Now that the cold weather is back in earnest, it's time to get out on the ice, cut a few holes and jig up some fresh fish.
Ice fishing is a fairly uncomplicated outing where a minimal amount of equipment can produce some surprisingly large returns. With a little thought and preparation, can be a great outing for the whole family.
The first difficulty in ice fishing is getting down through the ice. A good iron bar chisel works very well when the ice is not too deep. Hard, deep ice can be sliced through pretty quickly using a power auger, but they are fairly expensive and are only appropriate if you are going to fish a lot during the winter. If you use a hand bar, attach a line to the end. A lot of chisels have been lost on that final stroke when the ice gives way and the whole rig heads for the bottom.
There are several productive ways to set up for fishing through the ice. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.
Tip-ups work great if you are going to drill and fish several holes at the same time. Because you do not need to tend to them all of the time, they are great if you are bringing the kids along. They allow you to start a bonfire, cook hot dogs or marshmallows, etc. When the flag pops up you walk over and hopefully pull up your fish.
However, if you are really serious about catching fish, jig fishing will out produce tip-ups almost every time. They do demand continuous involvement of the angler. Making jigs is very easy and can be a great activity to do with young folks before you go on your fishing adventure.
Take a piece of hardwood that is about an inch and a half wide and cut it into pieces about 15 inches long. Take a jig saw or coping saw and cut a small u-shaped notch on both ends around which you are going to wrap your line. Drill a small hole near one end through which you are going to thread your line and knot it securely to your jig. Let the kids paint these with their own designs. It is a way they can claim ownership of their own rigs.
Wind about a 100 feet of 12-pound. test mono onto these jigs end to end, and then tie on about 10 feet of fairly heavy duty fluorocarbon leader material. A rubber band works good to keep the line on the jig sticks when they are stored in the tackle box.
I like to use a size 6 hook or smaller, even when fishing for large fish. During the winter, fish usually move slower and attack the bait with less vigor, so we want the terminal tackle to be as non-visible as possible. Attach a one or two-ounce jig to the line. Put a piece of five-inch long cut sucker, a shiner or other bait on the hook.
Ice fishing is a fairly uncomplicated outing where a minimal amount of equipment can produce some surprisingly large returns. With a little thought and preparation, can be a great outing for the whole family.
The first difficulty in ice fishing is getting down through the ice. A good iron bar chisel works very well when the ice is not too deep. Hard, deep ice can be sliced through pretty quickly using a power auger, but they are fairly expensive and are only appropriate if you are going to fish a lot during the winter. If you use a hand bar, attach a line to the end. A lot of chisels have been lost on that final stroke when the ice gives way and the whole rig heads for the bottom.
There are several productive ways to set up for fishing through the ice. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.
Tip-ups work great if you are going to drill and fish several holes at the same time. Because you do not need to tend to them all of the time, they are great if you are bringing the kids along. They allow you to start a bonfire, cook hot dogs or marshmallows, etc. When the flag pops up you walk over and hopefully pull up your fish.
However, if you are really serious about catching fish, jig fishing will out produce tip-ups almost every time. They do demand continuous involvement of the angler. Making jigs is very easy and can be a great activity to do with young folks before you go on your fishing adventure.
Take a piece of hardwood that is about an inch and a half wide and cut it into pieces about 15 inches long. Take a jig saw or coping saw and cut a small u-shaped notch on both ends around which you are going to wrap your line. Drill a small hole near one end through which you are going to thread your line and knot it securely to your jig. Let the kids paint these with their own designs. It is a way they can claim ownership of their own rigs.
Wind about a 100 feet of 12-pound. test mono onto these jigs end to end, and then tie on about 10 feet of fairly heavy duty fluorocarbon leader material. A rubber band works good to keep the line on the jig sticks when they are stored in the tackle box.
I like to use a size 6 hook or smaller, even when fishing for large fish. During the winter, fish usually move slower and attack the bait with less vigor, so we want the terminal tackle to be as non-visible as possible. Attach a one or two-ounce jig to the line. Put a piece of five-inch long cut sucker, a shiner or other bait on the hook.
Drop this rig through your ice holes and drop it all the way to the bottom. Once it is there, raise it up so that the jig is just bouncing on the bottom. Sozzle it up and down in about two-foot jerks so that the bait is always moving a bit. Even rotate it around the edge of the whole so that it doesn't just stay in one place. You can cut two holes near each other so you can jig two holes while your sitting on your fishing bucket or cushion.
If you get a strike, this is not a time to be delicate. As fast as you can, overhand your prize right to the top. I know one fellow who used to hand the line to one of the kids and tell him to run away until the fish came popping out of the hole. Many strikes will occur as the bait flutters back to the bottom after the upstroke. It is a matter of experience to tell when that happens, but if you pay attention and grip the line lightly, you will pick up on that shortly.
One of the jigs that works really well is called an airplane jig. Once you see one it will be obvious why it is called that. The jig has little wings that cause the jig to flutter and circle as it is dropped back to the bottom. It imparts a lot of attractive motion. These are inexpensive lures, but they are extremely effective especially when they are tipped with bait.
Where to go
Some of the best spots are across the border in Maine and New Hampshire. Of course one of the best spots in all of New England is the northern part of Lake Champlain in Vermont for trout, perch, northerns and pickerel. But it's too far for a day trip.
A nice run from here would be up to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. The ice is forming up there pretty well and it has a wonderful population of lake trout and white perch.
Typically, N.H. Fish and Game releases surplus fish in the fall during open water conditions, but the relatively warm water temperatures at the end of 2007 delayed spawning operations at New Hampton fish hatchery.
"Since these fish were stocked in waterbodies during winter conditions, fish culturists, biologists and volunteers had to get creative," said Ben Nugent, who is a Fisheries Biologist with N.H. Fish and Game. "Because these fish were designated as surplus fish, there is no assurance that this extra stocking will occur every year. New Hampshire's anglers should consider them as bonus fish, and we hope that they provide a memorable fishing experience."
The following New Hampshire waters received bonus fish in early January: Manning Lake, White Lake, Winona Lake, Center Harbor, Webster Lake, Tewksbury Pond, Mascoma Lake, Mirror Lake, Laurel Lake, Pleasant Lake and Deerfield.
