Here's a nice morning's catch!
(Before the invention of the Web, I would post the text of this ice fishing informational post to rec.outdoors.fishing and alt.fishing each year...)
Well, it's that time of year again, and in my never-ending quest to get more anglers active in the sport of ice fishing, here is kind of a "Frequently Asked Questions" list that I post annually... If you have any suggestions/input, let me know!
We had first-ice fishing around here (western NY) between Christmas and New Year's on some local shallow, sheltered bays, but the past few days have been very warm, and it's all back to open water now. Looks like we'll have a SECOND first-ice this year!
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Here's a few tips I picked up and answers to questions I had after resuming ice fishing after being idle at it for 15 years... just to provide a reference, I usually fish for perch, walleye, northern pike, and pickerel through the ice here in New York State. We are allowed 5 tip-ups and 2 hand lines per person in most waters.
-How to locate the fish?
1. Fish near other ice fishermen!! Chances are they are die-hards or locals who go out frequently, and know where the fish
hang out. If you drive by a lake on a Saturday about 2-3 hours
after sunrise, everybody should be set up, and you should get a
good idea where the fish are. I've found trying to park the car
in a legal spot to be a bigger headache than finding the fish.
2. Fish VERY close to the bottom. Water is most dense at 39.2 degrees F. Sooo... in any lake that is *completely* frozen, the warmest water in the lake will be 39.2 degrees, and it will be on the bottom of the lake. The water temp in a frozen lake will range from 32 degrees (the water immediately under the ice) to 39.2 degrees (the water at the bottom of the lake). Fish, being cold-blooded, will congregate where it is most comfortable (warmest). NOTE that this near-the-bottom rule is a general rule, and that some fish, notably crappie, frequently "suspend" quite some distance off the bottom for some reason, maybe something to do with oxygen levels or forage. I don't fish for crappie, so I've never looked into this further.
3. You can bring a portable depth finder out on the ice, and get a good reading right through the ice, without drilling a hole! Just make a slight depression in the ice with the auger, pour in some water, then put the transducer into the puddle, and voila! I also read somewhere that you could attach the transducer to a broom handle, put a plastic bag around the end filled with (non-toxic) antifreeze/water solution, and prick a tiny hole in the bag (this might not be necessary; I haven't tried it), and walk around scanning the depth like you'd use a metal detector! I've never tried this because I've got enough junk to cart out on the ice without a broomhandle/bag. Besides, method #1 above is the usual method of deciding on a location. I've heard that non-toxic antifreeze can be found at RV (Recreational Vehicle) stores.
4. Try and locate a bend or break in the weedline and fish it. (As opposed to just fishing the deep edge of the weedline.) Unless you're blessed with clear ice with no snow on top, about the only way to know where such a break is is to use a depthfinder or know where it is from summer. One interesting note is that if the water is clear and relatively shallow, you can see down into it quite a distance by doing this: lie down on the ice, and look down the hole, shading the hole with the hood of your parka. At first you won't see anything, but be patient. After a minute or so, your eyes will adjust and focus (following your bait down as you lower it is a big help to focus), and you'll be *amazed* at seeing your bait and the bottom. On the other hand, you could become frozen to the ice like this until spring :-).
- What baits and lures are good?
My favorite jigging lures are the Swedish Pimple, and the Jigging
Rapala. The Swedish Pimple is a silver banana-shaped jigging
"spoon(?)" about 1.5" long. The Jigging Rapala is a cigar-shaped
fake fish, about 1.5-3.5" long, perhaps 1/4" in diameter max. The unique
thing is, it has a v-shaped clear fin at one end that causes it to dart
way out from the vertical when you jig it.
I always tip them with either a live mousie grub or perch
eye, or a soft white plastic imitation grub (that looks like a
mousie). I've also had great luck with the Berkely Power Wigglers;
I've been using them instead of live mousies for several years now.
You could also use a dead minnow or bait head. Another favorite of
mine is a tiny jig called a "teeter totter", in chartreuse, tipped
with a mousie or two.
Any other heavy, thin spoon/chunk of metal should work well also. Shiny lures are good, since it can be pretty dark under the ice, especially if there's a layer of snow on top. Flashy lures can be more easily seen by the fish. There are many local independent tackle manufacturers that have ice jigging lures such as "Jig-em-up"s and others. A popular style is somewhat triangular shaped, but the line ties to the wide (heavy) end, and each time the lure falls, it flips over (heavy side down).
The idea is that you want to use a lure heavy enough to straighten out whatever line you are using. You need a straight line in order to detect light bites.
