By Ted Pilgrim with Tony Roach

There’s something satisfying about setting a well-planed network of tip-ups across the icy expanse of a frozen lake. Strategically placed “fish-traps,” each rigged with a robust, frisky live minnow or intentionally motionless stinker like a herring to snare freshwater predators. Get a bunch of dudes together, throw a pile of Frabill Pro-Thermals in the 5-gallon pail, and saturate the ice with baited flags, as luscious to pike and walleyes as low-hanging fruit to jungle beasts.

The best tip up tips is to bait the big ‘uns on spacious open flats or along lengthy sections of a drop-off—places where fish wander far and wide in search of food. With six or more buddies in the group, each empowered to run 2 or more lines apiece, you can put bait in front of a lot of toothy grins. That’s trapline fishing on ice, and it’s deadly effective.

On a long point or drop-off, a wise strategy places one team of anglers at each end of the “trapline,” with additional fishermen spaced evenly between. If you’re going in cold-turkey, searching a big area for the first time, set one tip-up every 30 to 40 paces, a “scout” parked every so often to serve as eyes and ears in the field. Additionally, set out a large pop-up style portable shelter, such as Frabill’s cavernous Headquarters, midst the trapline and use it like a warming house and conference room.

Setting out on foot, groups of trapline anglers work best in pairs. First run through, one dude drills, while the other follows with a sonar, dipping the transducer in each new hole. Sonar guy keeps driller guy on target with depth, as he also checks for fish with a portable unit, such as a ShowDown Ice Troller. When he sees something that looks like a good fish, sonar guy might also trace an “F” or “BF” (big fish) in the snow, which assures that they’ll “X-marks-the-spot” with a tip-up next run through.

At the end of an ice-trolling run, each fisherman grabs a bucket. If one of your buddies happens to be the original Ice-Troller, ace Minnesota fishing guide, Tony Roach, you’re in for a good day. From December, all through a lengthy North Country winter into last ice, Roach uses his StrikeMaster Solo to chew more ice than a snow-cone factory. “When we’re tip-up fishing for pike or walleyes,” says Roach, “we use a systematic approach. First, you’ve absolutely got to have the right gear, and you’ve got to have a plan. For my guides and I, nothing works better than the ‘bucket system.’

“There’s really nothing else out there that better serves our needs as tip-up specialists than the equipment made by Frabill. We can take one of the 6-gallon Sit-N-Fish buckets and fill it with at least six round Pro-Thermal tip-ups. The other bucket, a Frabill Aqua-Life Bait Station gets used to house our tip-up ‘soldiers’—wild live suckers, golden shiners or chubs. We demand bait that really kicks; the critters that swim in huge arcs below the ice, pulling in predators like a black lab working a field for pheasants. The Bait Station keeps minnows happy. It’s insulated and aerated. Water won’t freeze, and the micro-bubbler infuses the water with energizing oxygen—like steroids for minnows.”

Beyond vigorous bait, which drives his tip-up system, Roach has also discovered a number of slick new items that simplify yet boost the presentation. “We’ve played with loads of different types of wire leader materials over the years,” he continues. “Stranded wire, heavy fluorocarbon, single-strand— you name it, I’ve used it. None of these materials did everything I wanted it to do. After a fish or two, most of them kink. And kinked wire is useless in my book. Throw it away and start from scratch. But I hate tying new leaders, especially if I’m in a pinch on the ice. Crimping, twisting, dealing with tiny wire sleeves. Not going to happen with cold fingers.”

Last year, Roach and crew discovered a new product called Knot2Kinky—an amazing leader material that is kink-proof, as well as tie-able and knot-able. The real kicker is that the material actually stretches, proving a valuable shock-absorber for powerful fish, such as pike and muskies. A special super-heat process has endowed the material with a 10-percent stretch coefficient—something you have to experience to fully appreciate. Knot2Kinky stretches, stops, and then recovers with zero kinks or coils and no loss in tensile strength. It is undoubtedly the most advanced, fishing-friendly wire material ever developed.

“This stuff is a tip-up angler’s dream. Using a clinch knot or perfection loop, I can tie up a new leader in under a minute. Thing is, though, it’s almost impossible to get the stuff to kink, so we’ll often run the same leader on a tip-up for days, or weeks on end,” says Roach.

For most medium to heavy pike applications, Roach relies on 25-pound test Knot2Kinky, which is surprisingly thin and pliable—perfect for allowing an active baitfish to swim and maneuver without effort. It’s the same rationale behind his use of a slick new neutrally buoyant mainline to leader connector, the InvisaSwivel. Made of a material called Fluoro-Clear, these swivels are the ultimate in subtle bait rigging. They, too, are pliable. In fact, InvisaSwivels pivot 180-degrees in any direction and always spin as freely as a premium ball-bearing swivel. It’s just one more recent terminal tackle innovation that has elevated tip-up fishing to the next level.

To the end of his “trapline” rigs, Roach runs either a #1 wide gap or Kahle hook such as an Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp 141, or a Mustad Power Pike Hook, which is an English style double hook—also known as a quick-strike rig hook—that couples well with large deadbaits.

