Forget the magazine articles, the common sense, conventional wisdom, and what others say...what are some things you are certain of and "know" based on your own experience ice fishing....
Ice Fishing
In my experience....
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In my experience there will always be that first person on the ice when they shouldn't be going out there yet. I couldn't believe I saw someone on the ice already over the weekend in southern Wisconsin! We haven't even had a single day yet where the temperature has stayed below freezing for a high!
I hear ya "Bring on the ice".
Maybe one of these threads can help us get through the summer! I look forward to next ice as well.
Here's one. In my experience, I have to say that it's extremely common for a flag to go up while I'm eating "lunch". I know I alluded to this before, but if I had to graph when flags go up on average....during my lunch would most certainly be near the top. And there really is no reason for this. Just one of those odd things.
1) Running on the ice spooks more fish than augering holes, especially in shallower waters. Seen it on camera with ice 14" thick and the guy running was 100#.
2) Also agree with crappie being spooked by fast falling lures - most of the time they like a slower falling lure. Seen that on camera, too.
3) I prefer spikes over waxies. They stay on the hook so much better than wax worms and are so much more "versatile" in what you can do with your presentation of them, if you know what you're doing....That said, I have a hard time finding spikes in northern WI and have to bring them from northern IL when I go up. And red spikes? Can't remember ever seeing them in Vilas County. No problem finding wax worms up north, though. Maybe I'm just going too late in the season....
n. Pike, between this thread the other one you started (Are you done for the season?), I'm jonesing for more ice. It was a strange ice season this year with the mild weather and then this new "bug." I do love open water fishing, too, but I'm just as ready for December, and so I say...bring on the ice!
Augers and trucks dont make noise underwater like a sled does. I fish clear water pan fish a lot and when a sled goes by 100 yards away you often see a wave of pan fish go through, coming from the direction of the sled path. You can augers a hole, scoop it and look down at fish many times. I've done that in 7' of water when the crappies were no more that 4 feet from the blades on the auger.
Not sure how much noise really plays a factor when fishing. For some fish I'm sure it does, but I've caught panfish while someone is drilling a hole with a power auger right next to me. I've heard guys say if you walk around your tip ups it can trigger fish to bite that are just starring at it.
One time with a group of guys someone brought an air hammer while we were fishing for northern. He hit it on the ice a few times and twice a flag immediately went up. I've caught walleye in 4 fow with a big group of guys and the flags right next to us went up just as much if not more than the ones far away.
This just happened today and I immediately thought of this thread....
If you ice fish really early or really late in the season....expect guys in trucks to drive by and watch you for a while. Some stop. Some just kind of go about 4 MPH and stare. Hey, I've been that guy too, sometimes it's me simply wishing I were out there!
1) Every piece of ice fishing equipment is a tool. Some know how to use everything in their tool box, others continually try to turn a screw with a hammer because it worked for them one time.
2) You can learn more from days when action is slow/non-existent than you can on days when action is fast and furious.
3) You can locate fish and establish a pattern with great efficiency if you are willing to use all possible resources available to you. Example: Hole hopping with tip-ups....it’s simple math....Three lines in the water versus one line in the water.
4) Tip ups fished actively will produce more. If treated like a Ronco Rotisserie oven where you “set it and forget it” you will not be maximizing their potential.
5) Preparation is a key ingredient to success. Have your gear ready and in good working order and have a flexible plan you can stick to or alter on the fly if it is warranted. I personally have back up tip ups for my back up tip ups. Re-tying or rigging lines is a waste of time when I’m on the ice.
6) For some unknown reason my cell phone has no coverage when I am standing on a frozen body of water. My wife is more concerned about this quirk than I am.
Great stuff guys! Totally agree with being quiet on the ice. There's perhaps a reason that:
A. The furthest tip up goes up more often
B. When you sit down to eat lunch, flags fly....
In my experience, I will also say that the first time out ice fishing (if you go real early ice) is almost NEVER any good. 2 weeks later is when fish seem to start getting more active.
Whenever there's no snow on the ice travel light and do not carry a sled with you. Go light, all you need is a bucket and a couple of poles, usually. If you must carry a sled with you then park it a good 50 feet away from where you're fishing and try not to make any noise on the ice. And if you insist on fishing in a flip over style shanty, of which you will have your sled with you don't move around much. If fishing shallow water drill as small of a hole as you can (talking bluegills here, 4 or 5 inch will do) and use long rods so your shadow does not go over the hole, which spooks the fish. I'm talking clear, shallow lakes here. May not matter as much in darker waters.
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