Have you ever ever stayed in an affordable motel room? It’s not luxurious, but it surely’ll do. So, you agree in. You fireplace up the TV. Perhaps you name house and chat along with your spouse. A short time later, you discover you’ll be able to hear the TV within the room subsequent door higher than yours. You’ll be able to hear each phrase the man staying in that room is saying to his spouse. That’s when it dawns on you that your “non-public” area isn’t very non-public in any respect. That is the analogy Ross Robertson makes use of when explaining how the common angler behaves on the ice.
Ice creates a barrier between us and the fish. Throw a pop-up shelter and a heater into the combo and it’s simple to settle into your “non-public” area. However every part you do from the second you arrive at your spot till the strains come out impacts the end result of your day. The fish — your “neighbors” within the subsequent room — are listening and feeling what’s happening.
Over time, Robertson has constructed up an inventory of seemingly trivial issues that shouldn’t matter on the ice, however do. These behaviors largely go unnoticed by anglers. Begin being attentive to these minor particulars, although, and your productiveness will enormously improve.
Sound Off
Trendy expertise like forward-facing sonar hasn’t simply helped us discover extra fish quicker. It has additionally uncovered our shortcomings. It has proven us what we’re doing mistaken in actual time. That is very true on the ice, the place Robertson has discovered the expertise invaluable for ironing kinks out of purchasers’ packages. He recalled a visit the place two veteran anglers introduced two novices out. Robertson set the rookies up in a pop-up with ahead dealing with sonar, defined what to do, and informed them to be very quiet. Very quickly the display screen was lit with fish and the newbies have been on their technique to a restrict of walleyes. The veterans, however, couldn’t get a chew.
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“They stored telling me they needed to maneuver,” Robertson mentioned. “In the meantime, their mates are 30 ft away practically restricted within the first twenty minutes. So, I sat there with them. And certain sufficient, they weren’t marking any fish. I found out actual fast that the one man was consistently scooching his chair on the ice. Then he’d pour a cup of espresso and simply throw the Thermos down. I picked up the thermos, informed him to take a seat nonetheless, and inside a couple of minutes we had fish on the display screen. These guys had been ice fishing for years and by no means noticed the correlation between these seemingly insignificant noises and getting bites.”
Sound on the ice issues, and there’s extra you are able to do to cut back it than sit nonetheless and never speak too loudly. Robertson famous that when he asks which form of auger makes the least quantity of noise, the commonest reply is a hand auger. When it comes to decibel ranges, that could be true, however it is going to take you longer to drill your holes with a hand auger. Due to this fact, it’s creating extended noise that may push fish away from an space completely. A fuel auger could be louder, however the bursts of noise are a lot shorter, making it extra probably that any fish they initially spook will regroup. Bear in mind, the noise isn’t generated by the auger’s motor. It’s generated by the blades scraping the ice.
Right here’s the Scoop
With walleye fishing particularly, 10-inch holes are helpful. Robertson factors out that giant holes enable you keep away from getting hung up on the underside of the outlet when utilizing lures like Jigging Raps that swing far out to the aspect whenever you work them. Bigger holes are additionally good when that trophy fish takes a shot, assuming, after all, that gap is evident when it’s time to land your catch. If you concentrate on it, a slush-filled gap hardly ever impedes your potential to work a jig to the purpose of being ineffective, but most anglers scoop them clear consistently. That looks as if requirements in ice observe, however Robertson says even preserving a tidy gap can price you fish.
“I perceive that slush generally is a ache, however I do know a number of anglers who fish on very clear lakes that won’t clear the outlet till there’s a fish on the road,” he says. “I’ve drilled a number of holes and arrange cameras to see how a lot this actually issues. It does. You’ll have fish proper below you and then you definitely bust out that scoop they usually’re gone.”
Straightforward on the Excessive Beams
Little doubt, forward-facing sonar is changing into customary package on the ice, however Robertson (and lots of different anglers) have seen that the extra closely it’s used, the extra in tune with it the fish turn out to be … they usually don’t prefer it. That’s to not counsel skipping electronics, as a result of the ping of an old-school flasher can tip fish off, too. Nevertheless it does imply you need to be sparing at occasions. Don’t merely drop your transducer within the gap and let it run all day, particularly for those who’re not marking fish, solely seeing them sometimes, or seeing them however not getting them to chew.
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“There have been cases in ice fishing tournaments for panfish the place forward-facing sonar is definitely getting used as a defensive instrument,” says Robertson. “You’ll have a two-man staff and one is doing nothing however panning his forward-facing sonar on the holes of opponents shut by. It’s to not see what number of fish are there — it’s to scare his fish away.”
Do not forget that you typically want sonar to search out fish, however not essentially to keep on them on the ice. In case you’re marking a pile of walleyes or perch beneath you which might be chewing and out of the blue cease, attempt killing the electronics. You need to, after some time, have a really feel for depth and cadence and never should see the chew occur on a display screen to attach.
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