Joe Shead

Joe Shead

Joined: Dec 13, 2024

Joe Shead is an accomplished outdoor writer, hunter, fishing guide and multi-species angler from Minnesota who will fish for anything, even if it won’t bite. Check out more of his work at goshedhunting.com and superiorexperiencecharters.com.

The Berkley Dough Rider spinner has a unique Scent Vent pocket in the body, designed to hold scented Berkley PowerBait dough to attract more fish.

When the white bass make their spring spawning run, anglers can catch a lot of fish in no time.

Rough fish like this buffalo are widespread and incredibly powerful, often using current to extend fights far beyond what most anglers expect.

A few overlooked checks can turn your first launch of the season into a delay for everyone at the ramp.

When the perch won’t cooperate, you make your own fun.

Freshwater

A bucket-list Lake Gogebic perch trip unraveled fast—no snowmobile, slow fishing, and a looming blizzard led to two fish and an early exit.

Warm late-winter days before ice-out can produce some of the most aggressive perch fishing of the season, as fish feed heavily in preparation for spawning.

Freshwater

Late-season ice fishing often produces the biggest perch of the year. Learn where to find late-ice perch, the best lures to use, and how to fish safely.

Jon Kroll of Ashland, Wis., displays a 14-pound Lake Superior eelpout. This fish is longer than the existing state record, but came up a little short of record weight.

Freshwater

Burbot ice fishing is booming during late ice. Once overlooked, these freshwater cod are now one of the most compelling targets of the season.

The look on the rescuer’s face suggested this wasn’t his first call like this, and possibly not the first time we had met under these circumstances.

Freshwater

A snapped steering cable left Joe Shead four miles offshore on Lake Superior — and reminded him he’s better at getting towed than maintaining his boat.

Five miles from the truck, after dark, with a limit of walleyes — and a treble hook I didn’t plan on bringing home.

Freshwater

Joe Shead finished his walleye limit while ice fishing on a remote Minnesota reef — then buried a treble hook in his thumb five miles from the truck.

Trophies line the stage as anglers compete on the ice during a midwinter fishing derby.

Freshwater

Want to win your next ice fishing derby? Learn smart strategies serious anglers use to beat the odds and maximize their chances at big prizes.

Taking kids ice fishing is a good way to get them interested in the outdoors. Keep them warm and entertained and your fishing trip will be a positive experience.

Freshwater

Cold fingers and boredom end trips fast. These lessons help make ice fishing with kids warm, fun, and worth repeating.

Women often outfish men, which can hurt a guy's fragile ego.

Freshwater

Fishing with women often reveals more about a guy’s ego than his fishing skills. A humorous, self-aware look at patience, humility, and partnership.

Midwinter perch can often be found on deep mud flats. Use large spoons to get down quickly and attract fish from a distance.

Midwinter perch often abandon weeds for deep mud flats. Here’s how to find roaming schools, choose the right lures, and stay on fish all winter.

The transducer's cone angle is important: the wider the cone angle, the more of the bottom you can see.

Fish finder cone angle and depth dramatically change how much bottom your electronics see. Learn how wide, medium, and narrow transducers really work.

Ciscoes form large schools, fight hard and taste great. Plus, they are willing biters all winter long.

Ciscoes—also called tullibees—fight hard, school up, and bite all winter. Here’s why they’re my favorite fish to pull through the ice.

Crappies are generally pretty cooperative, but even they can be finicky at times. Employ these five tips to help put more crappies on the ice.

When crappies turn finicky, small adjustments make a big difference. These five ice fishing moves help turn follows into solid bites.