Technology moves forward for Ice fishing this year

Posted on 2008/10/02 by

Technology moves forward for Ice fishing this year:
By Thomas H. Lindblom

Since the beginning catching the biggest fish has always been inside the mind of most men; and so it has been in the northern states in the US and Canada with ice fishing.

New technologies have been being developed to contribute this effort of men trying to get that big fish.

Some say that all these new technologies and techniques have been thought, copied and some even call it "stolen" from ice fisherman "open water".

To start and to note caution, the first rule of ice fishing is to be back intact with your catch or without it, but to be back safe.

Even though you may feel safe on ice, have always in mind that in matter of seconds you can be involved in ice cold water, one of the most deadly frozen environments on earth.

It is always best to play it safe. The first thing to remember is that "first ice" means dangerous ice. You can not tell when the ice is completely frozen or not, it may look like a safe spot but it could be in the first phases of freezing, what makes it very dangerous to us. It is always best to wait until the ice is completely solid.

When going ice fishing, is way better to go in groups than alone; however you have to all spread evenly the weight to avoid a real tragedy. As a rough guide ice fisherman should keep a distance of at least 50 feet apart from the fishing ice area. The ice thicknesses in general for safety concerns are as a rough guide 4 inches thick as a minimum base.

If going with vehicles or snowmobiles, then it should be at least 5 inches of ice thickness as a base minimum recommended for safety. Some vehicles might have some marine radios or some other marine electronics in case you would need to ask for help.

In comparison to a regular fishing season, ice fish seems to be a more mobile than other fish during warmer time periods, this means that they move around a lot more than fish in the regular seasons. All this make a big disadvantage for ice fisherman who are stuck in an only hole in the ice.

Modern technology comes into play in ice fishing. There are some gears that help out this ice fisherman to get an easier job. One example of this is a sonar fish, this gear is basically a GPA fish finder. This GPA fish finder shows you the movements and motions of the fish. Some of these new technologies now come with LCD monitors where you can visualize all these fish activities.

All these technologies are not as expensive as we think and all work for the best interest of ice fisherman, and for them to enjoy the day and be safe as well, returning home with a rewarding catch of fish.

Thomas H. Lindblom is a fishing enthusiast with an interest in gps fishfinder and marine radar.
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Pamper Yourself With A Custom Designed Ice Fishing House

Posted on 2008/09/14 by

Pamper Yourself With A Custom Designed Ice Fishing House
By Eliseo Lao

Let’s face it, being out on the can sometimes include long periods of waiting for the fish to decide to bite, or in just patiently trying different lures and bait to get some fishing action. In the cold weather even short waits can seem like an eternity, but being warm and comfortable in your own ice fishing house can make all the difference in the world.

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An ice fishing house is designed to be a permanent shelter, at least for a season, and is not designed to be mobile or portable like a shanty or ice fishing shelter is. Ice fishing houses often are build on trailer frames and are permanently mounted to the frame to allow anglers to simple hook the trailer hitch to the truck and drive out on the ice to locate the ice fishing house in a good location.

Ice fishing houses may also be on skids or on a sled like base that allows for easy towing onto the ice. Some of the more "creature comforts" available in a permanently located ice fishing house include:

  • Bench seats or even padded couches for comfort when monitoring the ice fishing holes.
  • Propane, natural gas or wood heaters that are vented and properly mounted off the ground in the ice fishing house to allow for temperature adjustment and constant temperature maintenance.
  • Cooking area including a stove, table and even electrical lighting that can run off of car batteries or off of an inverter hooked to a generator or car engine for recharging.
  • Gas powered generators for all the electrical power required. All that is needed is a can of gasoline brought to the ice fishing house when required.
  • Fully stocked supplies for first aid, food and additional gear and supplies.
  • Sleeping area for weekend or overnight stays.

Basically an ice fishing house can be as Spartan or as deluxe as the angler wishes. It is important to consider the weight of the ice fishing house and to monitor the ice conditions at all times to prevent weakening or damaging the ice under the house potentially leading to risks of breaking through the ice.

Ice fishing houses need to be removed off the ice at the first signs of spring thaw as most locations will require the owner or renter to pay for the recovery of the house should it sink into the lake.

Eliseo is an avid fishing guy.

For more info and related article about fishing http://www.charasfishinginfo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eliseo_Lao
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Ice Fishing Tips for Amateurs

Posted on 2008/09/13 by

Ice Fishing Tips for Amateurs
By Iain Loveman

Winter is finally here and the ice continually thickens but something has happened to your favorite fishing hole. You’ve noticed that after treading lightly across the thin ice over the past few weeks and easily catching your fill for the day, that the fish are far and few between.

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Now, before you think you’ve become a master baiter and personally caught all the fish in the lake you have to remember that as it gets colder there is a natural tendency for fish to slow down and move.

If you’re looking to catch Jumbo Perch you need to find a large lake preferably one where the fishing pressure from anglers isn’t great. Although at one time, I could recommend Lake Simcoe, it is quite obvious that anglers have put quite a dent on the Jumbo Perch population. This is supported by the fact that daily fishing limits set by the Ministry of Natural Resources have decreased.

A typical "perch" rig is two #6 snelled hooks attached about 8 inches and 16 inches above a bell sinker. The weight of the bell sinker will be determined on your fishing depth. You’re looking at about an oz. for 30 feet. Rod and reel are light about 26 inches with big eyelets to prevent line freeze up with a maximum 8 lb. test, but I prefer 4 – 6 lb.

