Iowa Great Lakes Ice fishing questions?

[Agronomist_at_IA]

I started Ice fishing about 3 years ago. Mostly kept to local lakes. Last year I went over to Spirit a couple of times and had terrible luck. Out of three trips I caught one 8 inch perch.

Now, I bought all of the laminated  maps of Spirit Lake, West Okoboji, and East Okoboji. After looking over all of the maps I have a couple of questions.

1. Which lake is the best for panfishing & waldos?

I'm thinking that West Okoboji should be the lake to target since it has the depth and structure that should make finding fish easier then in Spirit Lake where structure is very minimal.

2. What depths should one hit for
    1.Perch
    2.Crappie
    3.Bluegill
    4.Walleyes
3. Which bays are the most productive/accessible in the winter.

4.What's the best/your favorite bait shop in town?

[BojiHawk]

Here what I can tell you after fishing there for 20 years:

1.) panfish and "waldos"(?)  walleyes? - Pannies gotta go to minnewashta or west lake.  YOU MUST STAY MOBILE AND HAVE ELECTRONICS.  Smiths is a good bet if you like easy and convenient, but there are all sorts of places.  Little Emerson for example. As for your analysis of west vs. Spirit....gonna beg to differ.  I like both lakes, but I think the subtle structure changes of Spirit can work to your advantage.   Lakes with fwe structure features such as Spirit tend to have "depth bites" ...as in "find 12' of water and move along the shore til you find them".  West lake can be very ruthless...you can be 20 yards from the fish and not know it.  There are rock piles, drop offs, fallen vegetation, towers, humps, etc.  Which are all great...as long as you have a GPS or tremendous time spent on that lake. 

(for the record, Spirit has good structure.  You just need to know what you're looking for)

2.) depths:  depends on which way the wind is blowing :-)  I have caught perch on secondary drops into the main basin of West in as much as 30 feet of water.  Also, caught them in 10' and a little less.  Some of the canals offer early season action on crappies...but I find that fishing a bit...boring.  I like big open water and drill like Exon - off shore.  I'd rather invest my time into a good walleye effort on the breaklines...but to each his own.  Easy to say when I don't have kids to take or a whiny buddy.  I'm not going to get into depths since they are crazy to try and explain.  It could take pages my man.

3.) Bays - Millers, emerson, little emerson, smiths,  Anglers bay up on Big Spirit, the Templar Lagoon, the slough on the north end.  I normally don't hit "bays" but concentrate on points that create bays.

4.) Bait - I like Shucks since I know the owner.  I like Stans also..close to my place there.  He seems to be very good priced.  For a bait shop, it's a great place to buy tackle and combos and stuff.  If you are with a group of guys...there is Zippers...a "gentlemens" place...about 50 yards from it.


The Lakes up there are challenging.  But the fish populations are strong.  You need to get away from shanty town fishing, dial in some electronics and move move move.  Sitting in Smiths bay (there are usually 50 or so huts there) is convenient and fun (next to bars and food) but not exactly the end all to end all fish bites.  PM me if you plan on going...I can tell you what I know.

[CrappieBuster]

Yeh I wanna hit up spirit and west boji a few weekends this year. Got everything all lined up for being super mobile this year.  Clear lake which I always fish doesnt have much structure.  Wouldnt mind goin perchin and fillin up my freezer.  Them little guys are scrumptious.

[KOELE]

one thing that i have heard some people say is that when fishing on west and spirit where there are large groups of huts like in the bays is to never fish in the middle of them. If you are in the middle of the group any fish moving into the area will have to go though a lot of different people to get to you.   stay on the outsides of the group and stay super mobile. 

[CrappieBuster]

One way to catch more fish is always avoid the shantytowns.  If you search out your own fish most the time you are rewarded.  If im not fully fully satisfied with a bite I move and most the time its not within 1000ft of another fisherman.  With modern technology you can make huge moves quickly and to the right spot.  Gps with a good chip,quad/snowmobile,sonar,power auger,flipover shack and all those other goodies make getting on em quick and painless.

