The problem with ice fishing, in many cases, is that people
let themselves get bored, or cold, or discouraged. That doesn't
have to be the case. It's a matter of being willing to change
and try something new. If I haven't had any action in 15 minutes,
I move! Drill a few more holes. It'll keep you warm. Remember
kids have short attention spans (so do most adults) and if
the fish aren't hitting or the weather is too cold or windy
it's no fun at all being on the ice. Keep it short and sweet
and your youngster will be much more likely to get excited
about the next trip. Two of the most revolutionary devices
for ice fishing are the hand held GPS and the portable depthfinder.
Without these ice angling would still be locked in the last
1,000 years. Today, when a hot spot is located, the location
can easily be electronically saved as a waypoint on a hand
held GPS, ensuring swift, efficient guaranteed returns with
just the press of the button. If only I had one these when
I was a kid. The frustrating times trying to find that white
house and the dead tree when in actuality the house was painted
a different color and the dead tree fell in the high wind
last summer. GPS would have helped my dad and me locate those
roving schools of walleyes next to that favorite dropoff.
I have good luck locating fish holding structure through the
ice using my Bottomline Fishing Buddy. By making use of the
zoom feature, I can identify fish that are holding very tight
to the structure being checked. By simply wetting the ice
and placing the transducer on the wet spot, I can examine
the bottom make-up before drilling my holes. This saves me
both time and work. The key to ice fishing, as it is in any
fishing, is location. For walleye and other gamefish, try
long tapering points; inside channel turns; rock humps, neck
downs, and structure near spring spawning areas. Use the depthfinder
to spot fish. I prefer my Bottomline 1200 Fishing Buddy. You
can get an the additional ice bracket, but I use it right
through the ice because it will rest on the surface of the
ice and it has the sidefinding capabilities as well as straight
down. Try submerged brush piles and blowdowns for crappie
and bluegill. Watch the screen. You can actually see fish
appear on a graph. Sensitive depthfinders track your lure
so you can put it right in the fish’s face. I have actually
seen a mark appear on the sonar screen while reeling in a
lure. A pause, and the mark moved closer to the bait. A twitch
of the wrist brought a powerful strike. A heart-racing fight
put a nice eight pound walleye on the ice. The same situation
can be used for panfish. The warmest innovation that has helped
the ice angler stay on the ice longer, which enables them
to catch more fish, is the portable ice shanty. A good, lightweight,
portable ice shanty can provide a lot of added comfort. A
propane lantern is enough to warm the interior. These structures
come with names such as the Clam, and the Fish Trap. The important
thing is that they allow you to take others out on the ice
and yet be mobile. One thing that many modern ice fisherman
want to do is to move from location to location. Sure, the
carpeted ice shack with the bunkbeds is nice, but not as portable
as the modern ice angler needs. Weather is just as much a
factor as it is in the summer time. When a storm is hitting
the surface of the frozen lake the fish will turn off and
usually will go through a "cold front" condition after the
storm stops. The walleye likes to feed during stable weather
and if you are planning that early ice-time walleye trip check
the weather before and during your stay. Sometimes the approach
of a winter storm will trigger a feeding frenzy because of
the advance of low light conditions. Regardless of the type
of lake you fish, your choice in baits is also critical. Use
larger baits under stable weather conditions. For walleye
and pike, don’t’ hesitate to use the largest shiners you can
get. If you are jigging, also use larger spoons. After a front,
downsize your minnow. Many nice walleye have been taken on
small crappie minnows under adverse conditions. Panfish can
become finicky after a weather change, so, again, down size
your bait. Jigging iced walleyes is the most deadly method
of all, if done properly. Proper size, color selection and
action all come into play. Early season fishing I like to
use a Jigging Rapala in chartreuse or silver and black and
this past year I really liked using the rainbow trout color.
I also spend a little extra time and put on the next size
bigger treble hook. This additional size hook allows me to
put the head of a fathead minnow on and still have plenty
of play in the hook to jig a natural action and increase hookups
with additional space between the shank and the barb of the
hook. It is a good idea to keep your jigging action down to
a minimum. But, you also have to respond to the mood of the
fish. If I find that the fish prefer to have a tempting morsel
just quiver in front of their face then I will do that. Other
times the fish might be attracted to the jig slamming into
the sand and making a "poofing action" that stirs up the floor
of the lake. Always remember these walleyes want an easy meal.
By far the best winter angling on Mille Lacs, Lake of the
Woods, Rainy, Leech and countless other Minnesota lakes occurs
from first ice through mid to late January. Just like summer
seasons, some winter seasons produce faster action than others.
Usually the fall is a predictor of what might come in the
winter. And of course the winter action might also predict
the summer bite. If you are interested in finding out more
about ice fishing the simple way contact me on the web at
www.walleye.info. Hope to see you on the ice soon!
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