CHAPTER 17

Ice Fishing

In This Chapter

What makes ice fishing attractive

How to be safe and comfortable on the ice

What gear ice anglers use

What basic strategies ice anglers employ

How to catch common ice fishing species

In this chapter, you’ll learn about safe ice conditions and how to be safe and comfortable while on the ice. Also, you’ll learn about the wide array of specialized gear used by ice fishermen. Then you’ll learn the basic strategies ice anglers use as well as specific techniques for catching the most-pursued ice fishing species.

Attraction of Ice Fishing

People commonly complain about long winters, but that is not the case for ice anglers. From their perspective, winter, also known as the hard-water season, is too short. Ice fishing is something of an equalizer because an ice cover opens up a body of water and a winter landscape to all anglers.

While some anglers opt for solitude when ice fishing, the sport has much more of a social nature than other types of fishing. During the open-water season, shorelines, docks, streams, and boats might not allow for group fishing, but groups of family and friends are routine sights on the ice. In some cases, congregations of fishermen resemble a small village. Ice fishing derbies, too, play a role in the social aspect of the sport. Most derbies are annual affairs used as fundraisers by communities, civic groups, and sportsmen’s clubs, and most derbies run for one day or one weekend, although some are part of week-long winter festivals, and others are season-long affairs.

Since good fishing spots and derbies do draw a large contingent of anglers to a relatively small area, the resource may be subject to overfishing. With this in mind, many derbies have conservation themes such as catch-and-release categories, minimum-length requirements exceeding state regulations, and random drawings for prizes.

Ice fishing is a great winter activity with plenty of benefits, two of which are fresh air and exercise. Spend a day on the ice performing routine ice fishing tasks such as walking to a fishing spot, carrying gear, auguring holes, setting rigs, tending rigs, running to flags, jigging from hole to hole, picking up the gear, and returning to the vehicle, and you’ll be a tired individual. Ice fishing is a youth-friendly and pet-friendly activity, so take the kids and dog along. Another benefit is the possibility of a meal of fresh fish at the close of a winter day.

Bad Cast

Ice fishing regulations for many waters are different from regulations for those waters during the open-water season. For example, some waters may be closed to ice fishing while other waters may prohibit fishing for certain species such as brook trout. Also, regulations vary regarding the type and number of lines an angler may set. The point is you should always familiarize yourself with the ice-fishing regulations for any water prior to fishing there.

Safety on the Ice

Although perceived by some people as a somewhat risky activity, ice fishing is a very safe sport. The key is to venture forth only when ice conditions are favorable. General guidelines regarding ice safety are that ice 2 to 3 inches deep is safe for walking, ice 4 inches deep is safe for drilling holes and fishing, ice 5 inches deep is safe for snow machines and ATVs, ice 8 inches deep is safe for cars and light trucks, and ice 12 inches deep is safe for medium trucks and vans. When driving a vehicle on the ice, precautions call for going slowly, unfastening seatbelts, unlocking doors, and rolling down windows to facilitate escaping from the vehicle in the unlikelihood of going through the ice.

Ice Conditions

Ice conditions may or may not be consistent on a body of water. Two situations where ice could be thinner than the rest of the ice cover are underwater springs and current. Also, shallow areas and protected areas freeze first so they often have thicker ice than exposed areas that freeze later. First ice is good time to abide by the saying, “When in doubt, don’t go out.” Actually periods of deteriorating ice are usually more dangerous than periods when ice is forming. Last ice, rainy periods, thaws, consecutive days of unseasonably warm temperatures, and extended periods of sun can cause ice deterioration, and that deterioration occurs primarily around shorelines, islands, rocks, manmade structures, and shanties.

Checking on ice conditions is an important step in preparing for an outing. Local bait shops are excellent sources of such information because the shops are in daily contact with anglers. Some bait shops and fish and game departments regularly update their websites with current ice conditions. Also, consider doing some scouting by visiting potential fishing waters to check ice depth. If other anglers are there, politely ask them about ice depth and how the fishing is. Ice fishers are like other anglers in that they are usually willing to share information about their craft.

