It's cold ... there's ice ... let's go fishing

I've had the ice-fishing itch and finally got some first-hand reports on ice that was thick enough for my comfort zone. When I heard 5 inches of clear, hard ice and a forecast calling for below freezing temps for the next week I knew it was time to get ready. But before I begin, I must say that by no means is this for everyone or even on any body of water. Always practice safety first when venturing on the ice. Don't take chances for a fish. With safety and readiness in mind, I spent a few nights rounding up all my gear. I had the time to get everything laid out and in working order. It's always fun to look at all the tackle that I haven't touched in a year. Taking an inventory of all the jigs and lures along with the rods and reels, I found some that were in need of new line. I like to rig up my rods prior to hitting the ice because it's much easier for my eyes to tie on a jig under the bright lights of the basement rather than the low light of the shanty. The light line used for ice fishing is so thin, and the jigs are quite small as well. The shanty, auger and heater were next on the list. I made sure the blades of the auger were sharp, the heater in good working condition and the shanty in proper shape with no holes. I had decided I wanted to add some hy-fax runners to the sled of the shanty to take away some wear and tear on the plastic. This was a fun project to prolong the shanty's life from dragging it over hard ground. Once that was done I was ready to start loading up. Making sure all the needed gear was loaded in the shanty, I was ready to put it in the truck and wait for the day to go. One thing I found out was that the price of the small propane cylinders for the heater has gone way up from what we paid just a year ago -- almost double even a few short years ago. For me, I like that added warmth so it's just an added cost of fishing. The day finally came to hit the hard water. The alarm went off early. I decided to dress in some extra layers since the temperature outside was hovering around 12 degrees. I packed up some snacks and headed out to the truck. It was one of those days I appreciated heated seats and a heated steering wheel. While driving out to the fishing hole, I went over the plan in my head. I was ready and anxious to get fishing. Arriving at the park I found a fair number of anglers already there. I donned the warm bibs and coat, slid the ice cleats on over my boots and unloaded my gear. A short drag across the driveway to the launch and off I went onto the very smooth and slippery ice. Those ice cleats were a necessity on that smooth surface. I walked out to a spot I had fished before with some success and drilled a few holes and got set up. The flipover shanty took no time to set up and I was ready to fish. Of course, I had to get the heater going to knock the chill off. It doesn't take very long to get some heat inside and make it comfortable. With the fish finder on and marking fish below me, it was time to drop some jigs tipped with a wax worm down to see if I could entice a fish to bite. I would jig one and the other would just be set at one level. It wasn't easy but it was happening. I marked a fish on the finder and slowly moved my jig up to see if it would follow. If it did I jigged it some more and waited for the bite. Being early morning, the fish were quite aggressive and were hitting it pretty hard. As the day progressed it became harder to get the bites. At one point it slowed way down so i decided to drop the underwater camera down and see what was happening. The fish were there, they were just being finicky. They would look at the bait and not bite. So I picked everything up and made a short move. With everything reset, I started fishing again. This time I dropped the camera down right away to survey what was below me. I turned it to the point where I could watch my jig and see what the fish did when they came by. The new spot was the right decision, as the fish here were curious of this thing that was moving up and down. They would look at it, then hit it. It was pretty cool to see a fish swim in, look, then eat the jig. The surprise catch of the day was a nice largemouth bass that swam into view quickly and snatched up my jig. It was somewhat of a battle as I was using a light rod and 3-pound test line. I finally landed it, took a quick picture and released it to fight another day. It was the camera that really made the difference on this day. It allowed me to see what the fish were doing or, in some instances, not doing. When I saw them looking but not committing I knew it was time to move. I didn't go far but just enough to find active fish. The camera definitely earned its keep. I certainly didn't set the world on fire this day (which was probably good since I was standing on ice.) But I was able to be very selective on the fish I kept for the dinner table. I brought home enough for a fish dinner and let the rest swim back into the depths. I learned a little bit more about the ability and need to move around and how that can affect the outcome of your fishing trip. I found that a simple move made a big difference in the outcome. Again, be safe if you venture out onto the ice. The thickness is varying on each frozen lake. It even fluctuates from spot to spot within that body of water. So use your spud to check ice thickness as you go and have the proper gear. But most of all, have fun. Contact Jeff Burdick at flyrod11ft@gmail.com.