Being an Efficient Angler….It Begins Long Before You Hit the Water

By Loren Keizer- Why Fish Staff Member

It’s getting to be that time of year again-you’ve either got your boat out or you’re wishing you had your boat out. Soon enough everyone will get their chance to hit the open water.

Every once in a while we pull up to the landing and witness something we all dread seeing. You pull up to the access looking to quickly launch your boat, only to see someone already there. The bad thing is, this angler doesn’t even have their boat ready. You see them loading their gas tank, batteries, fishing gear, and other miscellaneous items into the boat. You wonder, why didn’t this angler have everything ready before pulling up to the landing? Witnessing this can cause frustration to many anglers but by following a basic and simple list, you can avoid frustrating yourself and fellow anglers.

By being prepared before you even leave the house you will be more efficient when you get to the lake. Here is a simple list to go by before you think of hitting the open water this season.

First thing is fuel. Make sure you have fresh fuel in the tank, this is especially critical the first time out. If you have old fuel in your tank drain it out, as this can cause immediate or prolonged damage. Also check to make sure you have enough fuel in the tank, there is nothing worse than running out of fuel while out on the water. It never hurts to carry a spare gallon of fuel with you either.

Another important item on your list are the motors. Whether you have just an outboard or a trolling motor also, this is your key to getting on the water. Will they start? This may be a stupid question, but nothing is more frustrating than backing the boat in and the motor won’t start. Check that it turns over at home, check any fluids that also need to be looked at. Your trolling motor, which isn’t quite as critical, should be checked over also. Does it function the way it should? This will also tell you if you did indeed charge your battery well enough. Make sure the controls for the trolling motor are doing what your are telling it to do as well.

Next thing to think about are the batteries. Have the batteries been charged up since you last were out? Keeping a full charge on your batteries will allow you to enjoy your time on the water. Also making sure that you have enough batteries to run everything is key. Charge up the batteries the night before and hook them up in the morning before you leave the house. This will guarantee that you have power to everything.

You will also want to take a look at your electronics. You may want to hook them up at home and check them over. See that they are functioning properly and that your cords are plugged in the right spot. If you wait to hook them up till you get to the lake, be courteous and have this ready before pulling up to the landing.
Lastly, is all your fishing gear in the boat? Do you have your net, minnow bucket, anchor, rain gear, rods and tackle for the day? I usually try and make another list for the rods and tackle based on the fish I am targeting. This is not necessary but does help the forgetful, excited brain some days. Also have your drinks and snacks loaded in your boat as well. Avoid making multiple trips from the vehicle to the boat at the landing.

This is just a quick list but can make your day more enjoyable by checking these things before you leave the house. There may be other things you may want to add to the list also, but by covering the bases you will become a more efficient angler.

So whether you are fishing a quiet lake all by yourself or heading to a lake with a hot bite, being ready when it’s your turn to launch will make everyone’s day start out on the right foot.

Have a fun and safe open water season!

Winter Tip-ups for Northern Pike

By Jon Falch, Why Fish Staff Member

"TIP_UP!!!!!" is yelled from the guy sitting in the driver’s seat. Three grown men bail out of a pick-up and take off running like Olympic athletes towards a bright orange flag waving above the snow. As they approach, the t-post is spinning out of control. The ice that has formed is broken, and the tip-up is raised. Late Ice is a great time to fish for Northern Pike (Esox Lucieus). Hand to teeth combat is an adrenaline rush that is hard to match. Pike are like every other fish; they need habitat and food to live along with reproduction to sustain population.

In late winter pike start to more into staging areas getting ready for spawn. This means that they will be moving towards shallower water and spots that warm up quickly underneath the ice. When reading a lake map to find possible pike location you want to look for shallow water areas that have very little slope, preferably on the north shore. 6 inches to 7 feet seems to produce lots of fish. This spot will warm up each day with the sunlight and bring in baitfish, which the pike will follow. Also look for sharp breaks just below these, spots where depth will jump 2-5 feet in a short distance. The sharp breaks will act as an ambush point for prey as they travel to and from the shallows to the deep water in the morning and evening. Inlets or channels that flow into a lake and river are good places to look as well. Fish patrol the channel sides and shallows that are right mouth. In these locations fish the sides of the channels and the shore banks on either side.

Without a doubt, the northern pike is a voracious predator. They can consume three to four times their weight through out a year. Besides smaller fish, its diet includes frogs, crayfish, small mammals, and birds -- almost anything within range. In winter downsizing your bait selection isn’t always necessary, but may be the key to triggering bites. Commonly used baits for tip-ups are: Frozen smelt, herring, shad, sardines and hotdogs. Live baits that are used include: Fatheads, shiners, creek chubs and suckers. Check you local laws to see what baits are legal in your area.

Frozen baits are typically rigged on a treble hook and place anywhere between 6in below the ice to sitting right on the bottom. It is good practice to use a 4-8inch leader above the hook to prevent bite offs. To help attract fish, attach a stinger hook to the top of the leader and tail hook a small fathead or crappie minnow. This will create vibration and add flash to the bait.

Treble hooks, single hooks and English hooks are commonly used to rig live bait. Hook the bait through the back or tail with the point or the hook pointing towards the head. Place a weight above the bait 6-18 inches. The further you move the weight up the more the bait will swim around and create vibration and glitter. When fishing at night use a Glow in the dark hooks or place a bead just above the hook. This makes your bait more visible at distance.

When approaching a flagged tip-up, look for the fish to still be pulling line out. Break all the ice that may have formed on top of the hole. Slowly pick up the tip-up making sure that line can still be let out. Grab hold of you line and slowly draw it up till you feel tension. Once Tension is felt, SET THE HOOK and hold on. Play the fish a little if he wants to run let him, and then draw him back in again. Always try to keep a little tension on the line. Once the pike is at the hole, turning his head so that he come up can be a little trick and take a few tries. Most pike will almost swim out of the hole when their head gets started out of the hole. Anglers also use Gaffs or Bogagrips to get the fish through the hole. This eliminates the chance of cutting you hand on the gills or dorsal fin.