Safety Accessories

Among common ice fishing accessories for safety are cleats, picks, and ropes. Ice cleats strap over boots and provide insurance against slips and falls. Ice picks are handheld pieces of wood or plastic with a nail embedded in them, and they are used to pull an angler up on the ice in the rare case he or she ever falls through. A length of rope with an attached ring allows a person to aid an angler who has fallen through without having to approach the hole in the ice and risk breaking through, too.

Comfort on the Ice

If you are warm and dry, a day on the ice is an enjoyable experience. Such is not the case, though, if you are wet and cold. Comfort on the ice means dressing properly, and that means dressing in layers. Layering is important because you’ll be spending time in the vehicle and auguring holes, actions that require less clothing than when you are sitting on a pail waiting for a tip-up flag to fly or gathering gear as the sun settles on the horizon. Layering begins with long underwear and ends with a wind-resistant outer layer. A hooded jacket or an underneath layer consisting of a hooded sweatshirt provides extra warmth when it’s windy.

Critical to comfort as well as to protection from hypothermia and frostbite are protecting the extremities. Up to 40 percent of a person’s body heat can be lost through the head, 20 percent through the hands, and 10 percent through the feet. Extremity comfort means wearing quality socks, foot wear, gloves, mittens, and hats, and it never hurts to have an extra pair of socks and gloves in the vehicle. My hat choice is a warm toque. To reduce foot sweating, which can lead to cold feet, it’s best to put on your warm boots only after arriving at the fishing site.

Food and fluids also contribute to ice fishing comfort. Food helps the body produce heat, and fluids such as water and juices protect against dehydration, an overlooked ill of lengthy exposure to wind and cold temperatures.

A variety of ice fishing gear such as portable shelters and heaters allow for comfort, too, but commercially packaged hand warmers and foot warmers are hard to beat for cost, convenience, and effectiveness. Since people spend most of their winter hours indoors, a sunny day on the ice lends itself to sunburn, so applying sunscreen can provide protective comfort to facial skin.

Ice Fishing Gear

The gear used by ice anglers makes ice fishing unique, and there’s a lot of ice fishing gear out there. An ice fisherman can easily spend thousands of dollars when purchasing gear, but you can get started for less than $100 and still catch plenty of fish. Most anglers begin with basic equipment and then add gear as they go from season to season. When starting out, it’s worthwhile buying quality gear because as you get more into the sport, you’re going to want that quality in your gear. Because of ice fishing’s unique nature, I recommend hooking up with experienced anglers if you are new to the sport. In a single outing, they can teach you more about gear than you would learn in a full season on your own.

Gear Options Vary

In essence, people can make ice fishing as simple or as complicated as they want. Even though I have been hitting the hard water for five-plus decades, I opt to keep things pretty simple. I head to the water with a pack basket on my back, a 6-gallon bucket in one hand, and an auger on the other shoulder. The basket holds tip-ups, jig poles, ice scoop, terminal tackle, miscellaneous gear, and lunch. The bucket holds live bait, and a lid on the bucket allows the pail to also serve as a seat. The auger is gas powered.

I choose to travel light because I fish a lot of different waters, some of which require hiking through the woods, walking down a steep bank, or hiking to the far side of the lake. Also, if the fishing is slow in a selected spot, I’ll pick up all my gear and relocate. Relative to most anglers on the ice, I’m typically at the low end of the gear scale.

I have an ice fishing friend, though, who is at the other end of the scale. Several years ago, he decided to sell his fishing boat and invest in ice fishing gear. He has an ATV to which is attached a portable shelter on a sled. Inside the shelter are sonar unit, GPS unit, cook stove, gas-powered auger, and the rest of his basic fishing gear. When he arrives at a fishing site, he drives the ATV and attached shelter off the trailer and heads across the lake to his fishing destination. At day’s end, everything gets packed in the portable shelter, and he drives onto the trailer and then heads home. By the way, this friend missed having a boat after his first summer without one, so he now has a new boat to go along with his ice-fishing rig.

