The 1, 2, 3`s of Taking Kids Ice Fishing

6
20
Food For Thought
Gord Pyzer discusses fish behavior and
how it varies from lake to lake.
14
Interested in trying something new? Tip-ups provide
an exciting way to increase your winter catch
27
Noisy Options On Ice
28
All Perch, All the Time
All the information you’ll need to catch (and cook!)
Perch this ice-fishing season.
10 #AppsForAnglers
Fishing Pics
12
The 1, 2, 3’s of Taking Kids Ice Fishing
Taking the little one out on the ice? Here are 7 tips
to keep them interested and entertained!
Noisy rattlebaits are a unique, new, cutting edge ice fishing option.
19
HT Series of Tip-Ups
How to Find Fish in Winter
Finding fish in winter can be intimidating, but
modern equipment & strategies are available!
Updates for your
iFish Apps
18
Feature Recipe
from Chef Steph
A note from the Editor...
Since we launched the iFish App for the
iPhone in 2010, we’ve been working hard
to improve the apps - and expand on them.
Today, we have iFish apps available in
Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Recently, we also launched south of the
iFish Magazine ™ - Volume 1, Issue 1
Winter 2013
border and now have iFish USA which
covers over 120,000 water bodies. We
are also releasing state specific apps
EDITOR Randy Chamzuk
DESIGN Marcel Schoenhardt
CONTRIBUTIONS
for those who usually fish locally;
Gord Pyzer, Tom Gruenwald, Stephanie Wakelin,
Gary Kash, Thane Perritt, Candace Chamzuk
been working hard at expanding our reach and offerings, it has been a fun
iFish Texas, Arizona, Florida, New York,
& Minnesota are all available now and more on the way. Although we’ve
adventure. Its amazing how much positive feedback we get and it really is the
driving force for us to do more.
iFish Magazine™ is published by:
QDI Group of Companies
9320 49th St
Edmonton, AB T6B 2L7
Tel (780) 466-2535
In our quest to bring fresh content and information to our apps, we decided
to try something new – a digital magazine under our own brand. We hope
you enjoy the inaugural issue of the iFish Magazine and who knows, if the
feedback is good, we will look forward to the release of regular editions.
Enjoy the magazine, the apps and Fish with Attitude!
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
All Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any material without prior written
consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Printed in
Canada. iFish Magazine™ is not responsible for researching
the accuracy of the contents published in iFish Magazine™.
Readers are advised that the use of the information
contained within is at their own risk and neither party
assumes any risk or liability for it.
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
Advertising inquiries can be directed to either
[email protected] or call (780) 466-2535
GET PUBLISHED!
Want a Product Reviewed?
Got a Great Article to Share?
Take some Awesome Photos?
Send them to [email protected]
ON THE COVER...
This edition’s cover features youngster Joel proudly presenting his
first solo perch at a beautiful Central Alberta lake.
BEHOLD. THE LONGEST
SPLIT SECOND
IN THE UNIVERSE.
The big one? Or the one that got away?
What you do with your wrist in the next fraction of a second decides it.
Tick, tock.
ONLY WHOLESALE SPORTS IS AS OBSESSED WITH FISHING AS YOU ARE.
AND WE HAVE THE PEOPLE AND GEAR TO PROVE IT.
FIND YOUR LOCAL STORE AT WHOLESALESPORTS.COM
Story by Gord Pyzer
I’ve never understood the meaning of the catchphrase “a
bass is a bass no matter where you find it”. By the way, you
can substitute walleye, lake trout, northern pike, yellow
perch or black crappie if one of those happens to be your
favorite. The fact of the matter is that the fish in one lake
usually behave quite differently than the fish in another lake
– even one directly across the road.
The torrid first-ice walleye bite last Christmas was a
good case in point. In a shallow, bog-stained lake close
to home, the fish were relating to the soft bottom edges
of cabbage weeds where they were feasting on youngof-the-year perch. You could shake a firetiger-colored
Tingler spoon adorned with a minnow head, feel a
thud, set the hook and plop a bright yellow and black
tinged walleye onto the ice without reeling in an inch of line.
Forty-eight hours later, out on a much bigger and much
clearer lake, we stretched out string once again on early
winter walleye. Only this time the fish were relating to
the hard bottomed edges associated with points, harassing
schools of smelt and emerald shiners in water ten times
as deep. And they were smacking black-backed, silversided Jigging Raps. So enlighten me on the similarities.
Forage Influences Location
Ironically, what the comparison does tell us is that a walleye
is indeed a walleye no matter where you find it. But in ways
most ice anglers miss. The fish are elastic in their habits.
iFish Magazine : : : 6
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
They’re eurybionts in the tongue of biologists, adjusting and
adapting readily to local conditions.
Most other popular winter species, including lake trout,
whitefish, northern pike, yellow perch and black crappies,
are just as plastic in their habits. Which might suggest that
finding them, selecting the right lure and making the proper
presentation would be a tough, almost random, exercise in
futility. But it is not usually the case. Thanks to one everpresent factor: forage. As much or more than anything else,
forage positions the fish under the ice.
