Shallow Water Ice Fishing During recent winters, I’ve been focusing on studying fish movement and activity on small lakes, such as the 150-acre lake in North-Central Minnesota where my family has a cabin. I like to get my kids out on the ice and make sure they enjoy...
Ice anglers who stow their gear at the end of February are missing out on the late ice bite. It is one of the hottest and most fun bites of the season. Stronger sunlight begins melting snow from the surface of lake ice, revealing clearer ice below. The rays penetrate...
Just a few years ago, ice anglers predominately pursued walleyes, panfish, and pike, period. Anglers tend to have preferences, of course, and in several states, walleye and pike seasons are closed in late-winter until their postspawn period, leaving sunfish, crappies,...
It’s remarkable to look back and see how dramatically and how quickly ice fishing has changed. Years ago, a “depth finder” was that painted lead ball that clipped onto your line when setting tip-ups. A couple of decades later, nearly all ice anglers use hi-tech sonars...
The process of finding winter crappies can be intimidating when you look out on a frozen lake and pick an area to fish. Today, enhanced digital mapping is a major help, as you can tote a portable sonar or hand-held GPS to lead you to spots you’ve previously located on...
