A beginner's guide to ice fishing
I was recently out on the ice chasing some feisty lake trout, and I started thinking back to when I first began ice fishing. Heading out on the ice is a fun and inexpensive way to get into the sport of fishing, and it provides a great opportunity to socialize with family and friends during the winter months. If you're wondering where to start, these tips should point you in the right direction.
Get the right gear
One of the best things about
ice fishing, especially if you're getting into the sport for the first
time, is that you don't need a lot of equipment to get started. You can
also find most of the gear at your local Canadian Tire or bait shop.
After you apply for a fishing license within your province, you're going to need an auger, which is your key to getting through the ice to the fish below. Augers come in a number of different sizes, and although power augers are more efficient if you're drilling a number of holes, you really only need an inexpensive hand auger in the 6-to-8-inch range to get started.
When you're choosing a rod-and-reel combo for ice fishing, a simple setup with a fairly stiff rod and an eight-pound fishing line will cover the bases for lake trout, walleye, perch, and plenty of other species. Ontario laws allow up to two lines per angler for ice fishing, so having a second line as a tip-up will increase your chances of a catch. A tip-up is a simple trap that you set with just a sinker and minnow; when a fish takes the bait, a flag rises to alert you. (Learn more about the top three tip-up tactics for ice fishing.)
Once you've sorted out your rod, reel, and auger, other items you'll want to check off your list include an ice scooper, minnows, rod holders, a bucket, a portable barbecue, food, and drinks.
Choose your bait
When
it comes to picking the "magic" lure in the ice-fishing section of your
local Canadian Tire or tackle shop, the decision might seem more
complicated than a teenage relationship. Truth be told, many lures work,
but these days most are designed to catch fishermen rather than fish.
If I could use only one method for the rest of my ice-fishing days, it
would be live bait. And live bait is especially great for beginners,
because fish naturally eat minnows!
That said, if you're set on using lures, worthwhile options include tube jigs and Williams ice jigs.
Dress for the elements
Clothing is one of the most important parts of an enjoyable ice-fishing trip, and the great news is, you probably already own most of what you'll need. Regular winter gear like insulated snow pants and heavy winter parkas are musts. Good gloves, a toque, and a pair of insulated waterproof boots round out the ice fisherman's most important attire on the ice. You might also want to bring some extra gloves, a balaclava, and a scarf.
Take shelter
Although shelters aren't a necessity
when you're ice fishing, they make the trip much more
enjoyable—especially if there's any bit of a breeze. There are a few
different kinds of portable shelters on the market, including flip
overs, hub style, and cabin style. But if it's your first time out, your
best option might be to rent a hut. These permanent structures come
with heat and all the necessities, and they're usually placed on
productive fishing water.
Test the ice
Once you have all your gear, you're
ready to hit the ice—or are you? It's extremely important to make sure
the ice is at least four inches thick before you go out. To find out if
the ice is safe or not, you can check with your local tackle shop, or
check to see if other people are already on the ice. For safety's sake,
make sure you auger a hole as soon as you get on the ice, just to double
check its thickness.
When you're looking for an ice-fishing
"spot," your best bet for finding productive areas is to look for large
cities of huts. A collection of other huts will be a sure sign that
there are fish in the area. But don't get too close—it's important to
stay a respectful distance from other huts.
Drill your holes
Now that you've picked a spot,
it's time to drill your holes and get set up. Remove the cover from your
auger blades, and be very carful—they're extremely sharp. Place the
blades on the ice and add an ample amount of pressure as you start to
crank the auger. If you're doing it right, the auger will make a
grinding noise and will slowly start to sink into the ice until it's all
the way through.
Time to fish
After drilling all of your holes,
you can set up your lines with your minnows or lures. Let them descend
all the way to the bottom, and then reel them up two feet. This will
place you in prime fish habitat and give you an excellent chance at a
catch.
The most important thing to remember about ice fishing is that it's not all about catching fish. It's about getting out and enjoying the great outdoors with friends and family, sharing laughs and good times on the ice, and experiencing moments you'll never forget.
Why you should be ice fishing with fluorocarbon
by Brett McComas:
Note: There's no one specific line type that's ideal for all situations, but fluorocarbon tries to come close. Here's how it stacks up against the other lines and why you need to have a rod or two rigged up with it:
How it compares to mono
Fluoro is going to be more 'invisible' than mono, making it the ultimate line in ultra-clear water or on heavily-pressured fish in community holes. You'll really notice the difference when sight-fishing for finicky panfish in shallow water. Fewer fish hesitate to bite — try it side by side with a buddy who's not using fluoro.