In either case, it’s always a race on ice to reach the flag first. Most of the time, especially with larger pike, it just isn’t necessary to let fish run long. Quick hooksets usually tag more pike, and certainly harm far fewer of them. In the meantime, it’s a game of waiting. Lean on a tailgate, crash in a lawn chair. Pour a cup of coffee. Talk a little smack. The winner’s always the first dude to the flag. Unless you’re playing “tackle tip-ups,” in which case, you’ve just got to be the best at sacking the QB.  This isn’t just tip up tips, it’s just plain fun.

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If there’s a fish species that gets fired up for cold water, it’s the northern pike. Especially big ones, with distance between the eyeballs. If you’re a little fish, a big pike is your worst nightmare–but if you are an ice angler, a big pike can be your favorite dance partner.

Big pike are active right away under the ice, but they’re jumpy and have to be approached with stealth. The ice is thin and clear and often there’s little or no snow to hide your overhead approach. The goal is to target high-percentage hangouts with several of the right baits. If you’re sneaky you will get bit, because northerns are not nibblers.

Finding Northern Pike at Early Ice

Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl looks like a composite of every Viking that ever lived. Appropriately cast as a backwoods guide, he has risen to a position of modern ice fishing prominence. A key Clam Corporation pro and Ice Team Power Stick, he travels to far-flung winter destinations to teach secrets learned through a life on the ice.

When it comes to cornering big ice pike, nobody does it like Bro. But you can do it like Bro, if you follow his formula.

“It’s all about big water when it comes to northerns,” he begins. “Especially where you have a lot of fishing pressure, big lakes still have big fish. Whether it’s one of the Great Lakes or any lake of 1,000 acres or more–or a smaller lake that’s connected to a bigger lake–those are what I key on.”

Bro, although he looks like he could punch a hole through the ice with his bare hands, is a really nice guy, so he will not leave you hanging there.

“Within the lake,” he continues, “the number one thing I key on at early ice is any place where a river channel runs through the lake. Most lakes that have a river running through them (apologies to Norman Maclean) have a main depression (the old river bed) that’s a little deeper than the surrounding bottom. Where that riverbed enters and exits the lake are key areas. Some of these areas have current. It’s often very light, but it’s still there. These areas are important pike spots right after the ice forms.

“A lot of these are the same places pike run up to spawn, but the difference at early ice is they don’t go as far upstream. They stay in the lake, but will hang around in the mouth, or the source. Really, these are phenomenal spots from fall through freezeup, then as the ice gets thicker, most northerns disperse out to the main lake.”

It should go without saying, but anywhere there’s current ice anglers should venture forth with safety in mind. Never fish an area with significant current, and test areas with slight current carefully.

“You have to be cautious,” says Bro, “but I’m not talking about areas with heavy current. I’m not in the bottleneck where the current picks up; I’m out where the current gets diffused by the lake.”

These areas are typically flush with panfish, bullheads, suckers, and other preyfish in late fall and through ice-up, a big reason big pike are there.

Clarity Considerations

“I go to lakes that have a history of producing big pike,” says Bro. “I dont’s care if it’s clear or dirty water–although if I have a choice I’ll always go to dirty water in the daytime. But there can be advantages to fishing clear water, because the fish can see to hunt from longer distances. In clear water they can see your bait from farther away, unless it’s hidden in thick weeds. They are spooky, so to fish clear water, get there early. You can’t drill holes over the top of the fish all morning.”

Again, because of safety concerns, Bro scouts the day before, to confirm ice thickness and find key ambush points. “Never walk out onto early ice in the dark if you haven’t been there before,” he says.

During scouting runs, “use the Vexilar right on top of the ice to search out the main channel and weed edges,” advises Bro. If you’re serious about it, fire up the Strikemaster and drill all the holes while it’s still dark. Flags start popping as soon as those rays pop through the trees.

What Else?

On waters without distinct riverbeds, large weedbeds can be primary early-ice pike locations. “Patches of green weeds live, year to year, after average weeds die off,” hints Bro. “Avid fishermen know these spots, but you can find them on any lake if you work at it. Best time to look is early ice, when you can walk around and look through the ice. Find clearings in those green weed patches.”

On lakes with a distinct riverbed, follow that bed seeking places where it bends around an obstacle, such as an island or shallow structure (such elements are often obvious on contour maps). “If you find a place like this that also has a beautiful weedbed nearby,” laughs Bro, “don’t tell anybody else except me.”

Bro likes to set out Arctic Warriors and Arctic Fisherman tip-ups, to place baits in several spots at once.

“But even where it’s legal to use a lot of lines,” he says,”I like to set about two or three at a time until I find an area that’s producing. I always jig with one rod. I like the big (Lindy) Flyers with a big ol’ sucker minnow on the back. I believe the jigging bait brings in fish from a distance, and even if they don’t bite it they might bite one of the other baits.

“On my tip-ups I use a variety of things. Dead smelt or other dead bait, rigged with a big circle hook (1/0 to 3/0). You never set the hook with a circle hook; you pull, the fish pulls and they almost always get hooked in the corner of the mouth.

After finding a productive area, Bro often maxes out the spread, setting the legal allowable limit of lines per angler. To monitor a ‘field of flags,’ Bro says, “I set up base camp. I use two Clams or Fish Traps (portable shelters) and zip them together with the Trap-Link. We can keep warm and keep an eye on everything. But it still takes a lot of maintenance. You have to make sure tip-ups don’t freeze into the ice, and change bait, and rush out there every time a flag goes.

