Learn To Ice Fish This Winter
When the temperatures plummet and the snow begins to fly, most of us head indoors and seek shelter from the harsh Ontario winter. There are days when I would love nothing more than to stay in my PJs, sit in front of the fire, and pass the time by reading until the snow disappears. But winter keeps an icy grip for several months and if you enjoy the outdoors, that’s far too long to spend inside. Instead, I encourage you to embrace the season and the unique opportunities it presents. When ice covers the lakes, don’t sit inside waiting for open water, get out there and try your hand at ice fishing.
Ice fishing is a great way to get outside and enjoy the winter.
Many people shiver and shake their heads at the idea of spending a day on the ice – I used to be one of them. Yet I have learned that a day on the ice can be quite enjoyable, and can lead to some of the best fishing of the year. The key is to be prepared and ease yourself into it.
The two biggest reasons people are fearful of the sport is that they don’t want to to get cold, and they don’t want to go through the ice.
Good clothing, proper layering techniques, and the use of an ice hut (which can be bought for a relatively inexpensive price at stores such as Canadian Tire or your local tackle shop) will help to keep you warm. For a great discussion on dressing for ice fishing, check out Ice Fishing: The Ultimate Guide by Tim Allard. After reading this book and doing some experimenting of my own, I’ve found a clothing system that keeps me warm on the ice all day long. Footwear really is the most important item and you cannot go wrong with the Baffin Titans. I’ve had these for a few years and they alone have increased my ability to stay out on a cold day. Also, many popular lakes have hut operators who will provide you with a heated hut to spend the day in.
Being afraid of the ice is actually a very smart thing. It will keep you alert and ensure that you practice good ice safety. The absolute best way to feel safe on the ice is to go with a reputable hut operator. Hut operators check the ice constantly, have lots of experience, and want you to have a safe trip so they get repeat business. Another option is to visit lakes run by conservation authorities that monitor the ice conditions. If they leave a park open for ice fishing, you know they consider the ice to be safe.
Of course, no ice can ever be considered truly safe. The best thing you can do is educate yourself about ice safety and monitor ice conditions on your own throughout the day. There are many great resources just a Google search away. Understanding ice thickness and quality improved my ease on the ice, and having safety gear such as a floater suit, ice picks, and throw rope makes me feel more comfortable on each outing.
After reading through this, you may wonder, “Why should I even bother?”
I used to ask myself the same question, but I began to realize that going the entire winter without fishing was going to be worse. And then once I started going out there, I had so much fun. Even before Darrell and I started buying electronics to use on the ice, we could venture out onto lakes, drill a few holes, and start pulling up perch on every drop of the line. We had days where 100 fish or more came through the hole. I had rarely experienced such a hot bite.
With the ice separating you from the fish, there’s even more of a surprise factor when you get a bite. It could be what you were targeting, it could be something else. Even if you use an underwater camera, you never know what may be lurking just off the screen. A few years ago I was having a slow day on the ice and saw nothing but the odd perch come through Then all of a sudden there was a pike on my line, giving me a good fight until its teeth severed the line and it swam away with my spoon. I have always remembered that fish.
If you have the benefit of some electronics, a day on the ice can be entertainment in more ways than one. The advantage of ice is that you can stay in one place, allowing you to easily watch fish on your finder or underwater camera. Some days my greatest joy comes from watching fish on the camera. You get to learn a lot about their behaviour and it’s by far the best TV program I’ve ever seen.
Then there are crappie. It’s no secret that I love fishing for crappie year round, but in the winter is my favourite time to target them. While finding a school of crappie and enticing them to bite can be extremely frustrating, if you get them figured out it will be the most fun you’ve ever had. We had just such a day last winter while fishing for white crappie with a friend. It took some time to dial them in, but eventually we all started pulling fish through the ice, including some real monsters. It was a fantastic day.
Shake off the winter blues and get out of the house this season. Go ice fishing!
For female anglers looking to get into the sport, Ontario Women Anglers is running an Ice Fishing 101 for Women seminar on January 24, 2015 on Lake Simcoe. See the picture below for details or visit their website.
Lake Simcoe is a popular ice fishing destination and the Lake Simcoe Message Board is a great place to find out more information.
argosgirl
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