Are You Prepared For The Ice? Part Two
Ice fishing can be the best of times and the worst of times depending on your personal preparedness, so let’s jump right in to other crucial aspects of being prepared for the ice.
Fish Finders
Fish finders are important tools for locating and catching fish. If you only fish a couple of times a year, it is still important to have one. Fish finders not only show the depth of the water below the ice but will show you the fish as well. They start at just under $100 and go up from there. My finder is in the $300 to 500 range. I like “flasher” units which provide “real time” information on depths, fish, and the location of my lures.
Most anglers opt for standard graph-style finders which show the contours of the bottom, structure, and fish displayed on a miniature TV-like screen. It is just a matter of preference as to which kind of finder you use, just be sure you have one, unless you enjoy fishing blind.
Rods and Reels
Ice fishing rods are much shorter than regular fishing rods and are readily available at your local sporting goods store or online. In Utah, you are now able to use two rods at the same time so I recommend doing just that.
The reels can be any spinning reel you like, and depending on the fish you seek, the line size can vary from 4-pound-test (for blue gills or perch) up to 20-pound-test (for northern pike, lake trout, or tiger muskie). For this discussion, however, let’s stick with trout and in that case, 10-pound-test fluorocarbon line is my favorite.
Tackle
When on the ice it is hard to run back to the vehicle to find a good lure to use so I recommend taking everything you need with you. And, I also believe in keeping your tackle needs SIMPLE.
Everything you need to catch trout on any frozen lake in Utah can fit nicely in the bottom of a five-gallon-bucket with your fish finder resting on top. Even though they are not always needed, bring a pair of thin yet insulated gloves so you can work tackle without being forced to remove them. Here is my suggested list of tackle.
- Ice Jigs. Take around 20 tiny ice jigs in various weights from 1/32-ounce to 1/4-ounce and with several different colors of the painted jig heads. Pink, green, yellow, black, and red are plenty of colors to put in a tiny tackle box.
- Night crawlers, meal worms and wax worms.
- A small variety of split shot weights and a few #16 treble hooks.
- Power Bait in similar colors to your painted jig heads.
Tip the jig heads with a piece of night crawlers or a full meal or wax worm, and drop one rig down to just a foot or so off the bottom. Then, drop the second rig down about half way to the bottom, watch your finder and move your bait to the fish once you see them on your screen.
Unless forced by the lack of fish, I will fish in less than 30 feet of water with an emphasis on trying shallower before going deeper most of the time.
Stay in your first area at least one hour before moving to other locations (this is a change in thinking for me but a good one, I believe).
There are many other accessories like chairs, stools, sleds and other contraptions to hook your fish but in reality, if you go out on the ice with the things mentioned here you should be able to catch trout anywhere you choose.
Right now, Scofield and Strawberry have safe ice in some of the bays but before going to Strawberry check with Strawberry Bay Marina’s Facebook page for their daily update.
Make ice fishing the very best of times this year by truly being “prepared for the ice.”
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