Ice fishing’s draw warms up the winter months, even for old salts!
Most people know me as a salty character, but I’m stone cold. Ice runs through my veins. Generations of Honachefskys before me dusted off the tip-ups, bundled up and drilled holes by hand to fish through the hardwater.
Wintertime ice fishing was not just a happening, it was a family affair. Every winter when Spruce Run Reservoir or Lake Hopatcong would freeze up enough to walk upon, sleds were loaded and strapped down tight with ice fishing gear, charcoal grills and warm adult beverages, then dragged out on the slick surfaces and set up for a day of pure enjoyment, pulling yellow perch, chain pickerel, and sunnies through the ice.
Over the years, my ice game was honed to target some serious class fish including 10- to 20-pound northern pike, trophy muskies and even hybrid stripers in New Jersey waters. When the snow falls and your breath comes out as smoke, you know it’s getting close to time to hit the hardwater.
Transition periods define how fish feed whether it be in the salt or freshwater. The first real ice fishing transition period is the hiatus of angler participation between the first real freeze of lakes and ponds where no anglers are able to target fish as the ice is too thin to get on, yet too thick for normal freshwater fishing. That hiatus of non-angling pressure and first fishable ice is when fish build up to get aggressive and hungry. The first safe ice is usually 5 inches for my liking, but can be accessed at 4 inches for those lightweight individuals. This is the best time for action and may occur in late December or early January before the spots have been pounded.
Generally speaking, first ice is black ice with no snow cover then, so your fishing can be in clear conditions with less insulation from the covering snowfall. Search for areas to fish that have visual milfoil, ledges and ridges, white foamy current cracks where underwater currents may meet and set up tip-up spreads accordingly, working different levels of depth to find where schooling perch, pike and bass are hanging on. Creek mouth inflows and outflows and coves are also hot spots to start on. As well, time your outings when moments of low pressure are moving through.
Chasing Flags
Tip-ups are the poster picture for ice fishing, and super simple gear can get the job done. I use old school homemade X tip-ups crafted by my grandfather from the 1940s painted dark blue; the original cloth flags have worn over time and are now replaced with cut pieces of hunter orange No Trespassing signs. Tip-ups and fish traps are the easiest, and in my opinion, the most exciting way to target ice denizens. The thrill of seeing an orange flag of the tip-up go off is like no other as anticipation of the triggered flag and the realization of seeing the spool run wild, vibrating off line can shake your knees.
Upon seeing the spool run off line, let the fish take the bait; gently pull the tip-up out of the ice hole holding the wooden brackets so the line can still spool off freely, and when the fish stops running, set the tip-up down and start pulling the line in gingerly until you feel the weight, then set the hook pulling on the line with a sharp jerk of your hands. Allow the fish to run if it’s big, but you can generally keep pulling hand-over-hand to hoist up the fish through the hole in due time. Remember, your hands are the drag, and if there’s something large on the end, let the fish pull and do a little “give and take” until you gain the advantage tiring it out.
Generally speaking tip-up outfits are rigged with the dacron line tied to a small 50-pound barrel swivel, a pinched piece of split shot, then a 2-foot section of 8 to 15-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon line tied to a size #4 octopus or circle hook to which a live shiner is hooked through the back behind the dorsal fin or through the lips. A good general place to start presenting baits is to set the line roughly 2 to 3 feet above the bottom of the lake floor.
Jigs & Big Baits
The names alone of tiny jigs crack me up – Rufus Jr. Rat Finkie, Pilikki jig – but they serve a serious purpose and that’s to trick fish. Jigs generally are moderated to smaller species like yellow perch, bluegill, largemouth and smallmouth bass. Tip a jig with a mousie or spike maggot for added attractant and work the water column dropping down to the bottom first, letting it waver around, then reeling in 2 feet and repeating until you get close to the hole to find fish.
If you have sonar, you’ll know where the fish are staging at to maximize your presentation in the proper depth. The key to jigging success is not to over jig, but to simply vibrate the tip of the jig rod ever so subtlety. Jigging is a more active approach to fishing, so when you are drilling holes, pick a good ledge that may drop in depths from 4 to 20 feet over a span to punch a string of holes then hole hop and jig to find feeding schools of perch and bass.
Keep in mind that some serious fish can be muscled through the ice; 20-pound muskies, 4-pound pickerel, 5-pound lake trout, landlocked salmon and 15-pound northern pike are all possibilities when ice fishing in the Garden State. All monster fish I’ve pulled through the ice revolve around big baits – large 6- to 8-inch shiners, live trout, and livelined sunfish. Most have been caught on tips-ups, though the gear is upped accordingly with 40-pound fluorocarbon leader and size 3/0 Octopus hooks. Adjust the tension on the spool so the bait doesn’t continually trip a false flag.
When a large fish is on the line, it may take up to 10 or 15 minutes to work the fish into the hole where the game is won or lost. Guide the head of the fish into the hole, then reach down with a lip gripper, or if you plan on keeping a fish, a small hook gaff can stick the fish in the mouth and be hoisted up. The key to success is getting a proper angle and not letting the leader scrape against the bottom of the ice hole as a snapped leader can end the fight prematurely.
| NJ’S GREAT LAKES |
| Though any farm pond can offer up success, perennial hot spots include:
Lake Hopatcong |
Ice fishing has a way to bring family and friends together for some serious fun. I think the real draw to hit the hardwater is a combination of factors. The sheer pursuit of heading out in subzero temps as a group to target fish when everyone else is warm and comfy inside is one facet, however ice fishing is much more than the pursuit of fish. The grill is fired up with crackling hot kielbasa and burgers ready to warm your insides, moments of solitude and silence are broken in immediate chaos of a flag tripping up, but most importantly, laughter, memories and tall tales are told that are passed down for generations to come.
When you hear the first yell of “Tip Up!” on a frigid winter morning, you’ll understand why.
