Going to hit the river Friday, not sure how I should start, trolling cranks, or lindy rigging or should I just jig? Wondering what everyones thoughts are? Any help would be appreicated…
Thanks
Not sure what species you are targeting but the Walleye are going pretty good right now on Pool 9 with the falling level. Jigging crawlers and leaches as well as trolling cranks.
Never thought I would hear that from anyone after last winter….
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It was in fact a long winter last year. Only irritating part (to me) was the price of propane. The ice fishing was spectacular last year. With the river being as high as it has been for as long as it has been this summer will only improve the quality of fishing late this Fall and come this Winter on the ice!
The gates will go back in early this week at Genoa James.
River is dropping like a rock. Once she stabilizes a bit and the fish re-orientate it will be pretty good fishing for most species. I’m hoping by next weekend.
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TUCR’s loss i guess. Lots of customers out there that would like to pick up a rod, and not drive to BumF no-where to get it.
Just say’n.
The problem I think you would see there is you end up with a “mass produced rod” to fill store shelves. Off the shelf rods don’t get the attention to detail that a lot of the custom rod builders build their reputation and live by. I don’t own a TUCR (wish I did) but based off of what I have seen, they put out great products and I don’t think they want to ruin that reputation by filling store shelves with an inferior product that would end up with a lot of negative reviews.
Not to mention the increased cost when more “hands” touch a product as passes from supplier to customer.
Stripping line is all I’ve ever done as well. Of course I rarely fish water in excessive of 15′ being on the river.
My first in-line was a cheaper Cahill 4/5/6. Wasn’t completely “sold” on in-lines during the rush a few years back and didn’t want to spend big $ on a fad. Heck, manufactures (Frabill, Black Betty, Clam, Eagle, etc..) did not even offer an in-line targeting the ice fishing market back then.
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It seems that the day after a heavy snow is usually slow. Is it the snow or just that a big front has passed?
Astute observation Asch! Fish activity level under river ice drops after a passing front which is usually accompanied with a rising barometer. This becomes more and more pronounced as the winter session wears on too.
Barometric pressure in the winter session correlates well to water level in the spring session. Rising water in the spring just as rising barometric pressure in mid winter usually spells a tough river bite for many species. Fish can be caught in both situations but it takes more effort. “Spot on spot” timely presentations are essential to bury hooks.
Like many….I peak at the forecast before going out fishing. In the open water period my primary concerns are radar and wind speed/direction. In December (first/early ice) I’m looking at wind speed/direction. In Jan & Feb, I’m looking at the barometric pressure trend and wind speed/direction. In March (last ice) wind speed/direction.
My best luck in the mid winter session has been fishing against a stable or slowly falling barometric pressure.
I have both. Use my Premier more frequently however that’s attributed to the set up (reel/line combo) versus the actual stick itself. I’ve had no performance issues with either stick and would happily fish with either.
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Shield off, backlight turned up and face the unit so the sun wont hit it directly, or use your body as a sunblocker…
Bingo! Shaley is right on the money.
Can also adjust the tilt of the display if the wind & sun are tag teaming up on you.
Vanish is my secret ice weapon. Both the 2 and the 4 pound variety pending target species. Three reasons really. 1. Fluorocarbon does not stretch. 2. Fluorocarbon does not absorb water. 3. Strength and limpness are exceptional.
Line issues I had in the past were largely in part a product of a spinning reel and not the line per say. The retrieval action of a spinning reel will twist the line as it is being re-spooled. This action is enhanced and accelerated if you do not have your drag set right when fighting a bigger fish. Should never retrieve with a spinning reel when a fish is pulling drag no matter what type of line you are spooled with, yet it’s a difficult to resist when in the heat of battle.
With that said ~ yes, you can get bad spools of anything (out of box) that never seem to lose the factory memory.
You also have to take into consideration your choice of presentation with your choice of line. For example, not exactly an ideal setup to fish a 1/8oz slender spool with 2 lb mono. Or a #16 gill pill with a heavy braid.
I used to re-spool spinning reels two or three times in a 3 month ice season in my neck. I was quick to blame the line and went through a variety of brands and type of lines.