Making Holes

Ice fishing begins with making holes in the ice, and the three hole-making tools are the spud, manual auger, and gas-powered auger.

Spuds are simply large chisels, and because of the work involved in chopping through ice, especially when making a dozen or two holes, spuds work best on thinner ice. Although spuds are inexpensive, making holes with them is noisy and time consuming.

Hand augers are inexpensive and lightweight, and they make holes ranging from 4 to 8 inches in diameter. Making the larger holes requires some effort, but a sharp blade is critical to all cutting. Hand augers are particularly popular among panfish anglers who require small holes and who move from site to site in search of fish.

Gas-powered augers are the choice of most ice anglers. Despite being more costly and heavier than spuds and hand augers, gas-powered augers make for fast and easy hole cutting, important qualities since modern anglers are active ones who may drill several dozen holes on a given outing.

Jigging Rods and Tip-Ups

Ice anglers use two tools for catching fish: the jigging rod and the tip-up. Jigging rods are handheld while tip-ups are set on the ice.

Fishing Vocab

An ice skimmer, sometimes called a scooper, is a large ladle-type device with holes in it. It is used to skim or scoop ice to clear out a hole. Anglers use skimmers to clear ice out of newly drilled holes and holes that freeze over during an outing. Metal skimmers significantly outperform plastic ones.

Jigging rods typically measure 24 to 32 inches. The short length allows an angler to stand near the hole when making presentations, playing fish, and landing fish. Although jigging rods may be set in holders, a technique called dead-sticking, anglers usually hold the rod and jig their bait or lure, thus the name jigging rod.

Like other rods, ice fishing rods are available in various powers and actions. Lightweight rods are a good choice for smaller species such as bluegills, black crappies, and yellow perch, and medium-weight rods work well for trout and walleyes. Large species such as northern pike and lake trout call for a heavyweight rod. Fast action rods work well for ice fishing because they allow for detection of delicate bites and they have enough backbone for hook-setting. A spring bobber attached to the end of a rod is also effective for detecting light bites as well as for presenting tiny lures. Furthermore, rods with larger eyes don’t ice up as easily as do rods with small eyes.

Tip-ups, sometimes called fish traps or setlines, have a frame made of wood or hard plastic, and the standard model sits across a hole with a spool submerged in the water. When a fish strikes and pulls out line, a trip mechanism causes a flag to spring up, and this flag is the angler’s signal of a strike. When fishing in deep water or for species such as lake trout that make long runs, oversized spools are available. Also, flag extenders are available, and they allow for easier spotting when tip-ups are set at a distance or in deep snow. To aid strike detection in low-light or night conditions, sound and light indicators may be attached to the flag.

Ice Fishing Lines

A variety of ice fishing lines are available, the most common of which are monofilament, Dacron, and specialty lines. When spooling the reels on jigging rods, the key is to match line strength to the targeted species and line visibility to water conditions. Limp, low-stretch, sensitive lines work best for detecting bites.

Fishing Vocab

A spring bobber is a strike indicator attached to the end of jigging rod. This light-wire device indicates the lightest of bites, so it is a sure way to put more panfish on the ice.

When spooling tip-ups, I use Dacron line with a 6-foot, monofilament leader. Dacron line is easy to handle in freezing conditions, and by changing leaders I can use the same tip-ups for different species. For example, I can tie on 20-pound test leaders when fishing northern pike. If the next outing targets rainbow trout, I can tie on 8-pound test monofilament. More and more anglers are turning to fluorocarbon leaders when fishing in clear water conditions. Because lines commonly rub against the edges of the hole, anglers need to routinely check lines for wear.