“I personally pack a kit with minnows, chisel, scooper, extra hooks and line onto my (Arctic Cat) Bearcat and drive around slowly, stopping short of each hole, then walk in quietly. I used to freeze my hands, but now they have those (Ice Armor) waterproof gloves and you can stick your hand down the hole and do what you need to do, even land fish. The Ice Armor suit is awesome, too, with padded knees and butt. I’m a lot more comfortable than I used to be.”

When it comes down to it, nothing warms the soul like finding your own fish, then fooling them into biting.

Article provided by the Ice Team.

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If there’s a fish species that gets fired up for cold water, it’s the northern pike. Especially big ones, with distance between the eyeballs. If you’re a little fish, a big pike is your worst nightmare–but if you are an ice angler, a big pike can be your favorite dance partner.

Big pike are active right away under the ice, but they’re jumpy and have to be approached with stealth. The ice is thin and clear and often there’s little or no snow to hide your overhead approach. The goal is to target high-percentage hangouts with several of the right baits. If you’re sneaky you will get bit, because northerns are not nibblers.

Finding Northern Pike at Early Ice

Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl looks like a composite of every Viking that ever lived. Appropriately cast as a backwoods guide, he has risen to a position of modern ice fishing prominence. A key Clam Corporation pro and Ice Team Power Stick, he travels to far-flung winter destinations to teach secrets learned through a life on the ice.

When it comes to cornering big ice pike, nobody does it like Bro. But you can do it like Bro, if you follow his formula.

“It’s all about big water when it comes to northerns,” he begins. “Especially where you have a lot of fishing pressure, big lakes still have big fish. Whether it’s one of the Great Lakes or any lake of 1,000 acres or more–or a smaller lake that’s connected to a bigger lake–those are what I key on.”

Bro, although he looks like he could punch a hole through the ice with his bare hands, is a really nice guy, so he will not leave you hanging there.

“Within the lake,” he continues, “the number one thing I key on at early ice is any place where a river channel runs through the lake. Most lakes that have a river running through them (apologies to Norman Maclean) have a main depression (the old river bed) that’s a little deeper than the surrounding bottom. Where that riverbed enters and exits the lake are key areas. Some of these areas have current. It’s often very light, but it’s still there. These areas are important pike spots right after the ice forms.

“A lot of these are the same places pike run up to spawn, but the difference at early ice is they don’t go as far upstream. They stay in the lake, but will hang around in the mouth, or the source. Really, these are phenomenal spots from fall through freezeup, then as the ice gets thicker, most northerns disperse out to the main lake.”

It should go without saying, but anywhere there’s current ice anglers should venture forth with safety in mind. Never fish an area with significant current, and test areas with slight current carefully.

“You have to be cautious,” says Bro, “but I’m not talking about areas with heavy current. I’m not in the bottleneck where the current picks up; I’m out where the current gets diffused by the lake.”

These areas are typically flush with panfish, bullheads, suckers, and other preyfish in late fall and through ice-up, a big reason big pike are there.

Clarity Considerations

“I go to lakes that have a history of producing big pike,” says Bro. “I dont’s care if it’s clear or dirty water–although if I have a choice I’ll always go to dirty water in the daytime. But there can be advantages to fishing clear water, because the fish can see to hunt from longer distances. In clear water they can see your bait from farther away, unless it’s hidden in thick weeds. They are spooky, so to fish clear water, get there early. You can’t drill holes over the top of the fish all morning.”

Again, because of safety concerns, Bro scouts the day before, to confirm ice thickness and find key ambush points. “Never walk out onto early ice in the dark if you haven’t been there before,” he says.

During scouting runs, “use the Vexilar right on top of the ice to search out the main channel and weed edges,” advises Bro. If you’re serious about it, fire up the Strikemaster and drill all the holes while it’s still dark. Flags start popping as soon as those rays pop through the trees.

What Else?

On waters without distinct riverbeds, large weedbeds can be primary early-ice pike locations. “Patches of green weeds live, year to year, after average weeds die off,” hints Bro. “Avid fishermen know these spots, but you can find them on any lake if you work at it. Best time to look is early ice, when you can walk around and look through the ice. Find clearings in those green weed patches.”

On lakes with a distinct riverbed, follow that bed seeking places where it bends around an obstacle, such as an island or shallow structure (such elements are often obvious on contour maps). “If you find a place like this that also has a beautiful weedbed nearby,” laughs Bro, “don’t tell anybody else except me.”

Bro likes to set out Arctic Warriors and Arctic Fisherman tip-ups, to place baits in several spots at once.

“But even where it’s legal to use a lot of lines,” he says,”I like to set about two or three at a time until I find an area that’s producing. I always jig with one rod. I like the big (Lindy) Flyers with a big ol’ sucker minnow on the back. I believe the jigging bait brings in fish from a distance, and even if they don’t bite it they might bite one of the other baits.

“On my tip-ups I use a variety of things. Dead smelt or other dead bait, rigged with a big circle hook (1/0 to 3/0). You never set the hook with a circle hook; you pull, the fish pulls and they almost always get hooked in the corner of the mouth.

After finding a productive area, Bro often maxes out the spread, setting the legal allowable limit of lines per angler. To monitor a ‘field of flags,’ Bro says, “I set up base camp. I use two Clams or Fish Traps (portable shelters) and zip them together with the Trap-Link. We can keep warm and keep an eye on everything. But it still takes a lot of maintenance. You have to make sure tip-ups don’t freeze into the ice, and change bait, and rush out there every time a flag goes.