Lake trout are an amazing example. Thriving in frigid water
temperatures (specifically 48ºF to 52ºF), they’re locked
by thermal constraints into the basement of most lakes
throughout the summer months. Not surprisingly during
this period, they feast on ciscoes, whitefish and smelt that
also favor the cool climes and deepwater hangouts. The
pelagic forage is moving structure. But in the winter, when
the entire lake is within the thermal tolerances of trout it is
a different scenario.
While many winter trout anglers remain single-mindedly
focused on deep water, you’re often more likely to find lake
trout foraging in places more suited to walleye. Especially if
there is an abundance of shallow water structure and cover
and, thus, shallow water forage – particularly yellow perch –
that remain out of their reach in the summer.
It is a situation I’ve exploited for years. The best locations
are often large flats stretching between and connecting a
series of islands. The shallow shelves typically average about
30-feet while the key trout depth is often ten feet shallower.
The lakers devour perch-painted lures and if you clean a
iFish Magazine : : : 7
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
In a shallow, bog-stained lake close
to home, the fish were relating to
the soft bottom edges of cabbage
weeds where they were feasting on
young-of-the-year perch.
small trout for shorelunch you nearly always discover perch
in its stomach.
When you tip a small jig with maggots and lay the package
on the bottom under a tight-line-to-a-bobber, the perch will
poke a white flag up your ice hole and surrender en masse.
Other times, species like northern pike will be drawn to high
percentage winter areas such as shallow weedy bays with
inflowing rivers because of the abundance and attraction
of one species – white suckers in this instance – only to be
tricked into biting more feverishly by the sight of one of
their more favored vittles, a ciscoe or small whitefish. Think
about the link this winter whenever and wherever you drill
a hole in the ice.
It is food for thought.
I believe a large part of the reason is that perch in the winter
time represent an easy, abundant, energy-efficient target.
Unlike the more mobile, harder-to-chase-down, cold-water
pelagic species, the sluggish perch are sitting ducks.
A trout can cruise over a flat or hard bottomed shallow
structure and literally cherry-pick them off at will. It may
even be that yellow perch are not the preferred food of
winter lake trout – think hamburger instead of rib-eye – but
they’re often so plentiful, so accessible and so effortless to
catch that the trout specifically target them.
Preferred Versus Abundant
Which brings up an interesting consideration. It is often
important to distinguish between the foods that are most
abundant, the foods that are most easily obtained and the
meal that is most preferred in a specific lake, river, reservoir,
pit or pond. Whenever you can amalgamate all three into
one species, it is an ice fishing bonanza.
Again, let’s look at an example. Bloodworms, the larval stage
of the midge fly are so abundant in most shallow, basinshaped, prairie-type lakes that hundreds of thousands of
the critters carpet every square yard of lake bottom. The
chironomid larvae also happen to be at the top of the yellow
perch (and crappie) dinner menu.
iFish Magazine : : : 8
™
·Perfectforanyspecies.
·Premiumholographicglitterscalebaitfishpatterns.
·Perfectforpresentingbothplasticsandlivebait.
1/16 oz
1/8 oz
3/16 oz
1/4 oz
·Smoothlyreachesavastbottomcircumferenceattractingmoretargetsandtriggeringstrikes.
·Uniquedesignprovidesperfectweightdistributionforbothswimmingandbottompoundingpresentations.
RedtailGoldenShinerTullibee
© 2012 EBSCO Ind.
Perch
Eyesonbothsides.
RedGlowPurpleSmeltGreenGlowSilverShinerRainbow
Clown
Learn more at LindyFishingTackle.com
Want your photo featured here?
Tag your Instragram pics with #AppsForAnglers
and we’ll re-post them!
iFish Magazine : : : 10
Want your photo featured here?
Tag your Instragram pics with #AppsForAnglers
and we’ll re-post them!
iFish Magazine : : : 11
Available in the next update...
Catch Log :::
GloveBox :::
Easily record your catches and all the
details with photos and voice memos. Share to facebook, twitter, email,
and even brag to iFish, allowing us to
post your catches on OUR instagram,
blog and other social media sites.
Save images of your licenses, receipts and more in our easy-to-use
digital wallet.
Sync both your Catches and GloveBox to other devices with the back up feature.
This is great for making sure you don’t lose your catches and lets you view them
online as well as on multiple devices; such as your iPad and iPhone.
iFish for Android
By the time you read this, iFish Alberta
should be available for the Android, with
the rest of the provinces soon to follow.
We want to say thank you to everyone who
has been so patient… but the wait is over!
With our aw
esome list of
growing
followers, we’
ve been shar
ing and
reposting YO
UR fishing ph
otos all
over instagra
m. We’ve sh
ared hundreds
of our
user’s photos
and want you
to join in on th
Just tag your
e fun!
fishing pictur
es #AppsFor
Anglers
and we’ll fire ou
t your photos
!
Are you a Snow Bird heading south
for winter?
Be sure to check out our American Apps:
iFish USA Nominated in the
Best App Ever Awards!