Other people fish with tiny "ice flies"- essentially tiny weighted jigs with rubber legs or hair, tipped with some small hardy grub. With this they use a tiny bobber, and watch for nibbles. This is used for fussy biters, mainly panfish. Another popular rig for bluegills is to have a small jig on the end of your line, and then a foot above, tie on a dropper line with a dry fly and mousie. Lots of times the bluegills are suspended, and you'll catch 2 at a time.
For northern pike, you can't beat live bait (minnows/shiners/chubs/ suckers, etc.). Smaller live bait is also very good for walleye, bass, perch, crappie. For bass, walleye, pickerel, use 3-4" bait, smaller bait for perch or crappie, larger/much larger bait for pike. When we go fishing, we *always* use live bait. We always use tip-ups, and jig in our free time. Some people just like to jig, and certainly catch enough fish doing so, but I like using tip-ups too.
- How to fish with these baits/lures?
If you use live bait (minnows), use tip-ups. The tip-ups I use don't
really "tip up"; when open, they look like the x-y-z axes, with a
spool of line hanging underwater (to prevent freezing), and a flag
attached to a piece of flat spring steel to signal when you get a bite.
I own one tip-up that is different than the rest- it's called a
"Windlass". Basically, it's fully above the water (so it's difficult
to use if it's REAL cold and freezing out), and it jigs the live bait
using the wind- there's a metal paddle on it that your line goes
through. In the first 5 years I had this tip-up it out
performed 8 other normal tip-ups that my friend and I used. Some
trips, it was the only thing we caught fish on. It costs ~$12, but
it's worked so well for me that I feel it's worth buying at least one.
Use a solid braided trolling/icefishing line on the tip-ups, NOT monofilament (you won't be able to see mono/untangle it out on the ice). Tie on a good swivel, then a 3-4' mono leader using a surgeon's knot; the lighter the better (note that the pound test of mono goes UP at cold temps). Put on an appropriate size sharp hook, and the smallest split shot that will keep your bait down. Typical hook sizes are #6-8 for crappie/perch, #4-6 for walleye, 2/0-6/0 for pike (or a treble hook). I've read in the "In-Fisherman" magazine about a "quick strike" rig for pike- it's a small treble on the end, with a second small treble that can slide along the steel leader. You put one treble under the dorsal, the other in the tail of the bait. This eliminates the need for waiting for the pike to stop, turn the bait, and move again before setting the hook. In 2004, I went fishing for large pickerel. I had 3 tip-ups with quick strike rigs, and 10 more with single large hooks. I caught every bite on the quick strike rigs, and MISSED every bite on the single-hook tip-ups. I just went to the bait store and bought quick-strike rigs for all the rest of my tip-ups!
Monofilament seems to work fine on jigging rods/reels since it sheds water a little better than braided line.
Oh yeah, another tip from my grandfather... when using tip-ups, slide a button, threaded through 2 of its holes, onto your tip-up line be- fore you tie on a leader or hook. When you "sound" the bottom, mark it at the water line with the button. Move the button an appropriate distance to adjust for the reel being under water, plus 6-8" or so extra (the distance of the bait off the bottom). Now, whenever you catch a fish, you don't have to waste time finding the bottom again- just wind the line onto the spool until the button marker, and you are at the exact depth you were at when the fish hit!
For jigging, tie a snap onto the end, and then clip your lure to that. It gives the lure a much more lively action than if you'd tied the line directly to it. Again, jig really close to the bottom.
One tip I've read for walleye is that the schools always (continually?) swim around the lake PARALLEL to the shoreline (following the contours), so, when setting up your tip-ups, set them all in a straight line out perpendicular from the shoreline in order to find out where the fish are. This forms a line of bait that any walleye swimming by within 50-100 yards of shore will have to pass through. When you find a "hot" hole (depth), you can then move the other tip-ups near it.
For northern pike, try setting the minnow only 2-3 feet below the ice (even in relatively deep water). I've heard that Northern's look up, and this technique can be quite successful. Pinching off the top half of the tail of the shiner will cause the bait to wiggle erratically.
This a really great tip... If it's going to be REALLY cold out while you're fishing, you might want to consider bringing a small hammer or pick out with you in order to break the frozen tip-ups out of the holes... It sure beats kicking the ice with your heel or bashing your ice scoop to pieces. You can also use it to gently tap the ice build-up off your auger blades.
- How to stay warm and dry?
Remember that you are on hard *water*, so don't kneel down every time you want to rig up a new bait or look down the hole- your knees
will get wet.
Bring an old hand towel or rag to wipe your hands on... if you
keep using your pants, you're going to get pretty wet.
