From Now Until Ice-Up

From Now Till Ice-Up

Ice anglers are a nervous bunch it seems from about the time of the whitetail rut, all throughout November.  Even if ice doesn’t come in their neck of the woods until December, it seems we find more ways to worry about getting ready for it than we do once it’s actually here.  While I can’t do anything about ice-formation, I can certainly give you a peek at my pre-ice checklist.  Get the prep-work done, then rest easy until we get some single digits and calm winds.

Auger

Traditionally, gas-powered engines have made this the first item on my checklist.  Should you need a carburetor adjust or other fix, you might be a few weeks out.  Better to work on this one sooner than later, while service center lines are short and turnaround times are quick.  To prep any auger, you first need winter-blend fuels sold in the ice-belt usually anytime in November.  Pre-mix your fuel, or purchase some of the handy pre-mixed gas in a can.  Check your spark plug, auger flighting, and blade sharpness, then turn over the engine.  If you’re choking and adjusting throttle like mad just to get it to fire, think how much harder that’s going to be on a frozen sheet of ice.  Of course, if you’re part of the electric auger crowd, simply test your batteries, blades, and general condition to make sure you’re ready to drill first ice.

Shelter

This comes next on my list as I want to make sure I have time to assess any items that may be broken, torn, or otherwise not functional.  Then I still have ample time to replace items or add new ones like a light bar, cargo nets, hooks, etc.  Were you sick of the bottom of your portable shelter sled holding snow and water last year?  Consider drilling small holes at the back end of the sled in the bottom of the runner wells.  That way, as your gear warms and dries, simply prop up the front part of your shelter to allow water to drain out.

Electronics

A quick look at your battery and its condition, as well as general operation of the unit itself completes the trifecta of your big-ticket item pre-ice checklist.  Look for a shifting screen, poorly lit marks, loose knobs, frayed cables, or loose connections.  All of these issues can be carry-overs from the year prior and will make the new year on ice that much more difficult.  Again, customer service waits are very short right now, but will be long when everyone breaks out their flasher for the first time of the new season.  Stay ahead of the curve and be ready to fish when others aren’t.

Outerwear and Boots

This could be one of the most overlooked areas to prep for all ice anglers.  Especially early ice, you’re often fishing outside of a shelter or at least roaming the open ice to check for safety.  Consider a floating bib and jacket combination that’s designed for the ice, and line its pockets with everything you’ll need.  Headlamps, bait-pucks, hand-towels, measuring tapes, superline scissors, GPS, and forceps all fit inside the pockets of my on-ice outerwear.  Boots are a subject unto themselves, but make sure yours don’t leak, and consider equipping them with ice cleats for slick first ice.

One of the most overlooked aspects of pre-ice prep, is getting your Outerwear and what you put in it, squared away.  

 Tackle

I start with putting fresh line on every ice reel I own.  It’s cheap insurance, and tiny 500 series reel spools are made to create memory in ice line.  Make sure that reels are firmly taped and/or seated on rod seats, and that everything fits into your transportation tote or rod-box of choice.  Consider how you’ll fish, where, and for what species.  Go through the scenarios of what species you’ll likely fish for and where.  Configure your storage solutions accordingly.  For me, it’s Ziploc bags for small jigs and plastics, individually labeled and sorted, then stuffed into a tackle bag.  For hard baits and spoons, I run a series of small boxes that I can separate easily and keep on my person only what I need.  Rarely do I bring everything, but I’m still striving for the perfect solution as we all are.  Regarding bait, consider buying in bulk, as I’ll typically buy 1000 euros at a time then dip ice pucks into that stock as necessary to refill.  If they’re left outside to freeze or otherwise die, you haven’t lost it all and you need to restock less often.