If you’re in a fish hut, you can rig up a piece of coat hanger about 3 ft. above the floor and loop your line over the end and watch for the gentle tug.

Bait up with minnows from the local ice fishing hut operator or minnow supplier in the area. These are natural bait for the area and nowadays fishing regulations make it unlawful to use any kind of species "foreign" to the area for obvious reasons. You can hook them thru the lips or dorsal fin, try both and see which one works for you.

It is always good to carry a second "rig" as a back up due to damage or breakage but also allows you to experiment with different types of lures. Fire-eye minnows, the jigging Rapala and Airplane jig simulate different fish actions such as darting, swimming or wounded. Colors are also important so have a wide range but you need not purchase every shade you can find. You won’t be catching fish, if you are constantly changing your lure.

If you have a portable fish finder, hand held GPS, compass, tip-ups and a hydrographic map of the area take it with you. Sometimes the local outfitter has a hand drawn map posted on the wall. You’ll need them when the going gets tough and the tough get going as in fishing a drop off. Use the fish finder to setup a series of holes from the shallowest to the deepest, the GPS to mark your waypoints for the next outing, the compass to get you back to shore if the weather turns on you (GPS’s don’t work well in bad weather), the map to get you to the deep spots without wasting all your time and the tip-ups to extend your reach.

Whitefish on the other hand are bottom feeders and though I’ve seen a great many of them caught using a William’s two tone, gold , dimple, the majority have been with a 3 way spreader and minnows bounced gently off the bottom.

If you decide to go for the jigging method, try changing the treble to a larger size and remove the side hook. You can also add a yellow and black eye and a reflective green stripe down the center.

Of course you will be using a heavier lb. test ice line (invisible) in the 8 – 10 range and don’t be surprised when a huge Rainbow sends your reel spinning.

One final note, I can’t count the number of times I have seen over confident anglers who have hooked their fish, hauled up yards and yards of line just to loose their dinner coming thru the last two feet of ice. I guarantee that when your supper sees you and the walls of a 6 inch hole, the battle is not over its just begun.

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Ice Fishing Tips for More than Novices!

Posted on 2008/09/12 by

Ice Fishing Tips for More than Novices!
By Iain Loveman

So you have read all the magazines, picked up some new gear and tried your hand at ice fishing but the results have been depressing. Now what do you do? Cheat! No, I’m not saying to drop a blasting cap down the hole. I know a guy who tried that once, many years ago and darn need drowned.

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The easiest way to cheat is to find out where everyone else is going. "How do I do that?" Simply type in something like ice fishing reports or fishing message boards in your favorite search engine and find one that interests you. This may be a little time consuming but the whole idea is to focus your effort which will save you a lot of time later.

Remember, these guys and gals are just like you, so you may want to become a member and check back often to find the hot spots, equipment and bait their using.

Now that you have all the information, packed all your equipment and your standing at shore looking out asking yourself where do I go?

Tip#1: If you have decided to park on the ice MAKE SURE IT’S SAFE. Just because everyone else is parked there is not necessarily a good sign. I do a lot of ice fishing on Lake Simcoe and recently they had to pull out 32 vehicles that sank just offshore. Ouch!

Tip#2: Ice fishing hut operators are continually going out to their huts and of course they are leaving a marked trail and the trail usually ends where the best fishing is happening.

Tip#3: Look for little villages and high traffic areas. If the huts are out there and vehicles nearby you can most likely travel safely out as long as your transportation is equipped for the trip.

Congratulations, you made it and your about to mark your spot. Do you really want to fish there? I’ve come across some nice, fairly inexpensive fish/depth finders that are hand held. (Vexilar LPS-1, Strikemaster Polar Vision and Hawkeye Digital Sonar). The beauty of these units is that they shoot right thru the ice. Save yourselves a lot of backache from drilling holes, find where the drop-offs are and where the fish are hiding.

Tip#4: Don’t be afraid to fish any abandoned holes you may find but be nice and try not to encroach on your neighbor. Plus, you get the advantage of not having to drill holes and spook the fish. You also find out whether there are actually fish in the area or it’s time to move on. You gotta love cheating.

Tip#5: Sometimes you have to act like a vulture soaring high in the sky. Keep your eyes and ears open. I have found that if there is a group party fishing, usually, one guy/gal likes to wander off and drill holes at distance. This lone wolf may go 500 ft. to a couple of miles. If he comes back with a big smile on his face and the neighborhood leaves you can guess where they went.

Tip#6: Don’t be scared to talk to other anglers. Listen to some fish stories but try to distinguish between fact and fiction. Take everything with a grain of salt, try it and if it works keep using it, till the next new tip comes along.

So now it is time to do some actual fishing.

Depending on the fishing regulations for your area, you may be able to have 2 or more fishing lines in use. Make sure you take full advantage. You can fish in a variety of ways. I’ve seen guys, jig two lines at a time, some prefer to send a spreader baited up with live minnows to the bottom and either set them up on a tip-up and give them a gently lift every now and then.

Remember, your setup directly relates to the type of fish you’re trying to catch. You’re usually jigging for trout and spreading for whitefish.

You can also combine the two, one of my favorites. The flashing lure will bring them in for your spreader meal or you can adjust your height to catch them at different depths.

The lazy man’s approach is to use a spring loaded tip-up but that is about as much fun as watching paint dry. Remember in the end there is a big difference between “fishing” and “catching”, so make the most of your day and be safe. If you get depressed just think about all the people who left you alone and decided to spend 8 hours at the office.

Are we having fun now? Hopefully.

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