Ice Fishing Lures

Ice anglers rely on three basic artificial lures: the jigging spoon, the jigging minnow, and the lead-head jig. The jigging spoon is a heavy spoon with a more slender design than the casting spoon. This spoon emits flash and injured-minnow action as it falls, glides, and darts toward bottom. Large jigging spoons are available for pike and lake trout, whereas the smallest sizes work for small-mouthed bluegills.

Jigging minnows, sometimes called swimming lures, have a horizontal rather than a vertical profile, and their gliding, swimming actions imitate an injured baitfish. Again, there are various sizes for various species.

The lead-head jig, too, comes in a variety of sizes, and jigs are commonly tipped with plastic baits such as grubs, tubes, and twister tails. The tiny ice jig is especially designed for panfish. Artificial ice fishing lures are routinely tipped with minnows, minnow pieces, and maggots.

Sleds

Ice fishing sleds work great for hauling gear. These high-sided sleds are made of plastic, and they come in various sizes to hold auger, buckets, tip-ups, jig poles, cook stove, lunch, etc. Ice fishing sleds may be pulled by hand, snow machine, or ATV.

Shelters

Bad Cast

Minnows purchased at a bait store and then exposed to frigid air or water temperatures will weaken and die. To avoid losing your minnows, use a pail with an insulated insert, and when adding colder water to your bucket, do so in moderate doses so the bait has time to acclimate to the temperature change.

An ice fishing shelter’s most attractive feature is protection from the wind. Getting out of the wind provides comfort for anglers and allows for easy cooking with a gas or propane grill. For decades, all shelters were of the homemade variety.

Homemade shelters, commonly called permanent shacks, are commonly set up in a location at the beginning of the season, and then removed from that location at season’s end. Because of the weight of homemade shacks, some type of motorized vehicle is necessary to haul them onto the ice. This means the shack cannot be set up until ice conditions are safe for vehicular access. Also, owners may have to remove the shelters prior to major thaws or prior to the end of the season. Another drawback of permanent shelters is the restriction to a certain area. On the other hand, most anglers set their shelters in a proven location such as a point, shoal edge, weed edge, drop-off, or soft-bottom flat. In a way, setting out a permanent shelter is almost like staking a claim to an area. Most shelters contain cooking, heating, sitting, and storage features.

In recent decades, portable shelters have grown in popularity among the ice fishing crowd. These shelters come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some shelters hold one angler while other shelters hold a small group of anglers. Portable shelters have a tentlike structure, and some have an ice-fishing sled for a base; others have hard-plastic flooring. Lighter shelters are easily pulled by hand, but the larger ones require an ATV or other vehicle for hauling. Portable shelters are designed for easy setup and easy breakdown, and in addition to providing protection from cold and wind, the shelters allow for angler mobility since an angler can fish different areas on a particular lake or even fish different bodies of water from outing to outing.

Bad Cast

Ice shelters are not typically airtight, but anglers are cautioned about the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning when propane stoves and heaters are being used. Always make sure a shelter has adequate ventilation.

Electronics

Open-water anglers routinely move from spot to spot in search of fish, and more and more ice anglers are doing the same. Snow machines and portable shelters facilitate this active angling, but sonar units play a critical role, too. In searching for fish, a sonar unit allows for finding structure and structural edges. The units also identify where fish are holding in a water column, and anglers who know the workings of their units can interpret a fish’s behavior to a particular presentation and then alter that presentation to entice a strike.

Sonar units for ice fishing come in compact cases. Flasher units are the most popular, but chart and LCD models are also available. When fishing shallower water, wide-angle cones are the way to go, and when fishing deep water, narrow-angle cones perform best. Ice fishing sonar units have revolutionized the sport, and any angler who uses such a unit should see his or her catches improve significantly.

