Everyone wants their first trips out on the ice to be safe and successful. Early ice can be some of the best fishing of the ice season if you can get out to the right areas on some lakes. Generally the shallow lakes in the ice belt freeze the quickest and give you some of the first ice fishing opportunities. Generally these lakes have big basins with very little structure which can be hard to narrow down where to start fishing. I am going to help you narrow down different areas to try this coming season during early ice.
Looking at a Lake Map
Before the season starts I always like to look at lake maps of the lakes I am planning on fishing early. First I like to look for bays and places that will freeze first and go from there. Bays and points tend to hold a lot of fish early on in the year. Bays early on tend to have vegetation which can be a very good starting point as in fall perch like to run around vegetation chasing minnows. With these shallow lakes they tend to not have structure so I like to look for drop offs and where they bottom out. Perch tend to like to run these edges as it tends to always have some sort of food around it.
Points and irregularities in the basin are also a good starting point to check out as they can bottleneck bait and fish into a smaller area that you can fish more successfully. A lot of time you need to fish these areas at first light and evening as you might catch some bonus walleyes and northern also. Then if you stop seeing marks on your electronics you can start searching the basin more as they go deeper.
Fishing Tactics
While I like to run and gun every chance I can get sometimes early ice does not allow it as quality ice might be in a small area. Normally perch are very aggressive early ice so I like to use bigger baits and minnows to start and work down from there if needed. I like to have one jigging rod and use the others as dead sticks to increase catch rate and possibly find trends in fish movement.
A lot of times early on in the year perch are moving all day roaming around while their metabolism is still somewhat high. I like to spread out my dead sticks to try and find an area the fish are using more or traveling through more frequently. If you find a trend you can really group up your lines and catch fish quickly. Also double team hot holes if you have a lot of fish under you. Doing this you will be able to keep the school around and interested before they move on and you have to go looking again.
In these shallow lakes I have found out minnows with a bright jig tends to do well all the time as the water tends to be murky. Especially since your normal feeding times of morning and evening having something bright by your minnow tends to work better to attract fish. The bigger perch, 10 inches plus, target minnows over smaller invertebrates when given the opportunity as they switch to trying to find a bigger meal with more nutrients. If these baits are not working work your way to smaller jigs and bait and try more natural color especially if in clear water. Downsizing baits tends to make the attraction less but if you are in an area with lots of fish your catch rate could skyrocket and make timid fish bite aggressively.
Always being willing to try different things is important in fishing. Fishing with other people I learn a lot about fish and what they want. Sometimes your go to bait just does work that day and maybe someone in your group is having more success. You should always be willing to adapt to what the day brings and try something different than the others in your group. Once you find the hot jig then you can all change and put a beat down on the fish.
Early Ice Safety
Early ice safety is always important. I figured I would touch base on the basics. Always bring a buddy, ice picks, spud bar, rope, life jacket, and anything else you feel necessary to feel comfortable on the ice. With all the new technology the new ice suits help you float which is another great way to be safer on the ice. Try to pack as light as possible and if you see any abnormalities in the ice stay away as early ice that generally means soft spots or thinner ice. Always go out slow and in light especially the first time out! Always remember no matter how bad the itch is to get out no fish is worth a life! Good luck to everyone this upcoming ice season and hopefully these tips helped a little bit!
Related Videos
