NOVEMBER ISSUE | 22-2023
ANGLERS EVOLUTION
IN ICE FISHING FIRST ICE SAFETY
CHECKLIST
COLD WEATHER
SPEARING BROOKIES
ON ICE
FOCUSING ON SPRING
BOBBER SET-UPS CHASING EARLY
SEASON CRAPPIES
ICE TEAM PRO SPOTLIGHT
BEN FELDHAUSEN THE FROZEN
KITCHEN UNPLUG
YOUR KIDS CUSTOMIZING YOUR SLED
FOR ICE FISHING BACK TO THE BASICS
FOR BLUE GILLS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 06 10
ANGLERS EVOLUTION IN ICE FISHING
12 16 20 22 26 28 30 34 38
COLD WEATHER SPEARING
FIRST ICE SAFETY CHECKLIST
BROOKIES ON ICE FOCUSING ON SPRING BOBBER SET-UPS CHASING EARLY SEASON CRAPPIES ICE TEAM PRO SPOTLIGHT BEN FELDHAUSEN
DIGITAL Magazine Ice Team Magazine Editors: Matt Johnson Contributing Writers: Bob Jensen, Ryan Salemi, Felix Goulet, Jerry Carlson, Bryan Dean, Scott Seibert, Kyle Lynn, Dennis Kassube, Ryan Pinkalla
The True Center of the Ice Fishing World PH: 763 - 231 - 4126 FAX: 763 - 231 - 4121 Email: info@iceteam.com Website: iceteam.com Ice Team Manager Matt Johnson facebook.com/ IceTeamRevolution twitter.com/IceTeamNews youtube.com/IceTeamVideos Advertise with Ice Team Call MSPN at 800 - 989 - 6776 or email sales@iceteamfishing.com
THE FROZEN KITCHEN UNPLUG YOUR KIDS CUSTOMIZING YOUR SLED FOR ICE FISHING BACK TO BASICS FOR BLUE GILLS
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6 >> iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue
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t’s interesting how things evolve. Change is part of the world that we live in. If we don’t accept change, we’re not going to be as productive as we could be. I’ve learned that especially with computers and digital cameras. They’ve made my life easier(usually) and more productive(sometimes). In a recent conversation with a f ishing f riend, I learned that my attitude toward moving f rom hole to hole while ice f ishing needed to evolve if I wanted to be more successful at catching f ish through the ice. Here’s what I mean.
John Crane is an avid ice angler. He’s on the leading edge of ice f ishing techniques and technology. In a recent conversation with John(J.C.) the talk turned to ice f ishing. I asked J.C. how long he’ll sit on a hole if he doesn’t see a f ish on the sonar. His answer surprised me a little. Not a lot, but a little. He said that if he doesn’t see a f ish on the sonar, he doesn’t drop a line. He moves to another hole. I’ve f ished with J.C. several times through the years. In the past, we’d pop 20-30 holes in the ice in an area that we suspected held f ish.
We’d put a sonar transducer down the hole and then drop a bait down. If we saw a f ish, we would hold the bait a foot or two above the f ish and try to get it to come up to the bait. Most f ish are more likely to feed up than to feed down. If we didn’t see a f ish on the sonar, we’d move the bait in hopes that a nearby f ish but out of the transducer’s cone angle might be attracted to it. If nothing showed up, we’d jiggle the bait a little more aggressively. We were trying to draw a f ish to the bait. If nothing showed up after a couple of minutes, we
I LEARNED THAT MY ATTITUDE TOWARD MOVING FROM HOLE TO HOLE WHILE ICE FISHING NEEDED TO EVOLVE IF I WANTED TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL AT CATCHING FISH THROUGH THE ICE.
iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue >> 7
moved to another hole. For a long time, that worked well and it still does. However, in the past couple of years with advancements in technology, J.C. doesn’t drop a bait if he doesn’t see a f ish. He uses sonar that can scan an area and will show where f ish are in relation to where an angler is. J.C. can go to the holes where the scanning sonar says the f ish are. He then drops his downlooking sonar transducer in the hole. He will usually see a f ish, and if he can see it, he can usually catch it. Not all of us have sonar that scans. I don’t, and many of the people that I f ish with don’t either. However, we have traditional sonar. We know that sonar will help us catch more f ish through the ice. The Vexilar FLX-20 that many anglers prefer provides outstanding target separation. It will show within
inches where the tiniest jig is in relation to a f ish on the screen. In the past several years we’ve realized even more that if a f ish isn’t on the screen, move along to the next hole.
