I target Northerns. They are a great fish to tangle with. Through the ice and watching on underwater camera, when Mr Esox creeps in and stares into the camera to bump it, it’s like watching deer come in during the hunt.
My favorite fish, except for cousin Muskie. Now there’s a fish for ya’s.
Man, the stuff ya gotta have. Fish finder/sonar is fun stuff for fishing. I’m Mr Basic so I grabbed a Garmin Striker4 last summer and even use it for ice fishing.
Then when using the sonar for ice fishing, I was seeing so many fish marking on the sonar I just HAD to get a underwater camera to see what was down there.
So glad I got it. Watching fish behavior is a real hoot.
Livescreen is way out of my league in terms of money and needs.
3ft. Shakespeare Dock Hopper (ugly stick)...for ice fishing.
😁
7 1/2 ft with 50# braid for muskie lakes. Otherwise, 6ft
Pike eat all of those critters and anything else that moves.😁
(I use minnows only when ice fishing for pike)
Using the smallest treble hook possible (to match bait size) I hook under the dorsal.
Don’t forget, bass and pike will eat a dead minnow off the bottom. I watch them on camera taking my blue shiner on a dead stick, just hanging a foot off bottom in 10-15fow.
Sea Lamprey. Those creep me out. Haven’t caught one, but if I do, it will pay a price for bothering me.
I watch pike on camera using the same bait as the tipup. Most will drift in and circle the shiner (pike love em). They will examine it. Gradually they take it in and when feeling the hooks, spit it out. This is your false flag. Very few pike will spit it and leave. They are too curious and may hit it 3 times or 4.
Pike are a challenge.
They messed with the wrong people. We are ice fishermen.
Those city bosses don’t want competition if the ice pimps show up?
That’s a line stretching lunker👍
Last night ice fishing I saw one come through, took a look at my minnow and kept moving. Wouldn’t bite. It was so big it dominated my monitor screen 2 feet out from the cam. What a tease. Did catch one smaller one.
Wintertime largies are a bonus catch up here.
Catfish hunter wrote:
I understand the paradise part. That’s our place. It’s either hunting or fishing for me year round in one form or another. It’s great ain’t it?
Sure is. Deer hunting Oct-Dec, that does cut in on fishing time but the payoff is meat in the freezer.
Being in a fishing paradise, it’s convenient. The nearest lake is large Lake Charlevoix 4 blocks down the street. We have trout lakes and muskie/pike lakes and everything in between here in the northern part of lower Michigan.
Best guess, 3 times a week year round except when season is closed and waiting for ice-out in spring and late Nov/Dec for ice up.
As mentioned, get a depth chart for your lake off the interwebs. Next, what are you targeting? For walleye, pike and muskie they don’t need the deep water. I like to find a shallow shelf that drops to deeper water. If weeds are present, you might have yourself a little hotspot.
I’m up here Boyne City fishing the Chain of Lakes near Ellsworth. Big perch are a mystery to where you will find them. They are predators like walleye. Think in those terms and you might find your hotspot. Tight lines!