IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: woodyeckes on May 22, 2021, 08:49 PM
-
Last year I learned that you could not hook panfish all the time with a spring bobber but the line movement under the water in the hole signalled a fish biting or moving the bait. I also found out that if you stood directly over the hole and held onto the line ...>005" sewing thread you could feel the weight of the jig and sometines a bite was either absence of the weight or a slight tug...smaller baits and very small pieces of plastic would sometimes get fish to bite over live bait (waxworm, minnow or spike)....your turn to reply.
-
I learned I am getting old. Harder to get up and out. But I also learned there are fish in places I didn't think there were. Killed it on the Small perch for the first time. But then again I think that is because that lake is full of them.
-
I learned that driving 70 miles then 70 back and getting one bite sucks....
-
I learned you don't catch any fish if you don't drill any holes. :'(
-
I learned that the fish are still in my spots and that I can out fish the best of them. Last 2 days I fished I got out late the first day and my ice fishing Partner was already out there he had 12 in the bucket ended the day he had 25 I had 34. Last day I had 18 buddy had 12.
-
I learned that “solitude” is fast becoming a thing of the past, and that I need to set up much farther away from people than I used to! Not complaining, I just find it harder for this old guy to get away from it all! >:(
-
I learned that BadBrad is pretty tough. Don’t mess with him or he will beat you up.
I also learned that the new SM 24v sucks.
In fact, most ice gear these days just don’t have the quality they used to. My Otter X over was far from quality. I’ve had every new model in the last ten years and they’ve all been top notch but not these new ones. Many cosmetic and factory flaws. But they’ve warranted it all.
-
I learned that “solitude” is fast becoming a thing of the past, and that I need to set up much farther away from people than I used to! Not complaining, I just find it harder for this old guy to get away from it all! >:(
The problem with that, at least around my neck of the woods, is that if you set up far from anyone else, someone will come find you and set up.
-
Learned that after letting fellow anglers use my cordless drill they converted quite easily .. help two of them with getting started with with Milwaukee drills and Eskimo/ION drill units ..3 with Clam Plates as well . Also learned that the Eskimo/ION drill unit is my preferred auger...those units cut like no buddies business will be adding one to my arsenal .
-
I did not learn anything new, but I validated my need to always do this activity, and also validated again that it is the best way to bond with my kids. They are 16 now ( twins ) and I am proud to say that they can outfish me any time they want to. We are old school with mostly tipups and rods but no electronics, I have taught them that it is not the gear that will get you success, but rather the hard-earned knowledge of the locations and seasonal fishing patterns on specific lakes that give you the edge on the fish. If I could ask for the ideal way to die, it would be on the ice fishing with my family but many years from now.
-
I learned that “solitude” is fast becoming a thing of the past, and that I need to set up much farther away from people than I used to! Not complaining, I just find it harder for this old guy to get away from it all! >:(
I always go out farther than anyone else and no one crowds around
-
I learned that BadBrad is pretty tough. Don’t mess with him or he will beat you up.
I also learned that the new SM 24v sucks.
In fact, most ice gear these days just don’t have the quality they used to. My Otter X over was far from quality. I’ve had every new model in the last ten years and they’ve all been top notch but not these new ones. Many cosmetic and factory flaws. But they’ve warranted it all.
You must have been in one of the many heated topics I was in this winter
-
I always go out farther than anyone else and no one crowds around
Just wait. Someday someone will wonder why that shack keeps going out there to that same spot and they’ll come see what your catching by plopping down 30 foot from ya and you’ll be the only two shacks around for a long ways. It will probably end like that fight scene did our on the ice in the movie Four Brothers.
-
Just wait. Someday someone will wonder why that shack keeps going out there to that same spot and they’ll come see what your catching by plopping down 30 foot from ya and you’ll be the only two shacks around for a long ways. It will probably end like that fight scene did our on the ice in the movie Four Brothers.
Nah no one is coming out there and if they do fine and dandy 2 years ago some guys came out set up 30-50 feet from us. We spanked the fish and they couldn't catch them. I also never use the same shack 2 days in a row or even to weekends in a row
-
that people are still getting lazier and lazier and they really want to pass begging for where to fish on FB, as effort.
-
I learned about this site and joined it. My 20 + year old auger still works. Learning to haul my flipover shack around on my little trailer.
-
that people are still getting lazier and lazier and they really want to pass begging for where to fish on FB, as effort.
That's not true. You learned that several seasons ago.
-
Sight Fishing the first time with the use of plastics and how to jig for the best presentation.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jnb5MRrD/IMG-20210306-112055219-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jnb5MRrD)
-
Sight Fishing the first time with the use of plastics and how to jig for the best presentation.
