First Ice Bonanza

Brian Brosdahl likes thin ice. No, he isn’t keen on falling through it. He’s done that so many times he feels like a seal sliding out of a hole onto the cold hard surface.

What Brosdahl likes about thin ice is the action below it. “Early ice can be the best fishing of the season,” said Brosdahl, a member of the Ice Team, a promotions group which uses the latest technology and gear for ice fishing.

For Brosdahl, who lives in Minnesota, early ice means 2 to 4 inches. One year, he saw enough ice form to support him by the first weekend in November after temperatures fell to an unseasonably cold 10 below zero. Most often, however, first ice is in place by Thanksgiving, and the four-wheelers are out on the lakes by the first weekend in December.

It’s during those first cold days that fishing for perch, crappies, bluegills and walleyes can sizzle, he said. That’s when Brosdahl heads to shallow, fertile lakes in his neighborhood. Anything with 22 feet of water or less is best. “They have the best ice early and they typically have the best fishing,” he said.

Brosdahl also prefers lakes with stained water and clarity of 5 to 6 feet. Fish can’t afford to be too particular in this off colored water. As a result, they’re more aggressive. “They have to catch, grab and destroy,” Brosdahl said.

Another advantage of darker water — fish bite all day rather than just in low-light times which is typical of clear lakes.

As for location, Brosdahl has this to say; “Think weeds, structure and then the open plains.”

Begin by checking out the Department of Natural Resources web sites for your state. Most offer maps of the lakes. Or, buy a map at area bait shops.

What you’re looking for are major structures that host weedbeds which still host green vegetation. The weeds give off oxygen and ignite the food chain while giving panfish a semblance of security from predators. Even coontail weeds, which starts to fall apart, offers cover. Brosdahl said if you’re unconvinced, simply drop an Aqua-Vu underwater camera down and see for yourself.

The best weedbeds are large in size on structures that reach all the way to deep water. It’s a bonus if rocks are present. Expect to find panfish, walleyes and pike.

Brosdahl, who started ice fishing with a Green Box years ago, said a good flasher unit like the Vexilar 18 can be a great tool. It gives a close-up of the bottom in 6 feet of water where jumbo perch love to hold.

Crappies, an early-winter favorite, will be where you left them during the past autumn. In shallow lakes, they’ll cruise the weedlines and become active at various times during the day. In deeper lakes, they haunt the deeper holes where baitfish roam. If a point juts out to the hole, it’s nearly a given it will hold fish, he said. Look for balls of bait. They huddle up for protection from hungry predators. It’s a sign that crappies are close by.

“If the lake is shaped like a big bowl, you’d better have a good auger, cuz you’ll be drilling a lot of holes looking for them,” laughed Brosdahl, who likes the StrikeMaster Strike Lite, a four-stroke tool that’s lighter and quieter than other machines. In early ice, though, a hand auger will often do just fine.

The key is to stay mobile. Use light, portable fish shanties like the Fish Trap or the Clam. These portable units will allow you to keep moving until you find fish, and you’ll be more likely to move again once the action slows.

Brosdahl uses the Dave Genz rod series by Nature Vision. The rods are species specific, and the choice is made easier because each one bears a picture of the fish it’s designed for.

He also uses an Auto Buzz Stix for his “dead” stick because it keeps the minnow moving and bouncing unattended.

He also likes super braided lines in the thinnest diameter you can get.

Best bait in dark water is a Lindy Techni-Glo Frostee Jigging Spoon in red glow or blue glow. Try tipping them with a small plastic body, like a Munchies Tiny Tail.

Perch is a species that loves to patrol shoreline areas with structure, such as points and bars that criss-cross an area. They also surround themselves with minnows, crustaceans and invertebrates. As a result, look for transition areas that offer a variety of bottom types. The best spots will prove to be drops that feature both rocks and mud. Perch will also be found in weeds.

As the calendar turns to a new year, they move to detached rock piles, which are small humps in the middle of nowhere. They’re there to enjoy the mid-winter snacks of insect hatches that occur near the full-moon phases, Brosdahl said. “The mud comes alive,” he said.

Early in the morning and later in the day, the flasher will reveal active perch suspended 2 to 3 feet off the bottom. They drop down and become more inactive during the day. They don’t rise as high off the bottom during cold fronts, he added.

Later in the winter, perch move again to big flats away from structure. Anglers abandon the shanty towns over structures that were once widely popular. This is the time when friends come in handy. Dissect the lake, drill holes until you see fish on the screen and fish the spot thoroughly. Call your buddies when you connect.

Broshdahl likes perch-colored Frostees. They capitalize on the perch’s tendency to cannibalize its own young.

For bluegills, go with smaller jigs. Brosdahl’s favorites are Fatboys and Genz Worms dressed with spikes or maggots. Or, tear a wax worm in half and let its insides spill in the water as an attractant.

Bluegills feel safe in the vegetation so look for clumps of green weeds. Milfoil is a favorite. They like the deeper holes in the weeds so start there. Crappies will be mixed in.

Early-ice walleyes love to cruise the breaklines on points on hard-bottom areas. They can be as shallow as 4 feet. Also try the mouths of bays and over old river channels when ice is safe. Punch a lot of holes looking for them.

Try a Rattl’r Spoon or a Frostee Spoon dressed with a minnow head. Cut the minnow by the pectoral fin so its insides help draw fish. “You want some of the goodies in the water,” Brosdahl said.

Hook it through the skull and out the bottom of the jaw so it will stay on the hook. Snap jig aggressively using a motion like a hook set, let it fall, then repeat. “It works in every lake, I don’t care what state.”

He uses a “dead stick” for walleyes, too. Again it’s an Auto Buzz Stix that keeps the bait moving. “Lazy minnows don’t get strikes,” he said. On your dead stick, loosen the spool so the fish can pull the bait out without feeling resistance. Set the rod up with a tip-up rod holder, like an Arctic Warrior that raises a flag to alert you of a strike.

Walleyes also like to cruise weed edges in search of panfish. “Any perch or bluegill that sticks its nose out is riding home on the bus,” Brosdahl said.

Remember, safety first. Thin ice is inconsistent. A spring underneath, even a flock of geese, can create dangerous situations. Brosdahl wears Sospenders, an inflatable life vest, and drags his portable ice shanty by a rope tied around his waist so he can carry spikes in each hand to stick into the ice, if he breaks through. “When you’re on ice 2 to 4 inches thick, you don’t know where the trap door is,” he said.

Stay warm. Brosdahl wears IceArmor, a waterproof suit that features extra padding on the rear and the knees. Wear something non-slip on your boots to prevent serious head injuries in a fall.

Brosdahl spends most of the winter putting on seminars and fishing Trap Attack tournaments on behalf of the Ice Team. Learn more at www.iceteam.com. He also guides. Phone (218) 665-2217 or visit www.brosguideservice.com. First ice can be a bonanza for the adventurous angler!

By Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson

Lindy News Line

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