# Couple ice fishing tricks



## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

Ok so I am bored. Still hopimg for normal winter. That should bring ice between xmas and new years.

1. Cleaning out paint from new jig head eyes. Best tool I have ever used is
one of those stick pins they use for bulletin boards.

2. Using clips on end of line. The ones they use for flyfishing. Permits fast changing of pinmins or jigs to key on the color the fish want that day.

Who else got some tactics or hints they want to share ?


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

rubber bands that are small in diameter make great slip float stops....all thats needed is a simple half knot


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

if youre using waxworms and you catch a couple fish and the waxworm gets beat up and smashed, dont take it off the hook when you rebait. the fish really love the way those tiny bits of meat flutter in the water. it really brings life to a jig. maybe even smash one up a bit before you catch the first fish. also try different actions on a jig. a lifelike jigged jig will outfish a deadsticked jig 10 to 1 sometimes. ive said too much already.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

almost forgot.... i always drop the jig down about a foot and jig it, and if its spinning, i reposition the bait to keep it from spinning. if you can jig and then stop and the bait pretty much stays still or glides a bit and doesnt spin, youre set. but this only matters if youre gonna work the jig a lot.


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## Wannabitawerm (Apr 13, 2004)

I've found that slices of dynamite, about 1/2 inch thick, worked under a float can be very productive. The ice has to 8 inches thick or better to prevent a large hole from forming under your bucket, but the fish practically float into your hole!!!

Just kidding. I've found that long grain rice, not minute rice sprinkled down the hole keeps fish around as it slowly sinks. The deeper it goes, the slower the sink rate. In water deep enough, I've actually seen it sink, suspend, swell, and then slowly float back up. (It was a slow day.)


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Here's one i just read.
Save the scales from the panfish you clean and put them in a baggie of water. Drop some down the hole to create a feeding frenzy. Sort of like the rice thing. I'm gonna give it a try this season and see how well it works.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

i tried the scale thing but there it so much slime on them.


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## Hoosier Daddy (Aug 19, 2005)

Stay Dry!!!!!!!


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

drink wine


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## krustydawg (Apr 26, 2004)

ezbite said:


> drink wine


Blackberry Brandy always hits the spot !


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

dont drink while u r on the ice it makes u loose body heat quicker


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## leeabu (Apr 10, 2004)

My dad always told me to keep the maggots in my mouth to keep them warm! I still don't know if he was right. 

It was already stated to keep the bits of waxwom on your hook but when I put a new one on I will squeeze it a bit till the juice jst starts to ooze out. I believe it make a big difference. 

If not catching fish, every so often bring your jig clear to the the top of the hole and let it drop. Sometimes they are at different depths and sometimes they just want the bait falling.


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## Reel Thing (Apr 5, 2004)

rattles if being beads or spoons jig the daylights out of it to attract and a dropper with a lively minnow to close the deal
geowol


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

if we are talking panfishing.... and if we are talking finicky fish! say you are marking fish and they just look at it and swim away... try raising your rod tip ever so slowly maybe half way to 3/4's of the way up...sometimes that just triggers em! and if they follow it and don't strike well try a smaller diameter line different bait or pinman! they are interested they just know something isn't right! and it also works well lowering it slowly through the water column!


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

i heard that using electrical guitar string to make spring bobbers. but it had to be a medium stiff one. also u ca put a big loop in it from keeping it from freezing. and if it does freeze u just squeeze it and the ice will pop right off.


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

in dingy water use fairy jigs, the clacking blades call the fish in.

for gills and crappie tie a tiny single hook dropper if the fish wont hit at all. Ive tripled my catch since i started doing this. Use a 14 or 16 size hook on about a 3 inch peice of 2-4lb florocarbon leader. the stiffness of pure florocarbon keeps it from tangling with your jig. (preferably a genz bug- tie it between the first and sectond sections) just put one or two maggots on the hook, through the skin on the flat end so that they still wiggle. Very few fish are able to turn this down. with the small hook landing them can be tough on crappie, but its a better problem to have over no fish biting. I take a pair of pliers and change the shape of the hook to have a larger gap and a shorter shank, that helps too. I usually buy these hooks at gander mtn, in the fly fishing section.


