Ice Fishing

Driving by frozen ponds, rivers, lakes and bays in the winter, you might observe the frozen surfaces dotted with shanties and pop-up shelters Hardy anglers who prefer to fish in the open on the frozen surfaces are scattered in-between.

 

Mess of perch.(2)

Perch through the ice.(4)

Why in the world would these folks subject themselves to this? There is a great fishing experience waiting under these waterways. Winter fishing on the ice is much different from open water fishing. First, the gear used is as light as possible. Tiny poles, ultra-light thin line, tiny bobbers, or spring bobbers, and bait that would make many frown in disgust.

 Ice fishing requires patience and a little skill, the bites are usually very light, and when you do hook a large fish, you must bring them up on the extremely light gear. All species can be caught ice fishing; most areas around our town produce perch, bluegill, pike, and sometimes a trout or salmon (depending on the body of water). If the pan fish are biting, you will often catch many throwbacks, too small for the frying pan! If the weather is not too bad, it is a great experience for young anglers, they might not bring home a bucket of keepers, but they will have a great time while practicing catch and release, and experiencing the outdoors

Ice fishing does require that you travel onto ice-covered bodies of water. It is important that you verify the safety of the ice, and carry a few simply items with you to assure your safety if you fall through unexpected thin ice. Every person on the ice should have some type of pick attached to his or her sleeves; these will help you to pull yourself out of the water onto the solid ice. 

Using picks to get out of water (1)

Rope to throw to someone who has broken through ice would also be a great addition to your gear. Basic safe ice is 4 inches for walking and ice fishing on, thicker if you intend to bring A.T.V.’s, snowmobiles, or vehicles on to the surface. Most sources will state this as basic safety thickness, the thicker the better! The most important thing to remember is that ice is unpredictable, and if you are on a bay or lake, be aware of your surroundings at all times. The news always seems to have at least one or two stories a year about groups that end up floating away from the main ice.

This is the type of ice auger I use.(3)

You might not want to gear up this close to the end of winter, but take advantage of clearance sales that will begin soon on gear, to be ready next season. Keep it simple to start; a hand ice auger are available for around $40.00. Poles and tackle will set you back around $20.00 during these clearance sales. Ask around to see where you might want to stake your claim on the ice next year. The next decent day you have available, wander out on the ice and ask a few questions. The anglers are usually willing to share a secret or two!

Picture Credits:

(1)http://www.outdoorblog.net/outinmichigan/2011/11/26/ice-safety/

(2)http://www.ontariofishingforums.com/cms-content/uploads/2009/01/cooksbayperchicefishing2.jpg

(3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_fishing

(4)http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-perch-ice-fishing-image17604968

(5)http://www.outdoorblog.net/outinmichigan/2011/11/26/ice-safety/

Upper St. Clair River Tackle

If you intend to fish the St. Clair River upriver from the mouth of Black River, you need to be keenly aware of the necessary tackle needed to successfully “still fish” this unique stretch of the river.

Anglers that like to cast lures and spoons can use anything they would use when fishing for medium to large game fish. Twisters are popular all season long, and the colors vary, most fellow anglers will be happy to let you know what they are hitting on! You can find the occasional backwater or “pool”, where the current has little effect; often the local kids have these spots memorized, and head there to catch perch, rock bass, and occasional trout or walleye.

If you are planning to get out into the current, you need some special gear; first, you need a heavy pole and reel. (See the pictures) You will be using at least 25-pound test, and a heavy sinker. If you attempt to cast out with anything less, the current will bring your line back to the shore, if you are fishing around other anglers, it will probably tangle several of their lines.

 The sinker is usually around ½ to 1 pound, triangular, with cleats molded into it to help catch the bottom. (See picture) It takes some skill to cast this amount of lead and hit the hole you are attempting to reach. Practice at home or you will probably spend more time untangling a backlash than fishing!

In the spring and fall, anglers often slide plugs. This simply means they attach a pencil plug, Rebel, or other available plug to a lead, usually 5-7 feet in length, and clip one end on their line with a small sinker attached to get the plug to the point in their line where a stop is in place to keep the plug above the river bottom. As the weather warms, night crawlers on wire spreaders become the rig of choice. I like to use Lindy type rigs, shown in the photo.

A long net to bring your fish in is necessary, and you might want to bring some extra rope to make sure your stringer will stay in the water. This may seem like some heavy-duty gear, but remember Lake Huron is emptying directly into the river. The current is fast!

If you have never fished this stretch of the river, I hope you find time to do so. If you have questions about gear and tackle, Anderson’s Pro Bait, near the corner of Pinegrove Ave. and Garfield St. can help you out.