Jamei XL or a Maki. These plastics wiggle even when the jig is barely moving. If a faster presentation is employed, a Maki Mino or Mino XL is threaded onto the Drop Jig.
J.C. has also been evolving f rom live bait on a jig to plastic bait on a jig. The evolution is almost complete. J.C. says he rarely takes live bait on the ice, and never does if he’s after panf ish. Plastic comes in different shapes, colors, and sizes. Live bait doesn’t offer those options. Plastic baits are also much easier on the hands: You don’t need to put your hands into cold water in a minnow bucket to get a plastic bait, and plastic bait stays on the hook longer and doesn’t die. It’s much less expensive than live bait. When the crappies, perch, or bluegills are wanting a slower presentation, he shows them a Drop Jig tipped with a Maki
In our conversation, I did a lot more listening than talking. I learned that an angler can catch f ish through the ice using traditional techniques. I also learned that we can catch more f ish through the ice if we change our techniques a little bit. Fishing is like so many things in life: We can do things the way we’ve always done them, or we can evolve and often times do things better. I’m looking forward to evolving on the ice this ice f ishing season.
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our alarm clock goes off and it is Monday morning again. You slide out of bead, throw on some slippers and stumble down to the coffee pot to pour you a cup of joe and step outside to see what the morning is like before heading off to work. As you take your first sip you notice there is something different about this morning from previous mornings. There is a stronger nip at your nose, the breeze is cutting through your hoodie a little more and there is a sense of stillness around you. Instantly you know….it is almost that time. First ice is just around the corner! It is hard to measure the excitement of ice anglers as they prepare to venture back onto the frozen sheets of opportunity, they left behind last spring. Some say to themselves, “This will be the year I finally catch that monster that lurks in the deep” or “This year I know I can beat my personal best”. For some it is a chance to spend more time with their families in the outdoors, teaching their kids how to tie jigs on and read sonars. The passion for ice fishing that anglers have is hard to rival with most things. It is something special that only people who live in the ice belt will understand. Now something that we MUST remember though all the excitement and anticipation is that first ice is not only magical but can be extremely dangerous. Safety is often overlooked and ignored in order to get to that one spot or to be able to say “I was the first one out” but none of that matters if you’re at the bottom of the lake. No one wants to get that phone call from the sheriff’s department saying, “You’re not coming home”. Even if one person falls through and doesn’t survive throughout the whole season it is too many. We must keep each other accountable and safe. We must make it home to our loved ones after each outing. We must take first ice safety seriously. Here is a list of items that have 10 >> iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue
been developed to help keep you safe on first ice along with some practical tips to keep in mind when making that fist excursion on the lake. First, we will start with simple tips to remember. These are things to remind yourself as well as others and good things to keep doing throughout the whole season as ice is ever changing and even in late February you can still stumble upon cracks, holes, and weak spots when there is a solid 38” of ice on the lakes. Things to remember: •
Tell your spouse, neighbor, or even a friend what lake you are headed to and a rough estimate as to when you will return. This ensures that if you’re not home within a reasonable time someone notices and can point authorities in your direction. This also applies if you change lakes throughout the day.
•
Bring another person with. Do not go out alone. It is easier to get out of the water if there is someone to help you or call for first responders if you fall through.
•
Check with local authorities and/or DNR about current ice conditions on the lakes you plan to visit that day. They may have already responded to an emergency on that particular body of water and can save you the risk of going through.
