 |
On The Way OutdoorsHere, Fishy Fishy |
Depending on where you call home in the great state of Minnesota, lake ice has been ready for angling for several weeks. Obviously, the northern part of the state has been producing everything from perch to walleye and everything in between since the holidays.
Here is the standard outdoor writer’s “thin ice warning.”
As winter progresses, green plants wilt and rot in ponds, lakes and river backwaters; a process that consumes oxygen. A cover of ice and snow on a body of water means no new oxygen being added in the system; only areas with springs or currents—inlets, outlets or sloughs—have consistent oxygenation throughout the winter. These can be great spots to fish, but they can also be the most dangerous areas on a body of water with extremely thin ice.
Early ice gets all the hype and for good reason, but that’s ancient history. By late January we’re already into mid-winter, and with it comes plenty of good solid opportunities for hard water walleye anglers.
But where are the fish?
The first part of the midwinter season can best be described as “run and gun,” with the later being more of a “set up and stay put” scenario, according to professional angler Ron Anlauf of Braham, Minn.
“Run and gun” means lots of moves, lots of holes drilled, and covering plenty of real estate until you find the hottest action.
“At the early stages walleyes can be expected to be active enough to be caught when you do find them, not so much later on,” he notes. “Then it’s more a matter of slowing down and digging in and being in the right place doing the right things when they finally decide to bite.”
Eventually fish will settle where the remaining oxygen is, the deepest portions of the lake. There the fish will be forced to conserve energy with depleting oxygen in the lake, making them very timid and sluggish. Now comes the challenge: sluggish fish in deep water.
Another fishing pal of mine, Scott Glorvigen of Grand Rapids, offers this advice.
“When there’s little or no snow, I also look for overhead cover: namely, pressure ridges that collect snow blowing across the ice, creating a little more shade than the surrounding icepack, Glorvigen, host of Pro’s Pointer Television, said.
“Baitfish often follow these ‘shade lines,’ attracting hungry walleyes in the process. Another tip when snow is scarce—to reduce fish-spooking shadows, always put your portable on a patch of snow, never on glare ice.”
So, be careful of the ice where you want to set up. Figure out if you need to “run and gun” or “sit and wait” … and get out and enjoy the action.
Winter Ice Fishing Tournament Action with Web sites
Jan. 23
20th Brainerd Jaycee Ice Extravaganza
www.icefishing.org
Feb. 6
“Da Shiver” 4th Annual Ice Fishing Tournament
www.dashiver.com
Feb. 13
Cass Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Palace Casino
Hotel Winter Fishing Challenge
www.casslake.com
Feb. 20
Centerville Lions Annual Ice Fishing Contest
www.centervillelions.com
Feb. 27
Forest Lake VFW Fishapalooza Ice Fishing Contest
www.icefishingforestlake.com
Did you take a great picture of ice fishing success? Send them to us with your name, hometown, fish description, what you used to catch it and where you were. E-mail outdooreditor@readthecitizen. com