In addition to sonar units, other electronic devices used by ice anglers include GPS units and underwater cameras. GPS units allow anglers to return to locations marked as waypoints on their units. For example, an angler can mark waypoints during the open-water season and then return to those spots for ice fishing. Also, some units come with preloaded information, and others have multimedia card slots for chips containing electronic charts of popular fishing waters. Underwater cameras are fun to use because an angler can see what is really there. Cameras, though, are somewhat harder to use than sonar units, and cameras present poor images in dark-water conditions.

Miscellaneous Gear

Miscellaneous items that find their way to the ice are line clippers, gaff, lantern for heat and light, knife, hand towel, fold-out chair, needle-nose pliers, mouth spreaders, measuring tape, and gear bag.

Fishing Strategies

The best ice fishing strategy is to set up where the fish are, and familiarity with a water body definitely increases the odds of setting up in a fish-holding location. For example, anglers who fish the same waters during the ice-covered months that they fish during the open-water months have a definite advantage in knowing where certain species of fish are likely to be.

Unfamiliar Waters

When fishing unfamiliar waters, lake maps make good guides because they indicate water depths and reveal likely holding places such as drop-offs, humps, and points. If maps are unavailable, you can start with visual clues. For example, bays and points are easily identified, and land features offer clues, too. If the shoreline is flat, the water near it is likely shallow. If the shoreline consists of a steep bank, there is likely deep water adjacent to shore. Also, shoreline makeup of gravel, boulders, sand, or swamp can indicate bottom makeup. Ultimately, verification of water depths and structures occurs by drilling holes and using a manual sounder or electronic depth finder.

Other anglers are also a visual clue to good fishing areas. When joining other anglers, be sure not to crowd them. Rather, set up on their fringes, and you’ll likely be in a pretty good spot especially if the area is a bay or large flat.

Fish Needs

Fish needs in winter include cover, food, oxygen, and water temperature. Areas meeting those needs include weedy bays, submerged vegetation, points, medium and deep flats, shoreline and island drop-offs, mid-lake humps, quiet backwaters on rivers, and shoal edges. When setting up in these areas, be certain to set up with a purpose such as working a weed line, covering the various depths of a point, fishing along a drop-off as well in the adjacent deep water, or working the top and edges of a mid-lake hump.

On the Move

If you set up in an area and the fishing meets your expectations, then it makes sense to stay put. If the action is slow in an area, drill more holes and work those holes. If that effort proves unproductive, consider moving to another likely spot. In essence, the modern ice angler is a mobile one. Again, the key to productive mobility is to move and to do so with a purpose and a plan. An exception to the mobility guideline is when you are set up on a structure where a species such as walleye are known to move during a lowlight period such as dusk. Then it pays to fish in a waiting mode rather than a mobile mode.

Seasonal Adjustments

The hard-water season actually has three parts: early ice, mid-winter, and late ice. Early ice is a fairly short period when fish are found in the shallows, around shorelines, around weed beds, and near shallow and shoreline structures.

Mid-winter is the longest period of the ice fishing season and also the most challenging time to catch fish because they are more dispersed than during the early and later periods. With less light reaching them, shallow weeds die and no longer produce oxygen. As a result, fish abandon the shallows for deep water that is warmer and more stable. Mid-winter calls for fishing mid-lake humps, the mouths of bays, medium and deep flats, drop offs, deep-water points, and structural edges. Again, predator fish will move shallower in these areas to feed during lowlight periods of dawn and dusk.

Late ice offers the best fishing of the winter, but it is also the most dangerous time because ice conditions are deteriorating rather than strengthening. Late ice sees large concentrations of fish returning to the shallows, shorelines, and tributaries where the fish are drawn because of available forage, warming water temperatures, and prespawn positioning.

Using Tip-Ups and Jigging Poles

Where allowed, the combination approach of using both tip-ups and jigging poles works well. An angler can set the legal number of tip-ups and then move from hole to hole with a jigging rod. For example, five tip-ups and two hand lines are allowed on my home waters, so I usually set my tip-ups for northern pike, walleyes, or tiger muskellunge and then do some jigging for yellow perch, black crappies, or walleyes. Even though two hand lines are allowed, I find that a single one is all I need.