Lastly, and this is the fun part, gather all of your ice tackle in a single location, spread them out on the floor and admire how large the pile has become.  Make sure to do so in the absence of your significant other, or you’ll likely be prevented from ever adding to it again.  Go through old baits, replace hooks as needed and more than anything, take good inventory on what needs re-stocking.  Be honest with yourself.  This is a difficult task.  Work new baits and lures into the rotation, but do so sparingly, and then, only in a few selected colors and sizes.  Instead, focus on your staples, and make sure you have plenty multiples of them.  The worst thing you can do when shopping for lures is to buy a smattering of one each in various lure types.  Instead, do your research and know your fishing style, then make educated and targeted purchases in multiples of the colors and sizes of baits you know you’ll make use of this winter.  While it can be more expensive, you’re far more likely to have what you need when using this system.  I’ve more recently been a fan of shopping for these items online, mostly because I can order these multiples with greater ease, and typically the stock is virtually limitless.  Still, whether online or in-store, supply can be sold thin if you wait too long.  This is especially true for brand new lures and baits that get a good amount of press.   

From here, you’re more prepared than the vast majority of your ice-fishing brethren, and for good reason, first ice can be the best fishing of the year.  So fill your deer tags, get some fresh winter blend fuel in that ice auger, and wait until mother nature gives us the icy layer we need to walk on water.

Permanent DIY Fish-House Do's and Don'ts

Permanent DIY Fish-house Do’s and Don’ts

It’s the time of year when ice heads across northern climates start thinking of their winter plans.  Maybe it’s the onward march of the calendar towards fall, or maybe it’s just that ice can be a comforting thought when the mercury is stuck in the 80’s and 90’s.  Whatever the reason, people now are building their own permanent shelters, or remodeling old ones, including myself.  A buddy and I are converting an enclosed single axle trailer into a makeshift summer and winter threat that will both haul over tar, and sit on top of ice.  This article then is aimed at the do-it-yourself (DIY) crowd, such that hopefully you can take our mistakes and learn from them!

Do’s

The adage “measure twice, cut once” applies here in many senses; perhaps from a construction perspective, but also from a general ice-fishing planning one as well.  Think long and hard about the way you use a hardside ice-shelter in the winter, and especially how you fish out of one.  I prefer to be out on the open ice, but also appreciate and enjoy modern comforts afforded by a well-heated space that offers fixed seating and more room.  Still, if you’re like me, knowing that you’re already confined to a small space on the ice, you’re pulling overtime on thinking of ways to offer as many fish as many looks as possible. 

To me, that means individual anglers jigging from a direction or area that they’re comfortable in, along with a combination of rattle reels and even tip-up’s outside to round out the spread.  Livebait vs. deadbait, deadbait motionless vs. deadbait jigged, etc.,etc. etc.  These are the kinds of fishing experiments you’ll be running inside the house, so you should setup the house for maximum flexibility.  To me that means portable rattle reels that can be interchanged from hole to hole at the drop of a hat.  It also means that depending on how many people you’re fishing with, the amount and configuration of holes used may be drastically different.  If children will be in the house, un-used, or lots of holes spells wet legs and early leave times, so consider covers of some sort.

Heat and the direction or power of heat is always an issue in any house.  It always seems like there’s either too much, or not enough, so invest in low-draw fans that keep the heat off the ceilings and moving around the entire house constantly.  Also be wary of setting lines too close to heat sources, first because of the obvious burn dangers, but also because it’s not very comfortable sitting in front of the furnace on full blast.

Do invest in quality lighting, as most folks get a few incandescent lights, or rope-lights, then call it “good enough” stating, “I can always wear a headlamp after dark.  Go the extra mile, spend the money and buy low-draw LED bulbs or light bars that diffuse light evenly throughout the house.  My experience is that rarely is there enough good light to tie knots, unhook fish, and find the jig you’re looking for.

Also, do spend the time to make your door as wind-tight and well-fit as possible.  The door gets the most abuse in any ice house.  It’s kicked on, swung against the house, and the handle is banged on repeatedly, all while the forces of extreme cold, heat, moisture, and resulting ice make it difficult to work as intended.  Good quality insulated doors are easier now to find, so consider spending more on something that will last.

