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Doc's Tackle Box: Mike "Doc" Sabec has been a professional fishing guide for the last 20 some years in the Mercer area. As a lifetime resident of Mercer, Wisconsin, "Doc" has been fishing the Turtle Flambeau Flowage andMercer area lakes for 36 years. “Doc” spends on average 200 days a year fishing the Turtle Flambeauand area lakes, specializing in walleye, small mouth bass, crappie, and early spring jumbo perch. As we plan to head into the Mercer area to fish, for the first time or a seasoned veteran, a few tackle tips are always helpful. Doc has put together a few tackle suggestions for products that he recommends and uses on a daily basis. |
Jigging walleyes has always been the most productive method and presentation when fishing the Turtle Flambeau or other Mercer area lakes. Tipped with a minnow or half crawler, the weedless jig is a very effective way to work wood areas, rocks, and weed lines. The ISG Slowfall Jig in the 1/8 oz. size and various colors is a excellent choice. With a plastic weed gaurd and wire hook will get you into where the fish are without to much trouble with snags. |
| The Mercer area lakes and the Turtle Flambeau flowage are abundant with crappie. Although not always easy to find on a consistent basis in the summer months, the crappie presentations and tackle are quite simple. I like to use a small 1/16th oz. jig which can be weedless or plain. Light line, (4 lb. test) and a soft tipped rod always adds a advantage to your success. Color of the jigs doesn't seem to matter as much as where the presentation is offered to the crappie. A small fathead minnow on the small jigs always works best. Crappies suspend most of the time over brush, cribs, weed lines, and deep water so it is very important to get the bait in their feeding zone. Slip bobber set ups can also work well when wanting to fish a desired depth over the top of structure. |
Walleye
| 1/8th Oz. Slowfall Jigs |
Smallmouth
| Crawdad |
| Watermelon Chartreuse |
| Goby |
Crappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
| The Turtle Flambeau Flowage has one of the best populations of jumbo perch around. Jumbo, meaning perch are common in the 10-15 inch range. I like to work a 1/16th oz. jig tipped with a 1 inch piece of crawler. Wood and weeds are key in finding the active perch in spring and summer months. The best fishing of all for the perch is the last week in April. Fall drives the perch to the deeper river channels, the deeper the better. Fall, use a fathead minnow instead of the crawler. |
| Over the last 5 years or so we have seen a explosion of bluegill on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. Gills up to 10-11 inches can be found around wood and weedy areas. Cribs provide a good shelter for the bluegill along with stump fields with good root systems. Small light jigs tipped with a small piece of crawler or worms work best to vertical jig these areas. Slip bobbers with the light jigs and worms set about a foot over the cribs, weed edges, and stump fields is also a great way to take these nice flowage gills. |
Small Mouth Bass love scented tubes. The 4"tube imitates the crayfish, and the small mouth's number 1 source of food in our area is the crayfish. The Turtle Flambeau and Mercer are lakes are full of crayfish making the 4" tube the bait of choice. Rig the tube with either a 1/16th or 1/8th oz tube jig. Vertical jigging these tubes around wood and weeds or casting and retrieving in a jigging motion can prove to be deadly for the small mouth. The ISG 4" tube in the "Crawdad" color is Doc's first choice, followed by the Watermelon Chartreuse and then the Goby. A slowfall with crawler or minnow also produce well. |