Northern Ice Belt Fishing

For southerners, fishing through a hole in the ice on a freezing cold lake does not sound like a great day fishing. However, ice fishing is an immensely popular sport in the northern “ice belt” states. We had the opportunity to speak with three ice anglers whose enthusiasm for their craft is contagious.

Nathan Krusko, from New York state, is a tournament ice fisher. He is a true expert with high-tech approaches, and he and his partner head up the Northeast Ice Fishing group. Whether you are a newbie wanting to get started ice fishing or a die-hard ice angler looking for tips and advice from the experts, you can find a storehouse of information at the Tales & Reports Podcast Show featuring Ice Fishing.

Krusko started ice fishing like many in the sport—from his childhood fishing trips with his dad. “Back then it was really rude and crude and really simplistic in a lot of ways,” Krusko admits, but he was hooked on the sport and eventually found he had great success when he entered the realm of higher-tech fishing with the help of electronic gear. “It’s very addicting,” he warns, “You really get hooked and you can’t walk away from it. I talk about this in June, July and August, that’s how hooked you can get.”

One of the great things about ice fishing is that it is accessible to anyone. Krusko points out that a newcomer can get into the sport for around $100. All you need is a hand auger for drilling holes in the ice, a $20-$30 fishing pole combo, a handful of lures, 2-4 lb line, and bait.

Captain John Gribble from Port Clinton, Ohio, also encourages newcomers to give ice fishing a try. Even though many species caught through the ice are smaller, Captain Gribble catches walleye as large as twelve pounds. Although the cold temperatures of winter fishing tend to slow the fish down, Gribble points out that “on an ultra light 30 inch ice rod, you definitely got your hands full…those fish put up a fight coming up through there.” If you want to get in on the action, Captain John says “Lake Erie is definitely the walleye capital of the world.” People come from across the country to fish the area. He says the best conditions to look for are crystal clear ice in about the 8” range, and free of snow, which can insulate the ice and thin it.
As for creature comforts, Gribble personally prefers fishing the old fashioned way, just sitting on a bucket out in the weather. But don’t worry; he uses cozy pop-up shelters for his charter customers!

Nathan Krusko and John Gribble both point out that ice fishing has come a long way as the sport has evolved and gained popularity among the gadget-loving generations. It used to be that anglers would start with the top end of an old standard rod, cram that into a dowel, wrap a line around, and see what they catch. “More often than not,” Krusko jokes, “you just end up catching a cold.” Now, however, the gear is more diverse. “There is a wide spectrum of rods, just like you have in the bass world, very specific to the type of fish you’re after and the type of lure you’re using.”

The rod and reel are not the only things to have evolved in recent decades. Advanced ice anglers will use mapping systems and chart plotters to look at the contours under the ice. They are looking for look for points and funnels and other underwater features that would harbor fish. Artificial barriers known as cribs are often put in place by parks and recreation officials in order to attract fish, and these also make good ice fishing spots. “Location, location, location is key,” Krusko advises, “It’s the details that really make for a successful day.” Krusko’s personal approach is to drill over a hundred holes in the area he selects for fishing, then lower the sonar fish finder into the hole and look for fish. If the spot looks promising, he will set up his shelter and go after them. He may spend only a few minutes there before moving on, and he says it is common for him to cover 3-5 miles of Lake Surface in one afternoon.

Krusko’s aggressive tactics may not be for everyone, but they certainly yield results. While pre-fishing in preparation for a tournament in Silver Lake NY, he hooked, landed, then released almost 200 bluegill in the span of only four hours. While that kind of catch may be out of reach for an amateur, Krusko says that even a newcomer can hook 50 fish out there in a day. In fact, Bluegill is one of the best targets for a newcomer because they are easy to find under the ice. “You find a milfoil bed, same place they are found in the summer is where they are in the winter and you’re almost assured to come home with a handful of fish.” His advice to those of us who don’t use the tech gadgets is to ask around about the under-ice terrain, and to follow others’ lead. If you stick to areas where others are fishing, you will benefit from their knowledge of the area. Even more importantly, you will know you are in a safe area where the ice is not too thin. As Krusko points out, “you don’t want to be the only one out on the ice.”

Mark Breitenfeldt, a life-long ice fisher from Saint Paul Minnesota, knows a thing or two about how thin ice can really ruin your day.

Mark put his fish house out early one day on 16” of beautiful clear ice, but that night a heavy fog came up. With no way of finding a safe path back to the road, Mark decided to hunker down for the night. He had a full tank of propane for heat, so he was in no hurry to leave the comfort of his 8’ by 16’ fish house. However, a couple of hours later, he heard a car out on the ice. With fresh tracks to follow, Mark decided to head home. What neither he nor the car ahead of him knew was that a natural spring welled warmer water up to the surface at one point in the lake. Mark followed those tracks right toward the thinner ice, and the next thing he remembers is seeing ice crack his windshield as his Chevy truck nosed down into the frigid water. “This might be it,” was the first thought that ran through his mind, but he was able to jump out and climb onto the truck’s topper and out onto the ice before the truck was submerged in eight feet of water. Was it scary? Of course it was. In fact, Mark was so traumatized by his near-death experience that he didn’t go back out on the ice for a whole…three days.

Clearly, it is important to make sure the ice you fish on is safe. It is good practice to drill holes often and check the thickness of the ice, as conditions can change throughout the day. Mark’s advice on staying safe is even simpler. He gets his wife to walk in front at the start of the season when the ice may be thin. Perhaps that approach may keep him off “thin ice,” but it could land him in hot water with his good wife! “I built the fish house right before I got married,” he jokes, “I figured in case she gives me the boot I have a place to live.”

If anyone has notions of ice-fishing as a test of endurance in harsh, uncomfortable conditions, Breitenfeldt’s ice house would change your mind. The 8’ by 16’ shelter has an elevated double bed, carpet, and color TV. Using a rattle wheel (a wheel with a bell and line around it which signals when a fish is on the line), Mark says, “You can sit around, have a cocktail, and wait for the bell to go off, then run over and bring the fish up.” Not a bad set up!

While even life-long ice fishing enthusiasts can find themselves in dangerous situations, Mark maintains that the small risks are well worth it. “It’s never completely 100% safe,” he concludes, “but gosh darn, what in life is?”

Jana Badger, Bronx NY
Resources: JustGoFishin Tales & Reports Podcast Show Episode #32, Ice Fishing
JustGoFishin.net
http://justgofishin.net/ice-fishing