- iFish USA
- iFish Texas
- iFish Arizona
- iFish Florida
- iFish Minnesota
- iFish New York
...Many more states in the making! Visit
www.AppsForAnglers.com to get the latest news and info.
Our National American App was nominated into
the App Awards for BEST OUTDOORS APP. We
were selected as one of the top 10 apps amongst
an elite group of outdoor apps such as Google
Maps, Geocaching and Localscope. We will be sure
to let you know how we did in the next issue!
iFish on your Computer!
Now available for all of our Canadian Apps, you can view & add HotSpots, Lake
Reports and so much more for free! Want to change your password? Did you get
a new email address? Visit the website of whichever app you have and find the
“Members Area” to update all of your user information!
Most Active Lakes in the iFish Series
E YOUR APP
arbque “I LOV
h
@UPnSMoKeB r as saying it’s pretty muc
fa
as
go
en
ev
& I’d
an iPhone!”
why I bought
.
test app I have
his is the grea
@BComisso “t find over 200 new lakes
e
It has helped m w years. I would be lost
st fe
during the pa
without it!”
well worth
“Love this app,
@CULLY1982 tantly used it last season,
ns
the money. I co lakes and caught tons of
ss
tle
un
co
d
foun
fish. Thanks!”
p, keeps you
2 “awesome ap
@Dalecamp7 all the HotSpots in Sask”
of
well informed
AMAZING!!”
g “your app is
in
sh
yfi
ofl
m
@ve
Where’s everyone’s favorite fishing holes across Canada? These lakes have the
most Views, HotSpots and Lake Feedbacks; making them the most active lakes in
our iFish Series.
iFish Magazine : : : 13
NOISY OPTIONS ON ICE
Story by Gord Pyzer
If noisy rattlebaits aren’t part of your winter walleye, pike,
and lake trout arsenal you’re missing a unique, new, cutting
edge option. One, quite frankly, you can’t afford to neglect,
because many times rattlebaits will turn an otherwise
ordinary day on the ice into an extraordinary ice fishing
adventure.
The last handful of winters I’ve spent several days on Lake
Winnipeg, north of Selkirk, Manitoba, ice fishing for the
massive lake’s famous “greenback” walleyes. Granted, the
inland sea is arguably the finest winter walleye fishery on
the planet right now, but even with these stellar credentials,
it is not a “slam dunk”. You still need to fish smart, run and
gun between isolated rock piles and constantly experiment
with different bait and lure presentations.
Still, I can’t recall a single multi-day trip when we haven’t
averaged at least one double digit walleye (and often
several) for each day spent on the ice. The number of “near”
trophy size walleyes, on the other hand, fish in the 28-inch to
30-inch range, has been ridiculous. And the vast majority of
these gorgeous ice-eyes have fallen victim to a noisy, lipless,
rattlebait. Principally, a Rapala Clackin’ Rap or Live Target
Herring or Gizzard Shad Vibration Trap.
Even the giants that haven’t been triggered to bite the
raucous noisemakers were at least first attracted by the
lure, before they swung over and smacked a deadstick
presentation in a hole two or three feet away. It is a deadly
trap we set precisely for the occasion.
you’ll be pardoned for thinking there is no way it can be a
methodical, plodding walleye. It has to be an invigorated
lake trout or a ferocious pike, right?
Wrong.
For some strange reason noisy, throbbing, vibrating, lipless
crankbaits cause walleyes to step out of character in
precisely the same way they do in the summer when they
chase down five- and six-inch long swimbaits skewered
to heavy 1/2-, 3/4- and 1-ounce swimbaits. It is enough to
suggest walleye anglers need to re-visit their perception of
walleye behavior.
Indeed, because walleyes react so animatedly to the noisy
lipless lures in the wintertime, we’ve begun experimenting
Still, the lures are an enigma.
Energizer Bunnies
In extremely shallow, featureless, clear water environments
like Lake Winnipeg, with thousands of anglers driving trucks
and snowmachines over the walleyes’ heads, you’d think a
loud, plump, solid plastic, vibrating, lipless crankbait would
be the worst presentation you could use to attract, let alone
trigger, otherwise educated, anaesthetized, hypothermic
walleyes. But electrify them it does.
Indeed, the first time you watch a fish streak across your
sonar screen and chase down one of the wobbling rattlebaits,
iFish Magazine : : : 15
NOISY OPTIONS ON ICE
with them for the more aggressive species under the ice,
especially for lake trout.
Unlike walleye that prosper in lukewarm water
temperatures, lake trout crave colder surroundings, thriving
in ice box conditions. So, you’d expect if walleyes run down
noisy rattlebaits under the ice that lake trout would devour
them.
And often they do, but here is what
is intriguing: At other times they
will streak across your sonar screen
and cover the bait as though they’re
scratching their heads wondering
what to make of the strange
noisemaker.
But this trout was a spectator, standing still, watching the
lure run away. So, I stopped reeling and let the noisemaker
wobble back down. The trout met it halfway on the fall but
still didn’t hit, eye-balling it up close, as though inspecting
the finish on the bait. After four or five seconds of close
scrutiny, I shook the lure once, felt it wobble and rattle and
the trout ate it gleefully. Many other lake trout have since
reacted the same way.
