The time is now to make plans for cashing in on what could be the best that the hardwater season has to offer. First ice is as good as it gets, especially if you’re chasing ol’marble eyes. One of the keys to success is taking in all of the available information and then making an informed decision. Heading back to areas that were hot last year and doing the same things again might not produce the same results this year. The fact is things change; Sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse.
One of the leading indicators includes trends, trends that might give up a clue as to what to expect from the upcoming season. Good open water fishing is an example, but it still depends on when it all happened. Hot early season action is a start, but it doesn’t really mean all that much, not if isn’t followed up by a good summer and late summer bite.
By mid and late summer the spring’s hatch of baitfish show up and just how much was produced will have a definite effect on the fall and winter periods. Heavy hatches can make for tough conditions, while minimal production can play right into your hand. That alone is not a lead pipe cinch though, as it still takes a solid base of predators like walleyes to get the whole thing started. Another factor includes other predators, like perch. Perch can be the problem and the answer, and depends on how many adults are present, and how many fall into they young of the year variety. Adult perch will eat anything that fits in their mouths, and that includes immature perch.
An ideal scenario for ice anglers includes lots of walleyes, maybe a lot of adult perch, and not a lot of baitfish. That is when good things happen, over and over again. Mille Lacs Lake in Central Minnesota is a good example, and the trend has been favorable for the last couple of years. Even though there has been serious baitfish explosions, there has still been plenty of walleyes and perch in the lake that have helped to get it all chowed down and back to within reason.
It’s easier to get a handle on bigger lakes because there’s more information available.
Some of the better websites today can provide a wealth of info, especially if they offer forums where anglers can contribute. Smaller lakes may or may not be covered and the going could be a bit tougher and you may have to rely on your own experience. You could also try stopping in and talking with the local baitshops to see if they have anything to add on the results of the late open water season.
Once you’ve taken it all in and boiled it all down and have made your pick for getting the season started the where is still in question, at least if you have an open mind. Last year’s hot spot has to be considered, but you might be missing out on something if that’s all you’re relying on.
How well the early ice develops can have an effect on how limited your early season options are. Typically the shallows develop safe ice first, and the rest is incremental. That forces anglers to stay close, and then move further out in stages, as more and more good ice develops. That doesn’t mean walleyes do the same though, in fact some of the spots furthest out probably have active fish on them right away, it’s just that you might not be able to get to them. Last year right here in Minnesota many of our lakes froze over solid from shore to shore, and some of the better ice was in the middle of the lake.
That opened up deeper offshore hot spots right away, and there was no waiting. On Mille Lacs that meant getting to the mid lake mud flats by the middle of December, and the fish were there and raring to go. Most of the crowds stayed with the usual shoreline hot spots and they did catch fish. But the first of us to reach the mud had it all to ourselves with nobody to share it with. No holes already drilled, no commotion, and no pressured fish.
Successful first ice presentations can also vary, and will depend on just how charged up the walleyes are. More walleyes and less bait means using more aggressive techniques like hard thumping a jigging spoon. Take a Northland Tackle Rattling Buckshot Jigging Spoon and tip it with a minnow head and then stroke it hard. Hard snap after snap may be just the ticket. More bait and fewer predators might mean softer jigging with the spoon, or switching to a swimming bait like the Mini Aiplane Jig. If it’s really tough you may have to use a stationary technique like a minnow suspended below a float. Pro fisherman John Janousek of Nisswa, Minnesota likes to use a spoon for first ice walleyes, but he usually does in combination with a set bait; “I’m always jigging, but I usually do it right next to a bobber and minnow rig. I like to stay within four feet or so of the minnow and jig the spoon which attracts fish. They don’t always take it though, but those that don’t often hit the minnow.” See you on the ice.
Ron AnlaufBy: Ron Anlauf
