Hi Folks, The ice is slowly but surely coming along. I’ve been moving around a bit ice fishing as more bodies of water are becoming safe. I am finding anywhere from 4” to 11” of ice. Plenty safe to walk on. Still I suggest that each ice angler personally test ice conditions versus trusting online posts. There is not room for error ice fishing. Today and tomorrow will be slightly above freezing with some rain and snow. The pike fishing has been steady. Early ice is always good for chasing northern pike. We have located fish in 8’ to 12’ of water off the edge of a large weed beds. Tip-ups spread out over a football field distance have been a productive approach. Baits have been large golden Shiners and small yellow perch. We have been catching a lot of yellow perch with a jig stick. Hali jigs tipped with maggots produce mostly smaller fish. Hali jigs tipped with minnows have produced larger perch. I just started guiding trout trips this week. We set tip-ups over deeper water . Spread out the tip-ups from 20’ to 50’ of water. However, all of our baits were set from just under the ice to 15’ down. The brown trout we landed took a small fat head minnow 5’ under the ice. When we landed the fish it coughed up several rainbow smelt. Smelt are a large part of the trout’s diet where I fish. Catching smelt is fun and I love to eat them. I like small hook jigs like Halis tipped with a maggot for catching smelt. Fishing later in the day into night seems to be prime time. The fish will elevate in the water column. Especially if you use a green light to attract them. Ice fishing is in full swing. Still ice conditions are still not perfect everywhere. Take the necessary safety equipment along and make good decisions. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non -native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
