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Ice Fishing Recap

floydfreak

floydfreak

Active Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Messages
134
Location
Ontario, Canada
With the end of the ice fishing season drawing to a close figured I would start a chat about things you've learned this year ice fishing.

This is my second full season on the ice. I was out once a week all season, almost all my time was spent on Lake Simcoe fishing for white fish and lake trout. Had a grand total of 0 fish lol and maybe a handful of bites at the most. I learned this year a fish finder is pretty much a must to have any chance of success here. Between trying to find shoals and ledges, and having a chance to get set before a bite happens I don't know how its possible to have any success without a sonar. I really want a Panoptix but the price tag is just unreasonable at this point. I am gonna try and find a compatible device in the off season and eventually upgrade.

For bait I was using:

-Meegz goby
-drifters juvenile goby
-White 3 inch tube with a small grub on a high hook
 
It's really hard around here without sonar and I'm not sure how we did it at all when I was younger. I target panfish mostly (bluegill, crappie). I enjoy going after the occasional catfish through the ice. I just have a Garmin Striker 4 without the ice transducer but it came as a kit (bag, mount,etc.)I made a pvc pipe T to adapt to the boat transducer to fit the ice hole. I can easily convert the pvc T to the kayak for kayak fishing.

Besides the sonar, the auger was my second best purchase ice fishing. I already had a brushless heavy duty li-ion drill, so buying a drill adapted auger was a no brainer. I can drill multiple holes, drop the sonar, mark fish and set up pretty quickly and efficiently.

The 3rd best purchase was ultra sensitive gear (3lb. ice line, spring bobbers, small foam bobbers for catfish, ultra lightweight poles, etc.)

Catching small fish on ultra light equipment is a blast and it's really fun catching a 4-5 lb. cat on light equipment.

I was able to find a pile of cats with my sonar a couple weeks ago (I looked at a lake map and found a drop off first, then started drilling) and they would almost bite as quick as I got the right bait down there. It took awhile to find the right bait but once I did, it was a blast! They were all about 3-5 lbs. and made for some fun on light tackle.
20210308_141825.jpg

Keep at it, you'll get the hang of it!
 
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Good call on the cordless auger. My buddy grab one of the Milwaukee ones this year's and it's incredible. I didn't think I'd like that the fins were made of plastic but the weight difference is huge.
 
Hopefully still another weekend or two for us due to recent cold spell.

I'm on year five, I think, on my re-engagement with ice fishing after dabbling with it in my youth. This year I leaned that mobility, like in hunting, is key. Last year the perch set up in one area most of the season, but this year not so much. We had to chase those buggers all over the lake. It exposed the need for some kind of on ice transport beyond my two legs. My off-season will be researching and finding a deal on something with an engine.

I also think I might upgrade from a basic flasher to a Helix 5 with GPS. Used a buddy's for a day and was a significant improvement.

While I mostly chase perch, I've wanted and been trying to tipup fish for pike more. I want to improve my "party" setup and get more people out on the ice with me. Got adopted one day by an out of state group that travels far and does it right. Had an absolute blast. Need more of that in my life.

I'm lamenting the season coming to an end. I think it's becoming my favorite of my outdoor hobbies/seasons.

1) ice fishing
2) archery season
3) bass fishing
4) spring turkey
5) muzzleloader
6) rifle/rut season
 
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We are working on targeting more Walleye and a little less pike this year. We just did our first overnight that went well, just no walleye. Breakfast was veni burgers topped with eggs and bacon! We only have them in a river around here so the access can be sketchy depending on the winter.
 

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Nosaj said:
We are working on targeting more Walleye and a little less pike this year. We just did our first overnight that went well, just no walleye. Breakfast was veni burgers topped with eggs and bacon!
Click to expand...

Nice fish and sandwiches! My kinda outing right there!
 
Nosaj said:
We are working on targeting more Walleye and a little less pike this year. We just did our first overnight that went well, just no walleye. Breakfast was veni burgers topped with eggs and bacon! We only have them in a river around here so the access can be sketchy depending on the winter.
Click to expand...

I love fishing for and eating pike. Once you figure out how to remove the bones their one of the best eating fish out there. It always amazes me how slimy those fish are.
 
I have been at it for over 10 years. Started out with 40$ ice kit,hand auger,cheap rod and scoop. Drilled a couple holes manually then made a drill adapter. Doghouse blind for a shanty. Fished and had fun for 5 years or so. My drill finally quit so I had to have the new best auger out A 10" jiffy propane. Then the ice helix 5 came out with GPS and lake master mapping. Game changer for sure. Starting fishing for walleye on a 8000 acre lake so I made a auger mount for the trusty indy lite gt.
Bought a used otter cabin to be as mobile as possible. I'm always looking for walleye and perch but have caught alot of big northerns in my search. My son being goof with the last Wally of this year. And my current rig.
6a8897622b1b9ffcb6194a1340f95be5.jpg


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Trav2525 said:
I have been at it for over 10 years. Started out with 40$ ice kit,hand auger,cheap rod and scoop. Drilled a couple holes manually then made a drill adapter. Doghouse blind for a shanty. Fished and had fun for 5 years or so. My drill finally quit so I had to have the new best auger out A 10" jiffy propane. Then the ice helix 5 came out with GPS and lake master mapping. Game changer for sure. Starting fishing for walleye on a 8000 acre lake so I made a auger mount for the trusty indy lite gt.
Bought a used otter cabin to be as mobile as possible. I'm always looking for walleye and perch but have caught alot of big northerns in my search. My son being goof with the last Wally of this year. And my current rig.
6a8897622b1b9ffcb6194a1340f95be5.jpg


Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Good times there!
 
I'm jealous of you guys catching walleye, northern and perch through the ice. We just don't have the populations close enough for quick weekend trips :(
 
Jtaylor said:
I'm jealous of you guys catching walleye, northern and perch through the ice. We just don't have the populations close enough for quick weekend trips :(
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I am lucky to have Champlain 10 miles from my house, and 10 steps from my camp.

The deer hunting isn't spectacular though so...you know....plenty of jealousy here also.
 
I usually find lots of fish but they have lock jaw. First time out this year I had over 20 walleye come in and nose my bait. Threw every jig I had down the hole and never had one bite. The ones we did catch the third time out was on a moonshine shiver minnow. With a minnow head on the treble. I use 4-6"suckers on the tip ups. Here's some perch from the same lake.
44418d1a26a30ac6da232c0b507e391d.jpg


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