I know as fisherman we use the word "luck" a lot when it come to catching fish or when we see other people catching fish and were the ones that aren't catching fish, but lets face it there is a skill required to catch fish, and I don't got it when it comes to ice fishing! I have been ice fishing at Rockport and Strawberry this year and have yet to catch a fish!!! I have all kinds of gear but no skill. I have come to you all for help, any pointers will help or if you are heading up to ice fish and dont mind showing me some pointers that would be wonderful! I am talking my scouts out ice fishing in January for our winter camp but last year when I took them out we did not catch any fish and I dont want to have a repeat.
Thanks all!!
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I'm not a high dollar ice Fisherman like a lot of these guys. No, I don't have a fish finder. No I don't have a gas powered auger. No, I haven't done it for 20+ years.
However, I have been skunked twice in the past three years I've been doing it (over 50 trips of ice fishing). I know it sounds simple and common sense, but change is key when you aren't getting any luck. I'm pretty sure I have ADHD so when fish aren't hitting I will move spots. Drill another hole, try every depth possible. Switch bait, switch lures, check these forums, and you'll have success.
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If you're not getting bites, it's either because the fish aren't there or your baits are wrong. The keys to getting bites are depth first, then motion, and finally "everything else" including size, color, odor...
But if you're getting bites and not hooking up, then it's just a matter of feel and timing. It'll come to you eventually - and likely suddenly. I can't describe how you know when to set the hook. But I can vouch that there are a whole lot of wrong ways and very few right ones. Sometimes on ice, it's almost more telepathy than feel.
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Me thinks you're getting good advice. If what you're doing isn't working, do something different.
Are you're going all the way to the bottom? I'd suggest if ur not getting bit, either not attracting them, or not tempting them.
More likely, ur getting bit and just don't know it. Not sure what you're using for bait, or setup.
I'd suggest a hookless Kastmaster (gold, silver), with a jig, two, or three below, maybe start 4-6 inches below the Castmaster.
Second, Spring Bobbers. I really like the Action Tackle one (see K2Muskie post). Simple wire works too. I repurpose guitar strings.
Bites can be SO subtle and quick, easy to miss. Check out some under water camera vids, see how they respond.
Getting with others is a good bet. Sorry I'm not closer.
Remember, hooksets are free. No extra charge for wiffs either.
If you are tipping jigs or lures with worms or fish meat, smaller is better in most cases. My ice fishing success increased dramatically when I started using smaller chunks of bait. Don't give up! Keep asking for help. Give us details of what you are doing, and we can better steer you in the right direction.
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Your first mistake is going to rockport haha. Honestly i have never had much luck at rockport either for some reason and i am one of those high brow fisherman described in another reply who has gone for 20+ years and has the finder etc. rockport has always been a tough lake to fish for some reason. Srrawberry has also been my best friend or my worst enemy. It has always depended on where i go and strawberry can be a very difficult lake to access in mid to late winter as the snow pikes up. Tjis means many people end up fishing the ramp wnere traffic and noise are greatest. I like mud creek but the parkiing isnt always plowed and it can be a nasty hike when the snow is deep. But if you stay in the rasily accessible parts you run the risk of fewer fish because everyone else goes there too. I love scofield as it is not too far away, is pretty easily accessible and i always catch fish.
I think the biggestr eason for not catching fish is they are not actively looking for food sometimes and not eating. That has lots to do with barometric pressure, moon phase, water temps etc. ice fishing is one of the activities that provide what psychologists call intermittient reward. You keep pecking at the bar like a pigeon and eventually a food pellet comes out. Youre not gettiing a reward every time you peck, but if you do it enough you'll get lucky amd it keeps you coming back.
If youre not getting bites, the first thing i would try is moving locations. Look for structure that fish would have to move around or gravitate to undeewater like rocky points or islands. The second thing i would try is change your bait. If it aint working, try somethimg else.
If you can manage to purchase a fish finder of some sort, this can help tou immensely with the first. I have the marcum showdown ice trioller that i bought at the cabelas bargain cave for 150$ and it is absolutley amazing. It is invaluable inhelping me see depth, where my bait is, and if there even fish in the area. Its not as fancy as what is out there but does a perfect job for me. An inexpensive finder might be all you need to turn the corner with your success. I am headed to scofield tomorrow morning with my boys and some friends and youa re welcome to join my group if you want. Pm me for details if youre interested.
