By now most of the lakes and pond have frozen over with a nice thick layer of ice. This is prime time for ice fishing season. Let look at the tradition of ice fishing for a moment as a VT Fishing Guide. 

Most fishermen over the years wait for the ice to get thick enough and then drive their shanty out on the ice and setup shop. Some of these shanties remind me of the movie Grumpy Old Men where it feels like home. It’s got a small stove, lounge chair, fridge, etc.  There is really nothing wrong with this! Really, some people just want to get out of the house and relax and enjoy the great outdoors. 

The goal is to unwind, relax and maybe catch a fish or two. Okay, that’s great. What if you have a different goal? The goal of catching a bunch of fish and some pretty big ones at that? Then this may not be you! You really don’t need a super fancy shack or even one at all! By the way, I love this movie! 

Fish The Deep

The many unexplored frontiers in most ponds, lakes and rivers are the areas that are loaded with weeds, sticks, fallen trees, etc. These areas are often out of reach but are highly productive during the open water seasons. In the winter though fish tend to be more active in the deeper waters and not the shallows. Drill your hole and probe the bottom to see if you are in the weeds. Then move to deeper water. 

Most of the time I fish in the open and find a nice deep spot in the lake to drill my hole. Here’s a beauty!

Fish the Depressions

What is a depression? Most depth finders will point out where the depressions are at the bottom of the lake. These are spots in the bottom that dip down and provide a small spot for the fish to hide. A depression is also where the depth suddenly drop by 1 foot or more. You can also see where lake depressions are from mapping software solutions like lakemap.com or navionics.com. These allow you to drill your hole exactly over the depression and catch more fish. 

General Ice Fishing Tips

Fish are just like people. Yes, they rely on their senses to relate to things around them. Fish can hear, see and smell everything in their environment around them. Here are some things to think about when fishing. 

1. Fish have color vision. They can also see for a good distance as long as the water is not to murky. 
2. Fish can see above them as well. In the summer, you can easily spook a fish with big movements and loud noises. Winter gives you the ice as an advantage. 
3. Fish can sense movement. They use their senses to detect movement to find food. That is why jigging is one of the best ways to attract fish! 
4. Fish have a sense of touch. Yes, their lateral line which is their way of touch. This allows them to detect movement in the water. They use it to sense danger, find food and swim in schools. 

Back to fishing! Remember if you don’t catch fish, I don’t get paid! 

Thanks, 

Keith