Gary Engberg Outdoors

gengberg January 23rd, 2012

Local Column River Currents

New Developments in Ice Fishing 

 Finally, ice anglers can get out on a majority of local lakes, ponds, sloughs, and backwaters. Anglers have been waiting since December to go ice fishing and finally there’s enough ice to fish on most of southern Wisconsin’s waters. Some of the larger lakes like Lake Mendota and Lake Winnebago still aren’t totally safe and I wouldn’t venture out on whether walking, driving an A.T.V. , snowmobile, or truck where legal on thee larger lakes. The ice fishing report I just received from northern Wisconsin said that the northern lakes still aren’t safe for driving vehicles upon and the guides that I talked to said to stay on the traveled paths from other ice fishermen instead of “blazing” your own trail. The warm and unseasonable weather that we have had since late fall has slowed the ice season especially when compared with the frigid winter that we had last year when Lake Mendota froze solid on December 19th. After the great ice fishing season Wisconsin experienced last winter, this milder winter has ice anglers suffering from “cabin fever” and the recent cold weather has fisher’s “chomping at the bit” to get on the ice. I’ve talked to anglers that ice fished over 90 days last winter and will be lucky to fish half that total this winter fishing season.
  The ice fishing world has been growing and developing new products and gear constantly during the last decade. There has always been a group of dedicated fishermen that love to ice fish and some of these anglers don’t even fish open water! But, as the equipment, gear, and electronics developed for the better and it has helped bring many new anglers to ice fishing world. Fishing companies have developed and now manufacture equipment that has brought ice fishing and its followers into the 21st century. Electronics and video cams have helped bring anglers into ice fishing along with the many new innovations in shelters, augers, rods, reels, fishing line, clothing, and terminal tackle. Power augers from companies, like Jiffy, have made fishing easier than hand drilling holes with the trusty old Mora augers which most anglers used for decades. Now, with the emergence of power augers, an angler can drill their holes when they first get on the ice and spend most of their time fishing and not drilling holes!
 Fishing companies like St. Croix rods in Park Falls, Wisconsin are now producing high quality ice fishing rods, clothing companies are making ice fishing clothing that keeps anglers warm in the coldest weather, and electronic companies like Marcum and Vexilar now make units that can detect fish in color up and down the water column, and then there are the video cameras that show you everything that is going on under the ice. Fishing companies have suffered like most manufactures in our down economy, but numerous fishing related companies are getting into the ice fishing because they see it as an outdoor activity with room for growth and future development. I see families getting into ice fishing because it can be a family affair involving all members. The last few years the Yahara Fishing Club has had their “Kid’s Ice Fishing Day” on Monona Bay with hundreds of children and their parents or grandparents joining them in learning and teaching the basics of ice fishing. The Club gives away hundreds of rod/reel combos and assorted gear to get the kids involved in this growing sport which can get the children and the family outdoors during winter.
  I’ve talked about many of the new innovations that have brought ice fishing to a higher level and helped the growth of the activity, but to get involved in the sport and catch fish doesn’t have to cost much in comparison to open water fishing. An angler can get started for much less than open water fishing needing only a rod/reel combo spooled with 2 to 4 pound test monofilament and a spring bobber, some assorted jigs and plastics, an ice scoop for keeping your hole free, a spud for opening up holes that were drilled by other fishermen, a pair of ice picks for safety in case you should fall into the water, a five gallon pail to carry your gear in and to sit on while fishing, a lead clip-on weight to see the water’s depth, some live bait, and the warmest clothing you have to combat winter’s cold. This is the basics that you’d need to start ice fishing and catch hopefully fish. As one progresses and learns to like the sport, there are other more sophisticated pieces of equipment you may want like; a portable shelter, a power auger, electronics and video cameras, and higher quality rods and reels. But, you can get started for less than $100.00 which is cheap when compared to other sports.
  One doesn’t even have to buy live bait anymore with the development of plastics for bait which will often out-fish live bait and you’ll also keep your hands warm and not be constantly re-baiting your jig. You can catch numerous fish on a plastic tail while you’re often lucky to catch a couple of fish on live bait if using spikes or wax worms. There are many companies that make plastics like Berkley, Northland Tackle, and Bait Rigs to name a few of the better companies. The development of plastic tails, tubes, and wedgies have come a long way and I know of many great anglers on the ice or on open water that use nothing but plastics for bait. They may put a wax worm or spike on their hook with the plastics, but often they use nothing but the colored and scented plastic. I still bring some live bait or the colored eurolarvae with me out of habit, but I know that you can often catch just as many bluegills and other panfish with just plastic. Continue Reading »