Same here. I had sight fished a bit here and there in the past, but this season I ended up catching a lot of my fish on plastics sighting over 3-4' of water. Live bait was pretty much unobtanium locally all winter, so I had to switch up tactics out of necessity, and it worked out fairly well.
I learned that “solitude” is fast becoming a thing of the past, and that I need to set up much farther away from people than I used to! Not complaining, I just find it harder for this old guy to get away from it all! >:(
That's no joke. Several ponds I normally have to myself all winter got absolutely carpet bombed with holes this season. I have never seen anywhere near so many other people out on the ice around here as I did this winter.
-
I learned that although I love camping on ice, sleeping in my subaru is about 5 times easier. Way less gear needed, and overall dry. I use to want to haul my on ice camping gear everytime, but its just not worth the work when theres all those fish to catch. If I have a bunch of days in a row I might still camp on ice, but on a evening then morning trip, im just gonna sleep in the car.
-
I learned ,that breaking your leg and crawling on your belly back towards my dock a quarter mile before the wife found me, is still doable at 53 years old. Haven't walked since early March :)
-
I learned that making my own lures really paid off, all the hours spent making swedish pimple and jigging raps was well worth the effort, caught lots of fish on them this winter.
-
I learned I should stay on a bite when I'm on it. I also need to keep learning; I'm not as good as I think I am.
-
The older my kids get the more I enjoy it. I have always enjoyed it but it makes me dam proud to watch them get a fish on there own.
-
I learned my "fishin' buddy" ain't. Wouldn't find time to go with me but a few times, but hauled his friend and family out to my scouted spots time and again.
P*sses me off. I'm tired of being burned trying to make strangers into neighbors, and neighbors into friends.
-
I learned my "fishin' buddy" ain't. Wouldn't find time to go with me but a few times, but hauled his friend and family out to my scouted spots time and again.
P*sses me off. I'm tired of being burned trying to make strangers into neighbors, and neighbors into friends.
Hunting and fishing alone makes life simpler... also quieter, which is a bonus in my book. ;D
-
If it looks like slush don't try to cross it!
-
learned that I need to get out more often
-
I learned ,that breaking your leg and crawling on your belly back towards my dock a quarter mile before the wife found me, is still doable at 53 years old. Haven't walked since early March :s
doesn't sound like much fun. how the hell did you break your leg? What was you're wife's first comment?
-
I finally dialed in my bottom bounce technique for lakers. Also got a live camera that i am looking forward to dedicating more learning time towards.
-
Learned how to inject my own soft plastics and use them successfully. I also came to the realization that some folks aren't better fisherman they just fish a lot more than I do. At least that's what I am telling myself. ;D
-
My buddy and I ice fish a lake with large weed flats ( they extend 3/4 to a mile out from shore and 2-3 miles wide across the entire end of the lake. Water depth in the weeds run from 1' at shore to 10 to 12 feet out at the far edges). The weeds stay mostly upright throughout the ice season and are hard to fish in the Winter. There are quit a few sparse weed pockets throughout and most fishermen move around trying and find these pockets to fish in. Lake bottom is a gradual slope out the 40 ft. Perch caught within the weeds run about 4"-8" with a occasional 10" fish. As large as this weed flats are when you get hundreds of fishermen wandering around looking for the spare weed pockets and continually cutting holes, the fish bite can be difficult. It was the 2nd or 3rd ice trip to this lake last year that we decided to get away from all the fishermen, so we moved quit a ways out beyond the last hut. I cut a sting of holes and found weeds at the 1st two and the other holes were weed free. I had found the weed edge and no one within 400-500 yds of us. The rest of the day we were into some very nice perch 9 - 11" as average and two of us catch around 75. Needless to say we went out to the weed edge the rest of the season and no one caught on. Lesson: get out away from the crowd.
-
I learned not to rush onto the ice to get to the "sweat spot" even if it was well below freezing for a few days or so.
The edge looked completely solid until the third step and I shrunk 3 feet instantly. It was 8 degrees that morning I got out so fast the water never made it under my gore tex bibs so I lucked out. Lesson learned!!!!! Always check the ice first!
smitty :tipup:
-
I learned that I may be out of shape but a smith sled made me feel young and in shape. I could barely tell my sled was behind me when I was walking.
-
I learned how much I miss the social part of fishing. COVID made me go alone a lot or with my wife, which was fine, but I really miss getting out with a bunch of kids and seeing them catch their first fish through the ice.
