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Fishing
articles by Dave Genz on Walleyes Inc. Your one stop internet
fishing source |
Late Ice Sight Fishing Secrets |
By Dave Genz and Mark Strand |
As late winter slowly becomes early spring, life in the
Ice Belt is loaded with distractions. That can cause ice anglers
to miss out on one of the greatest stretches of shallow water
sight fishing, and an opportunity to take their skills to
the next level. “One of the big problems,”
says ice fishing legend Dave Genz, “is that a lot of
people don’t think of themselves as ice fishermen at
this time of year. They’re too busy sitting in their
garage, in their boat, getting it ready.”
So perhaps there is that, the identity crisis that causes
ice anglers to give up on ice fishing too soon. This season,
don’t let it happen to you. Remain an ice angler through
the final weeks, and the rewards will be many.
Great Sight Fishing Awaits
Sight fishing, Genz is known for saying, is the best teacher
there is. And while it’s possible to sight fish in open
water, it’s far more possible through the ice.
“That’s because you have this stable platform
(the ice) that doesn’t move,” says Genz. “You
can see exactly what your bait looks like down there, and
what it does as you use various presentations. You can see
the fish come in at the bait, and how they react to what you’re
doing. Basically, you keep doing what they like and stop doing
what they don’t like.”
It’s at once both simple and profound, because it’s
a glorious opportunity to glimpse the predator and prey relationship
in real life. It’s as exciting as fishing gets, when
you see a big fish nose in under your hole, pectoral fins
pulsing, eyeing up your offering, and what you do determines
whether the fish eats what you’re selling.
Here, Dave Genz holds a dandy crappie he caught
sight fishing on the late ice, from inside the darkened
interior of his Fish Trap. (Photo: davegenz.com) |
This is where the intersection of mild
winter weather and your development as an angler is
found. We all know, in theory, that details make a difference
when it comes to catching fish consistently. But we
don’t all know, from our own experiences, which
details seem important to the fish we seek, and how
to experiment wisely with location, bait, and presentation.
In a few sunny afternoons on the late ice, your skills
can leap forward, and the lessons learned will serve
you well at any time of year, in any kind of fishing.
“When you get that picture in your mind of what
your bait is doing, and what the fish looks like when
it’s coming up to the bait,” says Genz,
“that can stay with you. Then, when you’re
fishing dirty water with a Vexilar, you can see the
fish in your mind instead of the signal. You see it
because you’ve experienced it.” |
One Universal Rule
To help get you started in the right direction, Genz offers
this advice for sight fishing success: keep doing what you
were doing when a fish shows up. “People tend
to slow down their jigging motion, or stop completely, when
a fish shows up,” says Dave. “When they’re
fishing on a Vexilar, they tend to keep jigging and lifting
the bait, trying to get the fish to chase it. But when they
can see the fish, it seems to cause them to think they have
to stop to make it easier for the fish to bite.”
In reality, he says, if you slow or stop the jigging motions,
many fish lose interest and go away. You’ll have better
success, in most situations, if you keep doing what you were
doing that got the fish interested in the first place. But,
Genz also says, watch closely what the fish’s reaction
is to the bait. On some days, you might have to slow down
at least a little to seal the deal. But, as often as not,
you’ll score more if you keep jigging the same way you
were before the fish showed up. “The time to experiment
with your jigging motion is before the fish comes in,”
says Dave. “You’re trying to find out what it
takes to get the fish’s attention. That can change from
day to day, and from daytime to prime time. But once you get
it figured out, you can usually keep using that presentation
and do really well.”
You Gotta be able to See
One secret to sight fishing is being able to see down into
the water well. That might sound obvious, but it brings up
an important point many late ice anglers overlook. Once it
becomes ‘nice’ outside, a lot of people trudge
out to a known fish-holding spot with a bucket, a few rods,
and an auger. They then try to see down the hole by hunching
over and blocking the sun with their back, or by laying on
the ice and using a hood to block light.
Rather than thinking of it as spare baggage, this is prime
time to fish inside a Fish Trap, with its darkened interior.
Keep using the Trap as a sled to haul your gear, then take
full advantage of it when the fishing starts. You’ll
see better, and the fish won’t be able to see you as
well.
Shallows Come Alive
This is the time of year when the shallow water comes alive,
as oxygen returns and water temperatures warm. Shallow spots
that were inhospitable just a few weeks earlier can be teeming
with life. It’s a playground waiting for you to explore,
a classroom waiting to teach you the secrets of presentation,
bite detection, and hooksetting.
Keep your ice fishing gear ready this year, as the last days
arrive, and hit the ice with an open mind ready to receive
the best teachers of all. Let the fish show you what they
want and how they want it. What you learn will change you
forever, no matter where you fish. The cover of ice is a gift
not to be wasted, especially not sitting in your boat in the
garage.
Note: Dave Genz, known as Mr. Ice Fishing, was the primary
driver of the modern ice fishing revolution. For more fishing
tips, go to www.davegenz.com. |
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