Changing spots

[falconcg]

I have been wondering in my last couple of outings.  How long should I wait before changing spots.  Should I jig a bit before installing my portable shelter?  I usually find a spot, install my tent, drill two holes and stay there for a while.  It's just that changing everything takes me about 10-15 minutes everytime plus de re-install.

My ice fishing is just jigging.  I do not install tip-ups.

[Caseman]

I would say it depends on weather, if its super cold set up shelter first and hope you are on fish.  Ideally I would find em first then set up camp.

I move a lot so I love my scout

[coboy]

I guess it depends on the species of fish you're fishing for. With perch you may need to move to follow the school. I'll give a hole thirty minutes to an hour. It depends on the time of day and what the weather is doing. There are days when it's super cold or windy and I'll sit awhile longer because it can be a hassle to move around under certain conditions. It takes me a couple of minutes to move everything unless I'm going a few hundred feet and then I'll collapse the shelter which takes a little more time.

[falconcg]

That's what I was wondering.  So staying an hour and then move is not that bad.  I thought that maybe people would be moving around every 15 minutes or so.  When I am on my boat I don't stay an hour but ice fishing is another thing.  I starting fishing (summer and winter) in 2011 (I'm 40 years old).  So lots of this is still pretty new to me.  I go on lots of forums (this one for ice fishing) and read lots on how to find fish, what to use...but it's a bit tough on the ice for sure.  I really love my experience today with my sonar/flasher.  It made it that more easier.

[stripernut]

For years I try to keep it to 3 minute a hole if nothing is happening. If I stay longer than that I am just being lazy... I will often go back to a hole later. If it was summer, do you spend more then a few minutes casting to the same exact spot, with out some sign of fish? I know many who do, I do not. I hunt down the fish. I use a clam scout. I don't know what take all that time to set up, but I can set up 4 tip up and be jigging in 15 min. if I am not getting flags...

[J_Edwards]

3-5 minutes a hole and I'm out.  Unless I've been fishing regularly in the same area and know they are most likely coming through at a certain time.

[Perchmaster]

i like the 3-5 min response what really lurks me if watching a guy sit in one whole for 4-5 hours
you have to move and drill you gotta troll on the ice - thats why i bought a strikemaster glide lite and a sonic ice hopper- drill 20 ten -20 holes and flash them then fish

[Kilbourn]

Drill lots of holes, than start jigging at the first one you drilled for about five minutes and move in hole order that you drilled them. This gives time for the spooked fish to move back to where you drilled your holes increasing your catch.

[falconcg]

What would be the use of the portable shelter then?  Just to warm up?  Trying to understand.  Thanks for your help everyone.

[stripernut]

I would not use a portable shelter, it is to much of a anchor. That is why I use a flip over, fast and mobile.
Why do you use the portable shed, if not to stay warm/warm up?
We all come to ice fishing / fishing for different reasons, many like the hanging out together, to escape the house, to drink, to be in the outdoors and the fish being a nice byproduct. There is nothing wrong with any of those reasons (just don't run me over if you have been drinking). I fish to catch fish, i like fishing hard, I get itchy if I don't have my max number of lines in the water, I almost never stop to eat or drink. I don't compete against other anglers, I compete against the fish. My point is, it comes down to what is the most important thing about fishing to you? No way is wrong, it just comes down to what you want. Most serous angles agree that if you want to catch more fish, being mobile and moving as needed is the most productive way to fish... There are always exceptions, but most of the time if you are sitting there not catching fish you are wasting time.

[Kilbourn]

What would be the use of the portable shelter then?  Just to warm up?  Trying to understand.  Thanks for your help everyone.

Once you find the fish I would set up but than again I guess that's why it's called FISHING... Some days are better than others...

[falconcg]

Yeah, my tent pop-ups in 20 sec and then screw the 4 ancors so that's an extra 4 minutes I guess but then putting everything in and then out... I only have a manual auger at this time so I cannot drill 20 holes right away (but my girlfriend would like my new arms...lol).  I guess it's better for my to drill first, check the dept and see if there is some action before putting up my tent.  Presently I fish a bay that i know from the back of my hand since I fish it about 40 times a year in the summer so I know were are some structures, points... but when I will try new waters that I don't know I think I'll drill my holes first .

[falconcg]

Once you find the fish I would set up but than again I guess that's why it's called FISHING... Some days are better than others...

You got that right .

[Idahogator]

Like you said, a few holes, first.
In addition to searching for fish, also note structure that may attract fish. When you need shelter, set-up the tent in the most favorable spot you have found. Warm up, rest, and continue the search. Almost any small GPS will bring you back another day, to the same spot. It seems, at some future date, you will have good spots marked with your GPS. Good luck

[fish-kabob]

the flip over is great advice i use a shappell s3000 cabin style and move around faily good just depends on how deep of snow. if the snow is deep i would go with a flip over style shanty  cause on the cabin style you got to dig down to flat ice. so when you step in you do not break the hinge in the center of the shanty.

 but any ways if in shallow water you may see more then meets the eyes like weeds growning on the lake floor or ever drop offs etc... when using a shanty you can close the windows and look down the hole. and it doubles as a palce to keep warm.  but being portable is the key i would say any thing over 10-20 minutes if not seeing or getting a bite is to long.  some times fish like pike and Bass and gills scater asap when the  auger goes threw the ice .  it some times take them 10-15 minutes to come back to ware you where.