These key things can save you and you’re loved ones a lot of issues without spending a penny. Next, we will take a look at some products that were designed to help keep you safer on the ice. Products. Ice picks and ice cleats. Both of these items are relatively cheap and easily acquired. The ice picks look like to bicycle handles strung together by rope or a plastic coil. Inside the handles are a single
carbide spike that when pressed against the ice, protrude into the ice and allow an angler to climb out of the water after he or she has fallen in. Ice cleats are a rubber or chain slip on for your boots that have either chain like a tire chain or carbide spikes on the underside to help you walk and keep from slipping on ice. Since first ice is usually bare and slick, both these items are excellent things to keep you standing upright on the lake. These two tools I personally carry with me all season long. They are light and easily stored. Spud bar. A spud bar is an especially useful tool for early ice. It is a long bar with a hole and loop of string on one end and on the other is a spike or chisel. As you walk onto the lake you use the spud bar to check for weak or thin ice. Every few steps stab with spud bar into the ice a foot or so ahead of you with some mild authority. The rule of thumb is that if the bar goes in so will you. Now this is not a fool proof technique as we all have different strengths and weights. This is more of a guide for keeping off unstable ice in general.
Always use extreme caution. Life jackets or PDFs. Life jackets and PDFs are not just for open water. Wearing a life jacket or coast guard approved PDF while on first ice can be just as effective at saving your life. Floatation suits. First, these are NOT coast guard approved PDFs and are not to be used like one, but they do have the ability to keep one afloat in the water for some time. More and more anglers across the ice belt are using float suits as added safety on the ice. I myself have the Ice Armor Ascent suit by Clam Outdoors and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Warm, durable, comfortable, and it floats. There are many other ways to keep safe on first ice but the most important thing to remember is that ice is never safe. It is constantly changing, shifting, breaking etc. Always use caution when venturing out. Tell family where you are headed and when you will be home. Bring ice picks, cleats, and a life jacket. Stay away from cloudy spots as they are most likely weak. And remember no fish is worth your life. With all that being said, first ice is almost upon us, and the itch is getting more noticeable. Soon it will be go time. Don’t forget to re-spool your reels and check your augers for needed repairs. Charge you sonar batteries and dust off your ice houses. Good luck out there and stay safe. Remember, today could be your day! Kyle Lynn Fishing Minnesota Come follow along as we chase hot bites and share tips and tricks around Minnesota on Facebook and Instagram.
www.facebook.com/Kyle.Lynn.Fishing.Minnesota | www.instagram.com/kylelynnfishingminnesota
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ll of us spearing fanatics have our tricks. Being an outfitter, we have heard it all. Potato chips or deer corn down the hole for visibility, hotdogs for decoys, or even letting the radio blow out its speakers to some good old Led Zeppelin. Everybody has their thing on what works on a normal day. But what does everyone do when its dead and nothing is moving? Well, we got to work on this last season and came up with a few different things that could change your spearing trip! First, one of the main things that we have found that slows the spearing is barometric pressure. Don’t let it scare you, it’s always going to be there, but it may determine how well your trip goes. What we have found that Northern do not care about it being high or low as much as they do about it changing. If you
are getting a report of a drastic lift or decline, stay home and clean out the tackle box. Think of it as if the pike were getting a migraine before a rainstorm hits. They are going to slow down and be lethargic. When they do, they aren’t going to chase a decoy or a golf ball that won’t sit still. So, if you do decide to take a chance and go out during a peak or lull, leave the decoy alone! Be patient and let the decoy be an attractant rather than dinner. After all, you just need the fish in the hole, not necessarily to eat your decoys! Curiosity will work just fine! Secondly, if it is a cloudy day, you won’t have as much sun penetration through the ice, and it will make the water in your hole less clear. Scrape a path around your tent to aluminate the decoy and bring more light into the hole. Drill some extra holes around to have light paths
underneath if the snow/ice is too thick. Anything to bring the light in will work! But make sure to keep your windows shut and cracks sealed to prevent any light from beaming into your hole from the dark house. And lastly, don’t be tied down to one decoy color. This is a common mistake with some anglers. If the pike are not responding to a red/white or they are just skirting the hole, throw a silver or black/orange down. Just because YOU think the decoy looks better than your girlfriend, doesn’t mean the pike will be into it! Being stubborn won’t put food on the table so try something new! I hope that some of these options will give you an edge on your next adventure! Until then, Sharp Tines everyone!
