GET
READY FOR ICE-FISHING
By Bob Jensen
The
outside air temperatures are in the 50’s and 60’s, the trees
are in the middle of their autumn colors, goose and pheasant hunting is
here or near, and some folks are already thinking about ice-fishing. It
might sound odd to be preparing for ice-fishing now, but those folks that
are getting ready now will probably be the most successful anglers when
first ice covers the ponds and lakes of the Midwest. The first few weeks
of ice-fishing are often the best, and if you’re ready, you can take
full advantage of that action. Here are some things you can do to get ready
for ice-fishing.
The first thing you should do is check the blades on your ice auger. Some early season anglers prefer a people-powered auger as they are quieter; others go with a power auger. It doesn’t matter which you use, either one will cut better with sharp blades. Jiffy produces both styles of augers, and the Jiffy blades hold an edge much better than any other auger. Nonetheless, check the blades now to determine if they need to be sharpened. Also make sure your power auger starts.
If you didn’t take the line off your ice-fishing reels at the end of the last ice season, be sure to do it now. You don’t want to go into a new season with old line. Take the old line off now and get some new stuff. For most panfish, three or four pound test Trilene Micro Ice is just right. Three pound test for bluegills and sunfish, four pound for perch and crappies will usually be good. Go with 8/3 or 10/4 FireLine Micro Ice for walleyes. These lines are specially formulated for cold weather fishing.
Check
the hooks on your baits. Make sure they’re not rusted: If they are
change them. Rusty hooks aren’t sharp and can break while battling
a fish.
Now is a good time to check your sonar unit to insure that it is charged
and ready to go when the ice comes. If the old unit isn’t performing
like you think it should, check out the new MarCum depth finders. They have
a couple of new units this year that display more vivid colors and are even
easier to read.
Check to make sure your ice shelter is in good shape. Put it up and see if there are any areas of the shelter that need to be cleaned or require attention. You should have cleaned it out early last spring, but if you didn’t it is possible that mice may have found some of the candy bars you left in it after the last ice-fishing trip.
If you don’t have, or would like a new shelter, investigate the new Arctic Caboose that Frabill has created. This shelter attaches to the trailer receiver on your truck and folds up and out of the way when traveling, but unfolds quickly when you arrive at the hotspot. Really a unique idea!
There is a lot to do this time of year, but make the time between hunts and fall fishing trips and football games to get your ice-fishing gear into shape. Ice season will be here sooner than you think.
For more
fish-catching information, visit fishingthemidwest.com
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