if fishing gills it all about depth there going to be in depths from 3foot to about 20 foot. the shallower the water the more the weed there will be for the gills to hide kinda like a day care. this is cause they can hide from preadators like pike and bass and walleyes in the weeds.  it all has to do with what are you targeting and how to approach it. every lake is different on reding the water but it help to be there often to know what they are doing. and figureing out what works best once you figure it out . try a different lake and re-start the prosses all over learn the bototm structre like ware the drop offs are ware the weed beds start and end etc... it all helps to read the lake and learn it very well.

there is a book on ice fishing called ice fishing seceret  by infishermen you could try the public libray or the e-libray if they have that yet in canada or try www.half.com    search key words "ice fishing" and look for that book.  it tells how yout oread the water bait rigs etc for every fresh water fish.

[nute7810]

I would not use a portable shelter, it is to much of a anchor. That is why I use a flip over, fast and mobile.
Why do you use the portable shed, if not to stay warm/warm up?
We all come to ice fishing / fishing for different reasons, many like the hanging out together, to escape the house, to drink, to be in the outdoors and the fish being a nice byproduct. There is nothing wrong with any of those reasons (just don't run me over if you have been drinking). I fish to catch fish, i like fishing hard, I get itchy if I don't have my max number of lines in the water, I almost never stop to eat or drink. I don't compete against other anglers, I compete against the fish. My point is, it comes down to what is the most important thing about fishing to you? No way is wrong, it just comes down to what you want. Most serous angles agree that if you want to catch more fish, being mobile and moving as needed is the most productive way to fish... There are always exceptions, but most of the time if you are sitting there not catching fish you are wasting time.

X2

[Idahogator]

    Ice Fishing Secrets
     by Al Lindner, Duog Stange & Dave Genz
    ISBN 0 - 929384 - 19 - 9
    Published by In-Fisherman
    Printing by Bang Printing

                           

[fish-kabob]

    Ice Fishing Secrets
     by Al Lindner, Duog Stange & Dave Genz
    ISBN 0 - 929384 - 19 - 9
    Published by In-Fisherman
    Printing by Bang Printing

                           

thanks that would be it

[falconcg]

Thanks for the info.  Gives me another way to see things.  I was kinda stuck on the mentality to stay about 1h-1h30 everytime when no action but I will change my approach I think.  Shelter for relaxing (but gotta have two holes in it anyways, one for the flasher and one to jig ) and will make holes outside to find the fish.

Will also look for the book too.  I already have Ice Fishing The Ultimate Guide by Tim Allard.

[lefty2053]

I used to drill drill drill. Until I found fish. I bought my new Shalter and the wife loves it. I am thinking now I will set it up for her and then go out drilling for gold. Once I find it I will go take down the shelter and haul it and the wife to where the fish are.

[hnd]

it all depends on your goals with ice fishing.  i can't imagine sitting on top of a hole for an hour and not having any fish.  though i'm not in canada facing the possible weather conditions you may be facing. 

we have bodies of water where the fish roam around and you find a flat, drill a few holes and wait and every 5 minutes or so a school of fish come and you pick them off.  so it works there.  but otherwise we will drill until we find fish and if we find a cconsistent bite somewhere, we'll set up shop.

[Duncan77]

I drill until I find fish set up my Otter Pro Lodge Thermal fish for a bit, then I go out and drill to find more fish. I keep my house set up to help keep me warm. when I get another spot I like I will move my stuff to that spot.

[BaitBucket]

I give my tip ups 30 mins. If nothing than i I begin moving them around.
Once i locate an area that productive i move all my Tip ups to that area and jig around it.
Depending on what im after I will sometimes jig near a tip up with a loud/attractive lure.
Sometimes they come in to investigate the lure and take the bait on your tip up.

[Martian]

 i kind of agree w/ Lefty,I have been laughed at, for how fast I move. I generaly drill in a cove a large circl, and work the circle back to my sled, re-work the good holes ,and move on. After a while, I find some holes, I may only give a minute, may only check  with vexi, may just pass it up for the good hole. In doin this, I have had plenty of times where 2-3 holes are dead zones, only to go to the next to hit paydirt, most play out,  but in going in a circle, you give that spot a chance to reboot.

[falconcg]

So I guess I better get a gaz auger?  I can't image myself drill 10 holes by hand and then another 10 holes...geez, I'll look like Arnold Schwartzenegger.

[eriksat1]

Thats the reason for a flip over, as Al Linder says in his book he won't fish a hole more than 7 mins. if no fish. stay mobile. Pop up's are great for sitting watching tip ups, no good for hole hopping.

[falconcg]

Thats the reason for a flip over, as Al Linder says in his book he won't fish a hole more than 7 mins. if no fish. stay mobile. Pop up's are great for sitting watching tip ups, no good for hole hopping.

So that means that I need a gaz auger AND an ATV .  I find that the flip over are a bit too heavy to pull.

[Osage]

We only have small lakes in our area,(no room to hop around much).We know the lakes pretty well so setting up and staying is usually more succceful than chasing the school.

[Michaelo]

I get to the spot drill about 10 holes and send the humminbird down if nothing in those holes I drill another ten until I find fish.

[falconcg]

I get to the spot drill about 10 holes and send the humminbird down if nothing in those holes I drill another ten until I find fish.

So I guess you are not doing it manually  ?