I know there are a few guys here that ice fish so figured I'd start a thread for this year. Still no ice in MN and probably will be a little while yet. I know I'm getting pretty excited for this season. I know Oly got a new flasher and MNhunterr is raring to go. St Paul Ice Expo is this weekend and unfortunately won't be going for the first time in quite a few years. Good luck to everyone this year and be safe!
Hoping to get some ice by January here in Michigan, my buddy just put his boat away Anyone have suggestions for a good walleye setup? Generally just use a small tungsten jig with a fly tied 12" above for pan fish...maybe something similar?
Not even close to ice here yet. Hoping this cold stormy weather in ND will cool the lake down and start makin' ice. I had reservations and planned to take in the St. Paul ice fishing show but UND is in the football payoffs and I am going to the game Saturday. GO SIOUX!!!
Was waiting for this thread to be created! My mind has been on ice fishing for about a month now. Extended forecast looks promising. Just hoping we don't have ice before the blizzard middle of next week. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You looking for rods or just tackle? My go to has been and always will be a Northland Forage Minnow spoon with a minnow. If it is a slow bite I'll go with a smaller presentation and use just a minnow head. One surprising jig we had very, very good success on last year was the Clam Caviar Drop/Jig. Will be my go to jig on Red Lake this year.
Definitely my go to. Deep water 25'+ I like stop signs. Treble hook style in shallower i like buckshot with minnow head. Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Just tackle, I generally jig for walleye with a 1 oz jig on the river but I know I don't need anything quite as heavy for ice fishing. I used the Clam Caviar jig last year for crappie and did very well with grubs, maybe I need to upgrade to shiners and use the same jig this year or the spoon you mentioned.
I like heavy jigs for crappies and walleyes. Sooner I can get it back down the hole, the better. Perch and bluegills not so much since they seem to hang around longer. I use tungsten jigs almost exclusively now.
Up until this year I ways borrowed stuff to ice fish but this year I got all my own stuff. So I've dropped a decent amount of money. I got the helix 5, strike master lazer hand auger, and a frabil recon sled. For jigs I found a company (widow maker lures) that had a Black Friday sale on tungsten jigs so I grab a bunch of those. Can't wait to finally get out and use everything. As far as ice goes I'm too far South to see anything soon. So I'll probably head north into WI when they finally get some ice. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I use three almost exclusively. The Buckshot Rattle Spoon, the Salmo Chubby Darter, and the Rapala Jiggin Rap and usually have decent luck. I tip them with minnow heads. They seem to work better than the whole minnow here at least.
In all seriousness I am looking into getting back into it, just want a little 2 person pull over shelter. Nothing better than fish caught thru the ice. a 10" auger is great to have until you step in the hole putting the stuff back in the truck.
The bucket seats sounds good, my wife is interested so that gives me the green light. I think I can get a good deal on an auger the wife is related by marriage to the good folks at strike master. I used to have a 10" but I think I borrowed it out and never got it back. I have wanted to do a lake of the woods trip for years.
I've got a Fatfish 949i and Clam Yukon. Both are great. Auger side, I'd personally go 8". Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Yes. It helps tell you if you're on fish or if you should move. Then once you find them it will help you figure out how they want your bait/lure presented to them. This would go for jig fishing. I use one for tip up fishing to help find weed lines and pockets. It will help you figure out the places you want to place your tipups. It will also help you place your bait just above the weeds instead of in them. Once you learn how to read them you can tell if the bottom is hard or soft. So these are a few reasons they are a great tool. They help you solve the puzzle. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Already 12" of ice up around Fairbanks when I went up two weeks ago. Mainly a roadtrip for caribou hunting and lynx calling but squeezed in a day of ice fishing and I caught my first pike. I know nothing about ice fishing but I had a blast drinking beer next to a heater lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Back in the day I didn't think I needed it but they are absolutely worth it. Especially for crappies that are hanging up high. Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
