Getting the head into the ice-hole (no this is not a joke).

[iwantabuggy]

When ice fishing, I typically use short rods (22-28 inches in length). I've noticed I lose a lot of fish trying to get the fishes head started into the hole. I think that a 10 inch hole would be easier, but I typically fish through an 8 inch hole and I've lost a lot of fish right at that point.

Just before leaving Henry's on Sunday, I went out on the ice to talk and say hello. I watched a kid around 9 years old pull a fish up the hole like nothing. He was using a 5-6 foot rod and he reeled the fish to the end of the rod, with the end of the rod going down into the hole and pulled the fish right up. That made me think. Could I stick my short rods down the hole, reel the jig to the end, and pull the fish up the same way? I'm thinking it will work, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

Thoughts?
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[pookiebar]

The answer to that is yes and yes. Putting your rod in the hole [] is a fun and good way to keep the fish on your line.

When a bigger fish starts taking a lot of line I will put everything but the reel down the hole as this will prevent the line from dragging on the ice.
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[fast_randy]

Wow buggy, it seems to me that would work. I'm going to try it. I two have lost many trying to get them started through. I usually use a castmaster flasher and 18" leader though. Two of my friends use full size poles. They say because they won't lose them through the hole. But Jarred (who switched to all light wht. full size, 4ft. poles) still lost one at Chesterfield this year. He had a babby fish on one pole and we were all watching him bring it in and I looked over just in time to see the reel and handel go through.
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[Ktrout]

Henrys is so shallow that when a fish takes out line, it almost always rubs against the ice. Putting your rod through the hole may help to reduce the line rubbing against any possible rough ice. You can do that with either type of rod, although it is probably easier with a 4 ft rod than a 2 ft one. As the ice gets thicker, it will be harder to do this with a shorter rod.

Your main question has to do with trying to get the fish on the ice. There are other factors you have to consider when trying this, one of which is ice thickness. So, the biggest hurdle in getting the fish on the ice when the ice is really thick is getting the head into the hole. If the ice is really thick, you may be putting a lot of tension on the line if you try to use the rod to lift it out of the hole. With thinner ice, you may be able to use momentum to help with this. Another thing to consider is that the shorter rods typically do not have as much give as longer rods. So you are likely going to be putting more tension on the line if the fish shakes its head and you are lifting up with a shorter rod (less give) than with a longer rod (more give).

So I agree that it can be done, I just wouldn't try it out if I thought I had a big fish on.
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[MMDon]

I wouldn't do it. I use the stretch of the line as well as the give in the rod to keep a head shake from pulling the fish loose or breaking the line. I wear them down until the head will look up and attempt to swim them up and out of the hole.

Of course I always carry a gaff so . . .
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[iwantabuggy]

I agree K fish. I won't be testing the idea on a big fish until I've had time to test it on smaller fish. After seeing how it worked for a little kid, I can't believe I didn't think of it before. I was kind of thinking that maybe some of you folks who are smarter than me may have thought of it, tried it, and could tell me how well it works. []
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[iwantabuggy]

[quote MMDon]I wouldn't do it. I use the stretch of the line as well as the give in the rod to keep a head shake from pulling the fish loose or breaking the line. I wear them down until the head will look up and attempt to swim them up and out of the hole.

Of course I always carry a gaff so . . . [.img][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/...k.gif[/img][/quote]"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/...k.gif[/img][/quote][/url]

LOL. [][]
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[windriver]

As the ice gets thicker I drill the hole at an angle if I expect big fish. Then I use the hole as a slide after I get the head up.

Windriver
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[Belasko]

I have used this technique on large fish w/ the use of a short perch rod for the very reasons mentioned. I didn't want to lose the fish d/t line rubbing the ice. I also got it tired enough for the head to come up the hole to where I could lip it and pull it out that way so the line didn't take the entire weight of the fish. I didn't lose it so I think it works!
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[Woodlands]

i had a similar problem with lakers last year, especially with the big daddies. the braid i used would make trenches in the ice in the bottom of the holes (10-20 minute fights) so when it started getting closer and circling the hole the line would be stuck in those grooves and put a lot of stress on the line at times. Talk about nerve racking. I dont really see away around this however. it would be tough fighting a fish for 20 min with the rod in the hole...
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