Sight Fishing Article by Matt Johnson

[Keith_MN]

As a recent inductee to "sight" fishing I enjoyed reading Matt's article on the home page. So I thought I would add a couple of my own comments/observations:

First, sight fishing is a great way to get people interested in ice fishing. You know the people I'm referring to. The ones who think ice fishing entails staring at a bobber for hours on end hoping it will go down. With sight fishing, its like looking into an aquarium, only much more exciting.

Second, a 9" hole is nice but not necessary. An 8" hole will definitely provide a large enough viewing area if the fish are active. I personally am against using 10" holes (but that topic has been debated in other posts). And an 8" hole makes the occasional muskie look that much more impressive.

Third, if its a sunny day remember to set up your fish house so that the holes you are fishing are on the south side. If you set your house up with the holes on the north side you will be fishing in the shadow of your fish house, and it does make a difference.

Lastly, I like to sight fish with two lines. The first line I put down is a bobber line with a crappie minnow on it in a hole within 3' of my sight fishing hole. My second line (ie sight fishing line) is a panfish line with a small jig tipped with a waxworm or eurolarvae. I always put down the crappie minnow even when I know I am only fishing bluegills (vs crappies) because I believe the minnow attracts larger gills; that's been my experience anyway.

Good luck,

[NELS-BELLS]

A few things that I have noticed when site fishing in depths of less than 5 feet is that you have to be extremely quiet when moving from hole to hole. Also it is best if the holes have been drilled the day before but I realize that isn't an option all of the time. Finally, if your not in a fish house, wear clothing that matches the sky if you can and don't move your head a lot. When approaching a hole, move very slow and don't stand directly over the hole. It will spook the fish. This may sound extreme but it will make a difference if you want to catch more fish.