Dress in layers. If you get too hot, you can open up or take off
a layer or two.
Make sure your neck is well protected with either a turtleneck, dickie
or scarf. Wear a hat (or 2 if it's windy)- I usually wear a
hardhat liner underneath a ski hat.
Wear long underwear, and a couple sets of socks. A polypropylene
liner sock against your feet with a wool outer sock will wick away
sweat and keep your feet dry. Polypropylene socks/underwear is
available from good sporting goods stores or outdoor mail order
houses. Don't wear so many socks that your boots become tight.
Tight boots will make your feet cold due to reduced circulation.
Bring one heavy set of gloves/mittens for standing around between
bites, and bring one set of thin light gloves for fooling around
setting up tip-ups. That way you won't get your primary set of gloves
wet by handling fish or bait.
Cut off an old pair of socks, and put the ankle-parts over your
wrists to warm them from the wind (wrist-warmers).
Bring coffee or hot chocolate in a thermos.
Bring lunch or snacks.
Bring something to sit on, like a wooden box on a sled/skis or
a 5 gallon plastic pail- especially if you're going to jig all day.
If it's sunny, bring sunglasses unless you like squinting for 6 hours
straight, and not being able to see inside the house once you get
home. Remember that wool is warm even when wet.
If it's slippery ice
out, bring a pair of ice creepers for safety. I've found that walking with
a slight bend in your knees helps you keep your balance on slick ice.
You can also get a portable icefishing shelter. Several manufacturers now make them, having become very popular in the last 10 years or so. They have a light canvas or nylon tent that folds up, and a tough plastic base with a seat inside. You drill a hole or two, then pull the shelter tent over the top of you. You're not only out of the wind, but the relative darkness makes it easy to look down the hole, and you can watch the fish if the water is shallow.
- Is there an ideal depth to fish?
YES! Within 6-12" of the bottom, noted above (unless you're fishing
for northern pike and the bottom is completely weed choked- then fish
just above the weeds. And unless you're fishing for crappie, which
can suspend at any depth- here's where that depth finder is gold!).
- Can regular spinning tackle be used ?
Sure, but it's a little more difficult to handle the rod and control
the line/bait with your line going down this one tiny hole. You'd
be better off making a short jigging rod from an old rod tip/handle
or buying one- you can get inexpensive rod for maybe $6. Very
sensitive short graphite ice fishing rods are available for $20-30. But if you
don't want to invest the time or money, the big rod WILL work...
until I procured a second short rod, I used to bring a full size rod
with me as my second rod... hey, a long pole is better than no pole!
- What's an inexpensive yet effective way to cut holes?
For effective, I'd suggest a gas auger, but they certainly aren't
cheap. It's the only way to go if your ice gets 30-40" thick like
it does at Lake Champlain here in NY!
If you will routinely cut through more than an inch or two of ice,
don't get a spud (chisel) bar. My grandfather and I used one for years,
until I bought a screw-type Mora brand auger. I'd say this
brace-and-bit type auger is 5-600 percent EASIER than chopping
a hole with a spud bar- the difference is unbelievable. A new spud
bar will cost you, say $15-20, but for roughly $30 you can get one
of these screw augers. There are also less expensive "scoop" type
augers, which work ok as well, although I've never used one.
So in order of increasing preference, *I* would pick:
spud bar--scoop type auger--name brand screw type auger--name brand
power auger
I guess a spud bar would be ok if you had either perpetually thin
ice (in which case you shouldn't be out there) or always use somebody
else's day-old holes. An auger-type drill has difficulty cutting
through the unevenly frozen ice that is in a 1-2 day old frozen hole.
If possible, try and use a scoop type and a screw type before you
buy one of your own, or ask other anglers if they like theirs. If
you went out on a lake and asked, I'm sure someone'd let you drill
a few holes for them! :-) On popular lakes, if you go out later in the
day, you can even get by using
old holes as fishermen move on or go home. You'll need a scoop/strainer to
clear the new hole of slush.
- Is this safe??
Well, I think so, provided a healthy dose of common sense
and caution is used. Carry a long rope or two, and some type of
"ice awls" so that you could pull yourself out if needed.
I usually fish in well-known ice fishing areas, and stay off until
I see lots of other fishermen out there. If I fish a remote area, I
bring LOTS of friends, and wait until I'm SURE there's plenty of ice.