It also has less stretch than mono, which is going to make it much more sensitive and help to feel those light bites. Less stretch means more solid hooksets, to really drive those hooks home into the tough upper snout of a walleye.
How it compares to braid
There's no better option for outside hole-hopping than fluoro. Braided lines will hold moisture, which can freeze up in really cold temps — especially when fishing outside the shack. Won't have that problem with fluoro.
Fluoro does offer a little more stretch than braided line, but that will help keep fish pinned. That slight stretch acts as a shock absorber to the fish's thrashing head. At the end of the day you'll have less torn-out hooks and put more fish topside.
The downfall
The downfall to fluoro is that it's going to need to be replaced more often than braid or mono. Braided line may last you an entire season or two, whereas fluoro is going to have more memory and will get 'the coils' quicker on the tiny spools of micro ice reels.
Make it more affordable by filling the spool with cheap 'backing' or old line, then put on just enough fluoro (say 50′ or 60′) to be able to fish for the day. When the line begins to coil, pull it off and throw on fresh stuff. That way a small spool can last you up to a half dozen trips instead of just one.
Things to consider
One thing to consider is how running fluoro can affect the action of your bait. Sufix InvisiLine Ice Fluorocarbon sinks 4 times more quickly than mono. Spoons may not get that same fluttery look on the drop — though you may hardly notice the difference with the lower lb-test and lightweight spoons that are most common for ice fishing.
A quicker drop could also be considered an advantage: This allow you to get your bait back down quickly when on a hot school, or to intercept that mark that showed up out of nowhere on your flasher.
Spooling up
The VMC Tungsten Fly Jig comes in 1/64- to 1/16-oz sizes.
If you're looking for a good all-around line for panfish, check out the 3-lb Sufix InvisiLine Ice Fluorocarbon. Works great for tiny jigs like the VMC Tungsten Fly Jig right on up to the smaller jigging spoons you'd use fishing a deep-water basin.
The 7-lb Sufix InvisiLine Ice Fluorocarbon is a killer size for chasing walleyes in clear water. It works especially well in skinny water, but I'll frequently use it out to 25′ or 30′. You'll be surprised just how tough and abrasion-resistant this fluoro is — even against toothy critters.
Playing hard to get: black crappies
Fire up crappies with a sneaky "surf and turf" set-up
When a big fish shows up on your sonar screen, there's a natural tendency to drop your lure in front of its face. But trying to make it easy for a fish to bite rarely works. So how do you get the fish to bite? By making it harder for them! If you understand the species you're targeting, you can trigger their predatory urges by tempting, teasing and goading them into attacking your bait.
A two-timing approach works wonders for black crappies, which most days are the most laid-back dudes of winter. When I'm on a super-hot crappie bite, I'll typically drill the three holes so close to one another, they're almost interconnected.
Unlike my walleye set-up, however, I never tip my deadstick rod with a minnow. Instead, I bait a tiny HT Marmooska jig with a one-inch Trigger X nymph (below), larvae, spike worm or wax tail, and set the rod on a pail. The jig is especially deadly when adorned with the Trigger X larvae. These scented plastics come in sausage-like links, so I attach a group of six by putting the hook through the first one and letting the rest trail behind.
As for my jigging rod, I've found few better lures for hailing curious crappies than the Clam Speed Spoon. When you lift or pop it up, the spoon looks like a minnow struggling to escape. And when the lure falls, it looks like a dying minnow. Adding to its appeal, the hook is separated from the main body of the lure by a fine gold chain. Because crappies have an eclectic palate, using both the minnow-like spoon and the larvae-tipped jig offers the fish a choice of surf or turf.
It never ceases to amaze me how you can fire up and catch a black crappie or two by aggressively jigging the Speed Spoon and slowly pulling it away, only to have the next two or three fish devour the deadsticked larvae. It's as though they see the flash of the jigging spoon and come roaring in to eat it, but spot the neighbouring suspended morsel and decide to snap it up instead.
For reluctant crappies, use a light jigging rod, with a spring bobber and single-action reel.
