Hi Folks, It is game on for ice fishing. Nice cold January and severe cold on the way for next week. I’m finding varying thickness of ice. Where I live in Lamoille county the two lakes I guide have 12” and 8” of black ice. More than safe for fishing. I fished a Lake Champlain Bay this week and there was 7” of solid black ice covered by 2” of white ice. Even though it has been cold, still it is wise to carry safety gear and punch holes with a spud bar when venturing onto new ice. I have been targeting northern pike mostly. Catching some beauties. Pike are a fun fish to catch through the ice. They take line, pull back, can be tricky to get through the hole at times, and they are big fish! We have been setting up tip-ups baited with large golden shiners and small yellow perch. I like wounding perch with my jack knife prior setting them down the hole. We have been catching pike in anywhere from 5’ of water to 12’ of water. Always fishing in and around established weed beds. Typically as winter progresses I do find some large pike in deeper water. As I catch smelt through the ice I will use dead smelt on the bottom to entice some larger northern pike. Remember to get your bait endorsement from the state if you plan on moving bait around. I have been trout fishing a little bit. Safe ice has become a reality on many trout lakes over the last 10 days. The trout lake I have fished has 8” of ice. More than safe to walk on. The trout fishing for me has been slow. Yet catching lots of smelt. I like to use a green light under the ice to draw in the microscopic food items that smelt eat. I had smelt right under the shanty the other day. You could seem them through the hole. I love using Hali jigs to catch smelt and yellow perch. I vary the sizes depending on the day and the colors slightly. I’m not convinced that smelt are fussy feeders. I alway tip Hali jigs with maggots or cur bait. The trick is to locate them. I like brighter colors in dingy water like fire tiger, chartreuse and hot orange. Smaller Hali jigs for smelt in gold, silver, copper with hints of blue or green work well in clear water. I like rigging double rigs for jigging. I use a drop shot set-up with a Hali jig as the anchor and a small glow in the dark bibbet as the suspended lure. All of the yellow perch we have been catching have been holding tight to the bottom. Minnow tipped jigs catch the bigger perch. Well, lots of ice fishing options currently. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home! Have Fun, Willy