I personally wouldn't go out on thin (1-3") ice; I prefer to wait
until I've got a good 6-8" or so under me; even so, the flexibility and other characteristics of the ice can sometimes be unnerving...
once
on a small pond, with at least 8" of solid ice all over, I found I
could make the water in fishing holes near shore slosh around
by going to the middle of the pond and bouncing up and down. There's
also weak areas of thinner ice (typically caused by underwater springs) that you
have to watch out for. If you see a spot on the ice that looks wet or has mushy
snow on top, stay away- it's wet because the ice has bowed down in that
area. The booming and cracking of ice on sunny days also takes some
getting used to... you have to consciously override your brain's
command that says "RUN!", and realize that the 12" of solid ice
beneath your feet is going nowhere.
Some people need first-hand experience to comprehend that solid,
thick ice is really safe. I had to take both my wife and a
co-worker out on the ice in order for them to understand this; no
amount of logic could convince them.
When ice is really thick and solid, some anglers just drive their
cars out on the ice. Personally, I think this is nuts, and I'd never
do this with MY car (try and explain THIS one to your insurance
company!), but I have been out on Lake Champlain and other lakes in
cars. (It was either ride out or walk 3 miles to catch up to my
partners.) On Champlain, the ice was maybe 38" thick, so I felt
pretty secure.
-Heard anything new lately?
More and more people are buying portable fish shelters. This is causing more
companies to get into manufacturing them, thus driving the price down. Perhaps
you can even find a used 1-man one at a bargain price from someone that's
upgrading to a 2-man.
Sensitive graphite rods are starting to become common in the past couple of years. One day while talking with Dave Genz, he demonstrated that with the lightest rods you can feel when a fish has picked up your jig and risen UP with it (rather than pulling on it).
Underwater cameras are a cool (but pricey) new toy- check out the Aqua-Vu products. They even have a portable digital video recorder that can record what the camera sees. Also check out Cabela's. I got one of their cameras last year on sale, and learned a lot... one day I stopped at my favorite ice fishing place. There's usually a hundred people on this bay, but this day there were only 6. I asked around, and they weren't catching anything; well, that explains that, so I thought. I set up anyway, mainly to try out the underwater camera, and was stunned to discover there were PLENTY of fish under the ice there. I saw maybe 40 fish in an hour or so, all different kinds and sizes- they just weren't interested in biting. I did catch one sunfish, quite exciting to watch it all on the camera. I found that every single time I dropped my jig to the bottom, a largemouth bass would slowly cruise in out of the gloom to examine it- very closely (like a couple of inches away). But they wouldn't bite. If I had had more time, perhaps changing size or type of bait would've yielded success, as the fish were certainly there.
"YakTrax" is a fairly new product, and is excellent for walking on the slippery ice, sort of like ice creepers without points.
Several years ago, a hot jigging lure for walleye was Jig-a-Whopper's "Rocker Minnow". It's a banana-shaped jigging "spoon". I own one, but I haven't been walleye ice fishing yet to try it, but it won a summer tournament or two a few years ago.
I personally have had GREAT success on panfish using the Berkely Power Wigglers. They come (dry) in a jar, and are mousie-grub shaped fish attractant. They last much longer on the hook (you can catch more fish per grub) than live mousies. In the summer I used them fishing, and they caught panfish when LIVE WORMS would not! They are hard to find in stores, though. I'm not sure if it's because they are so popular or because they are so UNpopular. All I know is that I'll seldom use live mousies again, so long as I can get some of these Power Wigglers.
The "Judas" principle was mentioned in the Dec. 1991 In-Fisherman magazine. Basically, use one really LARGE bait in the middle of your other tip ups/jigging holes. The larger vibrations put out by this big bait will attract fish from a greater distance than your normal tiny baits will. On the way in to the source of the large vibration, the fish will encounter your other tip ups/jigs with smaller sized bait. (The large bait is too big for them to eat.) Sounds reasonable; I'll give it a try this year.
-Where can I find out LOCAL information- spots, conditions, etc.?
See http://www.iceshanty.com
This is a great discussion web site, with forums broken up by state.
Active fishermen post conditions and results there daily.
-How can I learn more?
The In-Fisherman "Ice Fishing Secrets" book is a really
*great* source of information, both for the beginner as well
as the experienced ice fisherman. I believe they have a couple
of ice fishing videos as well.
The World Wide Web had plenty of ice fishing sites.
Your local library will certainly have a book or three.
Stop by a local bait shop at a nearby lake, and ask about
conditions, fishing success, and good lures/baits. In-Fisherman has
also produced a few how-to ice fishing videos.
copyright 1990-2009, Rick "My tackle box weighs 38 pounds" Inzero rdi@rochester.rr.com
When you hear a dull "thump thump" sound from beneath the ice when going out ice fishing, you know it's going to be a good day- the fish are jumping!! -from my ice-fishin' buddy Dave