For some strange reason noisy,
throbbing, vibrating, lipless
crankbaits cause walleyes to step
out of character...
I’ll not forget the first time I watched it happen. Doug Stange
and I were filming an episode of In-Fisherman Ice Guide
television and at our first stop of the morning, on a shallow
shelf that juts out from shore before breaking into 60 feet of
water, I watched a lake trout rocket up after my lure.
When we see trout do this, our normal response is to take the
bait away from the fish, by reeling it up toward the surface as
though it is a fleeing whitefish, ciscoe or smelt. When we do
this, the trout usually turn on the afterburners, streak after
the lure and overtake it with a crushing thud.
But, about 10-percent of the time, a
lake trout will appear on the sonar
screen, chase the bait a single time
- like a muskie following a figure-8
bait through one revolution - and
then lazily swim away. And once
departed you can’t call the fish
back for love nor money.
Which is bizarre when you think about it, because these
wimpy lake trout are seemingly reacting to the lures the way
you would assume walleyes would, while the walleyes are
crushing the noisemakers like lake trout.
Go figure.
A Work In Progress
To date, we don’t have enough experience with the lures
iFish Magazine : : : 16
NOISY OPTIONS ON ICE
to fully pattern pike. From the northerns we have enticed,
however, it appears the fish react to the clackers as they do
to other horizontal jigging lures like Rapala Jigging Raps and
Northland Puppet Minnows, perhaps the best lures ever
made for wintertime pike jigging.
In other words, instead of attacking from out of nowhere
in a ferocious assault, you spot a thick band on your sonar
screen slowly rising up from the bottom and covering your
lure. Then, one or two light shakes of your rod tip usually
seals the deal.
Want to read more Gord?
Gord Pyzer is the Fishing Editor of Outdoor Canada
Magazine, Field Editor of In-Fisherman Magazine and
Co-Host of the Real Fishing Radio Show. In 2009, Gord
was inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame.
I suspect the noisy clackers will excel along deep weedlines
and in stained water situations where they will call in pike
much as they do the nomadic walleyes, but only more time
on the ice will tell.
I suspect the noisy clackers will excel along deep weedlines
and in stained water situations where they will call in pike
much as they do the nomadic walleyes, but only more time
on the ice will tell.
In the meantime, we have enough experience with the noisy
rattlebaits to know that you always need to have one tied
onto at least one of your walleye rods as many days, it will
account for the most and the biggest fish.
For lake trout, we’ll still have a white tube jig or similar
soft plastic lure in the starting rotation, but we won’t
hesitate to have a noisy lipless crankbait warming up in the
bullpen. Indeed, like the ace starter in the rotation, noisy,
lipless, rattlebaits can be very good but they’re not magic.
Sometimes they’ll stumble and falter, although most days
they will win the game handily for you. And in the right
situation, they will be remarkable.
And so the experiment continues.
iFish Magazine : : : 17
DIRECTIONS
PREP TIME 5 minutes
COOK TIME 6 minutes
SERVES 4 servings
DIFFICULTY LEVEL Easy
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 cup clarified butter
1 1/2 pounds fresh, skinned lake perch
Feeling a bit spicy?
Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the flour
for an added kick!
1
Mix flour, paprika, and salt together and set
aside.
2
In a small bowl, blend the egg and the half and
half. Heat butter in a large sauté pan.
3
Dip perch fillets in egg wash first and then into
the flour mixture.
4
Carefully place them into the hot butter in the
sauté pan and brown on both sides.
5
Remove from the butter and drain on a paper
towel to absorb excess butter.
6
Add garnish to your liking, and serve to your
awaiting guests!
iFish Magazine : : : 18
All Perch, All the Time
Also Known As: Perca flavescens, lake perch, perch, American perch, striped perch, coon perch, jack perch.
Yellow Perch are mostly found in the
northern half of the United States and
throughout Canada. The largest and most
abundant perch are considered to be in
Great Lakes drainage areas.
Colors can vary among fish, but generally the perch’s
back will range from bright green to dark green or gold-
Primarily a lake fish, sometimes found in ponds, rivers and
slow moving streams. Usually found in 30 feet of water,
with small fish relating to shorelines and larger ones
heading for deeper water.
» Perch prefer cool, clear water.
» Perch spawn shortly after ice out.
» Perch exceeding 13-14 inches are considered “jumbos”
en brown. Sides are bright yellow to brassy-green and
the back color extends down in tapering, vertical bars.
World Record Perch – 4 lbs 3 oz.
New Jersey - 1865
Alberta Record Perch - 2 lbs 15.5 oz.
Perch are known for
their delicious white,
flaky flesh, similar
to walleyes.
Island Lake - 1982
Saskatchewan Record Perch - 2 lbs 7.4 oz.
Pagan Lake - 1991
Ontario Record Perch - 2 lbs 6.7 oz.
