What info is most helpful.....

[LuciandTim]

......when it comes to Ice fishing.

What aspects of Ice Fishing are people always needing help with? Keeping it to basic fundamentals.

For example.....what questions do you hear again and again?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Well, there is the Marcum VS Vexlar. And the Marcum VS Aqua Vu.. and the Otter Vs whomever... So many questions, and really its all based on opinion anyway. Then there is knots, lures, ect, it can be quite overwelming... Finding fish is the key. You can have all the right equipment in the world but if you are not over fish, you cant catch them.

To me, the only real question is, "What depth are the fish biting at?".. from there I will drill my hole, set up my fish house, use the depth finder I like and do my darndest to find the lure to catch those fish.... And if I catch them great, if I dont, I tried my best.. to me its not about catching them, its about the hunt.

Perfect example, this weekend.. I had a tough morning.. Drilled 42 holes to try and find the fish.. caught 3 decent fish in about 3 mins... and the wife called and asked if I would help her with something.. I packed up and went home... It wasn't about catching the fish.. I had found them. It took 42 holes in the dang ice, but I found them.. point for me.. will they be there next time.. probably not.. Hence the chess match!

[Captain B.R.K]

Of course if someone is going to point on a map where the fish are biting, what depths, what color of jig and presentation to use, I won't pass that up!! But like Dietz said, hitting the ice is always a chess match and to keep on the active fish is always a challenge, but a fun challenge!

I think you hear each year about clothing (bibs, jackets, jackets, and gloves) year and year out. I think it's a good debate because as more companies realize that ice fishing is gaining interest with fisherman, they are starting to put more initatives towards making a better product for us. Hence Ice Armor bibs, gloves, and jackets. Granted they are nice, yes they are expensive, but I think it's a start in the right direction!

I also agree with Dietz on the electronic questions that come up every year. As new products come out and establish them on the market, I think it makes for good chatting to learn about the likes and dislikes of each! It makes us all that much more informed about products!!

So that's my two cents to your question

[hanson]

Tim-

You said basic fundamentals. How about how do you go about targeting and catching the various species of fish. Each species is different and each needs to be approached in a different way through the ice.

1) How do I fish for and catch Bluegills?

2) How do I fish for and catch Crappies?

3) How do I fish for and catch Walleyes?

4) How do I fish for and catch Pike?

Each species has different lures which work better, different live bait that works better, different presentations that work better, and different locations within a body of water.

Maybe the basic fundamentals aren't so basic.