Great Ice Fishing Tips and Techniques to Help You Catch More Fish
The real secret to
catching more fish is knowledge! The more you know, the more fish you'll
catch. These ice fishing tips and techniques are proven winners.
Whether you're ice fishing for Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Perch or any
other type of fish it's important to know as much as you can about the species
you're after.
You'll find a lot of great general tips below that relate to most species of
fish. But every species has its own nature and characteristics so follow these
links for specific information:
Walleye Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Crappie Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Sunfish Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Perch Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Northern Ice Fishing Tips &
Techniques
Muskie Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Lake Trout Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
General Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Basic Needs
 Fish have basic
needs for food, shelter and oxygen just like we do. Often the location of fish
is dictated by these needs.
Fish Movement
In small shallow lakes fish typically move shallower as the season
progresses. This is due to limited oxygen supplies in deeper water.
In large deep lakes fish typically go where there's food and cover because
there's generally no oxygen problem. Temperature also affects fish so they may
remain deeper where the water is slightly warmer.
Most species
of fish become less active during the winter. Especially mid winter. First ice
and last ice they're more active and are far easier to catch.
Fish Senses
Just like people, fish relate to things around them using their senses. And
just like people they can see, hear, smell and taste.
Fish have color vision that's pretty good as long as the water isn't too
dirty and the sun is shining.
Fish can see above
them quite well which is why you normally
place your lure above the fish. But be careful, if the water is clear and shallow you could spook
the fish with movement over the hole.
What's most amazing about fish is their lateral line which, in a way, is
their sense of touch. The lateral line allows fish to detect movement in
water. It's used to sense danger, swim in unison and find food.
Fish use
their senses to detect movement to find food. There's
no method more effective for attracting and catching fish during the winter than
jigging. We'll talk a lot more about different types of jigs and how to jig.
Feeding Frenzies
Fish feeding patterns are affected by many things. Here are some of the most
important.
Some fish,
like Walleye and Crappie, are more active during the 90 minutes surrounding sun up and sun down.
Other fish, like Pike and Sunfish, are more active during the day.
A full moon or a new
moon will generally trigger more feeding.
Fish are more
active during stable
weather patterns or a dropping barometer which often signals an approaching storm.
Many large fish are caught when all three of these factors occur at the same
time.
More Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Fishing smaller lakes early in the year will give you a longer ice fishing
season since they freeze faster.
As the winter progresses, move to larger lakes. Larger lakes have more oxygen
which means the fish will be more active.
Fish relate to
structure so before you fish a lake, get the best map you can and identify the lakes
structure. Look for points, breaks, weed lines, and underwater humps.
Click here to learn about fish attracting lake
structure.
During first
ice fish the points and bars that extend from shore and the
weed lines. Mid winter look for fish around the deeper structure like mid-lake
humps and rock piles. As spring and spawning get closer the fish will begin to
move shallower to where they were during first ice.
Follow the
example of the ice fishing pros and drill several holes at varying depths around
the structure your fishing. If you don't see any fish on your flasher or catch
any fish in 15 minutes try another hole.
Some fish,
like Walleye and Perch, are found close to the lake bottom. Crappie and Sunfish
are normally suspended.
Start by
jigging larger lures about a foot off the bottom to attract and catch the more
aggressive fish. If you're seeing fish but not catching them switch to a smaller
jig.
While ice fishing, using live bait is essential whether you're jigging, dead
sticking, using a bobber, or a tip up. See the Tips & Techniques for individual
species for further information.
The most
important tip to remember is to have fun! You'll learn some things from this
site and other places but make sure you get out there put this information into
practice every chance you get.
Walleye Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Crappie Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Sunfish Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Perch Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Northern Ice Fishing Tips &
Techniques
Muskie Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
Lake Trout Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques
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