Trying to Fish Birch

[akcarpenter]

HI all,

New to the Fairbanks Ice Fishing and trying to get some help on locating fish on Birch lake.  I've been three times and caught three fish.  Spending about 5 hours at a time on the Ice and though it's relaxing and definitely better than sitting in the house, would be nice to get a few fish.  Heres what I've been doing:

1. Using shrimp and a small Jig Head (though i tend to be lazy and not jig it)

2. Use the boat launch take a right and set up the ice house where all the state ones are set up fishing about 15-20 foot of water.  I start off with the bait about a foot off bottom, wait 30 minutes or so than move bait up a foot, and repeat.  Sometimes I'll just drop down and do a very very slow retrieve (caught two of the fish that way).

3. Will sometimes drop a Swedish pimple down and jig with it, but though I've tried that many times have yet to ever catch a fish on it.

So any advice for a rookie?  Have never caught a laker but after seeing some of the pic's posted am dying to hook into one.  Though I'm sure it a well kept secret anyone ever GPS hot spots?

Thanks in advance,

Paul

[akjw7]

I don't think there are lakers in Birch - are there?

I have had pretty slow luck at Birch as well, unless you get into a school of the stocked tiny kings it seems to be slow fishing. I've seen some nice char and rainbows come out, but none were mine!

Usually fish close to shore in 5-10 feet - shrimp on a bobber or a lead head jig - the kids seem to catch more on the bobbers than I do jigging!

Not much help, but hopefully some experts will reveal some tips!

[KP_Alaska]

Seems like this year the state put out their icehouses first and everyone followed, problem is they are sitting farther out than usual. I've always done better in that area closer to the bank in about 8 to 10 feet of water. Try setting up out from  where the hill just starts to rise towards the large cabin with the stairs to the lake. I mostly fish over off the other point and off of the highway pullout. Cooked shrimp, raw shrimp, worms and salmon roe on plain hooks, jig heads and tear drop jigs works well. Hope it helps, good luck.

[travisj88]

After you get a few more posts you can go to the fishing reports and conditions page.  There have been several posts on Birch lake there.  I mainly use the mini airplane jigs and swedish pimples tipped with shrimp.  I have also had luck using little ice jigs tipped with either shrimp, salmon eggs, cheese or corn flavored eggs.  I usually start on the boat launch side.  I will try several holes that work up the line of ice houses.  If I don't get any bites within 20 to 30 min.  I move further up until I hit the end of the ice shacks.  If I hit the end of the shacks and still have not found them I move over to the other side where the pulloff is.  If you see where people have had luck before I start with those holes.  If you try enough spots you will eventually find them.  Hopefully you have a power auger because if you have a manual one you end up dead tired at the end of the day.  Pretty soon it should be warming up then all you have to do is knock open the holes.
Good luck,
Travis

[akcarpenter]

All,

Thanks for the inputs, and yes have a new power Auger this year, after talking to the folks at SW, i decided on the 9 inch Eskimo mako.  SO far have been very happy with it, drilled about 12 holes with it flawless everytime.

Again thank you for the inputs,

Paul

[fishermanjake]

careful with the eskimo recoils, they are plastic so don't take that for granted when its -20

[akcarpenter]

Will try to keep that in mind, though being a mechanical idiot i have no idea what you are talking about 
Guessing that would be how the pull cord retracts back into the unit?

Paul

[fishermanjake]

yeah, just be sure you pull the slack out if there is any...my dad has an eskimo shark and he said that eskimo was going to change that part out soon, but who knows