Four years ago I bought a fly reel as a result of the all the hype. They were the new buzz in ice fishing. A cheap $20 Cahill. I have since converted all my ice rods to fly reels. Line retrieval does not involve any twisting/rolling action off a fly reel. Straight on. Straight off. I spool new line at the beginning of each season now. And it’s a personal choice….Not a must because the line looks like a long lost relative of the original slinky.
I have had no issues with line twist and don’t need to worry about presentations acting like rotating helicopter blades.
I like to target shallow mud flat back waters first ice on the ‘sippi. And when I say shallow I mean 2 to 3 feet of water shallow. 2 reasons.
#1 = Safety. There is no current. If you go through you stick in the mud like a dart to a board.
#2 = Pan fish are plentiful 1st ice.
The cold air mass forming in the Yukon is massive. -22F in Dawson this morning. Couple fronts with a favorable upper jet will usher it southeast in quick fashion.
Pool 9 Mississippi river backwater fishable ice by Thanksgiving is a possibility this year. But I’ll be happy with safe ice by the 1st Saturday in December in my neck.
It was weighed on a digital scale at Schafer’s Bait shop in Onalaska.
9lbs 1oz.
25.5″ long.
And YES. It was caught on the Mississippi River. Not a farm pond corn fed pet.
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I have used the puck over the side of the boat on the LX-7 before specifically in Canada while drifting. Running at any speed would just damage the puck style transducer. I would also suggest getting on of those noodle float things kids use in the water, cut a piece about 8″-10″ long and zip tie to the tranducer cord so it will act like a float over the side of the boat.
Cal hit the nail on the head. Tubular pipe insulation works well zipped tied on each end as well. Anchored or drift jigging are the only techniques I’ve used the set up with the ice ducer.
Along submerged weed lines in places of low or no flow are good targets. An example of such characteristics to look for would be the Stoddard Islands out from the boat landing up on P8. Perch are nomadic in nature and move in and out of accessible areas like this all summer long. Slip bobber rigged with CJS diamond tipped with a pinch of crawler a foot from the floor will often do the trick if they are there.
Shore lines are chewed up with the influx of recent run-off. Railroad ties are serving more than their design intent in at least one access point I know. Once you get on the ice sheet you are good to go but like Duke said ~ I certainly will not be testing known areas where current lurks below until well after the big freeze in only 10 more short months 
Last Friday (before Titan) my daughter and I had a hay-day on 12-inch river slabs.
I fished with the X67C for many years on the hard stuff. Long before the digital era came to fruition with the likes of Marcum and the Birds. The X67C assisted in putting many fish on the ice over the years. The only issue I had with the X67C was it’s inability to filter out noise generated by other flashers in the immediate area while running in the dial graph mode. I was forced to switch over to the traditional scrolling graph. For some people this may not be an issue at all because they prefer the traditional scrolling graph over the dial. I ran an Elite 5 earlier on this season in a “group” of bucket heads and experienced the same issue. Could not run in the dial graph mode without picking up on the interference. Traditional scrolling graph was not a problem. Virtually the same I have experienced with the X67C. With that said, the Low’s are great units. They will show you what you need to know to lend a helping hand in catching (more) fish. But understand they are limited in given situations. Some of which can be controlled. Some of which can not.
I recently watched the movie “Crash” as part of a research paper on diversity. Chris, your story was VERY refreshing to read after watching that movie. 
Here is my 2 cents on learning the icy ropes with kids involved.
Think of the ice fishing session as a trilogy. First Ice. Mid-Winter. Late Ice. Each session has it’s own set of pro’s and con’s. It’s also important to recognize that sessions are not split evenly and usually include a transition period of unequal durations.
First Ice Period. Panfish (Gills & Crappie) are schooled tight. Feeding windows are relatively loose with various fish feeding all day long. Strikes are generally aggressive in nature. On the backwaters of the Mississippi River, most of the schools begin congregating in shallow (less than 5′ deep) back water sloughs and bays in the mid to late Fall session. Where in which they are found during the first ice period. Weed beds are extremely popular areas. On most days in the early ice session, presentation is not all to critical to merely catch fish. A jig with a hook of some sort, tipped with plastics or live bait will do the trick. However, fine tuning a presensation will help put larger fish on the ice. First ice is also dangerous ice. Day to day weather systems have a dramatic impact on ice conditions. I have a 4 & 7 year old. I will not take them until there is at least 5″ of solid ice.
