what has made you a better (ice) angler

[Burnham]

well i am just your typical ice angler that tries to find fish, and i try to avoid community holes. ive been wondering, for those of you that are more successful than the others(dont be humble), how do you prepare differently? instead of hearing about a hot bite, i want to learn how to prepare better, so that i can consistently catch more fish. in short, what does your pre-fishing preparation consist of? Also, are there any good books or videos that have made you a better angler?

[gregg52]

HSO and IceLeaders.com are the best.

Infisherman stuff is very good

I learned ALOT fishing touraments kinda of spendie way to learn but fun I think

I think few things are important

understanding structure

boat control

presention

in this day and age time saving things like the chips

they are the best thing since the green box in my opinion

and most of all nothing can replace time on the water

if you read about something and try it and it doesnt work dont give up on it try it a couple times

[marshmallow]

OPEN MIND..Not shallow..Study lake maps..Observe weather patterns,past and present..Dont't just go where everyone else is..BORING..Incorporate a strategy..Plan..Versatility..Seasonal movements per specie durring the winter months..STRUCTURE..LAKE MAP..I have good buddies I fish with often,but they do not practice or attempt any of the fore mentioned.. They are BORING.. Have a good one..

[DTro]

Early to bed and early to rise.

Literally and figuratively. Once you learn certain areas that hold fish historically, you need to make time to take advantage of it before the pack shows up. It happens time and time again.

Get there first, enjoy the bite and move on.

It has nothing to do with being a better fisherman and everything to do with having an understanding wife.

[BartmanMN]

I study the lake maps during the day and watch the barometric pressure patterns. I feel like that helps me. And of course this HSOforum has helped a ton with learning about different products and reviews on those products.

[ANYFISH2]

DNR lakefinder is priceless.

Start a log book, after time it tells a lot.

Learn from others be it friends, relatives or strangers you meet on the ice. If fishing by a "Ol' timer" pick his brain (respectfully) these guys learned the ins and outs without the use of electronics, they usually know the fishs' patterns very well!

With all of this, it is all about trial and error and time spend on the ice.

From reading your posts and questions on HotSpotOutdoors/IceLeaders your well on your way to being successfull Burnham, good luck

[Burnham]

yea i use the lakefinder a lot!! thanks guys, yea it just seems like i want to learn fish movements more and stuff. i have all the equipment(flasher, aquaview, gps, frabill recon dlx and a hub style house)..no power auger, but i just dont feel like im utilizing it as much as i can, especially the gps. thanks for all of the given advice, and thanks in advance. i think starting a log would help, especially in 3 or so years.

[Esox_Magnum]

Time on the water is a great tool. We mark spots in July to try during January. We sometimes fish the community spots and also have our out of the way places to. Some were found by chance others by hours or days of searching. Understanding the fish on the body of water you fish will put more on the ice. Being on the water in the boat in late november saves alot of time drilling holes in Dec/Jan. Start your ice planning every trip out in the summer, watch the weeds, fish movements ect.

And of course after all this I know where they should be but they aren't there. Our always good for action spots this year are basicly good for being bored. But we keep trying and adding to our experience so next time our hot spots get cold we may have a new improved back up plan.

[hanson]

Fishing with someone who IS a better ice angler.

You can read all you want, watch videos until you are blue, and read these forums until you are cross-eyed; but until you understand what they are doing and why they are doing it, you won't get it.

Good ice anglers have the details down, and thats what matters.

[jigginjim]

Learning how to put all the information you read,(in books, Magazines,and especially on HotSpotOutdoors/IceLeaders)and (videos, tv shows)watched all together. Then being able to apply this, on the ice.

[deadeye]

I guess one of the things that helps me out is not getting down in the dumps when I don't catch fish. Even the best anglers will have slow days. Try to take what does work and build on it.

Get lots of time on the water, its easier to figure out what works, when, and where. At some places there is a time, place and presentation that have to be pretty specific for you to catch fish. Other places it can be a all day bonanza. Nothing helps you figure out this like being out there and fishing.

I also can say don't over commit to a specific spot either. It may be great one day but not so hot another. If it doesn't work out move on. Too many times people get a hot spot mentality, but it doesn't always pan out. Keep moving and you will find the fish and catch them.

Adapt to the fishing. Just because it works there doesn't mean it will work here. Keep trying stuff till you find out what works. If may even change hour to hour at the same place. Don't tie on one lure and expect it to work miracles.

I like ice fishing because it brings people to a level playing field. You don't need a ton of stuff to be successful. Just a few key tools and your set. Its up to you if you stay moving and find good fishing. If you get a power auger your pretty much mint. I think if you got a flasher, power auger and gps you got everything you need to be as good as anyone.