Lake Erie - 2003
To catch yellow perch you need lures and
jigs that attract their attention, bring them
close and make them strike.
Small perch hang out in schools and are common
forage for walleye and other predators until they
reach a size large enough that they will actually begin
traveling with walleye in search for food.
iFish Magazine : : : 19
Icons Land - http://www.icons-land.com
ICE FISHING TIP UP SYSTEMS
Interested in trying something new? Tip-ups provide an exciting way to increase your winter catch, and today’s high performance models are available
in a variety of styles, each engineered to meet various situations.
Traditional “Stick” Tip-Ups
Underwater Tip-Ups
“Stick” models define tip-ups:
Devices supporting line filled
spools and highly visible “flags”
that pop up to indicate strikes.
Stick tip-ups feature bases with
spools mounted on one end, floppy
metal strips tipped with bite
signaling “flags” on the other and
a trip wire in-between. This base
is framed by two cross-supports
that straddle the hole, allowing the
spool to be lowered into the water.
When a fish strikes, the spool
turns, tripping the signal flag.
Underwater tip-ups are more specialized.
The frames are flat and support a tube enclosing a shaft
with a spool on one end and trip release on the other. Signal
flags are positioned on spring loaded wires attached to the
topside of the frame.
To set, fold the tube mechanism down, lower the spool into
the water and slip the flag wire under the trip. When a fish
bites, the spool turns, spinning the trip and releasing the flag.
Since the spool is underwater your
line won’t freeze, and quality models such as HT’s Fisherman
feature trip wires placed within a lubricant filled tube to
promote smooth operation.
Advantages: Low cost; larger diameter spools feature
greater line capacity and make spooling line faster. High
profile frames are highly visible when fishing deep snow.
Premium models like HT’s Polar feature shafts immersed in
a sealed, lubricant packed tube that allow the shaft to spin
smoothly, in fact, HT guarantees the Polar against freeze-up!
In addition, the lightweight, V-shaped frames won’t freeze
down, multiple setting trips and adjustable tubes allow a
variety of drag settings, and the folding, compact design is
easy to store and transport.
Wood framed underwaters like HT’s Husky are advantageous
when larger, longer, heavier frames are desired, such as
when fishing larger diameter holes.
Advantages: Ultra-smooth trips, easy to use, adjustable,
versatile.
iFish Magazine : : : 20
bottom. A spool with another magnet mounted on the lip is
positioned at the tube base.
To set, the shaft is pressed within the tube and the spool
turned so the magnets align. Magnetic tension holds the
shaft down inside the tube--yet offers minimal resistance
when biting fish turn the spool--which, breaking the
magnetic force, causes the shaft to rise, exposing the flag.
Advantages: Ultra-smooth trips, easy to use, mechanism
won’t freeze, holes always remain open.
Thermal Tip-Ups
Thermal tip-ups take the “underwater” concept a step
further.
Consider HT’s Polar Therm. The mechanism is identical to
the underwater Polar, but instead of featuring flat, open
frames, the freeze-proof mechanisms are mounted on
round, plastic hole covers.
These frames cover holes, trapping the thermal energy
of the water and preventing holes from freezing even in
extreme temperatures, plus prevent light and blowing snow
from entering the hole.
Polar Therms also feature telescopic flag wires. Extended,
they make flags more visible from a distance or in deep snow.
Advantages: Ultra-smooth trips, easy to use, mechanism
won’t freeze, holes always remain open.
Wind Tip-Ups
A number of specialty tip-ups are also available. A
particularly effective design is HT’s Windlass, which uses
wind to jig your presentation.
After coming off the spool, your line passes through a spring
loaded “rocker arm.” This arm is driven downward against
the spring tension by wind. Whenever the wind eases,
the adjustable, spring loaded system lifts the rocker arm.
Jigging action can be varied depending on wind velocity and
the amount of spring tension set by the angler.
Since the Windlass incorporates an exposed spool and line,
it’s advisable to use a hole cover, particularly during subfreezing temperatures or blustery conditions where ice or
blowing snow might otherwise accumulate within the hole
and freeze your line.
Advantages: Jigging action keeps baits moving and allows
use of lightweight, flashy lures to help attract fish.
If you’re not including tip-ups in your winter strategies,
you’re overlooking a fun, highly productive means of icing
more fish. Don’t miss out! This winter, try adding tip-ups to
your arsenal.
You won’t be disappointed.
Magnetic Tip-Ups
These ingenious tip-ups feature super-sensitive trips.
A tripod stand supports a tube concealing a shaft with a bite
indicating flag on top and spring loaded magnet at the
iFish Magazine : : : 21
TIMING THE WINTER WALLEYE BITE
We’ve said it many times before, but it bears repeating
again: walleyes are negatively phototactic animals. They see
better in the dark than they do in bright light. In fact, they
loathe the spotlight. Give them dark options in which to live
and they will cling to the shadows even when oxygen levels
plummet to near-lethal levels.
