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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Did you hear the one about the guy who went ice fishing and came back with 50 lbs. of ice?

Well, if you found yourself here your at least one step ahead of this fella, that is unless you intended to bring home some ice. Ice fishing is actually a very simple sport but must be practiced with some caution.

WHAT you say?
Seriously before you set out to catch any fish on "hard" water there a couple of things you should be concerned about. Firstly, make sure you are equipped with the proper attire. Setting out from home on a nice sunny day is fine but once you approach your destination things may have drastically changed or may change without notice. This would also be a good time to check the weather channel or newspaper for the up to date weather forecast.

Secondly, remember to check the ice conditions wherever you go, there are local ice hut operators or locals who are willing to help make your trip safe.

A friend of mine told me once, "You can always take it off, but its pretty hard to put it on if you haven’t got it!" My advice, purchase a good floatation suit. They are warm and if you happen to break thru the ice it will probably save your life.

A warm dry set of gloves, preferably without fingers is a must. This way all the fingers share the warmth. A full face balaclava is also required as well as sunglasses. A scarf can help but be cautionary of the vehicle you are using to get you out to your favorite spot. You don’t want to have it get tangled up in a chain or track.

Several layers of clothes are a benefit just for the luxury of taking them off. Another good idea is to have a fishing buddy. They are not only there to enjoy the day with you and help make the fishing story a real tale but if an emergency arises they are the only support you’ve got.

We still have a few small things to do before setting out. Make sure your transportation is trustworthy, a general maintenance check will do, tell someone where your going and how long you expect to be gone and last but not least, a simple thing like a compass, so you don’t get lost.

Okay, are we having fun yet. Now that we have got all the scary stuff done, its time to leave, right …. WRONG !

You forgot the gear.

A general rule of thumb regarding gear is to choose the equipment you will need to match the fish you are seeking (e.g. the larger the fish, the heavier the tackle).

Of course you won’t be able to get to them if you don’t have a hole. So depending on the ice and your wallet or both, you are going to need an ice spud or hand\gas auger. You can purchase both but if you just happen to have a friend that welds you can get him to make the spud up for you out of a 6′ x 2″ piece of flat steel and round bar.
Don’t forget to weld a “T” on the top and grind the flat bar down to a chisel point.

If you are in good shape and have the time the hand auger is great but if you intend to fish several spots and don’t want to tire yourself out making holes get a gas auger. Look for an auger with at least a 6" cut just so you can get the big ones thru the hole.

Next, you’ll need an ice skimmer. I suggest the aluminum one because if you are in a hut with a stove just warm it up a little and touch it to the hole and voila … instant skim! Also, tie a light chain or rope on it just in case it falls down the hole. Well, your almost there. You can’t catch anything without some type of jigging rod.

Ice Fishing Begins In The Summer
By Iain Loveman

You must really think I’m crazy making a statement like that!

Well, think about it for a minute.

When is the best time to search for the hotspots in a lake?

Would you rather fly all over a lake punching holes with a cold wind blowing at your back, dropping a transducer down a hole or gently rocking in your boat being pushed by a gentle breeze on a sunny day with the sound of a fish finder marking fish? It’s just that easy.

What we are really talking about here is research. I know it is hard work but somebody has to do it. Now to do your homework you’re going to need some tools. These are a boat or the use of one, a fish finder, some type of GPS, a lake map or facsimile, notepad and pen, an underwater camera would be nice and of course a rod, reel and bait (no sense taking all the fun out of it).

First, start with the map and get a few photo copies made because you’re going to mark it up. Look for all the usual hotspots (shoals, humps, saddles, river inlets, drop offs, etc.) and mark them on the map.

Now, grab your gear and your fishing buddy and head out to those areas and mark them on your GPS as waypoints. Remember everything is going to look different in the winter. That huge green tree won’t be so green if you get my drift (no pun intended). Ok, you’re allowed to troll but remember to remain focused on your intention or the whole purpose will be lost.

You can only put so much code into a waypoint and my memory is not as good as it use to be so get out your pad and paper and write down everything relevant to your hotspot. A lot of this will come from your fish finder.

It’s going to give your depth and any bottom structures like rocks, stumps and drop offs but it is also going to give you the bottom density such as sand, mud, clay or rock and probably water temperature (although in the winter you know its going to be cold).