10-30-2003, 01:27 AM
[font "Arial"][size 3]I started out with my long poles, hand auger and line that was way to big for the situation. Now I am an ice fishing fanatic. I have a power auger, cheap ice house (hoping to upgrade), and around 7 ice poles of different sizes and stiffnesses. I have been saving my money for an aqu-view. If any of you have not used an aqu view while ice fishing you need to try it. Like many of you, I have found that the best ice fishing is as soon as the ice is safe. This is difficult to judge because if the ice is perfect, clear, and hard then you can walk on it at 3 inches. If it is punk ice then 6 inches is unsafe. I always just start at the edge and test it drilling holes every few feet during the early season. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]For those of you who are new to ice fishing the best advice that I can think of is down size your line. The trick to ice fishing is being able to detect the subtle bites that the fish seem to go with during the winter. I use 4# test even on Strawberry. Occasionally a strong fish will break me off but the number of bites that I get seems to be worth it . Just set your drag lighter so you can play the fish and keep the line off the edge of the ice as you fight the fish. Another advantage of the smaller line is it does not retain large loops so when the fish strikes you can feel or see the strike faster without have the fish unwind all the loops first.[/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3] The piano wire strike indicators are the best ice fishing tool ever invented. If you get the light wire indicators they wear out faster but even the lightest strike will be noticed. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]The last thing that has helped my success tremendously is simply pulling the heads off my meal worms. When the lure goes in the water you will notice a cloud of oil come out of the worm. It is this sent and not the visual of the worm that the fish are going for. So the more sent in the water the more likely you are to strike a biting nerve in the fish. The small hole the hook puts in the worm simply is not enough if an oil release most of the time. If you do not get a bite within 10 minutes change mealworms and or lures. You can get meal worms cheaper at the pet stores or online. [/size][/font]
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[font "Arial"][size 3]I want to learn as much as possible about ice fishing. If any of you have tips I would love to hear them.[/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]Fish Lake is hands down the best ice fishing lake I have ever been to. Perch on the edge of the weed line. Splake on the bottom just a little deeper then the perch. Suspended rainbows, and lake trout out deep. I found that if you close the doors to your ice house you can see down the holes about 23 feet. This allows you to fish the bottom for splake and also watch for the schools of rainbows to come through.[/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]Good Luck to all. What Lakes will freeze first?[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial"][size 3]For those of you who are new to ice fishing the best advice that I can think of is down size your line. The trick to ice fishing is being able to detect the subtle bites that the fish seem to go with during the winter. I use 4# test even on Strawberry. Occasionally a strong fish will break me off but the number of bites that I get seems to be worth it . Just set your drag lighter so you can play the fish and keep the line off the edge of the ice as you fight the fish. Another advantage of the smaller line is it does not retain large loops so when the fish strikes you can feel or see the strike faster without have the fish unwind all the loops first.[/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3] The piano wire strike indicators are the best ice fishing tool ever invented. If you get the light wire indicators they wear out faster but even the lightest strike will be noticed. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]The last thing that has helped my success tremendously is simply pulling the heads off my meal worms. When the lure goes in the water you will notice a cloud of oil come out of the worm. It is this sent and not the visual of the worm that the fish are going for. So the more sent in the water the more likely you are to strike a biting nerve in the fish. The small hole the hook puts in the worm simply is not enough if an oil release most of the time. If you do not get a bite within 10 minutes change mealworms and or lures. You can get meal worms cheaper at the pet stores or online. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3] [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]I want to learn as much as possible about ice fishing. If any of you have tips I would love to hear them.[/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]Fish Lake is hands down the best ice fishing lake I have ever been to. Perch on the edge of the weed line. Splake on the bottom just a little deeper then the perch. Suspended rainbows, and lake trout out deep. I found that if you close the doors to your ice house you can see down the holes about 23 feet. This allows you to fish the bottom for splake and also watch for the schools of rainbows to come through.[/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]Good Luck to all. What Lakes will freeze first?[/size][/font]
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