Looking on my lakechip spirit and west have some beautiful looking transitions and points I wanna hit.  Even has the submergent weed beds marked.

[KOELE]

what do you have for a gps unit and lake chip?  just curios because i dont know a lot about them and am interested in getting a good gps unit

[CrappieBuster]

Lowrance Xog touch screen.  With the navionics hotmaps premium north 08 map chip. 

[Agronomist_at_IA]

what do you have for a gps unit and lake chip?  just curios because i dont know a lot about them and am interested in getting a good gps unit

I've got a garmin & wish I had the Lowrance since their are more maps to lakes avalible on the lowrance vs the garmin.

[SkeeterJeff]

iFinder H2Oc and Navionics Hotmaps Premium.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Here what I can tell you after fishing there for 20 years:

1.) panfish and "waldos"(?)  walleyes? - Pannies gotta go to minnewashta or west lake.  YOU MUST STAY MOBILE AND HAVE ELECTRONICS.  Smiths is a good bet if you like easy and convenient, but there are all sorts of places.  Little Emerson for example. As for your analysis of west vs. Spirit....gonna beg to differ.  I like both lakes, but I think the subtle structure changes of Spirit can work to your advantage.   Lakes with fwe structure features such as Spirit tend to have "depth bites" ...as in "find 12' of water and move along the shore til you find them".  West lake can be very ruthless...you can be 20 yards from the fish and not know it.  There are rock piles, drop offs, fallen vegetation, towers, humps, etc.  Which are all great...as long as you have a GPS or tremendous time spent on that lake. 

(for the record, Spirit has good structure.  You just need to know what you're looking for)

2.) depths:  depends on which way the wind is blowing :-)  I have caught perch on secondary drops into the main basin of West in as much as 30 feet of water.  Also, caught them in 10' and a little less.  Some of the canals offer early season action on crappies...but I find that fishing a bit...boring.  I like big open water and drill like Exon - off shore.  I'd rather invest my time into a good walleye effort on the breaklines...but to each his own.  Easy to say when I don't have kids to take or a whiny buddy.  I'm not going to get into depths since they are crazy to try and explain.  It could take pages my man.

3.) Bays - Millers, emerson, little emerson, smiths,  Anglers bay up on Big Spirit, the Templar Lagoon, the slough on the north end.  I normally don't hit "bays" but concentrate on points that create bays.

4.) Bait - I like Shucks since I know the owner.  I like Stans also..close to my place there.  He seems to be very good priced.  For a bait shop, it's a great place to buy tackle and combos and stuff.  If you are with a group of guys...there is Zippers...a "gentlemens" place...about 50 yards from it.


The Lakes up there are challenging.  But the fish populations are strong.  You need to get away from shanty town fishing, dial in some electronics and move move move.  Sitting in Smiths bay (there are usually 50 or so huts there) is convenient and fun (next to bars and food) but not exactly the end all to end all fish bites.  PM me if you plan on going...I can tell you what I know.

Well, When I'm going to the IGL what I am mainly looking to catch is Crappie or Perch.

I've got a lake just into MN that produces walleye's like they are a dime a dozen. A pond that always produces Gills & some Perch, and a lake that is 4 maybe 5 foot max and about 1,200 acres that puts out Pike like a farm pond does with Gills. So, I'm mainly trying to find the Crappie and Perch when I hit the IGL chain.

Hey BojiHawk if you want to catch up sometime and ice fish let me know.

[esox_magnum]

Boji Hawk pretty much summed it up. Spirit can be fantastic fishing IF your in the right place. West is my favorite for eyes and crappies in the winter. I do like early season in the cannals or on Anglers Bay. Most of my walleye fishing I do in the evenings and at night, while I don't do the run and gun alot I keep myself well fed. I do agree though to fish away from the crowds, alot of days you might find me on  the poular bay of the day so to speak but I'm not in the group, I'm off doing my own thing. Some days it works some days it don't. I enjoy the serenity of being on the ice. After a long open water season casting baits that weigh as much as a purse dog I like the slow down in the winter.

