Ice Fishing Tips

[ductaped4runner]

Ice Fishing has been rough this year. anybody got anytips?
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[SteelFan]

Paddlebugs. A must have when ice fishing.
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[66Birdman]

[quote ductaped4runner]Ice Fishing has been rough this year. anybody got anytips?[/quote]

gonna need a little background info here. What kind of fish, what lake and so on....
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[FishingSteve]

If you plan on keeping them, pink power bait will always catch one or two.
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[Tazasorus]

Depending on where you live, don't be afraid to drive a ways. To me things have been pretty quiet this winter around idaho falls so I have ventured out. West side of Magic has been awesome but it's 145 miles one way. Montepelier has been killer but also about that same distance. I'm headed to Chesterfield in the morning but again 110 miles one way. Unfortunately some winters the good fishing is a ways away. Don't give up man.

A DAYS FISHING IS STILL BETTER THAN A DAY AT WORK!
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[TheGrovBone]

I'm writing a blog article about that as we speak that will be more in depth - but here's a couple pointers for ya!

1. No jigging = no fish. That maybe a small exaggeration - but in reality you'll catch the vast majority of your fish on which ever poles your jigging with the most regularity.

2. Don't be afraid to move! Expect an arm workout - you'll need to drill A LOT of holes to find the fish! In the winter fish are more grouped up, so if I don't catch a fish in the first 20 minutes or so of a new location, I'll move. It may only be 50 yards, but I'll move.

3. Set your first set of lines in the water at different depths. Even moving out 5 feet into deeper water could make the difference!

4. Thin line, small jig. Most people fish with far too big of a jig in the winter. Remember - as the oxygen depletes and the water chills, the fish get more lethargic. That means their metabolism also slows, so the fish may not need a 1/8 oz. sized lunch. Try being a minimalist - it'll pay off! For line I highly recommend Berkley Vanish in the 6 pound weight. It's a great budget line that is hardly visible. A small diameter line is critical with a small jib, you don't want ANY visible twists or kinks in the line that are indicative of slack or anything that would inhibit pole sensitivity. Also grab some spring bobbers for your pole tip - it'll help you detect even a slight bite!

5. Here's a few good bets on color for trout - white, chartreuse, and pink. Those are a same bet just about everywhere, and basically every fish!

6. Stick relatively close to the banks and structure. Fish will cruise these looking for food.

PM me if you'd like any more info about specific bodies of water! I hope this helps!
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[66Birdman]

I completly disagree with the jigging statement. I catch 90% of my fish on deadstick rods and I also disagree about small baits. I catch the majority of my fish on Kastmasters and things of the sort. It all depends on where you are fishing and what you are targeting. I have been pulling perch out of CJ all last month with 3" gulp minnows on 1/4 oz jig heads and 1/8 oz kastmasters. In my opinion folks underestimate the verosity of fish under the ice.
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[TAIL-CHASER]

This year I have caught more fish on a castmaster lure than any other bait that I have tried.
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[66Birdman]

[quote TAIL-CHASER]This year I have caught more fish on a castmaster lure than any other bait that I have tried.[/quote]
Most versitile lure on the market in my opinion. Not to mention they sink like a rock which helps alot while fishing 40 feet of water for perch
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[Bmarsh]

Ill agree with dead sticking. Had days when fish wouldn't touch a dead stick and others they wouldn't touch an active bait. As far as color it depends on the fish. On Henry's go to high was black marabou and green marabou being a closs second.
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[MMDon]

You have 5 rods. I fish a lot of different jigs and baits until I find what they are biting on. I constantly jig one rod or even two at a time. That leaves at least 3 rods dead sticking and I move around. Trial and error.
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[TheGrovBone]

Perch are notoriously aggressive feeders, that doesn't surprise me that you've been catching them on 3" gulp minnows. The minimalist approach I spoke of with small diameter line and small jigs will help lure in fish that have grown cagey - and they won't disuade other fish from biting as well. I've caught a good amount on larger jigs too, I was just generalizing for most trout species. If you're curious to verify outside my own opinion - google mini jigs for trout, you'll find a fair amount of professional write ups talking about it. Full disclosure - perch and planters won't shy away from bigger jigs at all, but next time you're out, throw something smaller on there and jig it! You may be surprised at the response! I've caught half a dozen trout over 5 pounds through the ice on a size 10 scud bug jig this season, and although paddlebugs where hitting that day too - I caught more fish and bigger fish. Give it a try! PM me if you'd like to see the exact lure, it was killer on the perch too. I managed to land the monster brown (pic attached) on it, and several more 5 lb + fish on a 1/64 oz jig.

I'm glad you've been able to catch most of your fish on deadstick rods, but I do think it's generally accepted that jigging is a necessity when ice fishing. Deadsticks will catch fish, but I can confidently say that once you've identified the depth of water and preferred lure/color that jigging will certainly help your catch rates.

I will say this though - when the ice first hits, those fish are CRAZY! They'll hammer all kinds of things - definitely agree there with the voracity under the ice statement!
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