Lets talk first ice patterns...

[Deitz Dittrich]

What do you plan on doing first once the ice is safe?

My first ice spot is a rock/sand bar with some weeds left on it for sunfish. Near the inside bend of the point comming off the bar, in about 12-14 feet. This is the kind of area I serch out for first ice... anybody else have a first ice spot that works well for them?

[Rick]

I enjoy going after big pike and walleyes at first ice They often utilize the same areas.

I look for rocks that top out to a weed shelf. I'll use the point or inside turn, whichever has the quicker drop into deep water. Pike have a tendency to cruise closer to the weeds in shallower water at 1st ice and the walleyes tend to use the rocks in a bit deeper water.

Obviously I use the breaks. The deep and shallow break in the same area can yield very good results on both eyes and pike.

I like to jig or deadstick for walleyes using an Angel Eye Spoon. It has been very effective over the last three years.

I like to jig or or use a tip-up for pike. Again, the Angel Eye or airplane jig has been very effective for pike when jigging.
With the tip-up I like to use a big sucker/chub with a home made quick-strike rig. I'm runnung out of VB hooks. Does anyone know where I can find more?

Most of my early spots are very close to shore. After all, I'm talking early-early ice.

[fiskyknut]

Outside of a few trips to URL all my winter fishing is on LOTW. Early ice means pike on the bays. 1 Hole has a tip-up with a dead bait laying on the bottom, other hole I'm usually jigging a Doctor spoon baited with a 1/3 or 1/2 of a smaller Smelt, or a airplane type with bucktail baited with a 4 or 5 inch river shiner or Smelt. Once we get enough ice it's walleye time out infront of Pine or Z-bay or Graceton reef areas. Deadstick or bobber rod down 1 hole. Jigging spoon with Shiner head or the front 1/3-1/2 of Shiner, or small airplane type baited with whole Emerald Shiner down the other. I like colors on sunny days and metallics on cloudy days.

Fisky

[Steve Foss]

Yeah, this is a good thread for this time of year. Let's see if we can build it up past the Angel Eye love fest going on right next to it.

For me, first ice almost certainlywill mean a clear NW Wisconsin lake for pike in the day and eyes toward twilight. But if it happens to be at the lake cabin north of Bemidji, the tactics will be the same.

I'll find a nice heavy row of still-green cabbage ending in about 10 feet, preferably along the edge of a bay or on a main lake point. I'll set up one tip-up with a dead smelt right on the deep edge, bait about 2 feet off bottom on a quick-strike rig. Second tip will be in about 12-15 feet off the deep weed edge to check for roaming pike, with a live golden shiner sendig out those seductive vibrations that say "I'm in distress. Come eat me." (if in Minnesota, the deeper tip-up will not be placed. Two lines only, of course).

Third hole I'll jig in. I'll drill some right in the cabbage, some along the edge, and some off the edge in up to 25 feet of water. The deep holes may yield eyes during the day, especially if it's cloudy out. And the holes in 25 feet will be close enough to be in range to run to the tip-ups when flags pop. Pike may be jigged up in any of the holes. I'll use jigging Raps, Master-Jiggers, and buckshot rattle spoons tipped with minnow head. Maybe an Angel Eye or two if the fish seem sluggish and won't resond to more aggressive approaches.

Never tried the airplane jigs for pike, but I've got some for lakers so I'll give them a try on northerns this winter.

Good luck all,

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Steve ([email protected])

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 10-22-2002).]

[Gissert]

First ice usually finds me on South Turtle Lake, whick may not be long if these forecasts hold up. I can get out onto a bay there before the main lake freezes usually.

The southern lobes of Clitherall is sure to get my attention about the same time.

As soon at the ice will hold a quad, Otter Tail will be getting all my attention. This is my #1 first ice lake.

[Guest]

I have little lake near me that produces good size crappies during first ice. Once there is about three inches of ice I'll head out and fish the submergent grass beds. This lake has a small dam that keeps water open near one end during ealry ice. The dam and open water will help maintain high oxygen levels which is a key ingredient in early ice fishing (the still standing grass beds are another source of oxygen). I can normally get within 20-30 yards of the open water.

There is a drop-off from 5 to about 8 feet, the grass beds are down 8 feet of water. I try to find holes or pockets in the grass beds and I fish those pretty heavily. I'll punch holes every 10 feet or so and hop from hole to hole. Small teardrops tipped with Euro Larvae work the best. At night I'll switch to plain hooks and tiny minnows tail hooked. Just let the minnow swim about the grass beds and the crappies will come up and feed.

During the day I'll place a tip-up out sometimes too. There are some big pike that roam the area as well. Not uncommon to see walleye at night either (nothing too big though).

Most crappies are about 10-11 inches with some that are pushing a 1 1/2 pounds.

Fishing the grass beds won't be too productive if there isn't any snow. Without snow cover the crappies get easily spooked and head towards deeper water. If thats the case I'll venture out towards the deep basin (only about 19 feet) and jig the outsides. I'll use small one-inch jigging spoons tipped with maggots. Often times crappies will be here whether there is snow cover or not.

Dusk and dawn are the best times, with more emphasis on sunrise. I've found that as the sun penetrates the thin ice during early winter that the crappies go nutz and feed pretty actively. Once the ice gets thicker then sunset will be a more productive time.

Early ice is in my opnion the most productive time of the season for me. I like to try and get out on the lake before anyone else so that the first baits the fish see are my own. Once a lot of anglers start to fish a certain area over nad over again the fish become more dormant.

Bring on the ice and I'll be ready. Soon...soon...soon

Good Fishin, Matt.

[Guest]

First ice (by thanksgiving this season) will have me out on the deep edges of the weedline on a little crappie honey hole north of Aikin with a max depth of 17 ft. Seems that it only takes a few weeks and the slabs have moved out to the deep hole...then the fun really begins!

[WallEYES]

I'll be on Minnetonka with my good buddy T-BONE in our secret walleye spot, icing a few eyes

[Finlander]

I work a saddle area that is a neck down between two portions of the lake.
It has deep water on each side of the saddle that rises to 12' and runs from one point to the other side of the neck down.
First ice I find the walleyes on top of the 12 foot depth and the crappies and sunfish on the deep side dropfoff going down to 28' and on the inside turn of the saddle which really attracts the fish! Thats my first ice stratagy! Good Luck!!!!!!

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