by Jerry Gibbs
Though always regionally popular, ice fishing has experienced unprecedented growth over the last few years. Responsible for this growth is the increased availability of ever more sophisticated equipment that's solved problems, boosted catches, and made the sport ever more comfortable.
One company, H.T. Enterprises of Campbellsport, Wisconsin, lists over 200 ice fishing items in its big winter catalog. Fishing the "stiff" water is lately drawing anglers from ice-free zones. Ice festivals and competitions are nudging the game into the realm of spectator sport as skiers, snowmobilers, and hikers brave frozen water expanses to visit ice-shanty towns and frequently enjoy a snack or hot drink from gregarious ice anglers.
In no other angling arena have equipment advances resulted in such a schism among those practicing the sport. In some regions, anglers continue to use tackle considered by modern ice experts as better suited to the Dark Ages. Happily, though, the spud-stick-and-home-forged-lure brigade continues to catch fish, though perhaps not the numbers, nor with the ability to target species as the high-techies. But it is a pleasure knowing you can successfully participate for very few dollars.
A vital part of today's equipment is the light--but highly protective--performance clothing that has taken the teeth from winter. Couple this with enough gadgets and goodies to keep even the most impatient intrigued all day, and there's no excuse to stay home. As an ice fisher friend once told me, "Heck the show on my fishing sonar is a lot better than most stuff they're showing on prime time TV!"
Though wood jig sticks continue to be used, the better ice rods have proper handles, reel seats, oversize guides to deal with icing, and more. Stiffer jigging sticks or poles can be sensitized through the use of so-called spring "bobbers"--delicate tip extensions.
Spinning, casting, or exposed-rim fly reels work for ice fishing. The most important factor is a good drag that doesn't freeze. You may need to completely clean and degrease a reel, relubricate it with light "speed" oil. Remember to repack it again for open water.
Tip-ups for species larger than panfish employ a flag (sometimes enhanced with signal bells, Cyalume light sticks, or lithium battery-operated lights) to signal a moving spool, meaning a bite. The old crossed-stick-style tip-up (today mainly plastic) is still catching fish, but there are two advanced models that can't be beat. The first is the Polar Tip-Up which has a spool guaranteed against freezing. The spool shaft is lubricated, packed under pressure, and sealed. It has a stainless steel trip mechanism offering four settings from light to heavy depending on weight or activity of your bait. A set screw adjusts line spool tension for further versatility. This unit can be so finely tuned it is suitable not only for big fish, but also for fishing the smallest minnows for light-biting trout, walleyes, even crappies.
The Polar presents a bait conventionally--the only movement is the bait's own. The Windlass Tip-Up uses the wind to impart steady action to a bait--jigging it, if you will. A wide range of bait movement is possible depending on settings. The Windlass's reel spool is fixed to a hinged arm. Your line runs to a hole in an aluminum fan at the end of this arm, then down to the water. Adjusting the fan height increases wind action, and vice versa. Facing the fan downwind creates up-down jigging, facing it into the wind results in primarily upward bait movement, ideal if you're fishing close to weeds.
Unlike standard tip-ups, the Windlass reel is above water; you'll need to pinch ice from your line occasionally, and also unclog the ice hole unless you use a tube-type hole cover.
The Windlass keeps live bait struggling, makes dead bait look alive. Usually this is effective, though you'll wear out more live baits. During a fussy bite the stationary presentation by a standard tip-up or the Polar is often preferred by fish.
Years back we used to tie panfish flies to look like grubs or scuds on trout hooks, fishing them from droppers off the main line which was weighted with a sinker scraped to shine. Later we used big attractor spoons with the hooks removed, or chrome-plated or stainless steel flashers--homemade metal slabs--in place of the sinkers. The flies alone caught fish but were often baited with natural things.
Today the variety of tiny manufactured ice flies and ice jigs available is mind boggling. Fished from the heavy flash attractors they still take aggressive panfish, but for the subtle biting fish you'll want one of the ultra-sensitive ice rods that let you fish these mini-lures by themselves or at the least, precious little extra weighting with tiny split shot.
Metal, teardrop-shaped ice "flies" have been the traditional favorites and Custom Jigs & Spins Co. has a tremendous variety. Teardrops or System Tackle's Rattling Hooker and Moon Lites flutter down slowly and are hard to feel. Add tiny split shot or else a small Rocker jig from Jig-A-Whopper as the bottom lure. Ultralight ice jigs with the line-tie eye in the center of the head are presented to swim horizontally and you seem to feel them better. Most come with plastic or feather dressings. Fished with grubs or Eurolarva (maggots) you need to trim off most of the artificial dressing. My favorite is the Russian import called Marmooska (from H.T. Enterprises). It's cast with the hook on a down angle in the lead head. Most of the weight is ahead of the eye. Because little lead is on the hook shank, you have an effectively larger gap and also swifter swing up of the hook point when a fish takes. The Dave Gentz-designed Fat Boy from System Tackle is another great one.
Include tiny ice floats or European-style floats rigged fixed or slip-style in your kit. Properly balanced (weighted) by the lures or with tiny split shot, they register the subtle bites you sometimes miss wearing heavy mitts--even using sensitive rods.
Tip-up line is heavier, usually testing 15 to over 30 pounds. Braided Dacron has been the standard, followed by newer plastic or Teflon-coated specialty lines. They make for easier hand-over-hand retrieving, and don't freeze and stick to ice. A light monofilament leader is attached to the working end.
Good sonar units show you not only bottom type, they can depict your jigging bait in relation to fish on the screen, priming you for a hit. To show the small lure, your transducer must be in the hole from which you're fishing, and be level. "Otherwise the sonar gain must be turned way up and you'll lose surface signals," says Dave Genz. The Minneapolis ice expert (Winter Fishing Systems) created the Ice Box some years back, a plastic unit that holds your sonar and battery; it also features an adjustable transducer bracket and leveling bubble.
If ice is not riddled with air pockets you can use sonar for rough readings (basic depths) through ice by splashing a little water or mineral oil on the ice for complete contact with the transducer face. In extreme cold don't keep the transducer on the ice too long. Find your general depth or structure, then start drilling holes for fine-tuned readouts.
Copyright (c) 1995 Jerry Gibbs. All Rights Reserved.
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