Putting your bait or lure at the depth the fish are—and then not moving it much—are the keys to catching fish through the ice. And using some simple devices that will help you know when you have a fish on the end of your line is a big help too.
Drew Cushing, warm water sport fisheries coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says fish become lethargic when they’re under the ice.
“Fish will often stay at a certain water depth all winter long,” Cushing says. “Also, they aren’t as willing to move fast to catch their food.
“Keep those two things in mind,” he says, “and you should find plenty of fish on the end of your line this winter.”
Vertical to Horizontal. The style of one’s ice jig is just as important as its color. Most anglers are accustomed to using a tear-dropped shaped jig that hangs vertically in the water, such as Jammin’ Jigs Beetle or Teardrop jig. When fish stop biting vertical jigs, switch to a jig that hangs horizontally such as a Jammin’ Jig Bobber Fry. I have found that crappies and perch generally bite better on a horizontal jig. To observe a wide selection of both horizontal and vertical ice jigs on the internet, check out www.jamminjigs.com.
Line Twist. Most anglers only move their jig in an up and down jigging motion. Fish become accustomed to this presentation and stop reacting to it. For a change of pace, try holding the line between your index finger and thumb. Next roll or twist the line between your fingers. This will cause the jig to spin in the water while remaining at the same depth. Also try moving the jig around the perimeter of the hole without imparting any up and down motion on the jig. Fish respond especially well to this technique in shallow water.
Bounce the Bottom. An excellent way to add a few more jumbo perch to the bucket is to allow the jig to bounce off the bottom of the lake. Perch feed predominantly within a few inches of the bottom. By allowing the jig to bounce off the bottom, the small cloud of bottom debris and sound created by this action will attract fish from a distance. This trick also works for bluegills. At certain times, it is even more productive to allow the jig to hit the bottom and then lie at rest on the bottom. To use this approach, a spring bobber is helpful. The jig should just barely rest on the bottom of the lake, with enough of the jig’s weight on the spring bobber to hold it half way down. When a fish takes the bait, it will typically rise with the jig and cause the spring bobber to go up.
Change Sizes. When action slows, instead of changing colors, try changing the size of one’s jig. This tip works both ways – switching from a smaller to a larger jig and from a larger to a smaller jig. One of my favorite ice fishing jigs is a red and chartreuse size 10 Teardrop by Jammin’ Jigs. After catching as many fish as I can on this jig, I will switch from the size 10 Teardrop to the size 6 Teardrop which is nearly twice as big but in the exact same color. This often results in catching a few bigger bluegills. As a final matter, I will switch to the ultra small size 12, Teardrop jig and will catch a few more fish that would not take the other two sizes.
PowerPro. For deep water panfish, do not use ultra light monofilament line. Two pound test or lighter monofilament line has so much stretch that it is difficult to detect light bites or to set the hook in depths greater than 20 feet deep. The key to catching more fish in deep water is to use a super line. The most effective of these lines for ice fishing is PowerPro line. PowerPro makes a line with the diameter of one pound test monofilament but with the strength of eight pound test. In addition, PowerPro line has nearly no stretch and is extremely abrasion resistant. This lack of stretch means one can feel more bites and hook more fish in deep water.
Ice Fishing checklist:
Minimum to take if you are just ‘tagging along’ :
- Fishing rods-Large guides, sensitive tip, with some backbone. Cost should be about $15-$20 per rod
- Reels- Micro-spinning reel-$15-$20 per reel
- Line- 4-8 lb test ice line
- Bobber stops with beads
- split-shot
- Foam ice fishing bobbers-get the ‘Ice Buster’ brand!
- Fingernail clipper to cut line
- Ice scoop/ladle/dipper-for removing slush
- Jigs and spoons and hooks…etc.
- bait-wax worms, fatheads, crappie minnows etc…
- 5 gallon bucket to sit on
- Hand warmers
- Needle nose pliers
- Fishing License
- Proper Identification
Necessary ice fishing equipment if going alone:
- Ice auger
- Sled for auger or vehicle if the ice is thick enough.
- Bait bucket
- Small shovel-collapsable if possible
- Ice picks-could be a lifesaver!
- A compass
- Mouth spreader
- Hook sharpener
Preferred ice fishing equipment:
- Vexilar
- Ice Shelter
- Propane heater
- Spud bar (for checking ice thickness)
- Tip-ups-preferably the freeze-free type
- Leaders for tip-ups
- Quickstrike rigs for tip-ups
- Bait for tip-ups-suckers, blues, greys and golden
- Cell-phone
- Ice cleats
- Small flashlight. (I prefer one that you wear)
- Lantern
- Matches or Lighter (for propane heater)
Luxury ice fishing Equipment:
- Aqua-view or underwater camera
- Strike sensors for tip-ups
Optional odds and ends:
- Food
- Drinks
- Hand Towel
- gaff- to remove large fish
- Sunglasses
If you take kids:
- Extra gloves
- Tissues (those noses run all the time!)
- Lot’s of snacks
- A small sled to entertain them