The winter is a cool time for some fishing

In the past few days during this unusually warm Alaska fall, I have noticed skim ice forming on the smaller lakes and ponds around Big Lake. I’m thinking it might be awhile before the ice becomes thick enough to allow walking or, better yet, running a snowmachine or truck out onto the water’s surface. Things can change quickly, though. Once the ice is solid enough, I’m going ice fishing!

I don’t claim to be an ice fishing expert, but I always have fun and usually bring some fresh fish home for dinner as well. My wife has never understood the attraction ice fishing holds for me. She thinks I’m crazy for wanting to go out and sit in the cold waiting for an often smarter-than-I fish to bite on a hook dropped through a hole in the ice.

The key to enjoying the ice fishing experience is being warm and staying that way. That happens when you dress for the conditions. I wear my “bunny boots” and a pair of insulated, waterproof snowmachine pants over a layer of long johns and warm socks. Sometimes I’ll wear pants designed for use under a pair of waders over the long johns. I have long-sleeved thermal underwear shirts I don under a heavy flannel shirt and cover with my winter hunting coat. A vest under the coat adds even more insulation on a really cold day. A warm hat and snowmachine or winter hunting gloves complete the outfit.

If the wind is strong and I can’t block it with my truck out on the ice, I have a portable ice fishing “shanty” I can erect in a few minutes and anchor to the ice. This shelter is made for ice fishing and has openings in the floor allowing one to fish from inside the shelter. A small propane heater designed for indoor use provides any necessary heat while a battery-powered light hangs from the ceiling and provides any necessary light. A folding chair or tall bucket provides seating either in the shelter or out on the ice while fishing.

A hand auger to drill holes is fine early in the season, but once winter sets in and the ice depths increase to three feet or more, a power auger is the only way to go. I bought a small gasoline two-horsepower, two-stroke auger with an 8-inch diameter shaft about 20 years ago and have never looked back. That little auger will cut through the thickest ice and never miss a beat. I even ended up buying a 12-inch extension for the 36-inch auger shaft to punch holes through the late winter ice in order to fish.

There’s a bunch of brand-name fishing rods and reels designed for ice fishing, along with fishing line and lures specifically developed for winter fishing. Using bait on a hook with some split shot for weight will often catch as many fish as the technically more sophisticated artificial baits and lures on the market.

Once the ice fishing bug bites, you’ll be acquiring underwater cameras, fish finders and GPS units among other electronic devices to help find those sometimes elusive finny under-ice inhabitants. You’ll need a sled of some sort to carry your gear while using a snowmachine to access your favorite fishing spot and a spud bar to open recently refrozen holes. The list of potential ice fishing accessories just keeps going on.

If you’re interested in learning about ice fishing from the experts, contact Ehmann Outdoors. You can email them at ehmannoutdoors@gmail.com or view their website at ehmannoutdoors.com. I sat in on their “Ice Fishing 101” seminar a couple of days ago and was impressed at the level of knowledge and expertise both Butch and Jehnifer Ehmann exhibited in their respective presentations. When you contact them, ask about their upcoming schedule of ice fishing seminars.

There were 20-some folks in attendance, including three women. One lady was originally from Wisconsin and had previous ice fishing experience. She wanted to learn how Alaskans pursued the sport. Another lady had never ice fished before and just wanted to learn the basics. The guys ranged in experience from those who could write the book on ice fishing to those who had never ice fished. The seminar presentation fit nicely with everybody’s interests and all questions were answered to the satisfaction of the asker.

Not all my ice fishing opinions agreed with Butch or Jehnifer’s, but they do know what they’re talking about.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.