“I personally pack a kit with minnows, chisel, scooper, extra hooks and line onto my (Arctic Cat) Bearcat and drive around slowly, stopping short of each hole, then walk in quietly. I used to freeze my hands, but now they have those (Ice Armor) waterproof gloves and you can stick your hand down the hole and do what you need to do, even land fish. The Ice Armor suit is awesome, too, with padded knees and butt. I’m a lot more comfortable than I used to be.”

When it comes down to it, nothing warms the soul like finding your own fish, then fooling them into biting.

Article provided by the Ice Team.

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Ice spearing is a new an exciting ice fishing season

It’s December, and if there’s a transition time for outdoor activities, this is it.

Deer gun season has closed, and while muzzleloader deer and many upland game seasons are winding down, another season has opened.

The fishing community in 2001 marked the opening of managed ice spearing in 30 North Dakota waters. Whether you agree or disagree with spearing, the North Dakota legislature directed the State Game and Fish Department to implement a spearing season. Since then, each winter a few thousand North Dakota citizens embark on darkhouse spearing.

As with any new season, the Game and Fish Department has taken a cautious approach, is learning from other states, and is listening to constituent wants, needs, and concerns. Combine that with biological and survey data and we can set spearing seasons that provide opportunities without hurting our resources.

All people who spear in North Dakota must first register with the Game and Fish Department. It doesn’t cost anything, but it does provide the agency with contact information for post-season surveys. During the first spearing season, 1,255 people registered, and 744 actually participated. These first-time North Dakota spearers took more than 6,000 northern pike.

Ice spearing is rewarding but is a lot of work

For sake of comparison, last year 1,188 people registered and 638 reported actively spearing. The pike harvest via spearing was less than 2,000 fish.

The spearing season in North Dakota opens Dec. 1 and continues until Feb. 28. The only exception is Spiritwood Lake in Stutsman County, which opens to spearing on Jan. 1. North Dakota residents, and nonresidents from states that allow North Dakotans to legally spear, are allowed to participate. Currently, Minnesota does not allow nonresidents to spear, so Minnesota residents may not legally spear in North Dakota.

Any licensed angler can register with the Game and Fish Department, online at gf.nd.gov or by calling 701.328.6300. Follow-up surveys determine the amount of time people spend spearing, where they go, and how many fish are taken.

I have tried spearing, and will say that I enjoyed it. Never in my life have I been that close to a fish – at least that I could see – that wasn’t in a frying pan, and the darkhouse was quite an experience. With the water magnifying the size of a pike, and watching the fish attack a decoy while I am literally inches away, is an experience you’ll never recreate sitting in front of the television.

Watching a large pike come up to your spearing decoy is quite a rush

At times we were skunked and dead tired as we cut out holes, only to find the water too murky or submerged trees blocking our view and spearing lane.

And I’ve also speared some decent sized fish. But I’ll also admit that at times it seemed the fish were very receptive and success was almost guaranteed. While this combination can provide for quick limits of good-sized pike, critics are quick to point out that releasing speared fish is not possible.

But at the same time, not every fish attracted to the decoy is a whopper, and there’s no mandate to even spear a fish. Believe it or not, similar to watching a nice deer from the tree stand without taking a shot, it’s not always about spearing the biggest and the most pike.

And even at times the pike will drift near the decoy and pass on without even the opportunity to spear.

Over the course of the past half decade, spearing has become part of North Dakota’s outdoors. Here’s a little more detail on spearing in North Dakota:

* A spear is counted as a pole (line) while darkhouse spearfishing.

* Pneumatic or rubber band powered spear guns are not allowed.

* When a dark house is moved, or a hole larger than 12 inches in diameter is left in the ice, the hole must be adequately marked with a natural object, such as a tree branch or tumbleweed, visible from a minimum of 150 feet.

* There is no size limit on ice holes in lakes where darkhouse spearing is allowed. However, hook and line fishing is legal only in holes no larger than 12 inches in diameter.

* Legal live baitfish, with the exception of white sucker, and artificial lures can be used as decoys.

* Daily and possession limits are the same as for hook and line fishing.

* New Lakes for 2006-2007 season: South Eckelson, Barnes County; Sibley Lake, Griggs County; Stump Lake, Nelson County; Lake Irvine, Ramsey County; Island Lake, Rolette County; and Sunday Lake, Stutsman County.

* Other lakes where darkhouse spearfishing is allowed are Devils Lake, Benson/Ramsey counties; Silver Lake, Benson County; Powers Lake, Burke County; Rice Lake, Emmons County; Juanita Lake, Foster County; Lake Etta/Alkaline Lake complex, Horsehead Lake, and Round Lake, Kidder County; Flood Lake and Diamond Lake, LaMoure County; Beaver Lake and West Napoleon Lake, Logan County; Buffalo Lodge Lake, McHenry County; Coldwater Lake and Dry/Goose Lake, McIntosh County; Stanley Reservoir, Mountrail County; Lake Laretta, Nelson County; Cavanaugh Lake, Morrison Lake, and Sweetwater Lake, Ramsey County; Grass Lake, Richland County; Carpenter Lake and School Section Lake, Rolette County; Buffalo Lake, Sargent County; Coal Mine Lake, Sheridan County; Mallard Marsh and Spiritwood Lake, Stutsman County; Cottonwood Lake and Tioga Reservoir, Williams County; Lake Sakakawea from Garrison Dam to Highway 85 bridge at Williston; and Lake Oahe from the South Dakota border to McLean Bottoms boat ramp.