[bottom-bouncer]

Time, Time and more Time spent on the water you cant replace your own trial and error with any amoun of reading or advice from others.

[wplatehunter]

Time on the water, and gps with lake maps. Its nice to mark a spot, and be able to go back to it without guessing.

[fishtrapgirl]

Never been one for gadgets, but I love my flasher and feel that it really does help me catch more fish.

[slurpie]

agree would have to be a flasher.

[NAMASafetyDirector]

Having all the gadgets in the world definitly helps, however if one doesn't spend the time to learn and pattern the habits of the fish the other stuff doesn't do you one bit of good. The biggest thing I have tried to focus on to be a better ice fisherman on LOW is trying to pattern the fish better, then you can "fine tune" with the other tools.

Going where the fish are, that has helped me a better fisherman the last few years, then you can work on the presentation for catching. Can't do one without the other, learned that the hard way alot of days!!

[Eelpout08]

Time on the water! you have to put in the time and figure out what works(more like what doesn't work) then you have a starting point to fine tune from. i think after the flasher a gps would be very helpfull. i cant count the times when ive found a good spot in the boat and come back to it and cant quite remember exactly where i was. mark it on a lakemap, put it in your fishing notebook or on a gps. when i started out fishing just a few years ago all i knew was that the fish were in the lake and i wanted them in the bucket. get advise from people that have been fishing longer, escpecially the old timers. but just remember that everyone is wrong sometimes so dont take all advise as "the word of God". try stuff out and pretty soon you will have a pretty good arsenal of techniques. everytime you go out you learn something new. the hard part is remembering it!

[hondarider550]

For me personally it has to be studying the AquaVu while I am ice fishing. Studying what jigging techniques make the fish look at your jig, take the jig, or quickly run away from it made a difference for me. Now studying my Showdown is a learning experience but Im sure that it will pay off someday...

[Ed Carlson]

The revolution in ice angling was based on electronics and efficient patterns of fishing structure, and new lightweight ice shacks systems that offered comfortable mobility on the ice.

This came from Mr. Genz and a few other revolutionary ice anglers direct revolutionary contributions, and I thank him for it, as I do all the others who contributed.

So personally, I would primarily credit any accumulated success I have gained over the past 30 some odd years to them and there new modern methods of ice fishing we all use today.

[Meat-Run]

I like what dtro stated "early to bed early to rise" if I could ever impliment that into my fishing I WILL be a better fisherman. But what makes me better is a good auger, time allowed to actually hit the water and my flasher. If my flasher isn't charged up I more likely not to go, sad I know but I have so much confidence with that tool to catch more fish then anything else. Well I have two flashers so that will never be an issue.

Good networking buddies to help stay on top of the fish and be "in the loop" of whats going on is priceless!!! Having friends work together on curtain lakes and working them will make you and your friends better fisherman as you all share and learn from one another it naturally comes together that way.

Good Luck and Happy New Years!

mr

[leech~~]

Well it would have to be this (HotSpotOutdoors/IceLeaders/FM) site and all the Great Ice Fishing minds that contribute to it! I didn't pick the name (Leech~~) for nothing!

[thedeadsea]

I like fishing smaller lakes that might be off the beaten path a bit. They get less fishing pressure through the year, and fish are easier to find. Then I keep a mental note of when I have good fishing at each given lake.

I do fish larger lakes quite often though, which requires more homework like the guys have already said.

A H-Bird/Marcum Flasher is a huge help.

[buzbunni]

Time on the water and a willingness to experiment; to be flexible, (and possibly "fail") are the greatest assets for me personally.

Everybody says the fish are deep. Must be 'cause that's where all the shelters are set up.

Maybe. Maybe not.

I think I'll see what may be lurking over here first, then perhaps I'll join the crowd.

I like what Ebass has on his signature line:

Experience is knowledge, everything else is just information.

[fishing tech]

Flasher

H2O color

spring bobbers

POWER AUGER!!!

[herefish101]

study your lake maps the night before you head out, pick a couple of key structers you would like to key on, go out there and punch some exploritory holes like 10 or 15 of em, take your flasher and check these holes, if you find fish in one mark it in the snow and finish checking your holes, the best case scenario is a pattern developes(this happens very little), locate the fish on the structure and then turn the ice above it into swiss cheese, use your flasher if there are no marks in a hole dont stay there move to one of the other holes, but dont fish any hole where your flasher has'nt shown a fish. STAY MOBILE, AND DONT BE AFRAID TO DRILL ALOT OF HOLES. More holes = more fish.