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ersonally, I believe one of the most beautiful fish that swims are the brook trout. I have the chance to fish northeastern Ontario on a multitude of small lakes. I have some lakes that produce good numbers of fish and others that produce quality fish. The challenge is targeting fish over two pounds. On a medium light rod, the fight is impressive, and the angler can be proud of a nice coloured brookie. Location. First things first when fishing brookies is to locate them. What I first look for when I arrive at a lake is if a beaver house is present. If one is present, I will begin my fishing there. The shallow water near the pile of branches is a good area for minnows and all sorts of aquatic insects and Brookies eat both. When I fish a beaver house, I drill my holes near shore. I never fish water deeper than 10 feet, usually fishing between 3 and 5 feet. Whether it be in front of a beaver house or on a point or even in a bay, I always drill my holes along the shoreline. When they are feeding, brookies always swim in very shallow water so don’t be afraid to drill as little as 10 feet from the shoreline. As with fishing other species, you can drill a lot of holes to cover water. Often times with brook trout they will bite on the initial drop of your lure down the hole or within the first few minutes.
Best periods of the day. Usually, I fish early in the morning or later in the evening. For a reason I can’t explain, some lakes are good all day long and others only at dusk. My recommendation is to fish until dark. Don’t leave the lake too early, you might think that there are no fish in the lake but fish in some lakes are not active until the sun is setting below the treeline. In the middle of the day, you can fish deeper as light penetration beneath the ice can push the fish to deeper water. Midday I would suggest moving to a sharp drop off. The edge of a point is a good spot to get some midday brookie action. Rod and reel. Yes, you can use tip ups but I mostly fish using ice fishing rods. When I fish little jigs or live bait, I use 28–30-inch rods and when fishing with spoons or artificial minnow baits, I prefer 32–34-inch rods. With a longer rod you have more control over your presentation and have more leeway to give different actions to your lure. I couple these rods with a small spinning reel or an ice spooler reel like the Clam ice spooler élite. Spooled with 5-pound braided line as a main line and a 3-to-4-foot fluorocarbon leader in 6-pound test, you have the perfect setup.
it is important to place the bait on the jig head to have a nice up and down action without it spinning. When the fish are being difficult and won’t bite, I simply place a worm on a hook. With this setup, I occasionally place my rod in a rod holder to dead stick next to the hole where I am actively jigging. One of my favorite spoons for targeting brook trout is the Guppy flutter spoon. This very light lure is perfect to attract brookies from a further distance. It falls like a leaf and produces good vibration and a lot of flash. Place a piece of worm on the hook and you will be able to catch big brookies in any lake. Let the spoon free fall to get the best action out of this lure. When the fish are very active, I like to fish with a minnow shaped bait like the 1/8 oz Tikka Mino. When I use it, I like to jig it very aggressively so that the lure covers a greater distance beneath the hole. Fish this bait just above bottom and watch your
Lures and presentation. Here are some of my favorite lures for hardwater brookies. If you want to use soft plastics, my favorite is the Clam Maki Mino XL. The best colour to tie on is white with red flake. Put these little plastics on a 1/16 oz white and pink Dave Genz Drop kick jig and you have a great little minnow imitation. The drop kick jig gives you the opportunity to make verry subtle lure movements to convince quality brookies to commit to taking the bait. With the Drop kick jig, I sometimes simply use a piece of nightcrawler. With this technique, 18 >> iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue
flasher attentively as the fish tend to charge the bait rapidly. I will frequently raise the bait to just under the ice to get the attention of fish in the surrounding area. Reel in fast and stop maybe 1 foot under the ice, jig there for a minute or so and if nothing happens drop back down to the bottom. It is important to fish the entire water column as when the fish travel near the shoreline they are curious when they see movement throughout the water column. Tip Ups. If you want, you can install a Tip up and the setup is very simple. Tie a fluorocarbon leader at the end of your mainline and put a #8 octopus hook baited with a small worm. Put a little split-shot 12 inches above the hook and place that rig 12 inches above bottom. The movement of the little worm will do all the work for you. Some days the tip up will produce more fish than jigging, especially when it is very cold in the middle of winter. Bonus technique. When the fish are less active or during the middle or the day, one of my favorite techniques is to use a little worm hooked on a #8 octopus hook and I just open the bail of my reel and let the worm free-fall slowly to the bottom. This technique can be deadly. Once on bottom, let it sit there for a couple seconds and if nothing happens reel it back to the hole and repeat the procedure. If a fish takes your worm, open the bail of your reel and let the fish swim off with the bait before setting the hook. Some days it is the only way to catch them as it is an extremely natural presentation that produces good quality brookies. If you have the chance to target brook trout give it a try, they are hard fighters, beautifully colored and they are also great table fare. Have a safe ice fishing season.
