NEW
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Hats & T-Shirts
They are available for $15.00 each or as a set
(T-Shirt & Hat) for $25.00 (all taxes and shipping included).
Give us a call to order, we can ship anywhere in Canada & the U.S. Visa
or Mastercard accepted.
Call us at
(877) 258-4180
to order. |
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Ice Fishing Con't
SIMPLICITY IS THE KEY - Keep it simple and you'll catch fish
through the ice. This is one of the beauties of winter fishing. All you need are some
basic gear including an auger or chisel to make a hole through the ice, an ice skimmer,
and a sounding sinker to check the depth and place your bait or lure in the strike zone.
For panfish, you'll need a few jigging lures, some bait, and a minimum of fishing gear.
For northerns and walleyes tipups are also effective.
To catch panfish like yellow perch, crappies, and bluegills, most ice anglers today use an
ultra light two to three foot fiberglass or graphite ice fishing rod with a sensitive,
light wire tip to detect delicate winter strikes. An ultra light spinning reel with
two-pound test line completes the jigging rig. The preferred panfish bait is a variety of
grubs like mousies and spikes available at most local sport shops. Generally speaking,
fish for panfish with a tiny tear drop jig baited with a single, live grub. Small minnows,
often called "icicles" can also be effective for yellow perch and crappies.
You'll generally find yellow perch near bottom in deeper water, crappies suspended near
brush or weed cover, and bluegills in shallower weedy bays. Walleyes are a prime winter
ice fishing target of Ontario anglers. Walleyes can be tough to catch, however, and
require specialized techniques. Adapted for feeding in low light conditions, walleyes
often bite best at dawn and dusk. Location is generally the key to success for this
delicious tasting sport fish, especially in a large lake. Popular techniques include
jigging near bottom with larger jigs like the Rapala and Swedish Pimple, or tip ups fished
with a light leader, small hook, and a live minnow.
If you're interested in tangling with one of Ontario's lunker northern pike through the
ice, you can't beat tip ups baited with live or dead shiners, suckers, or smelt. A rule of
thumb is, "The bigger the bait, the bigger the pike." Although most anglers use
live bait for tip up fishing, many veterans prefer large dead bait, especially smelt. Big,
predacious northerns are winter wanderers, so scatter tipups over a wide area. Fish weedy
bays and weed edges, placing your bait one to two feet from bottom where it isn't hidden
by weeds. Use a quality tip up spooled with plenty of 20 to 30 pound test braided line.
Avoid heavy wire leaders in favor of abrasion resistant 15 to 20-pound test monofilament
leaders. Small, double hooks properly threaded through a bait will outfish large, heavy
hooks. One last word of advice, chop or bore a good sized hole through the ice if you're
fishing for big northerns, and don't forget your gaff. You'll need it!
For beginners who are new at ice fishing, the best place to start is at a local fishing
tackle shop which specializes in ice fishing and handles the bait required to catch
panfish, walleyes, and northern pike. They will have all the equipment you'll need, plus
good information on tackle and techniques, hot spots, access, and safe ice conditions. |
