|
Find Your Own Ice Fishing Success During Those Tough Mid-Winter Months
As the New Year pushes into those cold and familiar Minnesota winter months, a little part of every ice angler’s drive and determination is slowly covered up by piles of white stuff and thick grumbling ice. Large amounts of snow, slush, cold weather, limited lake accessibility, and challenging fishing soon take their toll on each ice angler little by little. The tough conditions find a high percentage of anglers chasing the latest fishing reports or dumping their wheel houses off the nearest plowed roads.
Fish houses start to congregate on the common fishing areas on most known lakes. These areas typically attract attention as they stay plowed and are easily accessible. Some anglers looking for the best action view these gathering of houses to be where the fish might be biting. A lakes’ peak fishing success is almost always found away from the congregation of houses especially when lake travel is limited. This could be located down the shoreline a couple hundred yards or on another part of the lake.
This time of year, one has to ask himself/herself a simple question: What is successful fishing for this area during the mid-winter? Believe it or not, fishing can be tough during these next couple months, and the conditions will make it even more challenging, but steady fishing success is still very much achievable.
If one is looking for consistent mid-winter fishing then one has to be willing to work for it. Mobility is certainly the key ingredient to this success. This means exploring multiple lakes, drilling numerous holes, and jumping spot to spot, until active fish are located. With most areas’ walleye bite hit or miss from night to night, usually the best area action and consistency is found chasing perch, panfish, or pike. Sitting in a spear house watching nature’s flat screen provides great action too. Being mobile while targeting the fish species that are active this time of year is essential.
Mobility eventually yields to catching fish as opposed to joining the crowds of other anglers on a hit or miss bite. Mobility also leads to one finding his/her own spots. Fish do not feed on a single lake structure (point, underwater bar, weed bed, island, or deep hole). Pull out that GPS/lake contour chip or topographic map and examine potential fishing spots that are not occupied. Hook up that sled fish house to your snowmobile and break your own trail. Acquire that early season motivation once again.
If one really wants to get adventurous, find solid mid-winter fishing action, and possibly uncover a secret honey hole; do a little homework on a cold and nasty day. The instructions that follow are what my group and I have used for many years to locate consistent day-long ice fishing success all throughout Minnesota during those tough mid-winter months:
- Find topographic maps of the interested fishing area, or go onto the internet and search Google Maps or other available maps and aerial photos.
- Make a list of those smaller desolate lakes that you have never previously fished or may not have known existed. Make a note of those that are only accessible by 4-wheeler or snowmobile. (Many small Minnesota lakes are simply more accessible during the winter months when the landscape is frozen.)
- Search for those lakes on the MN DNR Lake Finder website (http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html). The MN DNR Lake Finder provides valuable lake information including: lake surveys, lake depth maps, lake water clarity levels, stocking reports, management plans, public access information, etc. Lake Finder also includes a useful interactive map called ‘Recreation Compass’ to search for lakes.
- Print off lake depth maps and take notes of present fish species and survey results. Make sure to look at the survey dates if they are available for the lakes you are researching.
- Don’t dismiss those small lakes which contain no information on the Lake Finder.
- Once you have a few potential lakes you’re interested in; pull up those Google Maps, aerial photos, or topographic maps once again. Plan out the easiest route into these lakes by snowmobile or 4-wheeler. Use an ownership plat book to assist your travel as well.
With a few maps and some valuable information, along with a bunch of motivation; it’s time to go find that honey hole. Plan a full and exciting day with some of your friends when it looks like the weather might cooperate for the best. Hook up your sled houses to your snowmobiles, gas up your ice augers, and charge those ice flashers. Pack a lunch, some snacks, some hydration, and it’s time to head out. Stop at the local bait store and grab an array of bait: crappie minnows, wax worms, and of course a variety of sized suckers for those tip-ups.
Once you arrive at your destination examine that lake depth map and survey the lake. Look for evidence of the lake being fished previously. If old holes exist it might be a good place to start. If not, fire up those augers, drill lots of holes, check depths, and begin fishing. Throw out a few tip-ups in the shallows for hog pike while you explore the deeper areas of the lake for panfish.
Be very mobile and use your ice flashers until you locate some active fish. Don’t get discouraged if you come up empty handed. Give a lake a solid and honest attempt for part of the day. If the lake doesn’t produce, pack your things and move on to the next one.
I guarantee this method of being mobile, exploring lake after lake, and being adventurous will eventually reveal a honey hole while exploiting a day full of excitement. One never knows what to expect, what journey will take place, and what fascinating results might be uncovered. The potential outcomes of finding your own slab crappie or hog pike lake are truly rewarding. Even finding your own spot on a common fishery is gratifying. So get out there, be mobile, and explore our 10,000 lakes while time allows during these mid-winter months. I promise this approach will yield more consistent ice fishing success during a period of time that can be ever so challenging, while also adding to your list of possible fishing lakes for the future.
Brock Anderson
Area Fishing Guide
Hang Loose Outdoors.com
|
Q: Sometimes my 4 Stroke is hard to start on really cold days?