Having the three ice holes grouped so tightly allows me to watch, out of the corner of my eye, the ultra-light spring bobber attached to the end of the deadstick rod. And because I always us a single-action ice reel spooled with two-pound-test fluorocarbon, my bait hovers in the water as though it's floating on air—if a crappie even breathes on it, I'll see the rod tip quiver.
As for your jigging rod, pay close attention to the section of line between the tip and where it enters the water—it can tell you when a crappie bites. This is perhaps the trickiest thing for first-time crappie ice anglers to master, but it's crucial because you often won't even feel the bite. That happens when a fish rises to take your bait, then continues coming up, making the line go slack—your signal to set the hook.
To make sure I can always see my line, I spool my 28-inch
medium-light-action jigging rods with colourful four-pound gel-spun
line, such as fluorescent-orange Sufix Ice Fuse. I then add an 18-inch
leader of four-pound-test fluorocarbon, and I'm ready to start playing
hard to get.
Tip Up Tactics for Early-Ice Pike
Article by Dave Csanda
Photography by Bill Lindner
Whenever you're ice fishing for pike in natural lakes, weedbeds are
your prime target areas. Large bays, in fact, are good early-ice options
because they tend to freeze first, well before mainlake areas, and
offer the safest early ice, often just a short walk from shore.
Play the odds game: Avoid small weedbeds or areas of sparse cover at
first ice. Prominent weedbeds at the mouths of bays, or in the deeper
centers of bays, provide big pike with plenty of habitat and room to
feed and roam. If you've fished open water there during summer or fall,
and remember which areas offered the best weedgrowth, make those your
starting points for ice fishing. If the weeds are still healthy, pike
are likely still using them under the ice.
If you're unfamiliar with the lake, note large underwater structures
on your GPS map or lake map offering broad areas perhaps 6 to 18 feet in
depth, bordered by deeper water. Chances are, these will have the
proper bottom content to grow the most weedgrowth, typically broadleaf
cabbage or coontail. More weeds typically equals more pike.
Tip Toe to the Tip Up
To catch pike, focus along or slightly inside the deep edges of
weedbeds, and dangle a dead sucker, cisco, goldeye or other large
baitfish below a tip-up, using a wire or fluorocarbon leader rig to
prevent biteoffs.
A two-hook, quick strike rig, rather than a single large hook,
maximizes hooking efficiency. Besides, waiting for fish to fully swallow
a large sucker before setting a single hook increases hooking
mortality.
Using a traditional inline quick-strike rig, dual trebles of modest
size position one hook near the bait's head and another at the balance
point near the dorsal fin. Newer "yoke" style quick strike rigs allow
you to hook the bait on either side of the dorsal fin, straddling the
balance point. In both cases, the bait hangs level, and you set the hook
soon after the strike, mouth-hooking the pike in most instances.
If you fish quick strike rigs in Minnesota, make sure there's a small
spinner blade incorporated into the rig, which technically makes it a
lure. The blade is non-functional, but fulfills the letter of Minnesota
law, which forbids the use of multi-hook (aka snag) riggings unless the
hooks are part of a "lure."
Pike anglers typically use several tip-ups, rather than fishing rods,
to suspend multiple baits just above the weed tops, or alongside the
deep edge of the weeds. Tip-ups are basically wooden or plastic boards
that lie across the top of your holes, angling baited lines below, much
like setting a trapline.
Set your traps in likely places, and simply wait for a pike to cruise
along and pick it off, popping the flag and unspooling the line. When
that happens, quietly walk over to the tip up, lift it out of the hole,
grab the line between thumb and forefinger, feel for the presence of a
fish, and set the hook with a firm upward jerk of the line.
At that point, it's hand-over-hand combat, fighting the fish during
powerful runs by letting the line slip under pressure between your
fingers, then hand-over-handing it back, again and again, until it
finally tires.
The moment of truth comes when when trying to get a big fish up and
out of the hole. The trick is lifting when you see its nose pass below
the hole. Immediately lift upward, getting its nose pointed upward and
the fish moving toward the surface. Once its head pokes above the
surface, reach down, carefully but firmly grasp it below one side of the
lower jaw, and lift it out. Unhook it, take a quick horizontal photo,
and then send it headfirst back down the hole, to live and fight another
day.
