Martin said early anglers can plan to catch pike in Lower Hamlin Lake during the first ice. They can expect more pike action in Upper Hamlin during the later part of the season. When fishing for pike or walleyes, Martin prefers having his rig about 14 feet down.

"Predators like walleyes and pike like looking up for prey when they are on the hunt," Martin said. "There is a slight current in the narrows between the upper and lower lake and there always seems to be walleyes and pike in that area."

When fishing Hamlin Lake, the best place to park is at Wilson Park. For bait and tackle, stop by Hamlin Grocery, or call them at (231) 843-2058. For lodging, contact the Visitors Bureau at (800) 542-4600. Hotels are abundant throughout the Ludington area and in the winter, hotels are empty. Finding a room at a reasonable price should be easy.

LAKE GOBEBIC
Anglers willing to take a road trip should consider ice-fishing on Lake Gogebic in the Upper Peninsula. Martin said out of all of the places he fishes, this is one of his favorites.

"Lake Gogebic has everything, including large perch, monster walleyes and pike. Last year, I caught the biggest perch I ever caught on that lake. It is not uncommon to catch perch that are 12 to 16 inches long consistently," he exclaimed. "The problem with catching fish on Lake Gogebic is finding them. The lake is extremely long and the best way to find fish is to call a local lodge.

"Anglers should call Bear's Nine Pine Resort or Smitty's Walleye Lodge before they go. These two places always know where the fish are."

Martin said typically the south and north ends of the lake are best for perch.

"Most people find pike and walleyes near the south end because a river feeds the south end of the lake and the fish hang in the current," he said. "As a rule of thumb, first ice is best for walleyes and pike, and last ice is great for perch."

Martin said on his last ice-fishing trip to Lake Gogebic, he was regularly catching pike in the 5- to 9-pound range. For lodging and fishing information, contact Smitty's Walleye Lodge at (866) GO-GEBIC or www.walleye lodge.com, or the Nine Pines Resort at (906) 842-3361 or www.ninepines resort.com.

SAGINAW BAY ICE-FISHING SCHOOL
If walleyes are your favorite fish to catch, the best place to fish in the winter is Saginaw Bay. Over the last several years, the ice has been spotty. However, when the ice is good, the fishing is great. Most anglers fish the bay by using an ATV to access the best fishing spots, usually several miles offshore from Linwood. If you are interested in increasing your ice-angling skills, Martin teaches an ice-fishing school on Saginaw Bay every winter that is several days long. It includes seminars at Frank's Great Outdoors along with one-on-one fishing with Mark Martin and his team of professional anglers.

"We put the school on to show people how to ice-fish more effectively and how to use electronics to catch more fish," Martin said. "When they leave here after a few days of fishing, they have learned some of my techniques and will have a better understanding of how to use equipment including a Global Positioning System, Aqua-Vu camera and other fishing gadgets. Many anglers mark the places we fished on a GPS so they can come back to the same locations all winter."

To learn more about Martin's school, visit www.markmartins.net. If you need bait while fishing Saginaw Bay, call Frank's Great Outdoors at (989) 697-5341. For lodging information, contact the Bay City Convention and Visitors Bureau at (989) 893-1222.