Setting Tip-Ups

Tip-ups allow for the presentation of live minnows at a desired depth. Where the use of multiple tip-ups is permitted, anglers can present their baits in various spots such as a weed edge, an opening in the weeds, above the weeds, and deep water adjacent to the weeds. If fishing is more productive in one spot, the other tip-ups can be adjusted accordingly.

The typical setup for presenting live bait consists of a hook at line’s end and split shot placed a foot or so up the line to keep the minnow somewhat anchored. The angler attaches a clip-on sounder to the hook and lowers it to determine water depth. After determining the distance the bait should be from the bottom, the angler attaches a depth indicator such as a small bobber on the line where the line enters the tip-up spool. This way the angler does not have to sound for bottom depth every time he or she resets the tip-up. Minnows are generally hooked just below the dorsal fin.

Jigging Presentations

When using jigging rods, the key is to have plenty of holes. The angler works one hole for a few minutes, and moves on to another hole if there is no action. The angler works all the holes and then starts the cycle again, making sure to focus on any holes that produced fish during previous tries. Throughout the day, an angler may want to drill additional holes if the current ones are not producing. Again, the new holes should be drilled with a purpose such as to move closer to the weed edge or to move to deeper water.

When jigging, anglers use a variety of motions to entice strikes, and this is where a sonar unit comes in handy because an angler can try different presentations and see how the fish react to each. Common presentations include lift and drop, hitting the bottom, sudden lift, long pause, twitching the rod tip, tapping the butt of the rod with a forefinger, leaving the lure motionless, etc.

Real Fishing

When using live minnows on tip-ups, the traditional hook-setting method calls for letting the fish make its initial run and setting the hook when the fish starts its second run. It is believed that species such as northern pike turn the bait and take it deeper into their mouths prior to the second run. I have good luck, however, using small treble hooks and setting the hook on the initial run. With this method, fish are usually hooked in the side of the mouth.

Whether an angler is using tip-ups, jigging poles, or both, general guidelines call for pretrip preparation so the rigs are in working order, travelling light to allow for mobility, drilling plenty of holes to allow for covering a lot of water, and being quiet, especially when fishing on thin ice, bare ice, and in shallow water.

Common Ice Fishing Species

Ice anglers target a variety of cold-water, cool-water, and warm-water species during the hard-water season. Popular cold-water fish include lake trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, and cutthroat trout. Popular cool-water fish include northern pike, walleyes, yellow perch, and black crappies. Bluegills and other sunfish are favorite warm-water targets. Because winter, especially early- and late-ice periods, often finds fish congregated in large numbers, fish may be subject to overharvesting, so anglers are encouraged to limit their catches.

Lake Trout

Lake trout are a prized quarry of ice fishermen. Whereas the open-water season typically finds lake trout holding tight to bottom in the deepest and coldest portions of a lake, the cold temperatures of winter create a comfort zone that encompasses the entire water body. Under the ice, lake trout are extremely active as they move throughout a lake in search of baitfish and small fish.

Even though lake trout are free to roam anywhere in the lake, prime fishing spots include points, rocky structures, and steep breaks at depths of 20 to 60 feet. Because lake trout are mobile, setting tip-ups baited with live minnows works well. For best results, set minnows around structures in the bottom half of the water column. Lake trout are great fighters capable of running all the line off a spool, so ice fishermen commonly use oversized spools with plenty of backing.

Even though lake trout are mobile, most anglers go in a search mode when pursuing this fish. Thus, jigging is the more popular technique because it allows for angler mobility and for working the entire water column. Common lures include jigging spoons, jigging minnows (airplane jigs), tube jigs, and bucktail jigs. Lake trout are attracted to the flash and injured-baitfish appearance of these lures, but tipping any lure with a minnow or minnow piece makes the offering even more appealing. The tipping also slows the fall of the lure, an action that appeals to lake trout.

