| StrikeMaster Email Newsletter |
|
December 22, 2010
|
|
|
|
 The Way of the Flag - Things to Do in Close Quarter Fishing
By Anthony Larson
Every bay, lake, river and harbor in the ice belt faces this issue: that guy is fishing too close to me. I’ve either heard this or have said this to myself may times.
I used to get really upset when people would drill holes next to me, then started to guide and now have people target me.
As I mature, I look at ice fishing a lot like open water fishing. I’ve seen situations where shore fishing becomes literally shoulder to shoulder, yet people seem to get along or at least try to. I think with Ice fishing, there seems to be, or at least in my view point a slight sense of territory. We put out tip ups or buckets as an unwritten land mark and since we sit on this so called soil for hours on end the ice chunk becomes ours.
When people come in on me, and believe me, they do; I take my time and remind myself that I'm fishing on a public access water; and that if this was open water, they would more than likely be fishing next to me in a boat or on shore.
In a tip up situation, if someone sets their tip up too close to mine (one tip up spool's worth of line) I try to tell them that they are too close and that if we hook a fish, the possibility of snagging each other is very high. If that doesn't work, I fish for a while to see if the person moves, if not I move and start fishing elsewhere. It’s my responsibility to know the waters I fish better than the next guy and be able to adapt to any situation.
Try to be considerate about where you want to fish. If someone has a set up where you planned on fishing that day, talk to them. Find out how long they plan on staying at your spot, if they plan on being there for a while and there’s room to fish, ask if you can join them. Most anglers I run into love sharing stories and making new friends.
Be conscious of where you are drilling. In packed situations such as Lake Onalaska, hole to hole fishing is a reality. Try to keep from drilling a hole next to someone’s exit of their shack. Try to provide a safe exit for your fellow angler. Last year, I had someone drill a 10 inch hole just outside my shack, and my girlfriend got her foot stuck in the hole getting to her tip-up (it took us almost 5 minutes to get her out).
Fish away from the pack. Fishing is a “me too” sport. People tend to gather around others if they think there’s fish. When there gets to be too many people, I part ways and fish water that’s similar to where I was and catch fish. I can’t begin to tell you how many successful trips I’ve had by fishing away from the herd.
There is plenty of ice and water to fish, don’t let some ice hole ruin your fishing adventure.
|
|
|
|
|
 Lazers for Lake Trout
By Jeff Gustafson
Where I live - in the Canadian north – lake trout are the king under the ice. Lakers are tough fighters and aggressive under the ice and trophy-sized fish are likely on most outings.
On waters that have big fish, 10” augers are the only way to go. I have seen guys have to break fish off because they can't get them up an 8” hole. If you only take one or two trips for lake trout each season, StrikeMaster sells 10” drills that can be used on any of their augers (power heads).
Lake trout fight extremely hard when they get under the ice so many times, I will even drill a double hole to aid in getting fish on the ice.
Tackle for trout is easy. Think of lake trout as sharks under the ice, they are constantly on the move, looking for food so your lure should be flashy enough that they can see it from a long distance to call them in. Bright white plastic tube jigs and jerkshads are good baits on most waters, as well as flashy jigging spoons.
If you have questions, you can contact Gussy at his website www.gussyoutdoors.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
