Get yourself more ice time and stay out of the penalty box!

[fishing32wild]

A time we knew would come but were just eagerly waiting for is now upon ice.  Its time to get your ice on, I know my gear is all in check and has been since Thanksgiving.  Now lets fine tune things a little and get down to business.  Keeping yourself in check is a huge plus and will keep you fishing more than worrying about your equipment.  All to often its a leap into ice season because of our wonderful Minnesota weather conditions. 

Here are some things to keep in time to keep yourself from ending up in a dead zone.  Go through your chip, make sure your spots are well marked and work well with your plan,  its easy to make guesses but guaranteeing success means ensuring that your spots meet critical timing and feeding opportunities.  Spot recognition on the fly can be hard but freshening up your knowledge of a lake is always just a mental scout away. 

Now for the rusted jigging spoons and locked up reels on your ice rods.  I like a little lubricant and I don't care what brand preference you have, SeaFoam, Rem Oil or any type of a lubrication that can handle cold weather temps should suffice, quickly spray down all your lures and allow the lube to work in, then with an old tooth brush, give everything a good scrub, now there are rust preventatives out there that work well and normally this shouldn't be an issue, but if it is, do it! It helps!

Does your house have any patchwork to be done?  Making sure your portable is in good condition is a huge factor in ensuring success, confidence in your gear can mean everything when out, so double checking any seams or making sure all your zippers are properly working is something that just has to be done.  Also make sure there are no snags in your runners, sleds tend to work a lot better if there attached properly.

Now finally you want to know the secret, the #1 thing that is going to make sure you are successful.  FISH, FISH and FISH.  Drinking beer is fine, having fun on the ice is great, but to make sure you get the most out of your fishing trips and keep yourself out of penalty box.  FISH!! its simple you know what to do, stick to the ledges throughout the day, find a good flat for evening.  Suspended fish can be active fish!  Colors matter but its more about a technique.  Cold water conditions call for a change in mentality.  Get your grind on when pursuing panfish, chase and stay consistent. 

Happy Hookin'
LGS