The simple & useful tips thread for ice fishing...

[fisherman-andy]

Lets start a thread for the general helpful tips that make ice fishing more fun and easier for all of us.

This year i've been on the bait puck craze. I now carry 3 pucks with me. One that has euro larvae, one that has butterworms, and the one I been using the most: the puck that has minnow heads.

I hole hop alot, so what I do scoop up a bunch of minnows and throw them on the ice. Let them start to freeze a little and cut off all the heads with a small knife. Then I put all the minnow heads in my bait puck and pack in a little snow and pop it in my Parka front pockets.

When on a hot or critical bite the minnow heads in the bait puck have really cut down loss time and help me put more fish on the ice due to easily being accessed.

[walleye 4 me]

that is a great idea for minnow heads! thanks

[fisherman-andy]

FAIL! Over 113 views and no one else is willing to share ice fishing tips?

[HardwaterHero]

Dont forget the Beer!

[Blackhawkxp]

Not sure its really a tip but i have been doing it lately and assume alot of you do this as well. Instead of drilling a boat load of holes looking for depths and fish I just use my tranducer and a little water to shoot through the ice. Saves alot of time especially since the snow it mostly melted away.

[gwiff100]

use to do this all the time with my vex... now that i have the lx7 i guess i havent tried it.

i assume this should still work.

[gwiff100]

tips/trick...

always have a back up lure. Rather than going out and having the most elaborate tackle box, i try and double up on each lure i use. if the unfortunate happens and i break off at least i still have a back up.

[BartmanMN]

I use a dental floss threader to thread my 2 lb test through the spring bobber.

[Dukes]

In addition to having a second of each lure. Have third so you can find it again. There is nothing worse than trying to describe the perfect bait you're looking for but forgot the name and size.

[nofishfisherman]

One small modification I made to my portable is i took some velcro with the sticky back and attached on side to the wall of the portable and the other side to a strip of dense styrofoam I had from some packaging.

I attach the foam to the wall so that I have a quick, easy, and safe place to put a jig or a hook if I need it. It doesn't always get used but there are times that I will pull out several jigs that I know I want to try and I'll put them in the foam right away. That makes switching jigs easier since i don't have to dig through the jig box each time I want to switch as they are all lined up next to me waiting their turn.

[Mr. Sheephead]

I just started using a golf tube. Cut it in half. Cut out a little notch for the reel seat to fit in. Lift up your velcro flap that is access to your battery, push the tube into the back of your Marcum battery access case as far as it can go, then close the flap tight and re-velcro over the tube. Now you have a light weight pole holder that goes with you what ever hole you choose to fish. My main pole is in my hand while the extra is rigged and ready in the golf tube.

[2eyesman2]

I bring a fat girl to open my beers, and load/unload the truck!

[OnAFly]

No big secret, but when hole hopping, put a line in each hole in addition to your ducer. Sometimes they are right on the bottom and you won't know it if you don't try.

I buy the cheaper tungsten jigs and use Sallies Hard as Nails nail polish as a clear coat or a glitter coat. It helps the paint last a lot longer and the jigs are quite a bit cheaper, especially on sale.

Use a fly box to organize your jigs. It takes 1/4 the time to find and pick up a jig out of a fly box than a regular box.

Put a little Chapstick on the zipper to your house, it keeps the water from freezing them up as bad and lubes them too.

[Sifty]

As I get older I really have started using this one..

Have a extra rod tied up and at you side so if you breakoff it is just a matter of grabbing the other rod.

[PFUNK]

Another trick for the bait pucks... they do hold water and don't leak (at least mine doesn't). You can put some live minnows in it and they'll stay alive. In case the only thing the fish want that day is a lip hooked live minnow on a jig, this helps you stay mobile without hauling a bait bucket around.

[otterman91105]

That's a good tip to always have another line tied for when you need it.

[Rube]

Have a pair of reader glasses on hand just for retying. I get mine at a higher magnification than if I would be using them for reading, makes that 2 and 3 lb. much easier to work with.

[MattL]

When running tip ups I like to have everything with me when a flag goes up. I carry with a pliers and spreader as well as a packet of spare hooks and split shots in my pocket. I will also carry a bait bucket out to the hole. When using the wheel house my bait goes into a large cooler so I cut a large hole in the side of a milk jug for a few minnows to tend tip ups.

This may seem simple but I have witnessed many people leaving a fish flop on the ice while running back for a pliers, or guys going back for bait after catching a fish.

[blackdog1101]

This year i've been on the bait puck craze. I now carry 3 pucks with me. One that has euro larvae, one that has butterworms, and the one I been using the most: the puck that has minnow heads.

I've moved the other way where bait is concerned - I rarely use bait any longer for panfish. I use either jigs that I've dressed like trout flies, or jigs with little plastic tails like Little Atom or Maki. I've had awesome fishing for crappies this season without bait.

I do use bait if the fish are very negative, but then only euros since they're so small, the fish have to take the hook into their mouth. Larger baits like waxies or minnow heads can be nipped at without taking the hook into their mouth.

[fisherman-andy]

Another trick for the bait pucks... they do hold water and don't leak (at least mine doesn't). You can put some live minnows in it and they'll stay alive. In case the only thing the fish want that day is a lip hooked live minnow on a jig, this helps you stay mobile without hauling a bait bucket around.

X2!!! I also do this. Crappie & fathead minnows keep alive in them bait pucks with very little water or just the slime wet coating for hours on end! A must do for hole hoppers.

[minnbowhunter]

I bring a fat girl to open my beers, and load/unload the truck!

Thats Crazy, I could never get my ex-wife to fish with me. If you say, "hey honey, toss me a beer, get ready to duck bro.

[DTro]

If you change from a pull rope to a tow hitch often on your sled, I found that spring clips work well. This way you can leave the pins in and hook right up.

No more threading rope and retying knots.

[Thunderfoot]

That's an awesome idea Dtro! Great thread guys, lots of good stuff, wish I could add to it but I'm still pretty green!

[DLD24]

When hole hopping have 2 rods rigged with different style lures...Like at red lake I would use a red lindy flyer and if they showed up and just looked i'd drop a slender spoon down and they would hit that one

[ski_otter]

I saw this the other day on here or another forum. I bought a couple cheap broom/ rake holders from my local hardware store and mounted them to the upright poles in my portable to organize extra rods and keep them easily accessible

Another one is I have a lanyard that holds my clippers and Hook out and I hang it from the top bar of my portable. It has a quick clip on it so I can unclip if I need things closer