[BojiHawk]

LOL - bought this year:

-Lowrance H20 with Navionics 08 North
-Polaris 800 2x Touring ATV (+ All sorts of racks and mounts for my gear)
-Scout 2 cam
-Strikelite 4-stroke auger
-Otter sled and Cabelas kit-hut (I love the kit hut - $69+ materials)

DIALED IN!!!!!!

I am going to hit it this winter!!!!!  Big time.  I have a lot of vacation built up and I am going to do more drilling than a dentist in the deep south.  I'm going to be up there basically every Thurs through Sunday throughout dec and part of January with a couple trips to SD,ND, and MN thrown in.  If anyone from IS wants to join me or show me their secret perch bars, walleye flats or northern bays...I am down with it.

[CrappieBuster]

Wow sounds like my purchase list also.  Started buying my ice toys in the summer

I picked up an 08 honda Rubicon...

Lowrance Xog with 08 chip also.

Getting a cabelas advanced angler underwater camera.

And thinking about a new auger beings mine is almost 10 seasons old.  She still starts and cuts perfect though.  Thinking about a stealth stx pro.


Before the economy went to pot a wheelhouse "was" on the list.  Maybe next year!
BRING ON THE ICE ALREADY!!!

[BojiHawk]

Ah..my eternal search for a wheelhouse.  Well, I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger on it. Now, I'm going to get a toy hauler wheelhouse for my 4-wheeler....hopefully next year. 

Any word on any of the smaller lakes around that area?  Ingham, High, Rush, etc.??  I know from time to time they can have hot perch bites but they are also susceptible to freeze and winter kill. I'm from Pocahontas and in the late 80's I used to kill perch up on some of those lakes.  Good times...hand augers, stick poles, clip on depth weights, kerosene heaters...$15 each would fill up our gas tank, buy a case of Mil's Best Light, bacon and eggs and bait.

Where have the good times gone?!  :-)

[esox_magnum]

Water temps 37 and falling on Spirit, west went under 50 today. won;t be long,

 Boji, I got a spot I want to try but way to far from anything to drag my shack to, Might be a long shot but maybe we could pool resourses and try it out some weekend? Nice little rock pile I pull alot of eyes and perch off of in the fall.

[BojiHawk]

Water temps 37 and falling on Spirit, west went under 50 today. won;t be long,

 Boji, I got a spot I want to try but way to far from anything to drag my shack to, Might be a long shot but maybe we could pool resourses and try it out some weekend? Nice little rock pile I pull alot of eyes and perch off of in the fall.

LOL..shot in the dark here...I could be a LOT more specific...but, Marble Beach??

To answer you're question...absolutely.  I know a lot of Sprit and that area.  Not that it means I catch a bucket of fish every time, but I hold my own.  I would be more than happy to offer transportation to some tried and true spots.  Most the places I fish on Big S are not in walking distance for a reason.  I don't know how many times I have posted this and I'm with Brosdahl...most people fish a spot for convenience or shack population.  It is daunting looking out 1-2 miles for a walk or if you like tension, driving a full size rig.  I have drilled into 12" of ice on Big Spirit in the NW corner and been less than 100 yards from open water filled with geese.  I can never get that out of my head.

Esox...I have had a tougher time pulling slough sharks out of any of those lakes.  Only 2 lines...I hate to burn a line on a tip up...we get 5 in Nebraska!   If you have any insight on toothy critters...I would love to hear em.  Give us something to talk about on the way to the fish pile...

[esox_magnum]

Nope not Marble or even on that part of the lake, More NE of there.  But it's between there and Cottonwood  LOL.

