Steve Carney: Sight-fishing on the ice just makes sense sometimes

The early ice season in Minnesota has started out fairly well, and I’ve been catching both bluegills and crappies in 5 to 7 feet of water. This is where sight-fishing comes into play. Here are some tips for this shallow-water plan of attack.

Electronics not necessary

Some of my friends believe that using electronics in shallow water is detrimental to success. Maybe.

I do not use electronics when sight-fishing. I just keep my head directly above the hole and watch the action.

Active vs. passive fish

Panfish in shallow water are almost always on the feed. The active fish strike with abandon, while the “lookers” might just pass by.

Lately, I have watched big northern pike, dogfish, and suckers swim beneath my hole in the ice. It’s almost a parade of different species coming through sporadically.

I’m unable to get most of the large pike through the hole, because in 5 feet, it’s hard to turn their heads upward. No problem; I don’t keep pike anyway.

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A quiet approach

Early mornings have been the best for sight-fishing because few anglers are out during the wee hours of the morning. Any human activity, such as snowmobiles, ATVs, or groups of anglers passing by will kill the sight-fishing bite.

We have no snow cover right now to muffle the noise and activity, which shallow fish won’t tolerate. Quiet is the name of the game. No headlamps, no shuffling of your feet, and no conversation is recommended for a good sight-fishing bite.

Hole-hopping

Sight-fishing at this time of the winter means drilling lots of holes at first light and then leaving the areas for a few minutes. Then move from hole to hole, quietly, and give each hole about 10 minutes and then hop to another hole.

Panfish are constantly roving on these shallow flats, and by moving from hole to hole, you will pluck one or a few fish from each spot.

Don’t expect anything fast and furious. Once you catch a fish or two from the shallow water, it tends to spook any other fish in the immediate area.