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Ok, there have been a few posts on ice fishing lately. And, since I've just unpacked my few ice fishing things(or almost complete lack thereof) from storage, I can see I need to address the upcoming hard water activities a little more seriously now that the weather is turning.
Let me confess here at first that I am not an avid hard water angler. I am a hack - at best. In the past I have only gotten out a couple of times a year and I am one of those "poor fools" that sits out in the weather on a bucket for the few fish I can catch. This year, I would like to do a little more ice fishing than what I have done in the past, and perhaps, even enjoy a little more success.
The reason for this thread is to get some input from those here that are hard water specialists - I know you are out there folks.
Currently my equipment is probably quite inadaquate for good success. My gear is this:
Rods: Silver eagle med action 30 inch spin rod.
South Bend light action 24 inch spinning rod.
Oddly, the light action seems much heavier than the medium.
Reels: I use my standard spinning reels spooled with regular Trilene XT in 4 or 6 lb. I have tried my casting and line counter reels, but, they are always spooled with much heavier lines from the soft water fishing I do earlier in the year.
Tackle: A box of iceflies and small(16th and 32nd oz.) jigs with plastics and a couple of Kastmasters and a Swedish Pimple or two and a couple of double hook jigs in rainbow and perch patterns. I usually tip those with what ever bait that is left over from soft water fishing - like minnows or perch meat. I have used meal worms and wax worms when I plan in advance and pick them up at one of the tackle shops.
Electronics: I have a fishing buddy that gets iced up but works ok when I keep it cleaned off. I also have a Humminbird matrix 37 that is currently mounted for my water craft that I have not tried on the ice yet.
Accessories: A metal ice scooper to keep the hole clear of ice. Ice pick for chipping away at the ice. I have usually borrowed someone's hand auger to make a hole.
Habitat: I use my skiing gear - I have lots of that and can keep warm and dry in any weather. I also sit on the bucket that I haul my stuff in - it is fairly uncomfortable and I generally end up standing around the hole instead of sitting.
I am hoping you all can give me some ideas on what you have been using in the way of equipment.
My questions are these:
What rods and reels are recommended for the ice ? Do you use spinning or casting rods/reels ? Does it matter ?
What fishing line do you use ?
What kind/size of auger(most likely the hand type) and what brand would you recommend ?
What kind of light/cheap wind break/sled/hut/tent work well ? I would have to haul it without a snow machine or ATV.
Do you use tip-ups and why ? If so, what kind ?
What kind of electronics would be recommended specifically for the ice ?
Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
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Chuck, I will get you out on the ice with me, and you will see what an ice fisherman has who takes far too much tackle out on the ice. I would purchase as large of a Jet Sled that you think that you might need and can handle. They are very stable, slide easily across the ice, and will hold lots of gear. In my opinion, bait-casting style reels work far better than a spinning reel for all types of vertical jigging.
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Fishhound,
You are describing the exact setup I have been using for years with regards to poles, line, lures, and fish finder. What you have already will work fine. I would recommend picking up a Jet Sled to haul your gear around. It will also act as a wind break that you can sit inside of when the wind picks up. Granted its not a ice shelter but it will work in a bind. One thing to consider when ice fishing is to mobility. If the fish aren't interested after 15-20 minutes of trying, then pickup and move to a new location. The more gear you have the less likely you will be to move to a new location. Sometimes less is more while ice fishing! I use a 6" auger and only had one occassion in which the fish wouldn't fit through the hole. Unless you are targeting larger fish (i.e. Macs, Pike, Muskie), a 6" auger should suit your needs. Also, tip-ups are pretty useless in Utah b/c of the one pole limit. One thing I like to do when the ice is fairly thick (excess of 24") is to use an ice spud/chisel to reopen previously drilled holes and check the depth and for the presence/lack of fish. It will save you from some unneccessary drilling. Hopefully this helps and good luck this ice season!
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Some may disagree, but the thing that I love about ice fishing is that, unlike soft water, you don't NEED all of the fancy stuff or a huge selection of lures/flies to have good success out on the ice. As anyone who has ice fished with me will attest, I go out and I do well with a basic pole, an "armstrong" auger and standard scoop, a small selection of my favorite ice flies and lures, my finder, and bait and attractants. I carry them in a bucket and have a jet sled junior sled. That's all. The other stuff is great for comfort and convenience, but do not increase the number of fish caught. As a skier, you know how to keep warm and dry in the wintertime and that is half of the battle.
Your rods and reels should be fine. I prefer a medium action rod as opposed to an ultralight action, because I feel I get better hooksets with a medium. I do like using a higher abrasion resistance line like silver thread on the ice as abrasion against the corner of the hole will take place when fighting fish. (I don't like flourocarbons on my ice poles).
I prefer a 8inch hole and have a hand auger of that size. The key with a hand auger is keeping sharp blades on it and they work OK. They are reasonably priced.
The sporting goods stores will have on sale jet sleds and jet sled jrs soon. Get one of these. My daughter has also discovered that the jet sled is the fastest sleigh on the sledding hill too, so it serves double duty for daddy when the "little fisherwoman" is with him.