Stream Trout

Brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, and cutthroat trout are sometimes called stream trout; however, ice fishing for these cold-water species occurs on ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. For the most part, these trout are stocked fish rather than native ones. Look for winter trout around shoreline flats, shoreline and island drop-offs, underwater springs, and points. During the late-ice period, also check out tributary areas.

Under the ice, trout are cruising fish that roam in search of aquatic insects, invertebrates, minnows, and small fish. The best fishing times are dawn, dusk, and during overcast conditions because trout are most active at those low-light times. Since trout are roamers, suspending 3-inch, live minnows below tip-ups works well. Tipping jigging spoons with a small minnow also entices trout hits as does the tipping of jigs with tube bodies or plastic grubs. Because trout feed on small prey, tiny ice jigs work well. Working the upper half of the water column should produce more trout than working the bottom half.

Northern Pike

Northern pike are a popular ice quarry because of their voracious appetite, large size, and fighting ability. You can expect a hooked pike to make any number of surging runs once it nears the hole, and landing a big pike through the ice is much more challenging than getting one into the boat. This cool-water species feeds actively all winter long. Favorite pike areas are large bays, shoreline and island drop-offs, points, and humps where the fish relate to edges. The very best areas have weed growth. In late winter, pike move to the shoreline shallows and near tributaries in anticipation of spawning after ice-out. Northern pike bite throughout the day, but early morning and late afternoon produce the biggest fish.

Jigging is not that popular among winter pike anglers. In fact, more pike are probably caught by anglers jigging for other species than are caught by those actually targeting northern pike. Still, jigging spoons and jigging minnows offer a flash and action that entice pike hits because of the injured-minnow look.

For the best results with tip-ups, set them on structural edges. Even though pike are not a schooling fish, packs of fish seem to hold in certain areas. Where multiple tip-ups are allowed, it’s not uncommon to produce two or three pike from a single hole while the adjacent holes fail to yield even one fish. Live minnows in the 4- to 6-inch range are the most common pike bait, but fish will also hit dead minnows, particularly larger ones. Anglers looking for trophy pike often use 8- to 12-inch suckers on quick-strike rigs. Since a pike’s eyes are set so the fish can see prey above them, pike rigs should be set several feet above bottom.

Walleyes

Because of their fine table fare, walleyes rank as the most popular game fish on many waters. A cool-water species, walleyes remain active throughout the winter, and they are quite mobile in their search for food. The most significant movement occurs at twilight when walleyes leave deeper water and move toward and onto adjacent structures. Prime walleye-holding areas include deep-water humps, weed edges, drop-offs, points, and other structures. Generally, the best fishing occurs in areas with the largest and most varied structure. Since walleyes feed heavily on yellow perch, look for walleyes wherever perch are found. In late winter, walleyes congregate near spawning tributaries, bays, and rocky areas, but regulations commonly prohibit fishing at that time in order to protect spawning fish.

Both jigging and tip-ups take winter walleyes, and jigging is the more popular technique.

Real Fishing

I do a lot of ice fishing for northern pike in very clear waters so I use monofilament leaders rather than the more visible steel ones. Despite the pike’s sharp teeth I rarely experience bite-offs. The monofilament leaders do become frayed, though, and I have to routinely replace them.

Jigging spoons, jigging minnows, and jigs work well especially when tipped with a minnow or minnow part. For the best results, use a slow presentation, and work the lure near bottom since walleyes generally hold within a few feet of bottom. Some walleye anglers like to use the dead-stick approach where they suspend a live minnow on a thin-wire hook and put the jigging rod in a holder. Tip-ups should be set near structural edges where the best action occurs at twilight when walleyes move in to feed. The favorite tip-up offering is 3- to 4-inch minnows hooked just below the dorsal fin on #6 or #8 trebles. Be sure to set the minnow within a few feet of bottom.