Don’t’s

I grew up on a farm, and regularly must resist the urge to unleash my inner wire, bail twine, or duct tape fixes.  Perhaps the best advice I could give any DIY’er, is to realize both the limits of your ability, and to recognize a better mousetrap when you see one.  I encourage talented carpenters and woodcrafters to design everything from more efficient shelving, to beautiful wood interiors, rod racks, and even cabinets.  I strongly discourage using 2X4’s and other wood scrap to fashion items such as a door latch.  They make effective and time tested versions of these every day, with many options to fit several budgets.

Case in point would be Fishhouse version 1.0 from last winter.  My friend is an HVAC contractor, and has plentiful tin at his immediate disposal.  Our first hole sleeves then, were metal.  At first, they worked extremely well, and were somewhat disposable with how much ducting he has lying around.  That was until they froze in or the auger blades would nick the edges and practically shred them.  Enter another alternative, the venerable five gallon bucket.  While a great budget option, they offered a sizable “lip” that extended above the floor, creating trip and toe stubbing hazards at every turn.  It doesn’t sound like much, but when you have a house full of ice-holes, and each one of them has this lip, you’re walking real estate becomes far less than you might expect.  Getting the screw down covers with snap-on lids and removable hole sleeves, did not prove to be free like the buckets were, but did offer far more flexibility, comfort, and ease of use.  More importantly, it means our ATV can be driven right on top of the hole covers and we can use the fish-house to also haul.

Lastly, don’t forget to include all of the simple comforts of home.  Racks for drying items, hangers for a pliers, ruler, or jaw spreaders, and small shelves up high for putting food or other items away are some of the last things thought of.  Ideally, for some, it’s best to just fish the house somewhat bare, and then add things on an as-needed basis.  However, if you’re like me, you forget the drill and screwdrivers each time, and end up focusing only on the fishing.  Not a bad thing, as it’s the primary reason you’re out there, but the best permanent houses for fishing are not coincidentally the ones that are best thought-out. 

So You Want to Make a Living in the Fishing Industry?

I was at a friend’s cabin near Hackensack, MN last winter when my cell phone rang.  It was Al Lindner, and Al’s excitement was infectious.  We both talked at length about an idea that’s probably the number one question I get no matter what I do in the fishing industry.  Whether at a seminar, retail event, or via email, people are fascinated by the question, “How Do I Make a Living in the Fishing Industry?” 

Al invited me as one of many in a panel of speakers for a workshop held this fall, which is designed to help answer just that question.  That’s because there’s more than one path to help turn your hobby into a livelihood.  There’s all kinds of roles throughout “fishing,” from marketing specialists, product developers, writers, media personalities, biologists, conservation officers, and many, many more.  Each person’s journey is different, and depending on your skill set, you may be well-suited for several roles but not for others.  While no two paths are the same, here are some nuggets of wisdom that have been shared with me, which I’ve found to be especially true no matter which direction you tread down. 

My start actually came while I was already involved headlong in another natural-resources related career.  I began in the late 1990’s posting on various online fishing forums, sharing advice and being helpful when I could as others had questions.  When I had fishing information to share, I relayed simply those bits that as an angler I would want or be interested in myself.  It wasn’t long before that online writing began to catch the attention of some manufacturers, who in the early years I partnered with because I’d always used their products and believed in them. 

I was young and impetuous, quick-witted but slow-minded.  I made every mistake in the book but maintained my passion for the outdoors through it all, constantly striving to both whet my appetite for hunting and fishing goals I already had of myself, while trying to partner with companies to help fund my addiction.  Call it trial-by-fire or more appropriately, trial-and-error, I mucked my way through the initial years.  I spent the first five of it not really getting paid for any of the writing, online promotional work, or retail events I did, and the next ten doing my best to perform tasks as a business; professionally delivering services while not going backwards financially in the process.       

As for writing, Outdoor News Columnist and legendary writer Gary Clancy was famous for saying, "The most important requirement of being an outdoors writer is having a wife with a good job."  I’d tend to agree with his statements as I’ve pushed for nearly two decades to simply earn a seat at the table.  Which is why money needs to be a motivating factor but not a primary goal in this line of work. 