-
Might be old news for some of you. When Perch fishing I learned to hook my minnows at the back end of the dorsal fin (on the body above the spine) so the head is hanging down slightly. This compared to hooking it in the dorsal and have the minnow hang level. The fish come up from the bottom and strike the head first. My catch rate improved drastically.
-
I learned it is getting harder and harder to stand back up after setting a tip up….. :P
-
Might be old news for some of you. When Perch fishing I learned to hook my minnows at the back end of the dorsal fin (on the body above the spine) so the head is hanging down slightly. This compared to hooking it in the dorsal and have the minnow hang level. The fish come up from the bottom and strike the head first. My catch rate improved drastically.
Although its a dead bait Pike technique the logic make sense...why wouldn't it work scaled down and with live bait and a single hook placement 4:57 mark
-
Although its a dead bait Pike technique the logic make sense...why wouldn't it work scaled down and with live bait and a single hook placement 4:57 mark
Yea, I don't hang them down all the way but same thinking.
-
I learned that I'd rather be fishing from my boat in 75F weather! ;)
-
I learned not to drill 20+ inches of ice….and then reverse my drill auger……snow/slush was enough to unscrew the shaft on the chuck of my clam plate. (Have a 2nd gen plate).
Also learned sight fishing in 15 ft of water is a blast.
-
When Perch fishing I learned to hook my minnows at the back end of the dorsal fin (on the body above the spine) so the head is hanging down slightly.
Try hooking them straight through the tail like you would for crappie. Also if you're just using a plain hook with a splitshot try the HT Tiger Willow spoons or something similar. Its basically just a weighted hook so the minnow has no freedom of movement it just dangles there. Orange and purple have done well for me on tipups.
-
I learned i have enough icefishing gear and i am no longer buying anything new but bait.why invest when the season gets shorter and shorter and prices go higher and higher.i already have a hoard of gear.think im back up to 5 flasher/fish finders.
-
I learned i have enough icefishing gear and i am no longer buying anything new but bait.why invest when the season gets shorter and shorter and prices go higher and higher.i already have a hoard of gear.think im back up to 5 flasher/fish finders.
We had a nice length season here. With decent ice
-
I learned that whatever I thought I knew about "the bite" at one favorite lake didn't work this year or happened much later. I went someplace else and caught fish doing the typical things they should be doing.
-
I learned that I spend a lot of time sleeping if I'm not really catching much of anything. Gosh also great to suddenly wake up to a flasher screen full of marks and catch fish. ;D
-
I learned that government lockdowns (here in Canada) while paying people to stay home from work indefinitely, end up promoting fishing like never before. Never seen as many people out ice fishing on weekdays as last season, on spots where I'm normally alone. Now that the free ride finally expired for most people, hoping to have some more ice to myself again this season.
-
I learned that government lockdowns (here in Canada) while paying people to stay home from work indefinitely, end up promoting fishing like never before. Never seen as many people out ice fishing on weekdays as last season, on spots where I'm normally alone. Now that the free ride finally expired for most people, hoping to have some more ice to myself again this season.
+1 on that. I've been ice fishing the same batch of small ponds for several years, and very rarely see anyone else on them. A couple of seasons, my holes were the only ones on some of them all season. Last winter they were all swiss cheese a week into good ice, and there was trash left everywhere 😑
-
My buddy and I ice fish a lake with large weed flats ( they extend 3/4 to a mile out from shore and 2-3 miles wide across the entire end of the lake. Water depth in the weeds run from 1' at shore to 10 to 12 feet out at the far edges). The weeds stay mostly upright throughout the ice season and are hard to fish in the Winter. There are quit a few sparse weed pockets throughout and most fishermen move around trying and find these pockets to fish in. Lake bottom is a gradual slope out the 40 ft. Perch caught within the weeds run about 4'-8" with a occasional 10" fish. As large as this weed flats are when you get hundreds of fishermen wandering around looking for the spare weed pockets and continually cutting holes, the fish bite can be difficult. It was the 2nd or 3rd ice trip to this lake last year that we decided to get away from all the fishermen, so we moved quit a ways out beyond the last hut. I cut a sting of holes and found weeds at the 1st two and the other holes were weed free. I had found the weed edge and no one within 400-500 yds of us. The rest of the day we were into some very nice perch 9 - 11" as average and two of us catch around 75. Needless to say we went out to the weed edge the rest of the season and no one caught on. Lesson: get out away from the crowd.
