the Ultimate gUide

Written and PhotograPhed by

tim allard

CONTENTS
About the Author AcknowledgementS IntroductIon X XI XIV

1. CLOTHING

uSIng A lAyerIng SyStem keepIng your eXtremItIeS wArm And dry protectIng yourSelf from the Sun rodS reelS tIp-upS Ice fIShIng lIne lureS, bAItS, And termInAl tAckle lIVe bAIt And contAInerS fIShIng toolS other uSeful geAr mAnuAl AugerS power AugerS

17
18 25 31

2. GEAR & TACKLE

33

34 41 43 45 47 52 53 53 58 59

3. ICE BREAKERS

57

4. SHELTERS

portAble ShelterS permAnent Ice hutS, or fISh houSeS other optIonS fInIShIng toucheS

65

66 71 72 74

5. ELECTRONICS

SonAr underwAter cAmerAS A SonAr or A cAmerA? globAl poSItIonIng SyStem (gpS) unItS Ice SAfety Ice reScue tIpS SAfety geAr AugerS And blAdeS food And wAter geAr checklISt

77

78 86 88 88

6. ICE FISHING SAFETY

93 95 97 98 99 102

91

7. FINDING WINTERS BEST SPORT FISH

fActorS InfluencIng fISh ActIVIty, behAVIor, And locAtIon 106 the wInter SeASon 108

105

8. WALLEYE

SpecIeS SummAry fIndIng wAlleye beneAth the Ice JIggIng tActIcS for wAlleye SetlIne tActIcS SpecIeS SummAry fIndIng yellow perch beneAth the Ice JIggIng tActIcS for yellow perch SetlIne tActIcS

111

112 112 116 128 132 133 138 144

9. YELLOW PERCH

131

10. CRAPPIE

SpecIeS SummAry fIndIng crAppIe beneAth the Ice JIggIng tActIcS for crAppIe SetlIne tActIcS SpecIeS SummAry fIndIng SunfISh beneAth the Ice JIggIng tActIcS for SunfISh deAd-StIck tActIcS SpecIeS SummAry fIndIng pIke beneAth the Ice JIggIng tActIcS for pIke SetlIne tActIcS

145

146 146 150 156 160 160 163 168 170 171 172 174

11. SUNFISH

159

12. PIKE

169

13. RAINBOW, BROOK, AND BROWN TROUT

SpecIeS SummAry 180 fIndIng rAInbow, brook, And brown trout beneAth the Ice 181 JIggIng tActIcS for trout 182 SetlIne tActIcS 186 SpecIeS SummAry fIndIng lAke trout beneAth the Ice JIggIng tActIcS for lAke trout SetlIne tActIcS whItefISh eelpout lArgemouth And SmAllmouth bASS SelectIVe hArVeSt cAtch And releASe tIpS cArIng for your cAtch cloSIng thoughtS

179

14. LAKE TROUT

189

190 191 192 199 202 204 206

15. WHITEFISH, EELPOUT, AND BASS

201

16. SELECTIvE HARvEST TIPS

209

210 211 212 214

Tim Allard is a full-time outdoor journalist. He's a regular contributor to numerous North American publications and is a member of the Outdoor Writers of Canada and the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Always striving to balance accurate reporting, captivating photography, and delivering the straight goods to his readers, Tim's passion for angling spans all seasons, but he's been under ice fishing's spell from a young age. He logs dozens of days on the frozen water each year, snapping both hook sets and photos. Tim lives in Ottawa, Ontario with his wife, Sue.

About the Author

GEAR & TACKLE

GEAR & TACKLE

When people who dont fish look in on the world of ardent anglers, our tendency to amass hordes of fishing equipment may seem comical, even obsessive. Luckily, many of us have understanding spouses who tolerate garages and basements filled with rods, tackle trays, tip-ups, shelters, electronics, augers, and plenty of cold-weather clothing. Although we may be gear junkies, having the proper equipment is important if you want to catch fish. You need the right tools to do the job well.
A Place for Everything
When I go ice fishing, much like fishing in my boat in the summer, every thing I own has a place, and I know when I put them in that place that theyre going to be safe and not get beat up - I want to be fishing not fixing! Dustin Dusty Minke, HardCore Ice Angler, MN

34 iCe Fishing

Using a rod to jig a bait is the mainstay of many ice fishing presentations. Several companies produce rods (and reels) specifically for ice fishing, including: Northland, Berkley Fishing, Frabill, HT Enterprises, Jason Mitchell Elite Series Rods, Nature Vision, Rapala, Shakespeare Fishing Tackle, St. Croix Rods, Storm, Thorne Bros., and Clam Corporation. My rod-carrying tactics on the ice dont change much from my openwater fishing strategies. I carry several rods so I can employ a variety of presentations. Switching lures is as easy as putting down one stick and grabbing another pre-rigged one. Its also not uncommon to fish for a variety of species in one outing on either the same lake or moving to another partway through the day. Ice rods should be chosen based on the lures you intend to use and

If youre a newcomer to ice fishing, dont be intimidated by the copious amounts of products in tackle shops. You only need the basic items to get started and the initial financial outlay doesnt have to be substantial. However, as you become more skilled, expand the number of species you target and increase the techniques you use, youll want to build your gear selection to include specialized items for specific presentations. Over the next several chapters, Ill be discussing ice fishing equipment in more detail. This chapter focuses on rods, reels, tip-ups, ice fishing line, lures and baits, terminal tackle, and other useful tools. Ill also explain the nuances of their different applications.

