My friends and I are novice ice fishermen. We've gone up to the Big Pond a few times over the last couple of years, but have had little luck except for the stray Eel Pout or Northern during the night.
What are the basics to January ice fishing on the Big Pond that we have been missing? Time of day? Lure choices?
We always use a local resort's ice house and aren't able to move around to find hot spots, so we rely on getting by with our location, a case of beer, and the idea of a nice 'Eye or two in the night.
Please inform this novice with the ways of the Mille Lacs Ice Fisherman.
This is what I like to tell people that ask that question!
spend time jigging a small 1/8 or 1/4 oz jigging spoon (Glow Devil or a JR's) just off the bottom during the 6:30-8am time frame...and again during the 3:30-6pm time frame....during the rest of the day spend your time eating and drinking down your beer and you should do better!!! To often I see folks in the lodge eating during the prime time feeding periods....that might be a good time to feed yourself, but the walleye also like to feed during that time frame!!! In the month of January, the perch fishing can also be a pretty good option. Just stay with the 1/8 oz spoon and use a waxy or small minnow head for your bait! Fishing with a Vexilar flasher will also allow you to catch more fish.....you will have an advantage to catching more fish if you know that the fish are down below your ice fishing hole!!!
Good luck this next trip to the pond!! maybe see ya next trip........
Thanks for the advice. We'll be sure to give it a try.
I think a lot of us weekend warriors pass up the perch for the glory of the large 'eyes. I'm going to try to reverse that trend this year. I know I love fishing for pan fish during the summer, so why not during the winter as well?
We'll be going out of Hunter's Point this year, so hopefully we'll cross paths. I'd love to have you help out with our location and our equipment. Perhaps I can show up a few hours earlier than the rest of the guys and you can give me a run down of where the house is located, what we should fish for, what we should use, and what times we should focus on catching fish.
How's the ice up there?
Last year the early snow seemed to damage the ice thickness well into January. The news thus far seems promising for a good foot or foot and a half by January, what do you think?
Thanks for the lure suggestions. If you have any other equipment or lure suggestions, we'd love to hear them.
