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I really enjoy the early morning hours of
summer, but you can't deny the fact that
winter mornings are just as beautiful. You
just have to dress warmer to enjoy them
from a fisherman’s point of view.
summer, but you can't deny the fact that
winter mornings are just as beautiful. You
just have to dress warmer to enjoy them
from a fisherman’s point of view.
| First Ice to Ice Out by Tom Welch |
Well, it's finally got here. Hard water and a
time to catch the early season Bluegills,
Crappies, Northerns and Walleyes that we
started preparing for at least a month
earlier. Putting new line on rods, sharpening
hooks, oiling reels and trying out the ice
auger to make sure it runs, are just a few of
the items checked off the list of things to do.
time to catch the early season Bluegills,
Crappies, Northerns and Walleyes that we
started preparing for at least a month
earlier. Putting new line on rods, sharpening
hooks, oiling reels and trying out the ice
auger to make sure it runs, are just a few of
the items checked off the list of things to do.
Now that we know the ice is safe it’s time to
take to the lakes for an early ice, fish
bonanza.
Usually it's a frantic time for me trying to get
to all the places I would like to go and catch
all the different varieties of fish that I desire
to catch, so it takes careful planning.
take to the lakes for an early ice, fish
bonanza.
Usually it's a frantic time for me trying to get
to all the places I would like to go and catch
all the different varieties of fish that I desire
to catch, so it takes careful planning.
First off, catching first ice fish is usually
pretty simple if you know where to go and
when to do it. I like to fish bluegills first and
get them in the shallow water with only a 3
inch ice cover. At first ice they will hit just
about anything you throw down the hole, be
it a tear drop, ice fly, waxie and color usually
doesn't matter. Your buddies will tell you
"they're only biting on black" and I'm sitting
on my bucket nailing them on chartreuse or
purple. Fish it up, fish it down, try it all ways
and it will probably work as long as you are
in a location where there are fish and you
can figure that out with good electronics as
long as you have a willingness to punch
holes all over the lake to find the fish. Once
you’ve accomplished this, store it in memory
for next year. I also keep a fishing log that
helps this old brain remember the
wherefores. As long as we are fishing
Bluegills, we might as well put out some tip
ups and catch a few Northerns for pickling.
Early ice Northerns are a kick to catch and
usually aren‘t too far from or sharing the
same area that we find the Gills.
pretty simple if you know where to go and
when to do it. I like to fish bluegills first and
get them in the shallow water with only a 3
inch ice cover. At first ice they will hit just
about anything you throw down the hole, be
it a tear drop, ice fly, waxie and color usually
doesn't matter. Your buddies will tell you
"they're only biting on black" and I'm sitting
on my bucket nailing them on chartreuse or
purple. Fish it up, fish it down, try it all ways
and it will probably work as long as you are
in a location where there are fish and you
can figure that out with good electronics as
long as you have a willingness to punch
holes all over the lake to find the fish. Once
you’ve accomplished this, store it in memory
for next year. I also keep a fishing log that
helps this old brain remember the
wherefores. As long as we are fishing
Bluegills, we might as well put out some tip
ups and catch a few Northerns for pickling.
Early ice Northerns are a kick to catch and
usually aren‘t too far from or sharing the
same area that we find the Gills.
The Walleyes are fat and still have the feed bag on yet from the fall staging and will hit just
about anything too. Minnows, Jigging Raps, Airplanes and Stingsilda’s will all bring in a nice
mess of Walleyes if your location and presentation is right. When somebody says they are
biting from daylight until 8:30 you can believe it or keep trying different things to prove them
wrong, and you probably can. Sometimes I catch them at mid day when I can’t make the
early morning wake up.
Once our first ice period is over it isn’t as easy and you hear people fussing about the bite
being slow. Well, if you were as cold as those fish are in January, you wouldn’t want to bite
either. Their metabolism is a lot slower and the need for food is not as great now. You have
to use a little more finesse, maybe a smaller bait, and keep the action a might slower too.
They are there and persistence pays off so don’t give up.
At this time of year Crappies may be suspended and just kinda waiting for something to
come by within easy range. You can put a lure, bait, etc, right in front of a walleye’s nose
and it won’t hit. As a matter of fact it may just back up, turn around and leave. You can see
the fish on your electronics and unless you do the right thing, on the right day, at the right
time, you’ll go home with an empty bucket. Try drop rigging for Walleye’s and you just might
get one to hit. The larger lure with a 4 inch drop and a hook with a minnow head may do the
trick. What ever you do don’t give up. Try to catch fish that you know are going to bite.
Usually Whitefish and Lake Herring are just getting ready to start biting when others are
slowing up. They will be getting ready to move into the shallower water and wait for the
walleyes and other fish to spawn so they can steal a meal of spawn. Mackinaws are a good
bet in the deep water now too. Cohos will also be on the prowl and if you try to catch all of
these, you are going to have a busy fishing calendar.
Once we get into the middle of February and the weather starts to warm and daylight starts
to get longer, the whole process of catching fish will then reverse itself and they will start to
bite again. From now until ice out, they will be biting like crazy and it’ll be time to get the boat
ready for the first shot at open water. I just can’t wait.
I will say one thing about winter fishing, I enjoy it as much as summer fishing so if I don’t
catch a fish today, big deal, it was a joy to be out there.
Fish safe and have a great winter.