The transition period of first ice to mid winter typically lasts about a week. The previously tightly packed schools begin to spread out. Some begin short migrations to nearby deeper water. Bite windows begin to close from an “all day” event to sporadic activity throughout the day. The bite itself also becomes more and more neutral or subtle. Aggressive strikes are few and far between.
Midwinter session. We are in the mid winter pattern as I type. Perhaps the most difficult of all sessions throughout the year to catch fish. Fish are spread out. For large chuncks of the day most float around in a comatose like state largely in part because of depleted oxygen levels. You see, the once green and lucious weed beds that attracted fish during the late Fall and early ice period now repel them! As the weeds die they begin consumming oxygen versus making oxygen. For midwiter panfish trips I typically downsize my tackle. The 4lb line gets replaced with 2lb line. The 10’s and 12’s CJ&S jigs are replaced with 14’s and 16’s. A sensative spring bobber or sentative rod tip is as close to “a must” that you can get for bite detection even with a flasher. The alternative is to fish with a camera down the hole & pointed right at your presentation. The bite windows themselves are generally very short and neagtive in nature. Couples hours at dusk or dawn. Perhaps a mid-day flurry. Hardly ever the same day to day. One day you catch a descent mess in a 30 minute window at dusk. The next day, same spot, same profile, same time….and you don’t mark a fish let alone get bit.
Negative/Neutral or Aggresive strikes.
An aggressive bite is best described as the fish will strike when the jig is falling down the water column. You can typically “feel” an aggresive strike with a semi sensative rod and definately “see it” on the rod tip or spring bobber. If fishing crappie, a lot of times, the line will merely stop feeding down the hole. It’s as if you are “on bottom” or obstructed. It’s diffiuclt to see a response to the strike in a spring bobber or sensitive rod tip. You see the fish is feeding up. When the strike occurs ~ it’s not “pulling” downward or to the side which causes the action you see in a twitching spring bobber. It’s difficult to feel because it’s weightless. If dead sticking the presentation ~ better have the rod secured to a bucket or within arms length with the ability to reach the rod with in seconds of an aggressive strike. You risk losing your rod if you don’t. During an aggressive strike a fish can “hook themselves” but setting the hook for good measure is good idea. A negative strike occurs when you are working the jig back upwards in the column. The bite is subtle. Very difficult, if not impossible to “feel”. A spring bobber or sensitive rod tip will do nothing but “twitch”. You usually have one twitch or one chance to set the hook. Ditto in terms of spring bobber/rod action on a dead stick presentation during a negative bite window.
During a negative bite, which so often accompanies the mid winter session ~ the best advise I can share is changing up profile’s frequently. Color can make a difference from fish to fish. Going verntical or horizontal can make a difference from fish to fish. Profile size can make a difference from fish to fish. It’s also important be as mobile as possible in order to stay on top of relatively active roaming fish. The good news is the ice sheet has bulged to 10+ inches lowering the safety risks associated with ice fishing. However, it’s NEVER safe to assume all ice conditions are uniform and it is completely safe no matter where you go. Springs can alter ice dimensions during any session of the hard water season. Mid winter is difficult to keep the attention span of most kids. Especially on colder days in which you almost have to stay hunkered down in a warm shanty. To consistently catch fish during the midwinter session you need mobility, patience, and a relatively high concentration level. It’s hard (at least with my kids) to employ all three.
The transition peroid from mid winter to late ice typically lasts a couple weeks. Much longer than the transition from from first ice to mid winter. Fish are beginning to school back up and stage for the upcoming spawn. Large percentage of gills and crappies in my home waters will remain associated with deeper water but bite windows begin to open back up (longer durations throughout the day). Start to experience more aggressive strikes. Most fish are feeding on the first larvae hatches of the year.
