Spoons aren't just for cold water anymore! Fish love the lifelike action a spoon presents and these tips are going to help you with your presentation to make this lure irresistible.
Deep weeds a structure are fishing hot spots jigging in these areas is sure to trigger a lot of bits all year round. Here are some jigging tips for both the open water and hardwater seasons.
Don't leave the spoons in the tackle box! Use these tips for set up and technique to catch walleye in the early summer.
Many anglers have problems with spooling fluorocarbon onto spinning reels. JP has a few tips for anglers on the best way to spool this kind of line.
Shaw Grigsby is at the WFN booth at iCAST talking about the new TroKar Tube TK190 hook and the benefits of its great hook set
Introduced at the 2010 ICAST show, Owner has designed a Wacky Jig Head to use with their new soft bait - the wounded minnow.
Getting School'd host JP DeRose answers a viewer's email question about keeping your rod and reel in the best condition.
Looking for walleye under the ice? Normally you wouldn't think to look in shallow, weedy areas but these tips prove that walleye follow their food. Once you find the areas the active fish are hanging out in it won't be long until you are landing tons of fish.
Perch and bluegill are abundant in almost any body of water, but finding the right depth to catch these feisty fish depends on a few variables like water temperature and sunlight. These tips will help you figure out where to look for these panfish.
Crappie is an abundant schooling fish found in many lakes. But finding them under the ice can sometimes be difficult. These tips will help you find where the fish are holding throughout the winter
With over 3,400 acres of water at 8,600 feet above sea level, and with breath taking views, ample camping, plenty of wildlife as well as a wide variety of fish, 11 Mile Reservoir offers some wonderful high altitude fishing for anglers at any level.
Live bait rigging provides an opportunity to present a natural food source to fish, which ultimately produces more hook ups. Learn how properly rig live bait to present it to fish efficiently.
Mariko's in Michigan to do some ice fishing during the Tip Up Town winter festival and take a dip in the "icy fresh" water.
The slick jig is uniquely designed for ice fishing. Its weight-forward design allows it to swim away from the hole, covering a wider area than normal jigs.
Fishing with spoons can be an effective way to land big fish during any season. With a variety of colors and sizes, spoons are versatile enough for most anglers.
Laying two hours outside of Denver, the Antero Reservoir brings some of the most diverse landscape to the Colorado Region. Rainbows, Brown Trout and Kokanne Salmon make this super charged area an anglers dream!
Lake of the Woods offers so many different things to anglers, but the pinnacle may be its ice fishing. Combined with the abundance of walleye, it presents the perfect paradise for anglers.
Marty Stone says for monofilament, go with Vicious Fishing's Ultimate line.
Kevin VanDam preaches maintenance with his Line & Lure Conditioner and BTS Protectant.
Ron Baskett demonstrates why Easy 2 Hook is exactly what its name implies.
Byron Velvick reveals two new hooks from Owner.
Dave Wolak gives us a rundown of the current Sunline products.
In its most basic definition, ice fishing involves drilling through the ice and lying in wait for a fish to take the bait during cold winter conditions. There are three primary ways to get those fish: you can either use a traditional rod and reel approach, tip down flags, or you can opt for a spear. The spear fishing method is the least common of the three as it takes quite a bit more skill.
For tip down ice fishing, a spool of line is attached to a small pole -often made of wood or plastic-and then fed down the hole. A flag is secured on the same pole, which will tip up or down depending on the style of the tip-up, signifying a fish has taken the bait and is ready for you to hook and bring in.
Those who ice fish have quite an arsenal of methods at their disposal to make the best of winter conditions. This ties in with the historical need for food throughout the winter months when tracking land mammals was much more difficult to do. Ice fishing has a rich history based in survival, but the experience that one is after will vary from one culture to another.
In general, this complex form of fishing is best learned from a seasoned expert who understands the cold conditions associated with the sport. Knowing how to protect yourself from the cold, as well as having knowledge of safe ice depths, is essential to enjoying this historic pastime.
A 'how to' for ice fishing begins with a very simple concept: drill through the ice and fish. This is the heart of the sport, but of course there is a lot more to it than just dropping your line down a hole. There are many tools available to you, including an array of specialized augers to assist in drilling through the ice. Some augers are used by hand, but many are motor-powered that help speed up the process immensely.