Yellow Perch

Ice anglers love this cool-water fish because of its abundant numbers and active feeding throughout the winter. Furthermore, they have a fairly aggressive nature that is likely due to competition with other fish in the school, and they feed throughout the day. Yellow perch also make excellent table fare.

Finding perch below the ice amounts to fishing around vegetated and soft-bottom areas because these spots hold the aquatic insects and small fish upon which perch feed. Prime winter locations where perch feed are weedy shorelines, weedy bays, flats with a sandy or soft bottom, tapering shorelines, flats with scattered or low-growing vegetation, mid-depth flats, and deep flats. Late spring offers the very best fishing of the winter because perch congregate on shallow, weedy flats and near tributaries.

Both jigging and setting tip-ups will take winter perch, though jigging is the more productive technique because it allows for easier mobility going from hole to hole. If a school of perch is located, jigging is the faster method of getting a bait or lure back to the fish. For the most part, yellow perch are not finicky eaters so jigging spoons, tipped jigs, and live minnows work well. Since perch commonly feed on small aquatic insects, smaller spoons and jigs tipped with maggots are very effective, too. Perch generally hold near bottom so baits and lures are best presented within a few feet of bottom. In mid-winter when perch move to deeper flats, working the bottom one-third of the water column is worthwhile. Tip-ups baited with live minnows work well for perch, particularly jumbo ones. The difficulty with tip-ups, though, is the action sometimes gets too fast for the time it takes to rebait and reset lines.

Black Crappies

Black crappies are another cool-water species that feeds throughout winter, and their tasty flesh makes them a popular quarry. Locating crappies presents a special challenge to ice anglers because the fish favor fairly deep water and they move around. Look for crappies near basins, deep holes, mouths of large bays, harbors, steep breaks, drop-offs, mid-depth flats, and deep flats. The best locations have structure associated with them. Catching crappies through the ice is a searching game, and once you locate a few, good numbers of crappies are usually in the area. Generally, early ice and late ice offer the best fishing.

Because of the searching nature of crappie fishing, jigging is a more effective technique than is setting live minnows below tip-ups. Still, tip-ups set along deep structural edges will take fish. Jigging, though, allows the mobility to move from hole to hole, and jigging makes it easier to work the water column for suspended crappies. Because crappies commonly suspend in deeper water, and they may be anywhere in the water column from the bottom to just under the ice; sonar units can significantly facilitate finding fish.

Slip bobbers, too, aid in presenting bait or lures in deeper water. The most popular presentation is a small minnow on a hook or jigging lure, although a maggot-tipped jigging lure frequently produces better results. Since crappies are soft biters that can inhale and quickly exhale a bait or lure, a sensitive setup such as a pencil bobber or spring bobber aids in detecting bites. Crappies commonly return to the same areas to feed, so once you find fish, those areas merit your attention on future outings. Because crappies are most active in the evening, at night, and in early morning, those are the times when you want to be on deep-water edges near points, weed beds, and other structures.

Bluegills

Even though bluegills and other sunfish such as the pumpkinseed are warm-water species, they remain fairly active throughout the winter, particularly during early- and late-ice periods. Bluegills like cover, their favorite of which is vegetation. In early and late season, look for bluegills around weedy bays, weedy shorelines, and weedy flats with 10 feet or less of water. During midwinter, look for bluegills in the same areas but at depths out to 20 feet or so. Prime midwinter locations include weed lines, flats with bottom weeds, and soft-bottom flats.

Bluegills are a schooling fish, so find one and the action is usually quite good. Since bluegills do not roam like yellow perch and black crappies, you can often continue to catch fish in a fairly small area. Bluegills are small-mouthed fish that tend to hold near bottom. Thus, tiny ice jigs tipped with insect larvae and presented near bottom is the go-to technique. Use subtle jigging actions such as quivering, twitching, and jiggling.