Been doing this for years no one catches on to us at least. We always do better than shanty village
-
I learned that the Strikemaster 24 volt with the 8” bit is a piece of sh$&! I feel like I got a bad lite-flite. It wobbles when it drills, and it chews out the flighting. I also learned that I’m not the only one, and SM blames it on the blades and says we need new blades and we are going n our own for that. Sure were a lot of new 24 volts sold that need new blades! Where has quality control gone. Quality has gone down hill on all ice gear. Strikemaster, Otter, Striker... all crap anymore. But the prices have all gone up! At the end of the day, it’s all made in China. And all these folks care about is getting rich at our expense.
-
I learned that not all the gps marks and presentations I used successfully 20 years ago on a 7000ac reservoir 2 hours west of Denver catch fish like they used to...and the weekend drive on I-70 sucks WAY worse!
-
I learned that even if we had ice in Texas we wouldn't ice fish.
Hell, it'd take all day to chop a hole big enough to get the boat in...
-
I learned that even if we had ice in Texas we wouldn't ice fish.
Hell, it'd take all day to chop a hole big enough to get the boat in...
Local fishing notable Spence Petros also won’t ice fish. He said he couldn’t get the hang of casting into the hole.
-
Local fishing notable Spence Petros also won’t ice fish. He said he couldn’t get the hang of casting into the hole.
Casting is the toughest part of ice fishing
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
-
I grew up targeting trout, because that's what my grandfather went ice fishing for and I went with him. Only recently did I start targeting panfish through the ice. I better learned where to catch them.
I also learned a valuable lesson while ice fishing in Erie too.
-
I grew up targeting trout, because that's what my grandfather went ice fishing for and I went with him. Only recently did I start targeting panfish through the ice. I better learned where to catch them.
I also learned a valuable lesson while ice fishing in Erie too.
Care to share what your lesson was for fishing Erie? Was it Erie, PA or are you talking Lake Erie (western basin) in general? Just curious because I went all-in to ice fishing after the 2014/15 Lake Erie ice season, but have since learned that it's not too often we get the opportunity to fishi it! Got out a couple days last year, but it was as sketchy as can be.
-
Care to share what your lesson was for fishing Erie? Was it Erie, PA or are you talking Lake Erie (western basin) in general? Just curious because I went all-in to ice fishing after the 2014/15 Lake Erie ice season, but have since learned that it's not too often we get the opportunity to fishi it! Got out a couple days last year, but it was as sketchy as can be.
I was fishing the Presque Isle Bay area and, after doing some hole hopping, lost track of the ice in relation to the shore line. The wind had been probably a consistent 35-50 mph all day and the ice got blew off the shore line. Needed ice rescued by the US Coast Guard. I live 4.5hrs away so it was definitely an eventful first time ice fishing the Erie area. Definitely going again, but will pay better attention.
-
I was fishing the Presque Isle Bay area and, after doing some hole hopping, lost track of the ice in relation to the shore line. The wind had been probably a consistent 35-50 mph all day and the ice got blew off the shore line. Needed ice rescued by the US Coast Guard. I live 4.5hrs away so it was definitely an eventful first time ice fishing the Erie area. Definitely going again, but will pay better attention.
Yep, wind speed and direction isthe name of the game on Erie. I didn't realize Presque Isle Bay didn't completely freeze though, good to know. I know the main lake very rarely freezes completely, so always gotta keep your eye on the wind. Glad you made it off safe and learned from it.
-
Fishing with a camera is an absolute blast. Really helps show fish behavior when they are being finicky. Also learned that I may need to downsize my gear for trips. I’ve been using an otter lodge as a one man. I got a cottage at the end of the year and I am really enjoying it. Also if the fish aren’t biting somewhere get the hell out. Wasted an entire day of a South Dakota trip waiting for a bite window that never opened.
-
Fishing with a camera is an absolute blast. Really helps show fish behavior when they are being finicky. Also learned that I may need to downsize my gear for trips. I’ve been using an otter lodge as a one man. I got a cottage at the end of the year and I am really enjoying it. Also if the fish aren’t biting somewhere get the hell out. Wasted an entire day of a South Dakota trip waiting for a bite window that never opened.
I'm with you on a couple things ...down sizing is recommend.. especially late ice for sure ...hard lessen to learn/apply as I often bring way to much gear . A camera for me is a scouting tool after holes are drilled ..down the hole looking for structure and/or fish ..mark those and fish them first .
My late ice set up ..PS bring sunscreen .. This was my last outing sunshing/bluebird/beautiful day but.. limited fish were cooperating . That Walmart directors chair is wort the price of admission
(https://i.postimg.cc/4HXy96bC/Late-Ice.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4HXy96bC)
-
I learned that the wrong guide in the right place can completely wipe out a lake trout population. It only took him 2 years. I also learned that you need to go after your dreams or they will only be dreams.
-
Every year I remind myself never stop thinking outside the box