How light holds sway over a walleye’s behavior is nothing
short of remarkable. Especially in the winter, when the big
eyed fish’s world is cast in seemingly total darkness, sealed
beneath several inches of light blocking ice and snow. Yet,
even in this dark eerie coal mine of an environment, a
walleye can see the images, details and colors on your lure
perfectly, at light levels many thousands of times less than
those present where you’re currently reading this page.
But that is only half of what you need to know about light
triggering winter walleyes to bite. The other piece of the
puzzle is that while the fish adore dim lighted conditions,
what goads them into feeding is when the light trickling
down to where they live changes the most rapidly. In other
words, at dawn and dusk. And of the two, dusk is significantly
more powerful – regardless of the amount of ice and snow
covering the lake, the seasonal winter period, the weather
conditions and the absolute amount of light. To put it more
simply, it is a scientifically proven fact that walleye feeding
peaks 30 minutes before sunset.
The best time to catch walleyes is at
dusk and if you can only get out on
the ice for an hour or so during the
day, late afternoon is unquestionably
the best time to do it.
So, the best time to catch walleyes is at dusk and if you
can only get out on the ice for an hour or so during the
day, late afternoon is unquestionably the best time to do
it. But practical ice fishing experience and science also has
combined to show us that you can catch walleyes during the
day, often quite well, provided you take water clarity and
forage options carefully into consideration.
Case in point: last winter while
filming a walleye segment for the new
In-Fisherman ice fishing series, Doug
Stange and I fished for mid-February
walleyes in a crystal clear lake trout
lake. From about 8:30 in the morning
until darkness enveloped us at 6:00
o’clock in the evening, we drilled a
score of holes around half a dozen prime walleye locations,
landing one lake trout around 18-pounds and missing
another close to 30-pounds. We also iced more than a dozen
yellow perch, two dozen smallmouth bass and an 18-pound
northern pike.
But we didn’t catch a single walleye, not one, until the
plummeting sun hit the horizon around 4:30 in the afternoon.
The first few fish were small, which is typically the case,
followed by several 17- to 19-inch fish, which is also typical
of the pattern. Finally, a group of 20- to 22-inch walleyes
flooded up and over the top of the structure. The action
was fast in more ways than one. Blink and you would have
missed it. Drilled holes on the wrong side of the structure
and you wouldn’t have caught a fish.
Early in the winter, when the walleyes are at the very tail end
of their late fall fattening up feeding frenzy, the sunset bite
iFish Magazine : : : 24
TIMING THE WINTER WALLEYE BITE
on clear water lakes generally lasts a little longer, but we’re
only talking an additional 15 to 30 minutes. Ditto at last ice
in the spring. During the rest of the winter, however, the
fact remains that on clear water Shield-type lakes where
walleyes feed primarily on suspended soft-rayed forage
fish like ciscoes, shad and smelt, the action is predominately
concentrated around prime structural features when light
levels diminish the most abruptly. That time is 90 minutes
prior to dawn and 30 minutes prior to dusk.
Now, compare that with the activity level in a walleye lake
with much darker water, only a few miles away from where
Doug and I were fishing, where the primary forage is yellow
perch. The peak bite on water bodies like this still occurs at
dawn and dusk when the rate of light change is most rapid,
but you can still catch numbers of nice walleyes throughout
the day, provided you fish at the right depth which will vary
seasonally based on the thickness of the ice and snow and
current daily weather conditions.
The important point to emphasize on
these stained and/or darker water
lakes is that you will find the fish
holding near the bottom at depths
that correspond to their optimal light
levels. In winters, when the ice and
snow is thin and the day that you’re
fishing is sunny, the walleyes may be
25, 30, even 35 feet or more deep.
In colder winters with thicker ice and deeper snow depths,
however, you may find the same fish during the day in water
as shallow as 17- or 18-feet deep if the weather conditions
are cloudy or overcast. The combinations and permutations
are obviously limitless; hence, the need to take the variables
into account each day and to drill holes in a variety of water
depths.
It also pays to know how a particular structure is laid out
as well as where the edges and sweet spots are located,
as walleyes will subtly shift their positions and follow the
shadows around a structure during the day as the sun
crosses the sky from east to west.
And what role do forage fish play in this game of timing the
bite? Again, it depends on the lake type, water clarity and
light conditions you’re facing.
Now, I’ll admit that what follows is pure speculation on
my part, but when ciscoes and smelt are the primary food
objects in clear water Shield-type lakes, the baitfish suspend
actively in the water column during the day time. I have no
doubt that walleyes occasionally pick off a few of these open
water wanderers in the winter, but at the same time I’ve
caught thousands of tulibees – intentionally for fun as well
as for bait, and unintentionally while jigging for whitefish –
yet I have never hooked a walleye while doing so.
Maybe it is just me, but in the frigid water of winter, in
Shield-type lakes with clear water, I believe the warmer
water-loving walleyes are simply ill equipped to chase these
cold water-loving forage fish in the middle of the frigid water
column. So, they bide their time until the tables turn, the
advantages shift and the light levels bring the plankton and
the plankton feeders shallower and closer to structures at
sunset.
iFish Magazine : : : 25
TIMING THE WINTER WALLEYE BITE
In winters, when the ice and snow is
thin and the day that you’re fishing
is sunny, the walleyes may be 25, 30,
even 35 feet or more deep.