Late Ice. Some would argue late ice is better fishing than first ice. I would not argue either way. Fish, especially perch are in full pre-spawn mode within weeks of actually spawning. This is when the real “footballs” of water begin to come topside. Overall fish are schooled back up by late ice. Not as tight as they were first ice, but not as loose as mid winter. They have a tendency to move shallow to feed only to retreat back to the depths in non-active periods. Aggressive strikes are more common. Activity level is increased and bite windows are open for longer periods of the day. Late ice is also a game of hit or miss. Mobility throughout the day is just as critical as mid winter to stay on active fish. Profile presentation is not as important as the mid winter session in terms of merely catching fish but fine tuning can be the difference between eaters and picture takers. Run off melt is “running” back down the hole in the height of the day. Ice conditions are detiorating. With every passing day the safety risks associated with ice fishing increase. My kids do not get out very much during the late ice period for safety reasons associated with the ice. Especially once melt starts accumulating on low grades of the ice. Standing water on ice ~ even 15+ inches of “safe ice” means both will be wet before I get the chips scooped out of the last hole.
Overall, the deployment of a camera down a hole and centered on my kids presentation has really helped to not only keep their interest but heighten it. Packing snacks and keeping warm are musts. Recognize the session or point of the season you are in. Adopt to give your kids the best possible chance to catch a fish. My 7 year old is to the point where he is asking questions. “Dad, why aren’t there no fish on camera”? “Do you think they will start biting soon”? “Can I use a different hook, one like you”? Take the time to explain. Take the time to change their jig. Most importantly ~ when it’s time to go home. It’s time to go home. Even if the fish are all but “jumping” out of the hole.
Black Hawk has 2 to 4 inches of ice.
DeSoto Bay has 2 to 3 inches of ice.
By next weekend we should be sporting 6 to 8 inches if the forcast comes to fruition.
One handers! I luv it!
Speaking of battery ~ what comes standard with each (7ah, 9ah, or some other)?
I would assume ~ all other things considered equal ~ the 6 would have longer battery life than the 7 given the screen size difference.
Long rods are second to none in fighting a fish through the hole. But they, like shorter rods, have their time & place. For example, I’ve found that using my 42″ rods in adverse conditions hole hopping I loose a given degree of controlability of the profile. Wind grabs the lins and tip of the pole throwing the presentation in an unnatural direction. If the fish are all but jumping out of the hole this given loss of control may not be as critical. But if it’s a negative window or lite bite this may make all the difference in putting a few finned criters on the ice. In such conditions, I grab my 28 incher and position my body between the hole and direction of the wind. The shorter rod allows me to snuggle right up to the hole. My back takes the primary wind beating ~ not the tip of the pole and line.
They are slippery!
Very tough to swallow news. Thoughts & prayers to family & friends.
I’d be curious how well the drag system works on these poles. The reason I do not fish with the Pulsator as much any more is because of the lack of a drag system.
I haven’t totally given up on the 5 gal bucket just yet.
For the style of ice fishing I do on the back waters of the river this may just be what the doctor ordered. The Rod Lodge.
PFD & Pics are great. But these tools are designed to assist you after you are in the drink.
Take it back a step from that. Spuds are a MUST for early thin ice adventures. Get one. Learn how to use one. And well…use it! Better to stick a piece of metal through than your own leg or body.
Watching fish “helicopter” under the clear ice as they ascend unwillingly to the surface is as great of site as IDO
The oldest rods in my aresenal are 4′ Pulsator’s. When I was a younger buck that was ALL I used hole hunting crappie on the shallow mud flat backwaters of the Mississippi. The only disadvantage was when Billy Bass got his mouth around my cecil. With no drag system it was pretty easy to deposit a treble hook in Billy’s mouth. For this reason I started toying with the traditional ice rods again. The technological improvements over the years has been nothing short of astonishing! I am happy with the performance of a 28″ MLXF St Croix Premier rods armed with Cahill & Three Forks 4/5/6 fly reels in which I have added to my weapontry. This combo can handle just about everything the Mississippi river can throw at me in winter session. At 6’2″ it’s not ergonomically friendly to fish with a 28″ rod standing over a hole.
