The first
few weeks of ice fishing can provide really good action for most species
of fresh-water fish. Walleyes, northern pike, perch, and panfish are usually
very willing to bite under the first ice of the season. However, there
are some things the early ice-angler needs to keep in mind.
Just like at any time of year, we have
to find the fish before we can get them to bite. If we can find them, we
can catch them. Weedlines, sunken islands, points, and other traditional
fish-holding structures will all be likely locations for hungry fish. Search
out the various areas and you’re going to eventually get bit.
The second key to success after finding
the fish is getting them to bite, and the key to getting them to bite is
to avoid spooking them. Remember that we are probably going to be on ice
less than six inches thick early in the season. When you’re ice-fishing,
you are directly over the fish, not casting to them from a boat or shore
fifty feet away. If the water is ten feet deep, you’re only ten feet from
the fish. Too much motion or noise is going to scare them, and scared fish
don’t bite very well.
There is a growing number of early ice
anglers who are using tip-ups to increase their early season catches. Tip-ups
enable an angler to have lines set in different areas and different depths.
This allows us to determine if the fish are using a particular area more.
Tip-ups also allow us to set the line,
then move away from the area, which reduces the possibility of the angler
spooking the fish.
Let’s say northern pike are the target.
Depending on where you are fishing, you can have two, three, or four tip-ups
set per angler. Put a sucker or chub below a tip-up at various depths along
a weed flat or weedline, then sit back and wait for a flag. Much
of the time you will find the pike are using a particular depth.
Same thing for walleyes. Set several tip-ups
along a drop-off or around a sunken island, then when the best depth is
found, set more baits at that depth.
Pro-Thermal tip-ups are the choice of many
tip-up anglers for a couple of reasons. First, they fit directly over the
hole. This prevents light from entering the hole, which could spook fish.
This style of tip-up also prevents the hole from freezing.
They are also easier to see. The angler
can see flags quicker, and snowmobilers can avoid them easier also. Additionally,
false flags will be reduced greatly by the Bait Clip feature. Pro-Thermal
tip-ups are definitely the way to go.
If you like watching a bobber while open
water fishing, you will also enjoy tip-up fishing. And, if you like catching
fish, you really need to try tip-ups on early ice.
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