Once a hole is cut, it's a matter of deciding on which of the three methods you are pursuing, as mentioned above.
Unlike both rod and reel and tip down methods, spear fishing relies entirely on seeing the fish with your own eyes. When a fish comes within sight, the angler tosses a spear-often with four or five points on the end-attached to a line, aiming to pierce the fish before reeling it up.
As for the other two approaches, you are more or less blind to fish movement beneath the ice. However, watching any kind of ice fishing show will prove just how many tools there are available to you to make up for that lack of visuals.
For example, what is becoming a popular device for modern ice fishing anglers is the use of flashers. Ice fishing guides often use a flasher as, unlike a regular fish finder, your bait is displayed in addition to fish, via sonar technology. This means you can actually see how close a fish is to biting your own bait: a very handy tool for those who want a little more guidance and better chance for results.
Ice fishing articles often go into great depth on the transportation angle. Since one cannot use a boat on the ice, it is a common practice to bring a sled, snowmobile, or even an ATV to help get to the places you want to be. In some cases where the ice is at least a foot thick, it can be safe to drive vehicles out onto the ice, increasing not only the space you can cover but the amount of gear you can bring out with you. However, a huge amount of caution and expertise is needed before anyone should feel comfortable taking a vehicle out on the ice.
Today's ice fishing anglers have, for the most part, left behind the method of sitting out in the open on a stool next to the hole. In the United States and Canada, ice shelters are used to block out the cold, often in the form of an ice hut or shanty. Traditionally these shelters have been made of wood or metal, dragged out and planted on a single lake for the season. Holes are dug out inside, and often heaters are brought in, creating a warmer environment for the angler to either jig with a rod and reel, or take part in ice fishing tip down.
Nowadays, technological advances have led to a revolution in portable ice shelters, allowing anglers to try out different lakes throughout the winter, rather than being tied down to one lake. These huts are usually made of tent-like material, either kept in a large bag or built around a sled for easy transportation.
For those looking for an even more high-tech fishing experience, you can try out ice fishing trailers outfitted with bathrooms and televisions and a host of other modern amenities that greatly increase the comfort level.
This type of fishing is practiced in nearly all places where ice is thick enough to support the weight of several humans. The most common ice fishing countries include Canada, the United States, Russia, Norway, Poland, Germany, Ukraine and other nations in Europe.
The joys of ice fishing vary from country-to-country. For example, in Finland, ice fishing plans often include nothing more than the gear, a cold weatherproof suit, and a stool or chair. The Finnish find this sport to be one that allows them a great deal of personal reflection and deep thinking, as opposed to the typical North American philosophy, where the sport is more often viewed as a social activity with movement. The North American style therefore fits alongside the style of summer fishing on a boat.
Thanks to portable ice fishing, it is much easier to traverse the Great Lakes that lie between Canada and the United States, an ice fishing hot spot. Both American and Canadian ice fishing branches out into smaller bodies of water as well. Lake ice fishing gives many North Americans a brisk and cold activity that keeps them close to nature.
No matter where in the world one chooses to go, finding the best ice fishing information is going to involve either intense research, good ice fishing reports, or getting shown the ropes from a local veteran of the sport. For those who do not know someone personally they can learn from, there are ice fishing resorts that can help you get acquainted with the sport, while at the same time providing excellent amenities.
In short, yes. If you have the right ice fishing information you should be fairly safe, but it is recommended you do not attempt to go out alone if you are new to the sport. Checking the ice depth, and knowing what weight that ice can hold, is the most important piece of knowledge you can have when undertaking this popular pastime. Be sure to chip a small hole before you step out onto the ice to check the depth, otherwise you risk falling through the ice. Even with the right ice fishing info, it is possible to find oneself in a tragic situation, so take precautions.
As recently as 2009, over 100 anglers found themselves stranded on a plate of ice that broke away on the Great Lakes. They were eventually rescued by the Coast Guard, but not before one of them died in flight to the hospital after falling in. Hypothermia is a real possibility, so always keep in mind the danger of this sport and be aware of all risks you are taking.
Connect With Facebook
