The Ice is Still Here and Getting Thicker

Going out and braving frigid temperatures and howling winds to catch fish through a tiny little hole in the ice is a great pastime throughout the winter with your friends and family. It also doesn’t hurt chowing down on a tasty fish fry at the end of the night while swapping exaggerated fishing tales. Here in the beautiful  Northwest, you never know what kind of winter we'll get. It has come quite late this year and it’s now here with a vengeance. With the temperatures dropping into the negatives and several wind storms with up to 50 mph gusts these last couple weeks, not to mention several feet of snow, it has been nail-biting conditions at best. It’s been, “Where’s-my-dang-gloves cold!”  However, this level of cold also brings a reward to us fisherman and fisherladies and that is that it creates safe ice conditions.

Want to know where to ice fish in Montana? Check this out.

It is a welcome sight, as until recently, there were only a very small handful of lakes that were fishable. Although you can catch many species through the ice, my favorite to target are perch and trout. Generally speaking, perch can be found anywhere from two feet to 40 feet deep. During certain times of the day, they tend not to move around a lot. So, if you’re not having any luck, try drilling holes in different locations.  They are also a schooling fish, so once you catch one be ready for some action.

Trout, on the other hand, move around quite a bit and can even be caught a few feet from your hole. Occasionally, they will find your bait without you having to put in much effort.

If you are new to ice fishing or have always gone out with a buddy and want to get your own gear, it doesn’t take much to get started.  An ice auger, a ladle to keep your hole free of ice, an ice fishing rod and or some tip-ups, and a few jigs will get you out on the hardwater and catching fish. Then down the road, if you get serious about it or would like to be able to feel your fingers, an ice shelter is a game changer. Throwing a Mr. Buddy heater inside makes for quite the luxurious setup.

Tired of borrowing your buddy's gear? Order online before you go.

I know a lot of guys that “deadstick” their bait or lures, but I have always had better luck jigging. You don’t have to move it much, usually only bringing up about 8-12 inches and letting it settle back down and just repeating that method.  Some of my go-to jigs are Swedish pimples, Johnson snare spoons, tungsten jigs and even smaller spoons like a 1/12 oz. kastmaster. I also had a friend show me a cool trick this year:  you take a larger size spoon like a 2/5 oz. blue and silver little Cleo and take the treble hook off and tie a glo-hook on with about a 12-inch leader. Trust me, it works wonders.  Always, always, always, put either a maggot, waxworm, or nightcrawler on the hook.

Even though the ice has substantially gotten thicker, lately, I would still recommend carrying ice picks around your neck and bringing an ice chisel to be able to check thickness as you are venturing out.  Better safe than sorry.  I would also personally recommend waiting for summer to go swimming, it’s much more enjoyable!  So, whether you have yet to go out this year or have been out dozens of times, get out there, it’s a ton a fun.  Take advantage of this “polar vortex” while you can and put some fish in the bucket.

By Chris Thompson