Ice Fishing Methods

Ice Fishing Methods

Ice fishing is relatively easy, because at this time of the year, either food has become sparse or a majority of fishes becomes inactive, including those prey fishes like minnows.

Like for instance the northern pikes. Naturally, northern pikes are voracious feeders and primarily carnivorous. On summer seasons, especially during salmon runs, they can be encountered frequently on spawning areas where they feed on the salmon species there. Approaching fall and winter they would be found near estuaries where most young fishes would be maturing. And they would rarely leave an area where there is still abundance on prey.

On winter however, as most fish species become inactive, these pikes would be driven from the scarcity of prey making them susceptible to the lures and baits of ice fishermen.

Another is the walleye. These fishes are naturally depth dwellers, having enhanced eyesight that would allow them to se on turbid, rough or dark waters. They avoid light, that's why those fishermen aiming for walleyes would find that fishing at night increases their chance to catch one. On winter however, when light is as its lowest walleyes forage near the surface, making walleye catches during winter a frequent occurrence.

Because most fishes during winter are ravenous, fishes that remain active during the winter is more easily coerced into biting. That aspect makes ice fishing fairly easy and often rewarding. Ice fishing methods falls only on two categories: jigging and tip off.

Jigging is an effective ice fishing methods to land crappies, panfish and some other small fishes. To get most of their attention in a dim light, luminous or brightly colored lures or baits should be used. Like the FishLips Jig Interchangeable Jig Head sold at Up North in www.upnorthoutdoors.com. Up North is one comprehensive dealer for ice fishing tackles and here you can find unlimited choices of the finest lures and jigs available.

Jigs are also ice fishing methods that can be used to land bigger game fishes, though lures should be different. For walleyes, brightly colored jigs might be inappropriate, but Berkley Gulp Bait Jars is perfect. from a selection of corn, maggots, night crawlers and earthworms that look real, tastes real and smells real, it guaranteed that these baits will play at the walleyes weakness, it sense of scent.

There are times when ice fishing can get a bit tedious. That's why there is the tip up ice fishing methods that uses a special kind of fishing device that raises a flag whenever there's a strike. It also has a portion where a ling and a lure plus hook is attached, but there is no reel. Instead, the fish is drawn by hand.