I've been on the water often enough over the decades to know that the barometer will affect your fishing success, but the degree to which it plays a part, often depends upon the fisherman him/herself. The need to slow down one's presentation is often difficult to recognize, much less make a very necessary, immediate transition, especially when you've been out several days in a row with the fish banging your lure or minnow as soon as, or before it hits your favored fishing depth.
I frequently state, "I let the fish tell me what they want."
What I mean by this is that by scaling down your presentation speed, changing colors, going to a different minnow size or larval bait, all these things are steps you can take in quick fashion, to communicate with the fish, thereby giving them the opportunity to tell you what they want and how they want it, or if you're even close. Other factors may include the type and pound test line you're using; is it one of the new super lines, is it a fluorocarbon, or is it high-visibility line? Myself, I still love the old Golden Stren, as I can see the line a great distance down the hole in clear water when I'm fishing in a shanty, and can often react long before the spring bobber, bobber, or other type strike indicator has received the telegraphed message. I also have a tendency to go light when fishing for panfish, 2-4 lb are my preferred panfish lines.
Does that mean I won't get a steelie, laker, salmon, pike, walleye, smallie, or whitefish through the hole? Not at all! It means I have to take extra special care when fighting the fish, so that my line never touches the side of the ice hole, and I have to use a more expensive reel that has an extremely smooth drag. A gaff works well once the fish is at the hole if I plan on keeping the larger fish, if they're in season. Another important factor when using extremely light line is the frequent retying your hook, or lure. Others have taken the time to offer their input regarding brightly colored line, suggesting that it may make the fish spooky, but I have never encountered that problem.
I’ve frequently heard other ice anglers suggest tipping a spoon or jig with half a minnow. The segmented minnow puts scent in the water, which may turn on the target species. I've seen days fish want tails only, or heads only, other days I've just used perch, bluegill, or crappie eyes to trigger the bite. Although this technique isn’t for the squeamish, it’s bait that can take abuse and trigger strikes. At times the fish want the minnow hooked through the mouth, or the back, or just behind the anal fin so they swim upside down, and have to struggle. Again, experimentation is the key between a day of fishing, or a day of catching.
There are days I've cursed those that use power augers for shutting down the bite and spooking a school that I finally triggered into biting, yet the opposite is true as well. I've seen guys auger and push the fish my way, only to end up in a feeding frenzy. The guy that gets me is the one that sees you catching fish when he’s several hundred yards away, then moves in right on top of you with a power auger. That being said, one of my own tried and true tactics is that when the bite slows, I'll partially hand auger a new hole, and watch the fish turn right back on. Should you try this tactic, be sure to leave the shavings in the hole, and pour a little water back in so it can re-freeze, otherwise you've created an ankle breaker for some unsuspecting fisherman, or child.
Basically, after a few seasons of fishing, you will begin to apply more and more successful tactics because you have learned "how to think like a fish."
Knowing the nuances of your target species goes one heck of a long way to being successful as well. Does your quarry feed in large schools, do they suspend, do they feed from ambush or in competition with other school members, how far will they travel in search of food, where are they in the food chain, why are they in shallow water today, why have they moved to deeper water, is the fishing pressure causing them to change their habits, do they feed at night, or only during daylight hours?
The type of action you give your lure or minnow will often either trigger the fish, or have them ignore your presentation. Different species like different methods, and no two days may be the same. Sometimes perch like that little jiggle where the minnow/lure is always moving, other times they want it completely still, but frequently they want to play centerfield, and catch your presentation on the fall. How fast do you let it fall? Again, don't be afraid to experiment.
Fall rate will depend upon the size, weight, and construction of the lure you're using. When fishing for panfish, I typically use ice ants, with the hook size being determined by the type bait I'm using. If I'm using maggots or waxies, my hook can be tiny, as the entire lure will more than likely be suddenly slurped into the fish's mouth. Using minnows, I try to stay light as possible, using an ice ant only heavy enough to keep the minnow heading toward bottom. This allows the perch plenty of time to pick up the minnow heading toward them, and most often they'll come hard charging and hit the bait before it even reaches bottom. I've used this method on a number of species, in depths ranging from six to thirty-five feet. The minnow will be slowly spiraling toward bottom as it leaves my sight, when suddenly the line will completely stop its downward spiral. I quickly reel up the slack and set the hook. A great tip I will pass on is the following.
I carry a set of sharpies in an inner pocket of my float suit, then use a heavy weight to find bottom, reel up about a foot, then color the line between two rod guides. That way I can quickly peel off line and stop when the colored section of line is between the guides. Then I can let it coil in the hole, while at the same time watching it uncoil as the bait heads toward bottom. If it stops before bottoming out, reel and set the hook. When fishing shallow, I might not use any weight at all, instead letting the minnow swim as naturally as possible, especially when I'm fishing for crappies that want the bait presented naturally.
The type of food the fish are ingesting is important. Checking the stomach contents of your catch upon arrival home will yield some very interesting information.
Are their stomach’s completely empty, thus they’re hungry and hitting, or have they suddenly switched from emerald shiners, to panfish fry, or are the crayfish beginning to emerge with the advent of spring’s approach? The fish know, but the only way you’ll discover this information, it by doing some dissecting of your own. In this way you’ll be better prepared to match your jig, spoon, or your presentation of choice, to what the fish are actually consuming.
I began this column addressing the barometer. My own fishing experiences indicate that if I can be on the water at the moment a low pressure area is moving in, I'm going to have a field day, therefore I make plans to "fish the front," rather than the backside of a change in weather. Whether on the open water, or on the ice, there are hazards to this approach, therefore you the angler must take the appropriate precautions so as not to endanger yourself or others, when fishing in these changing climactic conditions. Your family may want a nice feed of fish, but more importantly they want you back home safe.
It makes no difference what species you’re after, when the bite goes cold, these are questions you might consider asking yourself as you contemplate an attempt to trigger "the big bite." Give the suggested techniques a try, what do you have to lose but a big lure on an even bigger fish?
~ Send the big 'uns back to spawn~ Mike
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