In addition, yellow perch, which are always classic walleye
food and which also inhabit most of these clear water
walleye lakes, have very poor night vision. As a result, they
become inactive at dusk and rest on the bottom of the very
same points, bars, shelves and reefs when the walleye are
invading the structures. It is the reason the last light walleye
bite on these clear water Shield-type lakes is typically so
condensed, concentrated and turbo-charged.
It is a much different story, however, in the somewhat
shallower, moderately deep, stained, darker water Shieldtype lakes. Yellow perch are typically far more abundant.
Plus, the perch are found around the very same structures
that winter walleye favor. In fact, the best sign usually of
good things to come, is the fact you’re catching perch while
ice fishing for walleyes. But here is the key: optimal walleye
light levels are typically found at, or at least close to the
depths at which the perch are dancing. So, while the walleye
bite may still peak at dawn and dusk, you can generally catch
plenty of fish throughout the day.
Which brings us, perhaps, to the ultimate winter walleye
scenario. The relatively shallow, flat, featureless lakes with
only one or two slightly deeper (less than 20-foot) pockets
of richly stained or very dark water where yellow perch
provide plenty of food. These are often the lakes where you
catch weed walleyes in the summer, only in the winter, you’ll
catch the fish throughout the day focusing on the slightly
deeper isolated pockets.
Better yet, as marvelous as these mundane looking lakes can
be in an otherwise normal winter, they shine even brighter
when above average ice thicknesses and/or snow depths
blanket the surface. The same thing happens if you hit the
ice with heavy cloud cover blanketing the sky. Because
timing the winter walleye bite, is all about exploiting the
fish’s Achilles heel.
The 1, 2, 3’s of Taking Kids Ice Fishing
So you want to take your kids ice fishing? Target areas with a high likelihood of success. Most kids are satisfied
catching lots of smaller fish such as bluegills rather than catching fewer, bigger fish such as bass. Catching a few
fish on the first few outings will peak children’s interest and make them look forward to the next trip.
Choose a place that is easy to get to, comfortable
and safe. Make sure everyone is dressed warm,
bring snacks and a first aid kit. This will make your
trip enjoyable for everyone.
Keep them interested. Catching fish is the ultimate
goal, try fishing for more catchable fish – Bluegills
or Crappies. The chances of catching something
is greater then some of the bigger fish. For kids,
quantity will matter more than size.
Let the child create their own experience. Allow
them to help by giving them easy jobs such as
helping mark where the hole will be drilled, cleaning
the ice from the holes, or scooping minnows from
the minnow bucket. Kids will be more engaged if
they aren’t just sitting watching you set everything
up.
Keep the rules and instructions short and easy
to follow. Set a shorter amount of time for actual
fishing (1-2 hrs) kids tend to get bored quickly.
(This is where the snacks come in) Make sure you
enforce safety constantly; no one wants to step in
the cold water hole!
Make sure younger kids have life jackets and extra
clothes, without fail, their mittens will end up wet.
A sled is always a great idea too; many lakes have
banks close to shore to keep a smile on their face.
Bring your camera! Kids love to see themselves
in photos, and holding that first fish will be a
memorable moment.
Above all, have patience. You will be bait hooks
and landing fish for them often. On your fishing
trips with youngsters, they will get dirty, fall
down or even get wet. By taking the time to
introduce children to fishing, you may end up
with a fishing buddy for life.
Happy Fishing!
How to Find Fish
in Winter
Story by Tom Gruenwald
It may seem overwhelming. Targeting
fishing waters, that is, covered by
thick layers of ice and snow.
From above, it’s hard to believe there’s
a colorful, living world concealed
below this frozen layer of white, but
there is, and within it fish continue
their daily activities. Finding them
can be intimidating, but strategies are
available to make your efforts more
efficient and productive.
Know Your Species
The most important thing is having an
understanding of your target species,
their habits, inherent behaviors
and preferences, then applying this
knowledge to the waters you’re
planning to fish.
If you know your target species favors
specific habitats and is likely to be
active during certain daily periods
and weather conditions, you can
use this to your advantage. Tie this
in with an understanding of their
preferred forage, the environment
you’re fishing and how far the season
has progressed, and you can begin
to decipher locations that may be
productive.
For example, if you know your target
species prefers feeding on baitfish on
mid-depth, gravel bottom structures
and known to feed mostly at night
during stable weather periods, this
provides a strong start. But now you
must apply this basic knowledge to
the lake you’ll be fishing.
A little research on your target water
may reveal it’s a deep, clear water
lake with a largely rock/sand bottom
and strong population of baitfish that
spawn during late winter. A followup call to the region’s biologist may
also reveal these baitfish gather on
shallow, mid-lake gravel reefs during
late ice.
iFish Magazine : : : 28
With such information, you can begin
closing in on a solid strategy.
Lake Maps
First, obtain a detailed lake map,
and identify primary fish attracting
structures.