The fishing industry most certainly isn’t for everyone.  However, if you were the “fishiest” kid among your group of friends or in your whole school, this may be for you.  If all four seasons of the year’s calendar revolved around the next trip, fishing-season, or timely outdoors activity, you may be able to withstand the long hours and sacrifices.  More importantly, if you find yourself already taking existing skills like writing, photography, speaking, sales, and marketing to bear for fishing-related purposes, this just may be your calling.

Let’s get one thing straight however.  Being a skilled angler is not enough, for most jobs in the industry it’s simply a prerequisite.  Very few people get paid to fish, and those that do are either at the pinnacle of their careers or more often are doing so under the pressure of a budget, schedule, or other constraining factors which for most people, makes it no longer resemble the fishing they once knew and loved.  

If you’re a freelancer, you must make the initial capital investment in yourself, with the hopes of eventually growing your thought-leadership such that your voice may be heard.  That capital investment for me was a strong education, and I recommend it to all anglers hoping to someday work in fishing.  Do this while understanding that your expectations should equal your effort, noting that most start-ups no matter the industry don’t turn a profit for the first few years.  Your “business” whatever it may be, will in the early years be funded 95% by you, and 5% by the industry.  Your “business plan” should be to reverse those numbers over a period of time.  During this time it’s common to have a side job or two in order to pay the bills.

Decide what to be, and go be it.  Specialize early on to bring your talents to bear for underserved disciplines, locations, or species.  Know your strengths, but more importantly, your limitations, while building relationships with the companies, brands, andtheir representatives.  Don’t ask for a thing from them until you have forged a strong relationship, and they know you as someone that may be able to help them.  Build your voice through as many avenues as you can, whether it be online, print media, in-person, or all of the above.  All the while, live a clean life, as it’s worth saying that one mistake can destroy credibility, which you should value above all else. 

As Al and I wrapped up our conversation that winter’s day, I couldn’t help but look out over the frozen lake while thinking on all the mistakes, mis-steps, and lost opportunities I had squandered mostly on account of not knowing any better.  If you’re serious about a career in the industry, you owe it to yourself to bone-up on the subject far better than I ever did.  There’s some great books out there, online advice, and this Fishing Career’s workshop coming up.  Whether you decide that it’s for you, or it’s not, I know I’m incredibly thankful for the wisdom passed on-to me, and I’m hoping to pay-it-forward as best I can this October. 

Al and Troy Lindner are hosting the “Fishing Career’s Workshop,” on Saturday October 27th, at Cragun’s Resort in Brainerd, MN.  Go to https://mycampfish.com/products/fishing-careers-workshop to sign-up.  Limited seats available. 

Time for a Mid-Winter Road Trip?

A combination of paper maps and digital mapping as seen on the Navionics-capable Marcum RT-9 make all the difference when traveling to any fishing destination. Photo Credit - Ben Larson - In Depth Media Productions

It's that time of the season when your ice-fishing interest level may be fading as fast as your bites.  Trucks, permanent houses, and lake-wide mobility has been the norm for the northern part of the ice belt, and even in the southern part of it where ice typically forms, we're long-past first-ice.  Community spots have been established, and the fish among them grow weary of the pressure with the bite showing it.  Before you send off ice-fishing for the winter or at least until late-ice, consider a mid-winter trip to boost morale and get back into the swing of things.  Here's a few quick hints on getting the most from a destination ice excursion.

Anglers for the most part are well-traveled souls.  More and more often, we travel to destination lakes, for specific species and patterns that offer us something different.  A break, an excuse, and a chance to perhaps do something we've never done or only do once in a great while.  It's been my experience that even when the fishing may be sub-par, getting together with family and friends for an ice-adventure is about far more than just the fishing.