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t was over 40 years ago when Dave Genz began introducing to all of us the modern way of ice fishing, and at that time there wasn’t a whole lot of manufactured ice fishing equipment. So, we made our own gear out of necessity. One of those items being the spring bobber. Quite a fitting name because it literally started with a spring from a ballpoint pen which was attached to about a 2-foot section of a broken open water rod. It was crude, but it was the best we could do at the time, plus it worked. The spring was used mostly as a bite indicator, not knowing how many other advantages we would learn about down the road. Things have really changed since that time; we have an unbelievable amount of equipment and knowledge available to us now. Though, let’s continue to focus on spring bobbers and why you may want to use one. Let’s rig some ice rods and then we’ll talk about the advantages of using one. First setup: let’s rig the Clam Outdoors Katana 27” Light Spring Bobber Rod and attach the Gravity Elite Reel and spool that with Frost Ice Fluorocarbon in 3# test. Then we will tie on a Clam Pro Tackle Drop Kick Jig and add a Silkie plus a Maki Polli plastic. Second setup: let’s go with the Clam Outdoors Scepter Stick 27” Medium Light Spring Bobber Rod and attach a Clam Outdoors Genz Spooler Elite Reel. Spool this one with Frost Ice Monofilament in 3# test. Also add the Drop Kick, Silkie and Maki plastic—increasing our size of Drop Kick on this one. Third setup: let’s go with the Clam Outdoors Straight Drop Combo 27” ML Spring Bobber combo and spool that with Frost Ice braid in 4# test, then add a short section of 2 or 3# Fluorocarbon for the leader. Also add a Clam Pro Tackle Swirl Drop and Maki Wammi. Now we are ready to fish! I’m sure you are wondering why
did he just rig with spooler reels and why three different line types? The spooler style reels prevent a lot less line twist and line memory. Also, very easy to hold the rod like a pistol, letting you fish longer and set the hook quicker. Besides, if you hold your rod like this you can do the famous “Dave Genz jig quiver” much easier!!! Next, the three different line types, in which each will get you setup for panfish, but provide a slightly different action. There are days when this can be very important! Now, back to the spring bobber, not only is it a bite indicator, but fish feel very little resistance when inhaling your jig. This can—and is—a big deal a lot of days. Studies show that a bluegill can inhale and exhale a jig in about 1/4 of a second. Now that is quick, but the Spring Bobber gives you time to detect the bite and set the hook! Some days fish don’t want an aggressive presentation, whether it is from a weather change or maybe fishing pressure, and a spring bobber will give you an added advantage on those tough days. The rod rigged with the monofilament or fluorocarbon line will be the most subtle action on your jig but remember there are many days when a very aggressive presentation is the only way to get fish to bite. Another great advantage to a spring bobber is the famous up-bite from crappies and even sometimes bluegills. Visually you will see this right away. Make sure when you rig your spring bobber setup that you have a slight bend in the bobber, this way you will see the up-bite and set the hook! Although there are many more advantages to using a spring bobber, these are some of my favorites. Spring bobbers are just another tool to make you a better ice angler. Have a great ice season—maybe I will see you on the ice!!
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hen it comes to early ice crappies, I have had some pretty memorable outings. These outings range from impressive catches to frustrating days where I couldn’t find enough fish for a meal. Still, I have no issues getting motivated to fish the early ice period. The one thing I have learned about early ice fishing is that some lakes are very consistent producers and others are more hit and miss. However, I do find that panfish, particularly crappies, will often set up in the same area of a lake year after year. It was this concept that encouraged me to try a proven lake on last year’s first trip to the ice. The chosen lake for this trip was one that offered a pretty classic deep basin bite. The water clarity was such that the weed growth was limited to fairly shallow water. Many times, the lack of quality weeds sends fish to the depths instead of into the weed growth. Working off of waypoints saved from previous years, my partner, Matt Klug and I started our search for suspended crappies. Not surprisingly, the fish were not exactly in the same
spot as they had been in previous outings. When working a deep basin bite, this is not that unusual as an expansive basin offers a lot of opportunity for movement.
ice baits, the Pinhead Minnow, was extremely effective in producing bites. Although I did sometimes add a maggot for a little extra scent, it usually wasn’t necessary.