rodS

the fish you plan to target. Depending on the number of species you want to fish for during the winter, you could get by with one to three rods. The number you purchase and carry beyond three depends on the degree of specialization you would like to integrate into your angling tactics. On most outings, I find myself carrying five rods. This gives me a bit of duplication, but this way Im prepared for anything. Lets review rod characteristics. Theyre important to note because choosing the right ice fishing rod is a prerequisite for your success on the ice. There are a variety of factors to consider when selecting a rod. The first things to decide on are rod power, action, and length. Once these are established, you can then examine the finer details in rod design such as blank materials, handle styles, and line guides.

choosing an Ice rod

Power describes the strength of the rod blank. Ultra-light, light, medium, and heavy are the main classifications with in-between options like medium-light and medium-heavy being common. What power you select is best determined by your target species and the weight of lure and line that you intend to use.

Power is Primary

A quality rod is a must for properly jigging lures, feeling hits, and battling fish.

A selection of ice rods from Rapala, ht enterprises, storm, northland Fishing tackle, Berkley, and st. Croix.

geAR & tACKle 35

The selection process begins by matching power to the target species that youre after, just as it does when youre picking a rod for open-water fishing. Ultra-light and light rods are good choices for sunfish, small crappie, perch, and small trout. Medium-light to medium rods are recommended for jumbo perch, larger trout, walleye, and whitefish. Medium-heavy to heavy rods are best for pike, lake trout, and trophy walleye. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines to give you a starting point in selecting a stick Ive landed big walleye with a light power rod and finessed jumbo perch with an ultra-light. If prescreening by species is the first consideration to choosing rod power, determining how youre going to use them is the next important step. If youve had help from salespeople when purchasing rods, youve likely been asked questions about your target species and applications: What species are you after? and What lures do you want to fish with the rod? The same apply to ice rods. As an example, if youre presenting a tiny jig to a bluegill on 2-pound test line, an ultra-light rod is the best option. The rods blank will be balanced with the line and lures weight. The set-up will be sensitive enough to transmit the subtle vibration of the jig as you work it with the rod, and let you feel when a fish takes the bait. If you were trying to accomplish

tim Allards medium-power rod gets a work-out courtesy of a northern pike as Davis Viehbeck waits to help land the fish. Photo: in-Fisherman Magazine.

36 iCe Fishing

WALLEYE
Species Summary Finding Walleye Jigging tactics Setline tactics
WAlleye 111

WALLEYE

Few fish conjure the twinkle of excitement in an ice anglers eyes as much as walleye. Extremely sought-after throughout the year, these predators are pursued for both the challenge of the sport as well as their delectable taste on the dinner table. In this chapter, Ill help you understand walleye winter behavior, common locations, and the top baits and fishing tactics to catch them. This section also lays the ground work for several important ice fishing concepts, like the mechanics of jigging for example.
Walleye are classified as a cool-water species. They flourish in a range of lake and river environments, remaining fairly active during the winter. Colorwise, walleye are dark on top, and their sides range from olive-green to gold, depending on water clarity and their environment. Walleye have a white tip on their lower tail and its often the give-away feature to anglers spotting the shape of their catch down the ice hole. Another distinguishing trait of walleye are their silvery eyes. The foggy eyeball lets walleye see extremely well in low-light conditions, a characteristic that gives them an advantage over the majority of their prey. For this reason, day-to-night transitions are prime times to fish walleye. Voracious hunters, these fish aren't picky. They'll eat morsels in a range of sizes depending on availability, but walleye have a particular affinity for yellow perch, and the two populations are seldom far from each other.

SpecIeS SummAry
Jeff gussy gustafson with a walleye taken at sunset.

small yellow perch rank high on a walleyes diet.

112 iCe Fishing

It's important to consider what phase of the winter youre in when looking for walleye beneath the ice. During the initial weeks of the ice season, targeting walleye where you found them late in the fall is always a good start. Come late autumn, these fish migrate toward winter holding areas, such as deep water points and humps (see below). In some instances on fertile lakes you may find them outside of bays holding healthy vegetation. Green weeds will attract and hold baitfish and

fIndIng wAlleye beneAth the Ice

walleye won't be far behind. These zones can be particularly productive during twilight. Once you find good greenery, try to position yourself on weed lines near breaks, like those found on drop-offs or growing on points. Predators and edges go hand-in-hand, so learn to find these key areas and you'll hook more fish. Once midwinter arrives, walleye often move to deeper water as weeds die off in the shallows. This is the time to target features like off shore humps and points. In some instances fish may have already moved to these deeper water structures in autumn. Dont forget to factor in their food source, such as perch schools, when trying to locate midwinter walleye. As the end of winter approaches, walleye activity can really heat up. Its worth nothing that in many provinces and states, the walleye season usually ends before late winter, but in regions where the season remains open the action's great the last few weeks of remaining ice. Walleye spawn shortly after ice break-up and move toward spawning areas before the ice recedes. On lakes, expect them to hold around inflows and outflows such as creeks or streams, outside of bays, or near rocky shoal spawning sites. On rivers, deep back bays and side channels will hold walleye all winter, but first ice action is often fantastic. Deep holes are daytime holding zones in rivers, while shallow flats on inside bends, current seams,

Dusk is a prime time to fish walleye.

Finding walleye in midwinter often means jigging deeper structures.

WAlleye 113

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216 iCe Fishing