Give ice spearing a try!

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A tipup rigged for pike and ready for action

If you are tired of finicky panfish or walleye with lockjaw and the slow bite that the area has been experiencing throughout this unstable portion of the winter, turn to an old favorite to heat up the action on the ice.

One of the most exciting fish to catch in our area is the northern pike. The pike, for many anglers, has gone from a childhood trophy to a secondary fish. However, winter is the time of the water wolf, there’s no better time to rediscover tip-up angling for northerns.

Pike are readily available in many lakes throughout North Dakota thanks to stocking and great spawning over the last decade. Furthermore, when other fish shut down during the fickle winter weather, the pike seem to always be on the prowl. The sight of a blaze orange tip-up flag tripped by a northern is a challenge welcomed by all ice anglers.

A nice pike ready to be pickled

Getting started

 

It doesn’t take much to get in on the action for pike in winter. A $30 stop at the fishing section of any department or sporting-goods store for tip-ups, some line, leaders and trebles will have you all set for tip-up fishing. I prefer to use a single treble hook attached via 12-inch leader to 25-to-40 pound test nylon line on my tip-ups. Others may prefer heavier line or longer leaders depending on clarity of the lake being fished. If you’re fishing catch and release, try a variety of quick-strike rigs to lessen impact on the fish.

Set ‘em up…

The legal number of lines that can be used in North Dakota is four. This provides tip-up anglers with a chance for some hole-dashing action.

By setting three tip-ups in high-percentage areas such as channel edge flats, or along last summer’s weedline, anglers can capitalize on known pike cruising strips. By drilling holes in other areas nearby, an angler can jig spoons or baited hooks for pike and hop around while still keeping an eye on the flags.

There are a variety of tipups available on the market today

There are several brands of tip-ups, but the one I recommend and use primarily is the classic Polar Tip-Up. Its simple design and bright color make it a shoe-in for inclusion in any angler’s arsenal. Its flag-holding notch also prevents the wind from tripping the flag and sending out a false alarm.

Other options, like a variety of hole covering thermal tip-ups and the new Jig-Up, which mechanically moves your offering up and down, are available. Take a look at several different models and see what is best for your angling style.

…Knock ‘em down!

You may be dozens of yards away, in the truck, on shore, or in the icehouse when a flag trips on the tip-up. Don’t worry about missing the fish. Pike, by nature, tend to grab bait and run with it before turning it and swallowing it. As you approach the tip-up you can see the spool turning the flag trip mechanism as the pike runs. Watch for the spin to slow or even stop. A good idea once the flag pops up, is to count to twenty and then grab hold of the line. If you can see the line angling off under the ice, there’s a good chance the fish is on. Feel for tension and prepare for battle.

"Slammers" are basically fishing rods designed to work like tipups, where a bite will trigger the hookset

The hook is set with a swift upward pull on the line. Make sure to lay the line as neatly as possible next to the hole as the pike nears the surface. In case of a quick run by the fish, the line will smoothly flow through your hands and back down the hole, instead of tangling on the tip-up, your leg or other obstructions.

Once the pike is iced, look for any serious damage to the gills or gullet. If the fish is bleeding, keep it; if not, you have the option of releasing the fish, especially trophy pike. It is a rush to remember.

So when the walleye won’t bite, and the perch are a pain, try some tip-ups on the pike filled waters…of our outdoors.

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Early ice offers some of the best opportunities at trophy northern pike fishing.

If there’s a fish species that gets fired up for cold water, it’s the northern pike. Especially big ones, with distance between the eyeballs. If you’re a little fish, a big pike is your worst nightmare—but if you are an ice angler, a big pike can be your favorite dance partner.

Trophy pike are active right away under the ice, but they’re jumpy and have to be approached with stealth. The ice is thin and clear and often there’s little or no snow to hide your overhead approach. The goal is to target high-percentage hangouts with several of the right baits. If you’re sneaky you will get bit, because northerns are not nibblers.

Finding Trophy Pike at Early Ice

Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl looks like a composite of every Viking that ever lived. Appropriately cast as a backwoods guide, he has risen to a position of modern ice fishing prominence. A key Clam Corporation pro and Ice Team Power Stick, he travels to far-flung winter destinations to teach secrets learned through a life on the ice.

When it comes to cornering trophy ice pike, nobody does it like Bro. But you can do it like Bro, if you follow his formula.

“It’s all about big water when it comes to northerns,” he begins. “Especially where you have a lot of fishing pressure, big lakes still have trophy fish. Whether it’s one of the Great Lakes or any lake of 1,000 acres or more—or a smaller lake that’s connected to a bigger lake—those are what I key on.”

Bro, although he looks like he could punch a hole through the ice with his bare hands, is a really nice guy, so he will not leave you hanging there.

“Within the lake,” he continues, “the number one thing I key on at early ice is any place where a river channel runs through the lake. Most lakes that have a river running through them (apologies to Norman Maclean) have a main depression (the old river bed) that’s a little deeper than the surrounding bottom. Where that riverbed enters and exits the lake are key areas. Some of these areas have current. It’s often very light, but it’s still there. These areas are important pike spots right after the ice forms.

