Daylight, weather, less snow kick ice anglers into action

Longer Daylight hours, along with warmer weather, and less snow cover had me contemplating ice fishing this past week — unfortunately I had plenty of other obligations that kept me off of my favorite Mat-Su Lakes. While driving into Anchorage last Saturday, however, my wife and I observed many ice anglers where likely influenced by those conditions. We saw several ice fishing tents and a couple groups of anglers out on the open ice when we passed Kepler - Bradley lakes along the Glenn Highway, and further towards Anchorage we spotted several additional groups / tents of ice anglers out on Mirror Lake in the Peters Creek area.

I also talked with my older brother and his wife about ice fishing. My brother has been out twice recently with his younger daughter (who got a pop-up ice fishing tent for Christmas). On there first trip I was told they did not even get a bite, but on the second trip to a different lake they hit a good bunch of fish and caught enough for at least a couple family meals. They caught mostly landlocked salmon in the 10-inch range, and while they ended up a little short of both of them harvesting limits — they cam close. It is amazing how catching fish/ having good action can change the perception of how much fun was had on the trip.

Finding Fish

After the first outing my brother went to a second lake where they had caught fish in the past. Evidently few people had been fishing this location, as there were very few holes of other ice anglers, and the stocked salmon were available in good numbers and ready to bite when my brother and niece showed up. This approach could be replicated by searching Mat-Su Valley lakes that had been stocked by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and then attempting to find one or two that don’t receive much fishing pressure. It helps if a person has had past experience on a lake and perhaps knows one or more of the better fish catching spots on the lake. Often some of the best summer fishing locations on a particular lake may also be some of the better locations for catching fish through the ice. On smaller lakes, and as it gets later in the winter, locations in 8 - 15 feet of water often produce better than deeper water. Just as my brother went to another lake when the first lake did not produce, it frequently pays dividends to cut holes in a different location on a lake if the first spot does not produce. Although I have at times switched lakes during a trip —- I am much more likely to spend the duration of a trip fishing several locations on the same lake.

Best Baits

I had a friend who likes to fish jigs most of the time while ice fishing — I suspect part of his reasoning is he does not want to get his hands cold by baiting hooks — but particularly when fishing is slow he will put a piece of shrimp on the jigs to seal the deal and turn some reluctant fish into biters. Scent and something soft encourages the fish to bite and hold on longer than just a metal lure. I did not mention that my friend also likes to fish soft plastic trailers with his jigs — so even when not tipping with bait — the fish has something soft and chewy to mouth.

Small shrimp purchased at the grocery store are a favorite bait of many ice anglers. Salmon and trout in our local lakes readily react to the scent and taste of shrimp. Another advantage for shrimp is they are often tough enough to last quite a while — several fish may sometimes be caught on a single piece of shrimp. Some anglers also fished brined shrimp which may have been dyed bright colors by the brine. The brining process also helps to further toughen the bait.

Salmon roe — many Mat-Su anglers already have a supply of salmon roe, they may have kept after harvesting ocean-run salmon during summer months. While soft uncured roe will get bites, the cured stuff stays on the hook much better and keeps for longer periods of time in an unfrozen state. One disadvantage for fishing roe is that it is often wet and gooey, and for this reason, baiting hooks with roe many times on an ice fishing trip may result in a very cold set of hands.

Commercial single salmon eggs — Advantages with these eggs: they are often tougher (they may have been cooked to firm them up). They are often available in several different colors, which the fish may prefer on different occasions. The hook baiting process is usually less gooey compared to fishing with roe -- hands stay warmer.

One final thought about lures / baits — anglers may want to try multiple options. For instance, I’ve caught fish through the ice on artificial lures, lures tipped with bait, and with each of the baits listed above. While I most often fish three Pautzke’s Balls O’Fire single eggs on a single hook when ice fishing, there are times I prefer fishing some of the other options.

Daylight hours have lengthened, the weather has improved, and snow levels have decreased, when compared to conditions earlier this winter. All these factors make for a more enjoyable ice fishing trip in my experience. If you have not been ice fishing this winter, now may be a good time to make the effort.

Good Luck and Fish On!