Ice Fishing 102: The case of the humble minnow head
Whether it’s on vertical jigging spoons or another jig, you can’t go wrong adding a minnow head.
Ice Fishing
Ice anglers, shops optimistic
Conditions better this winter for hard-water fishing
It’s almost here! Preparation for ice fishing
My personal favorite fishing season almost has arrived. I thoroughly enjoy hard-water fishing, and one reason I’m successful is because I prepare my equipment weeks in advance. If you haven’t done so, the first thing I’d recommend is inventorying your tackle. I have a walleye ice tackle box and a panfish ice tackle box. That strategy makes fishing so much…
Cold boosts ice-making but bad timing for snow
Up-north dealers of bait and ice-fishing equipment and their resorter counterparts said last weekend was a pretty good one, with the onset of colder weather building ice by the hour.
Better angling: Modern ice fishing's multiple paradigm shifts
Walking around the St. Paul Ice Show this year I am struck by how dramatically different the sport of ice fishing is today from just a decade or so ago. It is definitely the fastest-growing segment of the fishing industry and if you don’t believe it, head over to the show and see for yourself. Even if you miss the…
Never too soon: Ice Is coming!
I don't want to jump the gun, as most know I am a die-hard open water fan, but the ice fishing season is soon upon us and it is certainly a good time to start preparing gear for this upcoming season. It's time to get out the gear and perform a few checks before the lakes do freeze over and…
Abrupt finish to the Minnesota ice fishing season
Last weekend was busy at bait shops and lakes across the state, and 60-degree weather made for fun fishing. Unfortunately, it also marked the last chance many of those anglers had to ice fish this season.
A frustrating winter for New York ice anglers, businesses
On a normal Sunday afternoon in mid-February, the parking lot at Million Dollar Beach in Lake George would be jammed with cars, pickup trucks and trailers from ice fishermen accessing the big lake.
DNR survey shows fewest fish houses on south-central Minnesota lakes in 35 years
Warm weather and poor ice conditions are keeping people off the ice.
Ice fishing jigging technique and lure action
The fall and flutter of an ice lure is key to ice-fishing success. We want to see a slow, natural descending action, and in general, lighter lures are better at achieving this. I use a lot of No. 12 ice lures. Do not use split-shots when jigging light ice lures. Split shots are fine for hard-water minnow and bobber fishing,…
Ice fishing in Utah: Finding the fish
Ice fishing success hinges on three things Putting your bait or lure at the depth the fish are-and then not moving it much-are the keys to catching fish through the ice. And using some simple devices that will help you know when you have a fish on the end of your line is a big help too. Drew Cushing, warm…
Capturing underwater memories this ice fishing season
On a recent ice fishing outing after a major cold front, the fish were nice enough to stop their hot bite and give this angler an opportunity to play around with two underwater cameras. The cameras I was using included an Aqua-Vu Mini Scout and a Marcum VS 825c. I hooked the Marcum up to a small handheld Aiptek camcorder…
MN: Ice abounds, albeit some not in fishable condition
Wayzata, Minn. – You can go anywhere in the state and find walkable, fishable ice. But it doesn't seem to matter what direction you head, you'll also find a few lakes with some problematic ice conditions. The ice that's been in place for more than two weeks is getting thicker each day. But rain and warm temperatures last week re-opened…
Presenting your ice offering properly
First let's chat about bobbers. A bobber is great because it allows us to immediately check the mood of the fish. The size of your bobber, which is a strike indicator and depth setter, is big factor. Generally speaking, I see ice anglers using too big of a bobber. Fish will feel that drag resistance. They'll blow out the bait…
