Season's greetings
The first order of business is to wish all of you a very happy and healthy holiday.
I appreciate all of your comments and e-mails over the years, and even though I have an occasional problem returning the electronic correspondence, I make every effort to stay in touch.
On the tube: Even though I know many anglers are not cold weather fans and prefer to do their fishing from a boat rather than sitting on top of the ice, I suggest you keep a sharp eye on the various cable fishing channels for Babe Winkelman's great show.
Once again I joined Babe and Spence Petros for an outing, only this time it was in one of the harbors in the Milwaukee area.
You'll see us catching huge brown trout through the hard stuff while also listening to Babe and Spencer "busting each other's chops" over who is the better fisherman.
The show airs the first week in January and is repeated over a period of time.
Muskie pro Jim Saric gives it his best again in his third season on the tube with his Musky Hunter television show starting Jan. 3 on Comcast SportsNet.
Speaking of muskies: The outdoor sports show season kicks off with the 2009 Chicagoland Muskie Show at Harper College, Jan. 9-11. Information is at www.chicagomuskieshow.com.
One can dream: An ideal scenario right now would be to lather up with sunscreen and bask in the sun down in the Florida Keys while catching all sorts of fish.
Of course, reality paints a different picture for most of us. And the area story is a scene out of holiday cards and films - snow and lots of it, which happens to cover lakes frozen with lots of ice.
Speaking of Wisconsin: Ice anglers in Kenosha are having a field day with brown trout in the harbor. The usual bait of choice seems to be small tube jigs tipped with cut bait. ... Fox Chain: Walleye action on Lake Marie is just starting to pick up, with fish hanging close to shoreline areas. The same holds true for crappies. Channel Lake white and yellow bass are in a cooperative mood right on the weed edges. ... Hayward, Wis: Good crappie activity on Grindstone and Nelson Lakes. ... Chetek area: Very good jumbo bluegill action from lakes just outside this hamlet.
• Mike Jackson can be reached via e-mail at angler@mikejacksonoutdoors.com. His radio program can be heard Sundays from 6-7 a.m. on WSBC 1240-AM.