Eventually, we did locate some crappies and began the process of drilling out the area we hoped to concentrate our efforts in. The fish had other ideas. After pulling a few to the surface, the rest vanished and we were back to looking.
This outing was a classic example of the importance of mobility. If we had stayed in the first spot we found fish, our end results would have been bleak. The holes we checked on the way off of the lake held no fish.
As it turned out, this was somewhat the norm for the day. We would find fish, catch a few, and then start the process of figuring out which way they moved. Although we always relocated the school, it was clearly a game of chase. By the time we ended our excursion, we were hundred of yards from where we had started. Although I found this to be a little unusual for early ice crappies, it is imperative to go with the flow. If the fish move, so do I. I am not someone that likes to sit and wait for them to return. One fact I did find interesting was the aggressive nature of these crappies. One of my favorite early
By working with a partner, the mobility factor is definitely easier. There is a lot of hole drilling that takes place but with only six inches of ice, drilling holes was not a concern. I also like to bring along some water for reading through the ice with my Vexilar. By placing the transducer in a small puddle of water, it is easy to get a reading through the ice without drilling a hole. This greatly speeds up the searching process. Early ice fishing success is not a given, even on lakes you know very well. Being flexible and mobile is often the key to a successful outing.
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lam-Pro Ben Feldhausen has been elected as Chair of the Professional Advisory Board for the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering at Michigan Technological University (MTU). MTU is a flagship public research university located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Professional Advisory Board represents and supports the mission of the Department, while engaging alumni and f riends to improve quality of the educational programs at Michigan Tech. Feldhausen is a dual baccalaureate honors graduate of MTU, licensed in Michigan as both a professional engineer and professional surveyor. He is also the author of a children’s book about a Northwoods ice
f ishing adventure story entitled “Beast f rom the Boondox”. The book includes an exciting story line that rhymes and imaginative color illustrations that reflect a legendary tale of swamp creatures and f renzy during an Upper Peninsula blizzard. Feldhausen has developed an encouraging program that has inspired thousands of youngsters while emphasizing the importance of education, safety, conservation, and respect for the environment. Feldhausen is an avid outdoor enthusiast who has volunteered countless hours to promoting youth activities, professional aff iliations, and civic affairs. He has been involved with the Professional Advisory Board at Michigan Tech for more than 15 years and has been an Ice Team partner with his son Luke, since 2019.
FELDHAUSEN IS A DUAL BACCALAUREATE HONORS GRADUATE OF MTU, LICENSED IN MICHIGAN AS BOTH A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER AND PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR.
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F
ew things go together like fishing, great friends, and good food. In a sport that advances decade after decade with new techniques and technology, the traditions at the root of the fishing community continue to withstand the test of time.
fish are being caught, the advancement of how people are eating those fish has changed very little in over 100 years. Let that sink in. the Midwest fish fry has been a staple of the outdoor world since the late 1800s and for good reason. Its freakin delicious! While it’s no surprise the classic fish fry isn’t going away any time soon, there is a movement taking place on the culinary side of the outdoor world that is challenging
Pretty wild to think that even after how quick the fishing community has been to embrace fast paced change in the way
INGREDIENTS: • • • • •
2 pounds fish fillets (any firm white fish) 2 Tbs olive oil 1 tsp smoked salt 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• • • •
the way people approach fish and wild game cooking. This new wave of “fusion cooking” is bringing together bold flavors and fresh ingredients. Combine with new and innovative cooking techniques, the results are fun and delicious recipes that are reviving the excitement around cooking the days catch. Here is a recipe for a fish Juicy Lucy burger that is sure to shake thing up at your next fish dinner.
