Advice from experience.
1. If you have no shanty, Pic a calm day and sun is shining. IF fishing when it is windy and cold without a shanty, it gets miserable fast!. It helps a lot if air temp is above 25 or 30F. It allows you to fish without gloves when facing the sun. Plus that way your hole is not always freezing over which makes fishing harder and not as fun. If not calm wind some sort of wind break helps a lot, even if it is a refrigerator box, v angle, or shanty one made from styrofoam building board. There are plans available for cheap easy homemade small ice shanties; prob internet or creativity.
2. Get a cheap ice fishing rod, Cabelas, Gander Mountain WalMart or cut off a old limber fish pole (tip section 12"-24" long). Glue rod tip into handle or get a handle with threaded butt for reel and holding rod tip. I prefer old level wind bait casting reels or a fly fishing reel loaded with 30-50 ft of 1-2 lb test, the rest backing; 4 lb will work but you get a lot more bites with 1-2 lb. I had lots of trouble and agrivation with line tangles using small open faced spinning reels in the wind and freezing cold. One can buy real cheap plastic ice reels that tape onto a pole and work great with real light line.
3. For sunfishes, YP and sometimes bass use small ice jigs (hook #10-12, or 14) baited with wax worms, spikes or mouseies. Sometimes adding 2baits to the jig helps get bites. I've caught CC and HSB that would not fit through a 6" hole on these tiny jigs. The jig imitates large zooplankton and insect larvae. The live bait provides flavor and helps lengthen the bite time. Often it helps to make the jig have small bounces or jumps of 1"-2" and then let it sit still for 15 sec-1 min, then bounce again.
4. Always begin fishing at or just off the bottom. Many use a tiny float; fingernail or smaller size. I prefer spring bobbers which help a lot when detecting a bite, landing a fish (vs bobber) and when fishing in deeper water >8ft. Floating bobbers can be troublesome while ice fishing and ice freezing to the bobber and line. I make my own spring bobbers and can send you one or a picture if you contact me. I almost always catch the most fish near the bottom where they usually hang out during winter due to the slight geothermal affect and slightly warmer water (1-2 degF). I now use a depth finder (flasher) and would not icefish without one.
5. As mentioned, if you don't get a bite in the first 5-10 min begin moving the bait upward in 1-2 ft increments until lure is 4-6 ft deep. If no bites move to a new location, in a pond, move maybe only 20 ft away. Often fish will not bite until close to sunset or the time when they are used to being fed pellets.
6. IF GSH are present expect to get lots of bites from them. They can be bait stealers and pests.
7. the only time I seriously fish my pond is icefishing. My YP are too easy to catch in open water and are easy to catch icefishing due to them rarely getting fished in openwater; thus they are 'dumb' and definately not hook shy. It really makes icefishing fun when you always catch fish and don't get 'skunked'. I really like YP because they are active in winter and if abundant, they are usually willing to co-operate for anglers.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 11/06/10 10:50 PM.