“A lot of these are the same places pike run up to spawn, but the difference at early ice is they don’t go as far upstream. They stay in the lake, but will hang around in the mouth, or the source. Really, these are phenomenal spots from fall through freezeup, then as the ice gets thicker, most northerns disperse out to the main lake.”

It should go without saying, but anywhere there’s current ice anglers should venture forth with safety in mind. Never fish an area with significant current, and test areas with slight current carefully.

“You have to be cautious,” says Bro, “but I’m not talking about areas with heavy current. I’m not in the bottleneck where the current picks up; I’m out where the current gets diffused by the lake.”

These areas are typically flush with panfish, bullheads, suckers, and other preyfish in late fall and through ice-up, a big reason big pike are there.

Water Clarity Considerations

“I go to lakes that have a history of producing big pike,” says Bro. “I don’t care if it’s clear or dirty water—although if I have a choice I’ll always go to dirty water in the daytime. But there can be advantages to fishing clear water, because the fish can see to hunt from longer distances. In clear water they can see your bait from farther away, unless it’s hidden in thick weeds. They are spooky, so to fish clear water, get there early. You can’t drill holes over the top of the fish all morning.”

Again, because of safety concerns, Bro scouts the day before, to confirm ice thickness and find key ambush points. “Never walk out onto early ice in the dark if you haven’t been there before,” he says.

During scouting runs, “use the Vexilar right on top of the ice to search out the main channel and weed edges,” advises Bro. “In clear water, use the Aqua-Vu to look over weed edges, and find the best green weeds. If you’re serious about it, fire up the Strikemaster and drill all the holes while it’s still dark. Flags start popping as soon as those rays pop through the trees. I use the infrared lights on my Aqua-Vu to find weed edges when it’s dark. We have these high-tech tools now, so put them to good use.”

What Else?

On waters without distinct riverbeds, large weedbeds can be primary early-ice pike locations. “Patches of green weeds live, year to year, after average weeds die off,” hints Bro. “Avid fishermen know these spots, but you can find them on any lake if you work at it. Best time to look is early ice, when you can walk around and look through the ice. Find clearings in those green weed patches.”

On lakes with a distinct riverbed, follow that bed seeking places where it bends around an obstacle, such as an island or shallow structure (such elements are often obvious on contour maps). “If you find a place like this that also has a beautiful weedbed nearby,” laughs Bro, “don’t tell anybody else except me.”

Bro likes to set out Arctic Warriors and Arctic Fisherman tip-ups, to place baits in several spots at once.

“But even where it’s legal to use a lot of lines,” he says, “I like to set about two or three at a time until I find an area that’s producing. I always jig with one rod, the Genz Stix baitcaster. I like the big (Lindy) Flyers with a big ol’ sucker minnow on the back. I believe the jigging bait brings in fish from a distance, and even if they don’t bite it they might bite one of the other baits.

“On my tip-ups I use a variety of things. Dead smelt or other dead bait, rigged with a big circle hook (1/0 to 3/0). You never set the hook with a circle hook; you pull, the fish pulls and they almost always get hooked in the corner of the mouth.

“I also use lively minnows on the big Rattl’r Spoon. One of my secrets is a Buzz Stix rod on an Arctic Warrior. The Buzz Stix jigs for you, keeping things moving, and the Arctic Warrior releases the rod when the fish strikes. You fight the fish on the rod and reel. It’s great.”

Inside tip: use no-stretch line on Buzz Stix for maximum bait movement. Set it at the highest setting. “I want that thing jigging as fast as it can go,” says Bro. Loosen the drag or pike might pull the rod down the hole. Tighten it just before you set the hook.

After finding a productive area, Bro often maxes out the spread, setting the legal allowable limit of lines per angler. To monitor a ‘field of flags,’ Bro says, “I set up base camp. I use two Clams or Fish Traps (portable shelters) and zip them together with the Trap-Link. We can keep warm and keep an eye on everything. But it still takes a lot of maintenance. You have to make sure tip-ups don’t freeze into the ice, and change bait, and rush out there every time a flag goes.

“I personally pack a kit with minnows, chisel, scooper, extra hooks and line onto my (Arctic Cat) Bearcat and drive around slowly, stopping short of each hole, then walk in quietly. I used to freeze my hands, but now they have those (Ice Armor) waterproof gloves and you can stick your hand down the hole and do what you need to do, even land fish. The Ice Armor suit is awesome, too, with padded knees and butt. I’m a lot more comfortable than I used to be.”

When it comes down to it, nothing warms the soul like finding your own fish, then fooling them into biting.

Article provided by the Ice Team.

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You can take ‘em at other times, but Power Stick Karl Kleman likes; Late Winter for Monster Pike.

One person’s complaint is another person’s call to action. Very early in his ice-fishing days, Power Stick Karl Kleman picked up on a familiar refrain coming from late winter panfish anglers.

“When the sunfish move up into the shallow bays,” Kleman says, “the guys who are chasing the sunfish constantly complain about being cut off by pike.”

To Kleman, the question becomes ‘where’s the beef?’ To a guy who loves to fish big northerns, the complaining is beautiful music. He has been known to follow the complaining to fish, in fact.