3. After fish is mixed add in garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and remain 1 tsp olive oil and combine. 4. Divide fish mixture into 12 equal portions 5. Cut cheese slices into quarters and lay all 4 quarters overlapping in the center of 6 of the patties, and cover with the remaining 6 patties. With lightly oiled hands press burgers together. pinching both patties around the edges to form a single thick burger. 6. Preheat a frying pan on medium high heat. In batches cook burgers for 3-4 mins until lightly browned, flip, cook an addition an 3-4 mins on second side. 7. Serve on brioche buns with mayonnaise and pickle slices.
6 American cheese slices 6 brioche buns mayonnaise bread and butter pickle slices
METHOD: Start by grinding all 2 pounds of fish through coarse plate meat 1. grinder, if you do not have access to a meat grinder, using a food processor ensure the fillets are partially frozen and pulse until a ground meat consistency is reached. Once ground meat is achieved, place in a large mixing bowl. To the fish add smoked salt and 1 tsp of olive oil; mix vigorously 2. for 3 mins. Meat mixture should begin to stick together. If it does not feel tacky continue mixing.
This recipe debuted on The Crappie Chronicles last winter to watch it flow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onu7oreobm0&t=230s
I
grew up on the edge of the “Tech Boom” finishing high school in 1993 at the smallest public school in the State of Colorado. Needless to say, I wasn’t the most tech savvy guy around. Fast forward to 2016 and I had three teenage kids, one serving in the U.S. Navy and two more going to a small country school in North Dakota, and let me tell you, they were plugged in. It seems they had always had cell phones, at first more out of Mom and Dad’s convenience, trying to schedule 3 active kids to 3 different activities, usually at the same time and never in the same place. Now it’s Google, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and YouTube. Skip to 2022 and I have a 4-year-old fisherman in my life who can run most electronics better than I can (although he did delete a bunch of waypoints out of my Humminbird this summer) but that’s another story... You may ask, “how do I unplug my kids these days?” Simple,
be a parent, take them fishing, and set some simple ground rules.
video game, heck they will probably be better at it than you are.
No kid phones in the boat (now you have a captive audience). In the winter, no kid phones in the ice shelter.
Being a Mom or Dad and teaching life lessons can be a little tougher these days with so many answers at your children’s fingertips, but don’t get discouraged, your kids are absolutely worth unplugging from time to time.
Trust me, your kids will talk to you, they might grumble at first, but then nature and simple conversation take over. Use this time to talk to them about life, tell them stories about grandparents they may not have known, ask them about friends, school, or sports. Reconnect with them, show them some fishing secrets, teach them to tie knots, and teach them how to run the boat or why you drill holes in the ice where you do. Now I’m definitely not saying all technology is bad, just think where we would be without our flashers, GPS maps, underwater cameras and fish finders. Use this time to show your kids how to use this technology, treat it like a
30 >> iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue
I remember the first time I took all three of the kids pheasant hunting, we got home with some beautiful birds and I told them to take the pheasant out back while I put the guns away, then I would be out to show them how to clean them. Fifteen minutes later I walked out to have a “Dad Life Lesson” and find 3 proud kids and a bowl full of perfectly breasted pheasant. My oldest boy piped up and said, “Dad, we got tired of waiting, so we YouTube’d how to clean a pheasant”. I wonder what their Great Grandpas would have thought about that…
Know Before You Go Say Hi to ICESPY™
ICESPY™ is the remote ice thickness monitor that lets you fish your favorite spot sooner, longer, smarter. Call 612-229-3941 or visit www.winrectech.com for more information.
No ice is ever completely safe. This device is meant to provide information as to the possible thickness of the ice that exists only where the unit is located. Winter Recreation Technologies LLC makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the ability of this product to determine whether any ice surface is safe to be entered upon by the user. Any act or failure to act based on a reading from this product shall be at the user’s own risk.
© 2022 Winter Recreation Technologies LLC. ICESPY™ by Winter Recreation Technologies LLC. Patent Pending. All rights reserved.