The one exception to my "simple-is-sufficient" blather is with fishfinders. A good fishfinder that has REAL TIME readings makes a huge difference in success. There will be heated debates here on what one is the best, but any unit that gives you real time readouts will increase your catch.
The main thing IMO that is hard for newbies to learn about the hard deck is bite recognition. The fish bite softly, and I've seen many poor souls smell skunk while those around them ring up lots of fish because they couldn't tell when they were getting a bite, and they didn't react properly. There are different tricks people use, and practice and experience are invaluable.
Once you get the hang of it, you might become an addict and look forward to the ice season year round, like some of us do. You may even sell your skis to buy a shelter, gas auger, snowmobile, generator, heater, and TV for your trips.
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One question for you... are you going to be fishing for good sized trout (Strawberry, E-Lake, Schofield) or are you looking pan fish and planter bows?
The gear that you have sounds fine for the most part. One thing I would add to your arsenal are strike indicators. A lot people say that they are not necassary, but I am a true believer. When using an indicator you pick up on the bites much quicker, especially when using a medium weight rod. I fish with people that use that Eagle Claw medium you have and I know for a fact that they are missing some of the lighter strikes because they don't have one. I reccommend the wire indicators that extend off the end of your rod. After about 20 fish they get bent out of shape, but are very easy to replace or adjust.
As for line, I prefer Stren's Magna thin in 6lb test. It gives you the strength of 6lb, but it has the diameter of 4lb. They also sell it in 5lb, or they used to, which I used to buy, but I can't seem to find it anywehere anymore.
As far a tackle, for panfish or smaller trout I like to use a kastmaster ice fly combo with a wax worm most of the time. My favorite ice flies are Rat Finkys. They are glow in the dark and come in many colors. I prefer the green, but have caught fish on all. This is also what I catch a lot of kokanee on at Causey res. and the perch and crappie at Pineview. For larger trout I normally stay away from ice flies, and go with plastics. At Strawberry the Freshwater basics tubes and curly tails in white, green, and glow in the dark are very effective. My favorite size jig head to use is the 1/16th. Just buy jigs based on the size of the heads you are using. I persoanlly would not go any bigger than 1/8th. I also have some success using the Blue Fox Foxie jig. I have a few other jigs I use, but you'll have to go with me to get that info. [  ] I have also caught some large trout jigging silver Kastmasters by themselves. It is so much fun if you get an active school that are agressive, and have them nail your Kastmasters.
I normally tip these jigs with meal worms if I am targeting cutts. I have found better success tipping with salmon eggs or play dough (power bait) for the bows. I also like to use some kind of a fish attractant. Smelly jelly shad or night crawler usually.
Now if you are targeting large fish, such as Tiger Muskies, I recommend using a large half ounce tube jig in green or fire tiger. Tip it with a piece of perch. Be caureful with that though, they have changed the regulation on the size of perch you are allowed to use to 1"X1" chunk if I am not mistaken. Or you could use chub or carp meat if you have it. You would also want to have at least a medium action rod with at least 10 lb. test. A lot of guys use tip ups, but I never have.
On a side note the biggest musky I have caught through the ice was 43 inches long and he took my perch I was realing in. I got him in the corner of the mouth with the Rat Finky. I was using a light action rod with 4lb Magna thin. Needless to say it was a long drawn out fight.
If you have any other questions let me know. [  ]
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What you have will work fine. If you are planning on buying some thing new start with what will help catch fish. #1 Good sonar, #2 gas auger it helps when the fishing is slow you can relocate and drill as many holes as needed with little effort. A hand auger works fine at the start of the winter but after a month or two the ice can become 24" thick. A sled is a big plus also. Tents are good but do not help catch fish they are for comfort.
You should consider taking your sonar unit off your boat and setting it up for ice fishing.
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Great ! Let's go - when there's enough ice that is. We don't have to push your boat around on the ice - do we ?
BTW - I have seen that "Jet Sled" thing mentioned in several posts here, What is it ? I looked it up on the internet and what I found did not seem quite right.
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Fishhound,
I attached a link which should give you an idea what we are referring to: [url "http://www.fish307.com/fish/ShappellJetSleds.htm"]http://www.fish307.com/fish/ShappellJetSleds.htm[/url].
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Hey thanx midge,
The info in your link makes more sense than the stuff I came up with when I looked. Here's what I found:
[url "http://www.skyramp.org/jet.htm"]http://www.skyramp.org/jet.htm[/url]
[url "http://www.glen-l.com/designs/outboard/riverrat.html"]http://www.glen-l.com/designs/outboard/riverrat.html[/url]
[url "http://www.graydrake.com/jetsled.html"]http://www.graydrake.com/jetsled.html[/url]
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Chuck, my friend, we will definitely get after them through the ice, and no we don't have to drag the boat.
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[cool]Fishhound, these guys have given excellent advice. The only thing I think I can add right now is make sure to pick up a few Trout Killers (er uhm, Whatta Crickets and Boogers) at Hooked Fishing Tackle up in Kaysville (the only place you can get them). Paddlebugs work almost as well, but not quite. White and Chartruese are the best colors for under the ice.