Visiting with local
biologists, guides or other anglers
willing to share information may not
only help you find potential structural
features, but perhaps even specific
reefs that have proven productive in
the past.
HOW TO FIND FISH IN WINTER
Examine each reef closely, always
looking for secondary features
such as lengthy points, fingers and
extensions featuring distinct turns
or breaks, especially those featuring
additional fish attracting cover such
as rock piles, sand bars, boulders or
fish cribs. These locations are more
likely to draw larger concentrations of
forage—and hence your target fish.
Yet each must be prioritized when
planning any productive strategy. I
recommend noting GPS coordinates
for all potential locations, marking
those that appear most productive,
and numbering them in order of
priority. To maximize your efficiency,
plan your timing—in this case,
perhaps, fishing at night during late
winter--then establish an efficient,
mobile pattern for covering each
feature before entering the respective
coordinates into your GPS.
GPS
GPS, or global positioning systems,
are becoming increasingly popular for
ice fishing applications. Small units
attach
easily
to the dash of
a
four-wheeler
or
snowmobile;
convenient handheld models can
simply be kept
in your pocket.
Just turn them
on, enter your
coordinates, and
let this technology
guide you directly
to your pre-determined spots.
But this gets even better! Many units
not only guide you to specific desired
locations, but also feature embedded
lake maps revealing details of your
target locations, including bottom
contours and depths. A step above
these embedded maps are charting
chips, essentially memory cards
encoded with detailed maps of lakes
within specific regions. These add
cost, but also allow you to download
considerably more structural detail,
including “satellite overlay,” a feature
essentially providing 3-D visual
mapping!
Modern technology also offers
another cost effective option: Smart
Phone Apps. For a relatively small
investment, you can download
detailed “lake map apps” into your
smart phone, then use its GPS feature
and app to navigate the ice while
enjoying information and tips shared
by other anglers—perhaps even those
fishing the same waters you are at the
same time.
Sonar
Once on location, you can confirm
what the map has revealed — depth,
bottom content,breaks, features—
The All-In-One App for Fishing
www.AppsForAnglers.com
iFish Magazine : : : 29
HOW TO FIND FISH IN WINTER
plus forage and fish—using sonar.
You can also use underwater cameras, which allow you to
visually identify specifically what bottom content type, form
of cover, forage and species of fish are present.
By answering these questions, you’ll soon find following this
modern system will not only allow you to find more winter
fish, but catch them more consistently as well.
Both technologies can also be used to confirm the depth
active fish are holding, and noting the conditions, monitor
their response to various presentations. Patterns will
emerge.
Just rig your favorite premium gear to begin the quest. Drill
holes throughout the highest potential areas, setting a few
tip-ups along select features, and always being sure to cut
plenty of extra holes for jigging.
Continue using sonar and underwater cameras to place your
baits nearest the largest concentrations of fish, and watch
how they respond to various presentations.
What lure styles, sizes, colors and bait tippers are producing
best? What depth? Are fish responding as the baits are
being lowered, lifted or held in place? Using what jigging
motion, aggressive or gentle?
Wherever you are on May 23rd, you can join Theo Fleury
in raising awareness about childhood sexual abuse.
iFish Magazine : : : 30
Please note products that appear in this section have not been tested, nor are endorsed by, the iFish Magazine. We welcome submissions from manufacturers or distributors for
this section. Submissions can be sent to: [email protected] or hard copies to Editor, iFish Magazine, 9320 49th St. Edmonton, AB T6B 2L7
Scotty Knife Sharpener
Simply hold the sharpener in one hand and
draw your knife through the sharpening
blades. The result is a razor sharp knife
blade in seconds!
iFish Alberta Apparel
Humminbird Ice 55 Flasher
Deck yourself out for your next
fishing trip with our high-quality
tees and hoodies!
Industry-best fiber-optic flasher display
that offers unmatched performance and
gives greater distinction between targets
in the beam
Fishing Monopoly
This game is sure to reel you in. Monopoly
for fishing enthusiasts. You can fish for
the most coveted species, and the
six collectible pewter tokens
include Tackle Box, Lure,
Reel, Fisherman’s Hat, Net
and Waders
Eskimo Shark Z71
Power Auger
Exclusive Viper engine - the
only engine built specifically for
ice augers. Viper’s high torque/high
RPM delivers unmatched cutting speed
Ice Stopper Kit
Ice stopper amazingly keeps ice from
forming on your line even under extremely
cold conditions. Eliminates frequent ice
hole cleanings!
Coleman Procat PerfectTemp
Catalytic Heater
InstaStart ignition for matchless lighting
and battery operated fan provides
increased heat circulation up to 20 hr.
Designed for indoor use, but requires
proper ventilation
Eskimo Quickfish 6 Shelter
The QuickFish 6 is one of three in the PopUp Portable category. As the most portable
ice shelter on the market, an angler has
complete mobility to go where the fish
are. A backpack holds the shelter for easy
transport.
Chipper Dipper Jiffy Ice Drills
Plated solid steel
Engraved fish measure on handle
Dipper strainer
iFish Magazine : : : 31