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gear up for the
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ICE FISHING GEAR
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GEAR UP
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SCHEELS OUTFITTERS
32 >> iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue
Connect with us
Connect with us
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ICE FISHING SHELTERS
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iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue >> 33
H
aving your gear at your f ingertip will help you improve your f ish catching ability. A few of my favorite accessories I add to my Ski Doo Expedition is the Clam Lock gear pocket, cooler bag, and rod holders. The rod holders come in multiple versions 1,2 or 4 potions holder. I have mounted multiple base plates to a variety of spots on my sled to maximize my fishing abilities. A single rod holder next to the handlebars so when fishing off my seat I can easily set my rod in it to rebait or take a fish off. A 4-position holder on my trap tub for having four rods always rigged and ready. I also have a base mounted to the front side of my tub so I could set a dead stick in it and fish two lines if needed. I used the Clam lock system to mount my Vexilar and Lowrance GPS in a position that I can easily view the screens and see my rod tip to detect the bite. There are so many Clam accessories you can put on the Clam Lock system to customize your fishing rig. Adding a set of auger mounts to the front of your sled keeps your Clam drill plate secure and out of the snow and slush when traveling across the lake. The other addition to my sled is I added a set of CA Pro skis. I have been running these
iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue >> 35
skis for 2 years now and I have put hundreds of miles on them in some of the harshest conditions. The CA Pros skis are exceptionally durable and add an extra inch and a half of width over the stock skis I replaced. Extra width gives you much more stability when traveling across the lake and the extra width also helps when you are going through deep snow or slush as they help you float on top instead of sinking down and pushing it. My Expedition got a little tippy when I added my fish trap to the back of my sled, so I highly recommend adding a set of CA Pro skis to your sled for added stability and safety. Happy Hook Sets, Scott Seibert
NEW ICE F ISH IN G T ECH N O LO GY F RO M RLV N T
T H E H A R DWAT E R B RO N Z E LE N S Keep your eyes covered in the brightest conditions on the ice or in the snow with polarized lenses that still let you see your screens and devices.
Enhance your outdoor experience.
rlvnt.life/hardwater
Ice Team Member - Adam Griffith
W
hether you’re a young gun or a seasoned vet, everyone loves to chase big bluegills! However, catching the “bigs” can be diff icult at times. Here’s a short article on how to increase your odds of hooking up with a few pie plates this winter...and it won’t cost you an arm or a leg!
(Continued next page)
iceteam.com >> Ice Digital November 2022 Issue >> 39
` Requires ½" drill chuck (see web site for recommended drills) ` Foam float prevents the drill from sinking ` Thermal wrap on light weight aluminum shaft ` Durable composite flighting ` Drill through 36" of ice without extension (12" and 18" extensions available) ` Durable tool steel chipper blades ` Large center point for safer drilling of old holes ` Three sizes available:
6"
7.5"
8.5"
FREE blade sharpening for the life of the product (see web site for details)
Order direct on-line now or get one at your favorite tackle shop
kdrillauger.com Made By AWC 6667 West Old Shakopee Rd, Suite 102 Bloomington, MN 55438 Patented Technology 952-224-3649 #7,946,355 & #10,544,626
Watch the K-drill in action at kdrillauger.com
Official Member
K-Drill is Made in the USA
When I’m targeting big early ice gills, I look no further than my simple, yet effective Schooley Reel set up. This set up features a plastic lightweight inline style reel ($6 to $13) paired typically with a shorter (17” to 20”) ultralight ice rod, usually spooled up with 2-3lb. mono or flouro depending upon your preference. Fluorocarbon line sinks faster, so keep that in mind when heading out to fish certain depths on your body of water. You may also want to add a light action spring or Teflon strike indicator ($3 to $8) to the end of your Schooley rod set up. This will not only help with visibly seeing the bite, but it will also help with jig cadence, allowing a more natural presentation. When paired with smaller 2mm or 3mm tungsten jigs and micro plastics, this can be a deadly combination for big bluegills... especially during early in the season when there’s little to no snow on the ice. The fish can often be finicky or skittish due to the thinner bare ice, especially in shallower water where the bigger ones like to roam during low light hours at first ice. This lightweight set up is also ideal at first ice due to its ability to be low maintenance and aide ice anglers in their light and stealthy approach...so leave your heavier fancy rods and numerous heavy jig/spoon boxes at home this year at first ice, you need only a Schooley set up, small pocket sized jig box with your favorite downsized jigs and your “goto” micro plastics or live bait (spikes or waxies) along with your Vexilar and go stealth mode to increase your shot at icing those mega gills!
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