Whose Ready?

[Water_Gremlin]

So, who is ready for the water to freeze over for some good ole ice fishin? I have a few secret holes and I cannot wait to get out and drill some holes in the ice.

I have a gas powered ice auger which has a mind of its own and a hand powered auger. In my prime I could drill a hole with the hand auger through 2 feet of ice in under a minute. We used to time ourselves and compete for the fastest drilled hole. Now those days are over since I mainly ice fish by myself these days.

It a way its a tradition with my wife and I, she buys me a new ice fishing pole every christmas. This has taken place ever since I have known her.

to all of you ice fisherman out there have a safe winter and catch some monsterous bou's, dollies, burbs, or whatever it may be that you catch.

 

[Adventures]

can't wait.

can't wait.

I posted a similar message on a different board and the moderator told me it was an ICE BUG I had. could be.
I prefer spearing for pike now, but i still enjoy getting out and pulling out some rainbows if I can't get out to my spearing hole. don't any of you follow me out there either..... it's a secret. What isn't a secret is the amount of fish people catch on Trapper, figure eight, red shirt and some others out there. Just pulling them up one right after the other some times.

 

[Ripface]

I'm looking forward to learning where and how to ice fish around here. I've been ice fishing Minnesota for the last 4 years. Anyone have any recommendations for bodies of water I should try on the Kenai Peninsula? I don't just wanna catch some little shavers, I want to catch some big ones.

 

[Water_Gremlin]

How exactly do you spear pike through the ice. I dont get it.

 

[AKMarmot]

fork em

fork em

WG,
Never done it but had relatives that do back in Mn a lot. It amounts to cutting a square hole in the ice ( inside of your portable ) & stabbing them with a pitch forked type of spear when they swim buy to check out the bait / chum etc.. Obviously you are in shallow bays & weeded areas.
I'm sure Adventures can go into detail.

 

[Alaska Gray]

I'm almost ready. Love fishing Otter lake.

 

[BucknRut]

Pike spearing...

Pike spearing...

It's very common across the midwest.

We generally take portable shacks (some may not look portable, but more like small houses). These shacks have a fairly large hole measuring about 2' x 4'-6' (some larger, some much smaller). You find a shallow area that pike tend to hang out, generally in a bay with somewhat shallow water, near a weedbed. The hole in the ice is cut with a chainsaw to match the size in your shanty (you have to bleed all of the bar and chain oil out then run the saw through some ice away from you spearing spot, as you don't want the oil floating on the water).

Once your shanty is set up, you try to attract the pike. There are many ways of doing so. Chum, minnows, suckers...we've tried everything from sardines in a can to WD-40 (as young punks, we fell for anything ol' farts would tell us), but mainly decoys carved out of balsa and painted to your favorite colors work the best.

The tail of the decoy is generally curved to one side and curled over slightly on the top. This decoy is attached to a heavy mono line strung off a stiff rod of some type (we use a 3/8" dowel). When you raise and lower this rig, the curvature on the decoy's tail will cause the decoy to swim in a circle and the more rapid you work it, the larger the circle.

Then let it settle and wait for mr. pike to approach...when he does, you slowely aim your spear, which is hung in a convenient location (pointing downwards, with the "spiked end" of the spear under water). Once you've got him sighted in (just behind the eyeballs) to the best of your ability...launch er like the devil!!

Now the spear is not a one-time use deal...let me explain. Picture the devil standing at your doorstep on Halloween night. He (or she, depending who you're picturing) has got a generic looking staff in his right hand with several (4-10 depending on your liking) "spikes" facing upwards. Each "spike" is 1/8-1/4" in diameter and has got a nice sized barb positioned near the end. On the other end (handle) there is a nylon rope (1/4"-3/8").

When you connect, you haul your trophy in, when you don't...well, at least you get your spear back and another shot!

Lots more "ole Shawnee tricks" like sprinkling egg shells on the bottom of hole to make Mr. Pike more visible and different weights and sized spears, but this should be enough information to give you an idea of the whole setup!

Good Luck
Joshua

 

[BucknRut]

I tell ya what WG...

I tell ya what WG...

How exactly do you spear pike through the ice. I dont get it.

When I get up there, you tell me where and how to catch all of those other dandies you are talking about and I'll teach you how to spear!

bnr