“The sunfish are up in those shallow bays because there’s a renewal of life in there,” Kleman says. “There’s more oxygen than there was (at midwinter), and the food supply is becoming active again. The big pike are up in there cruising around, too, following the sunfish and other fish. Plus, the northerns are getting ready to spawn, too (pike often spawn while there is still ice on the lake).

“The pike and the sunfish are active, and I sometimes follow the sunfish guys (anglers), and hang off to the edges of them and fish with bigger baits.”

There’s much more to Kleman’s late-ice trophy pike pattern, as you might expect, than simply following other people to potential spots. Over the years, he has refined his operation, come to notice important details that make some spots more consistent producers of big fish than others.

His approach has worked well on small ponds, varying size lakes, river backwaters, and very large systems. It’ll work for you, too.

Locating Bigger Pike

Because Kleman has this late-ice operation so well wired, he works it every winter, planning trips to known big-pike hangouts and hitting waters close to his central Minnesota home when he can’t travel.

“The first step you have to take, no matter where you live,” says Kleman, “is to find out about lakes that have big pike. This always sounds like a nothing piece of advice, but it’s not. It’s an important first step. You can’t catch big fish if they aren’t there.

“It might take years to get tips about lakes that have big pike in them. Pay attention, ask questions. Check out the wall of pictures at the bait shop. Ask around at sports shows. Call biologists and ask them; they can be the best source of information on something like this, because it’s part of their job to inform the public about the resources.

“When you get the name of a good lake, get the best map you can of it. Find the shallow bays. The big, shallow, weedy bays, anywhere from maybe 5 feet to 15 feet of water. It all depends on the lake. Some lakes hardly have any deep water, and some lakes don’t have much shallow water.

“I really like to find weeds in the bays. Weeds bring in baitfish and panfish late in the winter. When you get out to the lake, pinpoint the spots where guys are fishing panfish. In Canada, on some lakes you don’t have much for sunfish, so you might find ciscoes, tulibees and perch are what the big pike are chasing.”

Beyond these basics, Kleman looks for features in the bay that might have a better chance of holding the biggest pike.

“If you pick out a good bay, you can assume there are at least some pike in there,” he says. “Drill a bunch of holes, and look for little oddities in the bay. For example, I like to find a spot where it’s maybe a couple feet deeper than the surrounding water. Those little depth changes can be important. You want to stay within the bay, but find one of those little pockets of slightly deeper water.

 “I’m also looking for openings in the weeds. I don’t want to be in the thickest, nastiest weeds. I want the fish to be able to see my bait. The fish needs to be able to pick up that little flicker of the spoon or whatever you’re using. As long as the fish can see the bait, you can draw them over to you. They’re cruisers at that time of year, looking for something to eat.”

One foolproof form of locational detective work is to find out where the known pike spawning bays are. This is often common knowledge among local anglers and bait shop workers, so if you snoop around in a friendly manner, you can often get this critical piece of information before you hit the ice.

“And again,” says Kleman, “ask the local fisheries biologists. They all know this information, too, because they check the spawn.”

The hot spots aren’t always the spawning bays, though. “You might get there a week early (for the spawning bay) or something,” Kleman says. “Some of my best spots on the lakes I fish all the time are not the actual spawning bays, but they’re usually very close to them.”

What else does Kleman look for in a possibly productive location?

“I’ve done well on shallow rocky points,” he said, “with cabbage weeds on them, that are connected to the spawning areas. And another factor to look for is cattails, which indicate shallow, mucky areas, and a lot of vegetation. I always look for incoming creeks, too, because they (pike) always run creeks in the spring. Current coming in from the creeks can be a real magnet for them at that time of year.”

(Note: if you fish anywhere in the vicinity of incoming creeks or any other current areas, be especially careful at any stage of the ice season. This is especially true at late ice, when the conditions can appear safe when they’re not. Use common sense, and never fish alone.)

Fishing Strategy

Nobody has bought in any more thoroughly than Kleman when it comes to the importance of mobility. He’s a movin’ dude in many ice-fishing situations. But when it comes to big pike––at least after he’s found a good spot––he tends to sit tight longer than normal.

“These fish are cruising the prime areas,” he says. “They know there’s food in there, and they’re looking for it. So ,yes, I tend to stay in one spot longer than I would if I were fishing for a different kind of fish. It’s great to be mobile, and you still have to do that until you find the good spots. But once you find that key area, it’s time to sit down for a while and work it.”

(He had spent almost 45 minutes in one hole without a bite, and was just about to move, when the monster you see pictured with this article hit. It remains his personal best fish, a true trophy of 30 pounds!)

“That’s normal for me with these fish,” Kleman says. “I’ll work a spot for maybe a half hour to 45 minutes, if I think it’s the right spot.”

S-cable a big plus

When you’re jigging in dense weed growth, Kleman says, it’s important to limit the strength of the signal being pumped out by your Vexilar flasher. For FL-8 owners, there is an optional accessory, the S-cable that does that. “When you’re in thick weeds,” Kleman says, “you have to have the S-cable. You can even get in thick laydown cabbage, and you won’t get a good signal showing you the true bottom without the S-cable. Once you put in the cable, though, you do have to turn the gain up a bit, and then you’ll be able to see your lure much easier, and the bottom signal.”

(The new FL-18 has this feature, known as ‘LP’ or Low Power mode, built in.)