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I fished Rockport yesterday and the bite was really lite. I was fishing inside my shelter with the door open and even then with the small breeze I could barely tell when they were bitting. I closed the door and did better. Fished from 11 to 3:40. Even then I only landed five and they were around 12 inches. I really like rockport and have fished it a lot. I do the best with some cocktail shrimp that still has the tail on it but no shell is off the rest of the body. Unless the fish (trout) are really biting hard I use really small ice flies and the ones that glow or are white do the best when the bite is light. The piece of shrimp is a small piece that I pinch off about the size of a dime or smaller. If you don't have a fish finder drop start out around 8 ft and and gradually work it down in increments of 4 feet. Remember fish feed upward so you want to keep it above them so they see it better. I tend to watch the line instead of the pole if the bite is really light. I've had days at rockport where I've caught over 30 in 3 hours with multiple double hook ups and I've had days like yesterday. I like strawberry but have never done good enough to justify the drive. I fished Rockport two weeks ago and only caught 3 but it was good cause I only fished for 2 hours and the two of the fish were over 20 inches. My best tip would be to use small lures (really small 1/2 inch long hook and all) cause they just barely get it into their mouth. Good luck.
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No one should have to live with luck like yours. You are right, a few pointers on technique will change your world.
I agree Rockport is tough to fish at times. It used to be my 'go to' lake back in the day, but things have changed. That said it is a very handy place to take scouts. The accommodations are really good for groups there. On the down side...the fishing hasn't been good the past few years.
Strawberry is good for catching slot cutts and recently the rainbows have made a come back. Nice to see.
Scofield is one of my favorites. Not the best the last few years either, but it's improving.
It would be great fun to go fishing tomorrow. You are welcome to tag along if you would like. I usually fish alone. Not a good idea, but it happens. I was going to see if my nephew wanted to go. He has never been ice fishing. The three of us might just be able to catch some fish. We could set up near chubbychaser if you would like. He could probably give us some good info. I think Scofield would offer good numbers swimming through so we can work on the basics, but I would entertain going somewhere else also.
Let me know. I live in Lehi.
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Technique and equipment are key in my opinion. Gotta start early... before sunup. The bite shuts down everywhere considerably after 11 am. Small hooks and bait. Tip sensors and most of all, a flasher. I went 5 years without being skunked. Then I took some scouts up and spent my time helping them and not really fishing and got a skunk. That was 3 years or so ago. Haven't been skunked since. I don't get out as much anymore as life has changed and so has my free time. I was out yesterday with my wife and a 16 year old venture scout. We caught 31 at the Berry. Not a bad 1st trip this year. Get away from everyone, fish in depths of 20 feet or less. I prefer to start at around 20 feet. My favorite bait is a ratfinky tipped with a wax worm. 2nd best bait is a small piece of a night crawler. I use a size 12 or 14 hook. Not sure of the exact size as I tell by sight not number. I use only enough weight to get the hook down and I work the water column and most of all, keep the pole in my hand. Too many bites are missed from watching the pole sit on the ice. Find a mentor and go fish. Watch and learn. Ice fishing is the only fishing I do anymore.
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A few questions for you before I spout off advice that may get you no where.
How big are your jigs? Generally when ice fishing smaller is better.
What type, and size is your line? I only use 4 lb test for ice fishing. If I am going to a lake with big fish I might jump to 6 lb. The finer line will straighten out better so your jig hangs more naturally, and so you can actually see the bites.
How often do you change things up? If I have not gotten a bite in a given hole after 10 drops I move. If I have gotten a few light bites, but no hookups after 10 drops, I switch colors, bait, presentation and so on. Keep changing till you find what the fish want.
Just a hint, on a given day of ice fishing I will drill a minimum of 6-10 holes. On a slow day it looks like swiss cheese out there.
Final tip, by some electronics. You don't have to go expensive if you don't want, but knowing how deep the water is, and if any fish are swimming by will make a huge difference.