Still, catching fish in these scenarios is our intended goal.  If you've never visited an area that catches your interest, consider booking a guide for the first day or two to get the lay of the land.  Ice guides are frequently more value-priced than an open-water equivalent, and can truly offer a distinct leg-up on hitting the ground running.  Even in the best fisheries in the world, it's not difficult to struggle at first to just find fish, let alone catch them.  This would be considered the premium and most preferred option if you're willing to spend the cash.

Another option yet is to work with a resort to fish in a permanent house.  You're forced to do a bit more leg-work in making sure you're fishing with a reputable outfit.  Recommendations from family and friends, web and Facebook reviews, along with references from area tourism or guides are great ways to find the best of the best.  Failure to exercise due diligence here can result in getting you on the ice, but nowhere near fish.  It can be difficult to get honest advice, so detailed questions that are answered with ample responses in a friendly manner are what you're looking for.  

If you're in the DIY-crowd, information is your ammunition.  Social media, web forums, and a great deal of intel gathering before the trip makes for a much more enjoyable weekend on the ice.  Consider booking lodging in an area rich with lakes, or with access to various parts of the same lake well in advance, then stay flexible with your planning such that you can reach out and hit wherever the best information takes you.  Local bait shops can be invaluable sources of information, but again, being a stickler for the details usually rewards.  

For example, asking a vague question like "How are the panfish biting?" Will typically result in something like "they're biting well on green glow teardrops tipped with waxies."  The overall goal for these shops is to show you a good time, but is also to sell bait and tackle.  That could've meant crappies in the deep holes, or even perch in small sloughs less than 10 feet of water.  Instead, try during a less busy time of the day mid-week, and start with something more like "I've heard this area is great for panfish, are guys getting perch on the bigger lakes or small sloughs?"  Be prepared for follow-up questions like, "what's a typical outing been bringing for both numbers of perch and average size?"  Also, ask if they have been second hand reports or if they have talked directly to the anglers and have seen with their own eyes how it’s been.  Then, ask if they could recommend a few lakes, depths, and general areas to start while finally asking about pressure and whether or not you'll need to stay away from the groups or if the bite has been strong despite angler numbers.  

Lastly, once you're confirmed on going, take a deep dive into the stats and maps.  Many states, like the Dakotas, publish detailed reports on exact lakes, specific species dynamics, year class information and rankings.  This can shorten the search drastically, yet I give pause for even writing it as I've personally seen the exploitation which can result.  Treat those fisheries with the same respect you'd have for your own, and exercise selective harvest to ensure success of future trips.  Even where that data isn't available, you'd be surprised what you can learn with a quick phone call to area fisheries managers or just cruising the web.

With today's detailed contour mapping, destination fishing is easier and more rewarding than ever.  Consider investing in map chips and GPS technology for the trip if you'll likely be back, or look to free options on state fish and game pages and the Navionics free web mapping.  Utilize all of your intel to eventually formulate a plan and area you'd like to fish.  Focus on either several small spots you can investigate and move on from, or a large piece of structure that you can search many types of spots on like inside turns, points, reef tops, or deep mud.  Don't be married to any one particular area in this scenario, and don’t be satisfied to hunker down unless you’re marking fish or the weather demands it.

Take a chance with the weeks we have remaining to fish somewhere new, even if it’s just down the road.  You’ll be surprised by how much better it can make you as an angler, and how much fun you’ll have tackling a new challenge.

How To Catch Anything - A Multi-Species Approach

Photo Credit - Ben Larson - In-Depth Media Productions

Have you ever gone fishing and caught something completely un-intended?  A few years back we were headed to a small lake in northern MN to film a purported basin bite for spoon-eating crappies.  Excited to tie into the 14”+ brutes we’d seen pictures of, we drilled out the small basin area and found nothing.  Zero.  Not a single fish marked.  As we pushed shallower, we saw on the flasher what looked like a weedbed absolutely loaded with them, or so we thought.  For the first half hour, our spoons and any other hard bait were repeatedly denied, with the exception of several unusually large bass.  Getting ready to leave our newfound largemouth hotspot on a well-known crappie lake, I decided to drop a small teardrop and euro-larvae combination, and the rest is history.  It turned out to be one of the better late-ice bull bluegill bites I’ve been on, and ended up being a great show.