Presentation Keys

Because he’s normally working shallow water, Kleman strongly prefers lures that flutter, flash, and take a long time to sink. He often, in fact, fishes spoons that you might normally use for trolling lake trout in the summertime.

Here’s how he works them:

“I like to get the spoon to do big, fluttering movements,” says Kleman. “I kind of pump it. If I get a fish to come in and look but it won’t take it, then I go to almost a pounding presentation, like Dave (Genz) does on panfish. I’m not slowing down the movements; I’m just not moving it as far. I let ‘em look at it like that for a few seconds, and then I get it going again with another big pump-and-flutter move. I want them to think it’s really trying to get away. A lot of times, that’s when they take it.

“I also love Flyers for this, the biggest one. I do the same deal with them, get a big pumping action going, get it circling around, and pull those fish in to me out of the weeds.”

Even the big pike are aggressive by nature, so Kleman figures he gets about 80 percent of the fish that come in for a look to bite. “But you do get that 20 percent of fish that come in, stop, and take a good look at it. You gotta keep it moving when that happens. I might try to not move it quite so far on that kind of fish, maybe just a 4-6 inch snap of the wrist, just to give it a little hop so they can’t get a good look at it.

“Just don’t stop it dead, so they can sit and look at it, see the hooks dangling there and everything. If you keep it moving, most of those fish will hit it.”

Kleman likes to tip his spoons with strips or chunks of smelt he cuts from fish purchased at a seafood retailer. The Flyer works well with a Berkley Power Grub, but make sure you get that tail on straight or the lure won’t work right. And Power Grubs work well on plain or hair jigs, too. Also, don’t forget the Power Tubes.

Big natural lakes and sprawling reservoirs are the classic home of monster pike, but Kleman warns us not to overlook smallish ponds.

“Farm ponds hold some of the biggest pike of all,” he says. “I grew up in the prairie country around Albany, Minnesota, and there were a lot of farm ponds around us. They don’t get a lot of fishing pressure, but there can be some huge fish. Just remember to release them, because we need those fish in there to keep the bass and panfish populations from getting stunted.”

Kleman’s final thought is more like a warning, that big pike chasing is not a numbers game. “The way they hit, so savage, and the fight, is worth all the effort for me,” he says. “You are not going to get a 20-pounder every time. You have to have patience, and put your time in. But by using these methods, and working these areas, you’re going to get bigger pike than you did before, if you were fishing in other areas.”

Article provided by the Ice Team.

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According to the weather forecast, March will begin with subzero temperatures which will extend the wait for the snow goose migration. We are in the midst of the spring snow goose hunting season but could be a month away from actually having huntable numbers of geese in the state! With an excess of three feet of ice on lakes and sloughs it looks like we will be have to be patient. The cold weather will delay the spring goose hunt but will extend the ice fishing season which is just fine with a group of retired ice fishing anglers.

Although ice fishing success across the northern plains has been sporadic this winter, I had the opportunity to witness some truly unique ice fishing techniques that produced amazing results. I have been listening to stories for the past few years about the success my grandfather and his friends have been enjoying on the ice. We have discussed their presentations and fishing techniques which are both very simple but have proven to be very effective. Over the past few winters they have been spending much of their free time on frozen lakes and sloughs that hold the pike they are in search of.

When the opportunity arose to spend a day on the ice with the group, I couldn’t turn down the offer. I was however given instructions that I did not need to bring any of my “high tech” ice fishing equipment. I soon learned the group still takes pride in utilizing odds and ends from the garage and turning them into ice fishing rigs. Throughout their lives they have learned the value of a dollar and have learned some ingenuity along the way. I had the opportunity to see this ingenuity in action on my recent fishing trip.

Armed with pieces of PVC pipe, chalk line, a bag of frozen smelt and word of the latest bite we headed to our destination. The sun was already well above the horizon, but I was reassured that we would be there in plenty of time. Although I was a bit apprehensive on how the day was going to unfold, the excitement of the group provided me with the confidence that our day was going to be a success.

As we reached our destination we began to get rigged for the day. The pieces of the puzzle began to come together. The pieces of PVC pipe were cut about 2 feet in length, they were wound with about 35 feet of chalk line which were armed with a hook suitable for deep sea angling. We baited the hooks with the smelt and dropped the lines down the holes. The PVC pipe sat across the opening in the ice. The rigs were essentially makeshift tip ups. Needless to say this was not going to be finesse fishing, but according to the members of the group the presentation wasn’t as important as being in the right place at the right time. If you were on the bite, the aggressive feeding pattern of the pike would provide all the action you could hope for.

The PVC pipes were painted half white and half black. When fish strike, the PVC pipe spins and the color scheme creates a “flag” for the fisherman. True to form we ended the day with our share of action and we never lost a fish. Who needs Spiderwire when you’ve got a chalk line? There is no doubt that technology has significantly improved and enhanced ice fishing success, but the day with the group proved to me that some good old fashioned ingenuity can still produce some fish.

Although I don’t think that I am going to trade in my “high tech” ice fishing equipment, the day proved to me the simple enjoyment ice fishing can provide to all types of anglers. It looks like winter is going to hold on for a while which means we will be waiting for the geese to arrive, but you won’t hear a complaint from the group of dedicated ice fisherman who will no doubt be in search of the latest hot spot.

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