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Ya noise is bad and a cast master is a good thing with ice flies and a small price of shrimp on it white all ways works for me I've found ether on bottom or on top works it's one or the other iv found small fast jig every once in a while work really well and moving a lot can help some Times even moving 20 feet can make a differents in how many u get thro out the day meal worms work good on ice Flys if u hook them and then squeeze Them till they pop a little fish finders help with depth but after that it's just put in the right bait in front of them
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Thank you Thank you for all your helpful posts!!! I have printed them all off for good keepsake.
To answer a few questions, I fish with 4 pound line, I use small tube gigs, and small gitzits and paddle bugs. I fish 40+ feet off the shore line and I move around a lot!!! I had to but me a niels 6inch ice auger so I could drill lots of holes without getting tired . I normally fish 2 feet off the bottom and then work my way up tell I am 2 feet deep, I dont jig as much as I should but that is because I am not sure if I should do long high slow jigs or small short fast jigs. My friend just bought a nice fish finder so we will give that a try next time. I tip my bait with a mill worm and stick bait when I am desperate. I try and switch my bait and jigs every 45 min but it sounds like I need to do that more often and I have downloaded an app the tells me about the moon phases just to see if that helps.
I know I am missing some things but I can not express how grateful I am for all your posts. I am planning on go out next Saturday to try a bunch of thing out but I will let you all know when and where in case any of you would like to meet me up there.
Thanks again!!!
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Everyone has great advice so far. One thing I wanted to add is something that I really needed to learn when I started. Even if you have location, correct tackle, bites and hooksets, you still might be left scratching your head why you can't land a fish. My friends that taught me ice fishing from south dakota watched me miss fish after fish after fish. They started yelling at me keep reeling in!!! I would get a bit, set the hook and then feel no resistance so I would wait to see if I would get a follow-up try at the fish(trout especially). I would yell back, "He got off". they would say "no he didn't!" I thought they were nutz. I knew what a "fish on" feels like from summer fishing. I was sure they were crazy, so on the next one, just to prove them wrong, I kept reeling in and guess what, fish landed. I couldn't explain it until a few years later when I got my ice fishing underwater camera (aquavu 760C, love it) that I understood what was happening. In summer we are pretty much horizontal from the fish. When they get a hook set they mostly swim like crazy staight up(instict from their time as a minnow, that's why you see minnows jump out of the water when a bigger fish is trying to eat them). This isn't noticed really when fishing horizontally because you still feel the fish pulling. In the winter however, you are right over them vertically. When they swim up at you, your line goes limp and you kiss it goodbye even though the fish is still busy shaking the hook out of it's face, only to swim away. Keep reeling in and you might be surprised what is on there still. Also you need to rebait/check bait anyway so it's a good practice to learn for ice fishing. one more reason is if you are fish near anyone else, you need to get that fish staight up and out to avoid tangling others lines when the fish swims in a circle as well. Changed frustration into total enjoyment for me. Hope this helps someone out there. thanks "DAKOTA" for not giving up on me!
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I want to make sure I understand correctly. You tie a hookless kastmaster on, then add a few inches of line to the other end of the kastmaster, then tie on your jig? Any particular color? What size? Any idea what the logic is behind it? I am a novice ice fisherman with limited techniques and love learning new helpful techniques. Thanks
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The kastmaster is used for attractant (they flash in light and get their attention) size is up to you I normally use a Swedish pimple in a medium size I have found that I get the best results when I use a chartreuse or orange sticker sweedish pimple with an ice fly (small glow in the dark jig) also have good results using a sweedish pimple that glows as well
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Some real good advice in here.
But I like to keep it simple:
1. Presentation. (Keep it as natural as possible. Think 4 lb. test, smaller offerings, etc.)
2. Find where the fish hang out. (They need oxygen, food source, less competition, etc.)
That's basically it. You don't need high priced gadgets, or anything like that. Good luck.
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dont know if you have one or not but i use a wire indicator on the end of the pole. sometimes the bite is so slight that you wont see or feel it without one. hope it helps and good luck with the scouts.
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Also, watch that line.... if it moves in the slightest,, set the hook. Hook sets are free. If you miss let it fall again. If there are cuts, tigers or splake in the area they WILL hit again. remember hook sets are free. use them up.
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