While the temperature outside hovers around zero, many Minnesota residents hunker down for indoor activities. While some are content stoking the fire and watching the latest episode of American Idol, others have an insatiable itch. It’s an itch so strong that it drives them to wake up well before sunrise to chase that next hot bite. If this sounds familiar to you at all, then you may already be stricken. I can tell you that the crew from HSM Outdoors, the ever so popular Facebook fishing page, has it bad. They not only embrace Mother Nature’s icy grip, they live for it. You see for me, and the HSM crew, the addicting part of ice fishing is putting together the puzzle and unlocking the mysteries of the world below the frozen surface. That equals finding fish where others seldom look. According to a recent survey on my Facebook page, an overwhelming amount of anglers say the greatest skill an ice angler can improve on is the art of finding fish. This was seen as a greater skill than jigging style and bite detection. Then why do some anglers congregate over community hot spots, so accepting that the fish are simply not biting? These anglers have yet to be stricken with what we refer to, in my group of friends, as the panfish fish itch.

Forrest City, AR – Customer, what does that word mean? According to BusinessDictionary.com a Customer is a party that receives or consumes products (goods or services) and has the ability to choose between different products and suppliers. I think thats a spot on definition of a consumer. There is especially one portion I like about the definition it says, “and has the ability to choose between different products and suppliers."

The question is have you heard of the Hydrowave? Well, if you followed professional Bass fishing you would've known that Kevin VanDam has credited the HydroWave for helping him win the 2011 Bassmaster Classic, that Jeff Kriet is on their pro staff and a lot of Bassmaster Elite and FLW Bass professionals believe in it. Now, I know what your thinking, what does this have to do with me as a crappie angler? The answer is NOTHING. Just like other products that come onto the market, just because they have a Pro Bass angler associated with it our question has always been, how will that help us crappie anglers.