One of the keys to catching more fish is simply to fish in a way that includes more potential species, but that can be tough to do.  We hit the ice with pre-determined conceptions about walleye-lake this, good-crappie-population that, and forget that each spot is a new adventure and potentially a “new” fish.  It makes sense, as we’ve specialized a great deal in the last decade.  We use ultra-sensitive noodle rods for finicky gills, consider line choice based on what size and species we’d like to target, and even fish particular areas that are considered “classic” for walleyes, crappies, and any other range of fish species.  Whether you’re parked in a wheel-house over a crappie-hole or you’re punching holes in the shallows looking for weed-bed bluegills, here are some great ways to be an equal-opportunity angler once you start marking fish on the graph.    

Top-Two Lure Types

Not any one bait can target everything well, but you’ll do yourself a great favor in fishing lure types and sizes that work well in a variety of situations, for a number of different species.  An 1/8 oz. spoon in about any variety, provided the hooks are not too large, will catch nearly everything that swims in most freshwater lakes during the winter.  Another top pick is the #3 Jigging Rap, as it’s something I have tied on at least one rod full-time.  No matter where I fish and for what, each of these lure types are nearly always in play.  Choose attractor type colors and patterns for general appeal in pinks, reds, and greens, and you’ll simply catch more fish wherever you go.  

Down-Typing

Downsizing has become almost cliché in fishing advice columns, but so often anglers won’t go far enough to ensure they get bit.  Switching from ¼ oz. spoons to 1/8 oz. varieties may work when trying to cover both Perch and Walleye bites, but what if the walleye you think you’re marking is really a crappie?  In that case, switching to a tiny glow jig and plastic combination may be much more appropriate.      

Know Thy Fish

I tend to start with larger aggressive lures, but closely study the reactions and aggressiveness of the first few fish that come onto the flasher.  Walleyes and perch that are actively feeding will often rise, retreat, and revisit the bait quickly, several times before eventually eating.  Crappies tend to school in the winter, and even when they come in as singles will often simply appear at the same height as your offering.  Good bluegills will rise and back away very methodically.  I could go on and on, but the point is that each species has its own calling card. 

Seeing is Believing

Nothing prepares you for the above tactic like watching fish with an underwater camera, and species-specific identification will help you to select the best baits and methods to catch them.  Especially in river-systems, fish are very often assumed to be a species they are not.  More diversity offers simply more opportunities to get it wrong.  Even in lakes, or within the same species, there’s a big difference between large marks that can either be wads of bait perch, or a single tiger of the 11-12” variety we’re all interested in catching more of. 

Bait Selection

When targeting species of all types, it pays to have a variety of bait.  Often, a detail as small as minnow size can inhibit a crappie from inhaling the overly large fatheads you’re presenting.  Similarly, walleyes in the 20” plus category often prefer a more substantial snack in the form a light-pike sized sucker minnow or larger shiner.  However, fish only those baits, and you’re actively selecting against smaller walleyes and other species that may not be willing to eat something that large. 

Diversify Your Spread

Large groups in permanent shelters though immobile, have a distinct advantage to running more lines in that they can offer a wider array of baits.  When fishing for action and numbers, here is my typical lineup. 

·         Active jigging rod with a search bait – Rattlebaits or any other noisy offering that puts vibration or lots of flash in the water column

·         Active jigging rod with a #3 Jigging Rap

·         Active jigging rod with an 1/8 oz. flutter or flash spoon tipped with minnow head

·         Active panfish jigging rod with a tungsten and plastic

·         Active panfish jigging rod with micro tungsten and bait

·         Stationary setup #1 – Free-swimming fathead on a small glow jig

·         Stationary setup #2 – Free-swimming crappie minnow on a small fine wire hook

·         Stationary setup #3 – Free swimming light pike sucker or

Be prepared to adapt on ice, switch to the productive tactic of the moment, and use multi-species techniques to bring more fun and success to your mid-winter fishing.