out your backdoor. One pattern that develops during spring...View article

When it happens at a distance, and it often does, you can just barely see and feel the subtle wobble and flash of the lure as it’s gently pulled forward, left, then right—then left-right. You’re...View article

Sourbait is cutbait turned rotten, rancid, and ripe. Winter-killed fish don’t decompose in the cold water, but when temperatures begin to rise in spring, the gases inside these fish expand and the...View article

Toad Smith was my best catfishing buddy, a guy so charitable of spirit that he would gladly give up two days of catfishing to help you finish your work so you could go too, and so much so the practical...View article

Sourbait is cutbait turned rotten, rancid, and ripe. Winter-killed fish don’t decompose in the cold water, but when temperatures begin to rise in spring, the gases inside these fish expand and the...View article

A thorough understanding of walleye behavior remains the basis upon which successful walleye fishing rests. Without understanding the basic nature of this fish, it’s difficult to consistently find...View article

The jig-and-softbait options I’ve been tinkering with for almost a decade have proven irresistibly attractive to pike. They cast well, hook fish well, and it’s easy to handle fish once you catch...View article

Fishermen are legendary liars, as in the old saw, “All fishermen are liars except me and you, and I’m not so sure about you.” I’m pretty certain pike and muskie anglers fit firmly in this crowd. One...View article

If I were a younger fella, insecure in the slightest, and not already more proficient at muskie fishing than the legendary **** Pearson, I might be bothered by his assessment of my gear as “girlie...View article

George L. Herter, one of the earliest entrepreneurial mail-order sales masters of outdoor gear, advertised a “fish call” in his catalog in the 1950s. The call was, as I remember it, basically a...View article

The fish we catch and keep to eat remain for most of us a vital part of ice fishing—a reward for our effort that goes beyond sport. About once a year, someone here goes on pickle patrol. Last season...View article

Classic lake trout patterns persist at first-ice or at season openings, which vary by state and province. One classic opener is the January 1 beginning to the season in Northwest Ontario, a date which...View article

How little things have changed over the last 30 years when it comes to lures for winter walleyes. On the other hand, even modest changes have been mightily significant in the production of more fish. Sturdy...View article

Not unlike waving a red flag at a bull, a properly played lure can get pike so worked up that they hit a darting bait when they wouldn’t otherwise think of taking a livebait or a deadbait. So, too,...View article

So long as active perch are grouped and holding in shallow water, it’s preferable to fish for them, because it’s more efficient to fish shallow than to fish deep. First-ice often produces good fishing...View article