Glacial lakes tips

[bmaher287]

Hey guys, between Dec 26-Jan my dad and I are planning on taking a trip from Omaha up to the glacial lakes, near Webster. We are looking to get into some good perch action. I have never fished perch through the ice, nor have I ever fished the glacial lakes. Can you guys offer any tips, suggestions, or just information you know about the lakes in general? For example, just from what I have seen it seems like there are a ton of lakes in a fairly small radius around Webster. Are they all fish able? Thank you for any help. We are excited to make the trip and I really hope we can get into some good fish.

[moab]

Alot of water in this area.  To the well known and large lakes like Bitter and Waubay to the unnamed sloughs that seem to be everywhere, they all seem to have perch of various size.  Your best bet is to stick to the well known larger lakes if unfamilar with the area for safety reasons because they most likely will have guys on them.   Access to some of these waters can be questionable because of the public right of way on flooded private land is another reason you may not want to venture just anywhere.   Its a little earlier to tell where the 'hot' bite will be but I am sure it will show up on this site before you leave on the trip.  Staying in Webster is ground zero for this area so you can adjust to where the the bite is.  Give Sportsmans Cove in Webster a call and listen to the fishing report or speak with Doug.  He can point you in the right direction.  Beyond having a few different spoons and jigs with minnows/heads and/or spikes not sure you need much else.  If you locate a school of aggresive perch its probably not going to matter how precise your presentation is, you should have a good day.    My usual approach is to move until I locate them and try to pick off as many as I can before they move on.  I jig aggresively a rattle spoon to draw them in and then slow down presentation to seal the deal.  Good Luck!

[jumbo chaser]

excellent advice moab

[BojiHawk]

What Moab said.  I like to stay at the Galley in Webster and see whats up with other guests and people at the cleaning house.  Drilling a lot of holes is key.  Plopping down in a flip over for hours at a time in spots that aren't giving up fish is the biggest mistake people make.  I'll drill 50-70 holes per day unless I get really lucky on my first guesses.  It's also common to have a hot bite end abruptly.  Making adjustments to shallower water near trees on breaklines for walleyes at sundown, changing up baits, etc. are important. Most important things to change up are minnows, minnow heads, spikes, rattling spoons (dropper, no dropper).  I have found fish there (in high pressure) to get really finicky.  But when it's on...they hit anything from a plain hook to a chubby darter.

[lastapproach]

A vexialr is a must for the big lakes like bitter and waubay if you plan on hole hopping the swiss cheesed ice.

[bmaher287]

Thanks for all the help guys. Do you think there will be good safe ice that early? In Nebraska sometimes we don't get safe ice until mid January.

[bmaher287]

Also, what do you think is more of a necessity, a flasher or a gas powered auger? I can't afford both. so unfortunately I have to choose one. Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the help.

[ULking]

Also, what do you think is more of a necessity, a flasher or a gas powered auger? I can't afford both. so unfortunately I have to choose one. Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the help.

flasher!

[alekhunts]

I would say gas powered auger when u start drilling 20 inches of ice u will agree

[moab]

Id choose a flasher if given the choice everyday and twice on Sunday.  I would take my chances with finding left over holes and have a cheap spud bar handy.    Seriously though,  maybe if can only get one tool, try to borrow the other for your weekend from a buddy, invite him along, or do some CL searching maybe able to get both used for the price of new.  You dont want to put the time and money into a trip like that and not have both.

[BojiHawk]

$25 rentals from Sportsman's Cove.  FL-12 (or 20 maybe)...per day.  You cannot expect to catch many perch there without a vex. or sonar unit.  If you sidle up in shanty town you could catch a few but do yourself a favor...def. get a sonar unit.  GPS (even the phone app ones) helps a lot as well.

[icefishingluva]

What areas do you guys target for early, middle, and late ice? (ex: mud flats, structure, etc.)