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## Wormdunker69 (Apr 8, 2004)

Well excuse me, sorry!


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## Wormdunker69 (Apr 8, 2004)

Well excuse me, sorry!


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## Wormdunker69 (Apr 8, 2004)

Blackberry Brandy is the only way to go, lol. Of course I am only about 60 feet from the ice so I can always head for the house and warm up.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

peple of the perch said:


> dont drink while u r on the ice it makes u loose body heat quicker


thats why shantys were invented(to stay warm while drinking) and dont let anyone tell you different.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

u r problably right there EZbite. lol


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## maniac1 (Nov 23, 2006)

Not really a trick, but if you buy a good sonar unit you will see the depth of the fish and out fish others that don't use sonar. If the fish aren't there you can't catch them. 

James


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## bassmastermjb (Apr 8, 2004)

If fishing for crappie or perch you might want to try this one.I've been using it for the past 30 years and have had very good results.......Save your egg shells over a period of time. When you get a couple dozen saved crunch them up in a ziplock bag to the smallest size you can.Then I'll double bag them and take a hammer to them(gently) and make almost a dust out of them.Big pieces sink too quick, not good.Just grab a pinch and drop in your hole.You'll be able to see them fall with a vex.This works much better than fish scales. The egg shells will look like a school of small minnows.Try it, it works....Mark


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

alright mark, i'll bite and try that...


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

bassmastermjb said:


> If fishing for crappie or perch you might want to try this one.I've been using it for the past 30 years and have had very good results.......Save your egg shells over a period of time. When you get a couple dozen saved crunch them up in a ziplock bag to the smallest size you can.Then I'll double bag them and take a hammer to them(gently) and make almost a dust out of them.Big pieces sink too quick, not good.Just grab a pinch and drop in your hole.You'll be able to see them fall with a vex.This works much better than fish scales. The egg shells will look like a school of small minnows.Try it, it works....Mark


do you need to freeze the egg shells to store for a long time? you cant just leave them out on the kitchen counter, can you?


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## bassmastermjb (Apr 8, 2004)

You'll need to wait until they are dried out before breaking up.I store mine on a shelf in the garage, no need to put in the fridge.With the crappie ice fishing seasons we've had the past 2 years ,I'll be using the same bag again this year.They won't go bad in any condition they're stored in.Good old Fred Drotleff from Bedford Gun & Tackle gave me the tip back in the early 70's.....Mark


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

it better work, or else i'm going to come looking for you!


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

LOL! You guys and your tricks...  

Skills, baby. All I ever needed. :B 

Just kidding. Some good tips here for sure.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

so you fishing the mogadore tournament this year Carl? skills is all it takes baby!


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## ledslinger (Aug 24, 2006)

maniac1 said:


> Not really a trick, but if you buy a good sonar unit you will see the depth of the fish and out fish others that don't use sonar. If the fish aren't there you can't catch them.
> 
> James



hahaha---last time i tried that we saw fish at 12 ft in 30fow and cranked up and fished the hell out of 12 ft---well our minnow bucket was at 6 ft and the echo at 12ft---needless to say we didnt catch a thing but got a few laughs after we realized what we did


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## snake69 (Sep 26, 2005)

I recently read that to attract baitfish, you can drop small amounts of bread crumbs. There was also a mention of something similar, but can't remember it. Along with the egg shells, I thought I'd give it a try. And to Big Daddy, many times, luck will outfish skill. How many times have ya taken a person new to fishing and he kills them. A few years back, I took the girlfriends brother to the Grand River with me. He'd never touched a fishing pole in his life, and after showing where to fish and with what, he caught and landed 3 steelies!


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Yeah, I'll do the Mogadore thing if I'm able to.


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