Some anglers question the use of deadbait for large pike, assuming
that lively minnows would be better. The fact is, large pike are as much
scavengers as they are predators, and regularly pick up and eat
freshly-killed baitfish off the bottom. A 10-to 12-inch dead sucker,
cisco, alewife, shad, goldeye or other oily baitfish is high on their
preferred menu. And the nice thing is, you can obtain these baits in
advance, keep them in your freezer, and pack up a sufficient amount for
your next trip at a moment's notice. No need to haul a bucket of water
and minnows!
All that being said, you can obviously catch pike through the ice by
jigging a large spoon, sinking rattling lure or jig & minnow combo.
Yet the fact remains, it's almost impossible to out-produce a trapline
of several tip-ups placed at key spots and depths along a weededge. It
allows you to cover large amounts of water in quick fashion. And every
time a flag pops, everyone nearby will notice and immediately yell,
"Tip-up!" You won't miss a bite!
Leech Lake Ice Fishing Guides, Lodging & Ice Houses
As ice has capped Leech Lake and we have begun to see people out ice fishing on Leech Lake where it gets thicker earlier around Pine and Stoney points, we are reminded that not everyone has the privilege year round residence on Leech Lake. Fortunately the area has several great lodging options open year round, but more importantly some offer specialized Ice Fishing packages with guides and all, which can mean the difference between an average day on the ice (which visitors tell us is amazing), and an absolutely awesome day ice fishing that will make Leech Lake your lifelong ice fishing destination. This year we predict an extremely strong Walleye season compared to years past, based on the trends we have seen you will be seeing bigger walleye and more pulls than ever before. So book early and come prepared to catch big!
Leech Lake Ice Fishing Lodging, Guide & Ice House Packages
- Bridley's Harbor - Well known for their perch ice fishing experience Brindley's offers guided Leech Lake ice fishing packages all winter. As part of the guided ice fishing package anglers get access to heated and lighted 8 hole ice houses, portable shelters, and lodging at one of 5 winterized cabins. Their Leech lake Ice Fishing packages go quick to book quickly if you plan to get on the ice with them and their experienced guides.
- Trapper's Landing - Offers a Pro Shop Ice Fishing package which gives their guests free use of professional grade ice fishing gear as part of a lakeside cabin rental. This includes an underwater camera to help you find fish with ease, live bait and much more!
- Adventure North Resort - Gives guests a variety of options, including fully outfitted Leech Lake ice fishing packages which include a stay at one of 6 cabins and custom built heated and lighted ice houses. They also offer guests the ability to rent a cabin and bring their own ice house, with easy lake access and ice house transportation. Ice fish in comfort at Adventure North Resort.
- Big Rock Resort - Has over half a dozen Leech Lake cabins available all winter and offers guests the ability to rent an ice house or bring their own. Guests can also ensure an awesome ice fishing experience on Leech with Big Rock Resorts in house pro guide Chuck Emery. Get a cabin today.
- The Shores at Pine Point - Get extremely easy access to Leech Lake and access to ice house rentals. Located centrally on Pine Point you will have easy access to Traders Bay, Sucker Bay, and Walker Bay. So be prepared for a wide variety of ice fishing options. Book a trip today.
- Oak Point Resort - Enjoy the unique experience of spear fishing through the ice with Oak Points specially designed spear houses, which double as Ice Houses. With ten ice houses, plowed ice roads and lakeside cabins, you are sure to have an amazing Leech Lake ice fishing trip here.
- Hiawatha Beach - With a large lodge open year round and fish house rentals available to guests you will be ready to start ice fishing as soon as you arrive. Located on Leech Lakes Steamboat Bay you also get a sheltered location so fishing without an ice house can be done in comfort.
- Steamboat Bay - Another great option for those that want to focus on Perch Steamboat bay Resort offers ice house rentals, easy water access, winterized cabins, and enough space for you to bring your own ice house, take a look at their options.
Winter Lodging Lodging Options
Need more lodging options? While these options don't offer ice houses or ice fishing packages they still offer extremely easy access to the lake and great options for those who have all their own gear or know the lake well.
We hope this guide ensures you have a great time out on the ice this winter. Leech Lake ice fishing offers some of the most diverse options for ice fishing in Minnesota. With a truly wide variety of fish species and amazing guide and lodging options you will not leave Leech Lake without having an amazing ice fishing experience. Use our weekly fishing report to help plan your next Minnesota ice fishing adventure. See you on the ice!
