Click here to order with free shipping.Team Iceshanty Patches! Most iceshanty boards are represented
Does anyone know any places to park on the east side of the lake. Any of the marinas allow parking (Harris )? I called pilot knob and they said no because of problems in the past. Thanks for any info.
Pilot knob has a lot of parking on the ice now. Looked pretty easy getting on and off.
6 lb test for lakers is plenty, the important thing is a reel with a good drag; the undersize reels that come with most ice combos don't cut it. I like the Maxima Ultragreen line and use it with customers that have never fished before (summer and winter).I fished lakers with 4 lb for several years and had no problems other than the occasional bite-off, or fish gator rolling around the line. Here's a 32" trout caught on 4 lb:(Image removed from quote.)
You can catch bass on 6 lb test, too. (Image removed from quote.)
All alone today on Blairs Bay. Finally, the bigger fish started to hit. Kept a 23" and 24" for dinner. Marked plenty of fish, and were a bit aggressive coming off bottom. All hook ups were 10-15' off the bottom. Wind was wicked but walking conditions were great.
Finally dedicated a whole day to jiggimng Lakers, I had a buddy that went with me and wanted to set up tipups. Spent the whole day in same whole and landed 17 lost a couple, lots of shorts 4 were over 23" biggest 25" so no slobs but plenty of action, he only caught one on his tipups I think he is ordering flasher tonight.
All depends where you're fishing. I personally prefer flats that consist of 45-55'. At this depth, there is often optimal forage in the area (perch,smelt). If you use electronics, you will notice smelt suspend anywhere from 10-45' off the bottom. The actively feeding lakers won't be too far behind these smelt balls. If the smelt are 25' off bottom, I start jigging there. Look for active fish! Lakers are everywhere in that lake, actively feeding pods of lakers are not. Keep seeing them down there and no bite, just keep moving until you find active fish (obviously keep changing lures until you find one they seem to be coming up at more aggressively). For tip ups hang suckers from 5 to 0' off bottom. Personally I find jigging to be the best method and don't bother with traps most days. If you have a Marcum or Vex it helps, of not take any old fish finder and rig it to a lawn mower battery with alligator clips, it does the trick just the same. For jigging, use anything that imitates a smelt. Swedish pimples, tubes, kodiaks, big silver jigging raps… You'll find that once you can see how the fish react to your bait you can usually eventually figure them out in a day. If they zoom up to your jig at mock 10 and don't bite, try ripping it away from them as they come up. If they won't follow you up, usually a new lure does the trick. Don't be afraid to really rip your jig when they come up to it. The less of a good look they get at it the better. Concentrated smelt oil on a lure does't do anything to hurt. Keep moving your lure up and down the water column. Sometimes they won't come up to a lure if it isn't at the same level as where the smelt are at. Don't be afraid to rip a jig in the upper third of the water column. Good luck!
I just had a question about lakers. I know that they feed on smelt and have had good luck in the past locating lakers within the schools of smet but do they feed on perch as well?