 Pike I never seem to see or catch much over 24" on Spirit, West though we have gotten them up to 39". Millers and the North Bay is where I see the most. Oddly though they must have taken the pike out this year we have cought very few this year casting for muskies. I spend alot of time in Millers and the North  Bay. I'm also not a tip up guy I have 1 but think its only been set a hand full of times since I got it when I was 18 ( now 41) I have a thing about always having meat down, I'm a firm beliver that it helps attract fish even if it don't get bit.

[J_Jaacks]

Nope not Marble or even on that part of the lake, More NE of there.  But it's between there and Cottonwood  LOL.

 Pike I never seem to see or catch much over 24" on Spirit, West though we have gotten them up to 39". Millers and the North Bay is where I see the most. Oddly though they must have taken the pike out this year we have cought very few this year casting for muskies. I spend alot of time in Millers and the North  Bay. I'm also not a tip up guy I have 1 but think its only been set a hand full of times since I got it when I was 18 ( now 41) I have a thing about always having meat down, I'm a firm beliver that it helps attract fish even if it don't get bit.

Boy I was hoping to get some ideas from you on the tip up fishing. I have not done any successful tip up fishing. I know that you are big into muskies and hoped that you had some insight to using tip ups in the winter for those critters.

I try to make it up there a couple of times each year. And at least one overnighter at Ryan's place. Maybe we can meet sometime and try going after those monsters.

[walleyekelly]

HEY FELLAS!!!!!

Agronomist_at_IA
Just thought you might also might want to keep in mind for the crappies- the north grade on Spirit, Templer boat ramp on the west side of spirit, and don't forget about Center Lake. Course you might already know about those areas since they do see alot of traffic, not so much center lake though. Those are some areas that don't require much walkin and are more fishable on those real windy days.

I can't wait to get back out, I've been biting at the bullet since august to get back out on the ice. I have been Ice Fishing the IGL for abou 25yrs. I myself am more of a walleye and perch fisherman but I might do a little more crappie fishin this year if time will allow it. Last year I did more walleye fishing than any and I did awsome on Spirit.

I was out doin some fall walleye fishing in the IGLs last week and landed myself a 7lb 28inch (released later) and a 9lb 28.5inch eye the same night and a 6lb eye the next night. Just Grad. from Chiropractic school and took a few days to relax at my dads up there. 

9 POUNDER


7 POUNDER

[BojiHawk]

Nope not Marble or even on that part of the lake, More NE of there.  But it's between there and Cottonwood  LOL.

 Pike I never seem to see or catch much over 24" on Spirit, West though we have gotten them up to 39". Millers and the North Bay is where I see the most. Oddly though they must have taken the pike out this year we have cought very few this year casting for muskies. I spend alot of time in Millers and the North  Bay. I'm also not a tip up guy I have 1 but think its only been set a hand full of times since I got it when I was 18 ( now 41) I have a thing about always having meat down, I'm a firm beliver that it helps attract fish even if it don't get bit.

Sweet!!  Between there and Cottonwood!  Practically GPS coords!!  LOL!!

Sounds like I'm going to have to set up a designated driver service. HAHA...I know of lots of rock piles in that area but lost my waypoints when my GPS crashed.  I will have to get with you sometime and hit those areas.  I do have a couple killer perch and walleye piles on the west side...

[esox_magnum]

Jacks, I don't target pike or muskies in the winter since muskie season closes Dec 1. Most my pike I pick up on the deadstick. Let me know when you up we'll try and get together.

 Hawk, we'll have to hook up and put the hurt on some perch. Sad to say those are the tougest for me to get on with consistency. I have yet to ever come close to catching a limit of them.  I have never fished East yet either  through the ice and don't see many if any out there but picked up a few slab crappies trolling last month off a point.

[J_Jaacks]

Essox I should be up there for the FM Boji Bonanza. I will let you know more when it gets closer.