The eagerness I see in people’s faces come October and November for ice fishing these days rivals the anticipation for the spring open water seasons. We’re experiencing exciting, innovative days for ice fishing, and 2007 brings with it an array of new hard water tools and techniques.
Anglers from around the country have been asking what new techniques I’ll employ when the hard water arrives. Here’s a taste.
In the tools department, I’m really excited about Lindy’s new Rattl’n Flyer spoons. Last winter, we tested this new lure on Devils Lake, N.D., fishing deep-water perch. In two days of fishing, I experienced virtually no swiveling or line twist.
I avoided all that twisting because the Rattl’n Flyer spoon glides to the side, so it doesn’t land directly underneath the hole. It usually lands a foot or two off-center. This allows us to work a broader area of the water column, though the key to working this lure properly is to keep your rod tip down and slowly drag it back.
This technique, which I’m calling the “glide-and-drag” works especially well with perch because they’re eating insects on the bottom. Slowly drag it back â in a perch heaven like Devils Lake â and they’ll suck it right up.
How’d I fish with this new product? Well, Lindy tries to develop products with some field research before selling it, so I had the opportunity test the Rattl’n Flyer spoon late last winter. I think most consumers appreciate that they’re not the initial testers of a new product, and I can tell you the Rattl’n Flyer spoon works.
I’m hearing a growing number of questions about using plastics with ice fishing, and I think this is a great presentation to combine with the Genz Bug. The 45-degree angle of these rocking-style jigs offers a hook posture that you won’t find with typical horizontal and vertical jig profiles. It provides added action (via a kicking motion) when you attach a plastic. I suspect we’ll be seeing a lot of guys mixing up their technique with jigs this year beyond simply “T-boning” their jig with waxies or spikes.
Here’s another jig tip that I’ve been doing so long that I take it for granted. A fishing partner asked me about it late last year, so I’ll share it with you now.
It’s very simple, and here’s the trick: adjust your knot up or down. By adjusting the knot, you can have almost the same effect as changing the lure. All this means is sliding your knot on your ice jigs to alter the way they hang. Slide it up, change its angle to your line, and that jig will fall differently.
Consider adding or subtracting a plastic, then some live bait, and you’ve altered your presentation several times without retying any knots. That’s efficiency 101.
I’ve been wrapping knots differently or sliding them around for years, but it’s become one of those things I don’t think about, a habit. When little things like that become habits, you’re a better fishermen. Problem is, sometimes we forget to tell everyone else.
I’ve noticed that adults sometimes learn as much as kids at our youth ice fishing clinics, because we slow down and remember to mention some of these basics. I guess the message here is don’t ever be afraid to ask what you consider a dumb question. There’s no such thing!
Back to 2007-08 ice innovations, Strikemaster has a great new product called the Slushmaster. You hook it up to a cordless drill, then place it in your ice hole, and wham; it pushes down the slush and deposits it under the ice. It works in 8-, 9-, or 10-inch holes.
It simplifies fishing out of any hole, but I can see where it’s really good for fishing from a permanent or wheeled fish house. No more hauling slush out of your fish house. I’ve tried the Slushmaster and it works well.
Vexilar’s FL-20 remains new to most people, so it deserves some mention here. Its flat screen makes it really easy for more than one person to view the screen at one time. In the past, when trying to explain how to operate a flasher or read it with someone else, I always felt like my head was in the way. Now with the flat screen and wide viewing angle of the FL-20 â whether it’s in my boat or my fish house â multiple people can see it, too. It’s also less likely to trap rain or snow.
In the comfort zone, Clam has made some impressive improvements to Clam Chair, which was new last year. It’s a simple concept: this ice fishing chair doubles as a rod case and gear bag and weighs only 12 pounds.
It holds all your tackle, which makes it pretty darn efficient. I’ll use mine even when fishing from a permanent house to carry equipment back and forth. Then I’ve got it handy and available if I choose to head out into the hinterlands.
As for what I’ll pursue this year, dedicated readers know I’ve always been a mixed bag fisherman. That said, perch are the theme of the Ice Team this year, and I’m really excited about emphasizing jumbos. The seasonal movements of perch are so much fun.
We’ve got a lot of lakes out there holding perch, but the question is how to catch the big ones. One thing we’ve done in lakes with an abundance of perch is to fish without bait so that smaller fish won’t bite.
Another trick that works is upsizing our bait. Bigger fish will hit bigger bait, so we’re sorting out smaller fish before they strike. This tactic produces cleanable perch even in lakes not exactly know for jumbos.
As for trends and tips specific to 2007, guys should remember that every year is different, and we’ve had some really weird weather patterns late this summer and fall in the Upper Midwest. Nature abhors a vacuum, however, and weird weather doesn’t mean fish won’t have food. But something out of the ordinary may hatch. There’s always something in abundance but when weather isn’t normal, it’s our job to discover what they’re eating.
Fish might be higher in water column, or maybe a different colored lure will match an unusual hatch. I’ve seen it happen many times: a few weeks of confusion, then the word gets out. “They’re biting on this this year!”
Enjoy solving this puzzle early in the ice fishing season. If they’re not biting last year’s lures, it doesn’t mean the fish all died. They just may not be following the same patterns.
Good luck cracking the early season mystery. It’s the greatest time of year!By: Dave Genz