Out of everything else that the others recommended, I think the most important would be the sonar and STRIKE INDICATOR. Oh yeah, don't forget to get some STRIKE INDICATORS, and you might want to also make sure to pick up some STRIKE INDICATORS!!!
Also, let me know if you want someone to take you out ice fishing. I'll be hitting Scofield around Thanksgiving weekend. Should have safe (4 inches) of ice by then. I usually do well there for the first month or so, then Scofield slows down a bit as the ice cap gets thicker and the oxygen gets lower there. It's only ever 40 ft deep in it's deepest spot, but right now, I'd think 20-25 is the deepest, so after the ice gets thick (like 20 inches and more) the fish get less active.
After that I hit Strawberry, and then in January you can find me nailing the perch at Rockport (aka Perchport, or Rockperch) and the little slimers there too. Haven't been skunked on the ice in a few years, so I'll get you into the fish. Let me know.
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[size 1]"I also sit on the bucket that I haul my stuff in - it is fairly uncomfortable and I generally end up standing around the hole instead of sitting."[/size]
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[size 1]I have tried sitting on a bucket and my back starts hurting after awhile. I take one of those chairs that folds up and fits into a bag to sit on. Having a chair with some back support helps me enjoy the outing far better.[/size]
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That's good advice Kent. Those [url "mailto:d@#%"]d@#%[/url] buckets kill my back too!
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I like the idea of simple. A lot of my fishing is of the simple variety - I usually take the minimum of gear for the water or species I am after - unless, I'm in one of my watercraft - that always seems to make things way more complex.
I have a fish finder with REAL TIME sonar readouts - it's a Humminbird and I can watch my jigs under the transducer and the fish take or reject my offering, so, I know the advantage there. However, I would have to make some adjustments to make it useable for ice fishing - it's attached to my watercraft.
Question: Is an 8 inch auger much more difficult to use or that much of an advantage over a 6 inch one ? I think the only one I have used so far has been a 6 incher.
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[cool]Good advice indeed! I only take a camping chair out with me that folds up and goes in the bag. Only time I took a bucket was when I went out in my dad in law's 3 man Frabill shelter. I'd say that shelter is really a 2 man. We were warm, but so packed in there that it was tough to get a good hooks set from lack of elbow room, but still fun.
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[cool]Fishhound, the 8 incher is barely more difficult than the 6 incher to drill with. I have an 8 inch Eskimo Auger and it works pretty well, but I wish I would have paid an extra 10 bucks or so and bought the Strikemaster Lazer. It cuts through the ice much easier than mine. I keep it pretty simple too. I only take out my Jet Sled and a few things that I mentioned earlier. I haven't even taken a sonar before, so you could say that I have fished "blind" in the past, but like I said I haven't been skunked on the ice in a few years back when I didn't really know anything about ice fishing. I'm hoping to get a nice real time finder this year like the Eagle Fishmark 320 or 480. I don't need a freakin' GPS on my finder. That's for rich guys or highly in debt guys. I do want a small GPS unit though that I can take anywhere.
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I have a 10" power auger, and hand augers that are 6" and 4". I got the 4" for a deeply-discounted clearance price last winter. Until the ice is thick I plan on using the 4" everywhere I go except where they have huge fish. I am debating whether or not I will use it at Strawberry or not. For a power auger I prefer 10"; however, BearLakeMack makes good use of a 6" power auger by drilling a triangle of three holes. A power auger is great out on the ice, but unless one has a snowmobile or a four-wheeler to haul it, they are a pain to drag all of that weight. A larger hole is only necessary if one catches a fish that won't come through the hole. If I am trying to land a larger fish I pull its head through the hole and grab it with my Berkley Big Game Lip Grips.
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You could probably get away with a "4 auger at Berry when catching cutts, but those football bows may cause you some heartache.
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Whether I am after larger fish or smaller ones, usually just depends on the water I am fishing. I like all fish and have just as much fun with the pan fish sized ones as the whale sized ones. That's why I have the two different sized rods. However, I have had to suffice with what I was able to catch on the ice before.
I have a couple of those wire strike indicators already, but, I have not ever used them for ice fishing. I originally got them when I was out of town and had to borrow a rod from someone to go fishing - it was a 7 foot salt water heavy action casting rod with a trolling reel spooled with something like 25 lb test line, and I was in an area where there were only crappies, bluegills, and rock bass. So, I pick up a couple of those indicators at a bait and tackle shop and put them on the rod, tied on some 6 lb leader material and went pan fishing. They worked out pretty well actually, but, I have not used them since - they're still in my tackle box. I have often wondered if I would ever find a use for them again. Maybe I will now.
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I'll definitely have to take you up on the invite up to some of the ice holes you mentioned. I can only say however, that I've just enjoyed "limited" success on the ice.
A lot of that probably has to do with not having an auger of my own. I generally have to borrow one for somebody who is already on the ice and I end up just sitting at the one hole that I drilled and waiting for fish to show up there instead of going to other places to find them.
This year though, I plan on getting my own auger so I can be more mobile and actively go looking for where the fish are. A sled would also help pack up easier a allow me to do that.
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