Crappie are a fun species of fish to target because they tend to congregate near weed beds and in shallower water, meaning you can target them reliably and start a feeding frenzy for sustained catching. But do crappie bite at night? The answer is yes, at all times of year. During the warm summer months, …
While organizing your fishing supplies, you come across several old spools of line you forgot you had. You don’t even know how long it’s been sitting in storage. So you wonder: is it still good to use on the water? Do unused fishing lines expire? Fishing line doesn’t come with an expiration date. That said, …
If you are new to fishing, you are probably finding some words and terms that are unfamiliar to you. A common term for trophy fishers and even casual anglers is “PB.” You might see this in forums, fishing reports, and all sorts of fishing publications. But what exactly does PB mean to fishermen? In fishing, …
Have you ever been out on the ice and wished you had a lightweight, convenient power source? Perhaps it would help you power a fishfinder or a small, portable heater to keep your shelter warm. Did you know that you could build your own universal power box? All you need is a battery, some sort …
If you’ve ever wondered what the difference between an ice fishing reel and a spinning reel is, you’re not alone. After all, they look the same and seem to work the same way. The differences between ice reels and summer spinning reels are small but important. First, ice reels are usually smaller because they aren’t …
The serious ice fisher knows his sport takes a lot of gear to maximize the catch, and that gear doesn’t haul itself onto the ice. A sled like the is a good choice for pulling your gear. But all that gear can get heavy. Who wants to use all their energy pulling a loaded sled …
When you’re out on the ice with the wind howling and the temperature dropping, the last thing you want is a malfunctioning heater. Knowing how to restart your Mr. Heater heater on the ice can stop you from packing up early. The popular Buddy Series heaters from Mr. Heater are typically dependable but can become …
You’re on your way back to shore with a boatload of lake trout you just caught, but you’re beginning to wonder if it was worth the effort of catching them. You may have heard that lake trout doesn’t taste as good as other types of fish, or that it isn’t good for you to eat. …
One of the best ways to catch more fish through the ice is to drill a lot of fishing holes. At each new hole, you jig for a few minutes, maybe using a sonar or underwater camera to survey the scene, and hope to find fish. If not, move on and drill new holes until …
Yellow perch are what we call panfish because their mild, flakey filets taste so good coming out of a frying pan. They’re not quite big enough to be considered game fish and not really part of the sunfish family like most other panfish. So, what are they? They’re members of the Percidae family, commonly known …
If you hauled in more fish than you can eat in your latest ice fishing adventure, you may be wondering about long-term storage options. Is it okay to freeze the excess fish? Specifically, can you freeze them in ziplock bags? If so, what’s the best way to do it? Is there a better way to …
Ask a group of ice anglers what is the best transport to haul their gear, and there will be a flurry of answers plus a few disagreements. However, they’ll agree that you need one type of transport to get to the parking lot by the lake and another to move your gear onto the ice. …
When shopping for live bait, you want to get the best price possible for the largest amount of bait. Minnows are typically sold by the pound, but what does that mean, exactly? How many minnows can you expect to get when you buy a pound of them? Snippet: Minnows come in different types and sizes, …
For avid outdoorsy people, ice fishing is the perfect way to feed their passion throughout the winter. Ice fishing is part of the local culture in northern regions, and entire communities spring up around the sport. The first thing ice anglers need to learn is when ice is and isn’t safe. As a rule of …
One of the most difficult parts of ice fishing is keeping your tackle box organized. It’s easy to go a little overboard at the sporting goods store and buy a huge number of lures and spoons for your fishing needs. I even buy multiples of my favorite spoons in case I lose one. But how …
You’re ready to hit the ice, and you’re planning to use live bait to improve your catches this winter. But before you get started, you want to make sure you’re using the proper techniques to get the most out of your bait. The term “wigglers” can refer to a variety of live bait types. In …
Many anglers prefer to buy their live bait in bulk and save what they don’t use for their next fishing trip. This is a great idea, but there’s one thing that can complicate it: how do you keep the bait alive until your next trip? Wax worms, in particular, are a favorite bait type for …
Many ice anglers have spent countless hours in an ice hut or a pop-up shelter pursuing their ice fishing passion. I’d be willing to bet most of them were expecting their ice huts or pop-up shelters to do one thing, keep the wind off them. The idea that their shelters may keep them afloat on …
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You’re out of your depth.” Typically, it means you’re unqualified for something. When ice fishing, it literally means you’re fishing at the wrong depth. Setting a line five feet too high or low can mean missing feeding fish and going home empty-handed. Depth finders and sonar are great aids for …
Comparing a flasher vs. a graph will allow you to choose the right option for your ice fishing game. Bear in mind that both of these will help you with ice fishing and they’re better than nothing at all. That said, one is definitely better than the other when it comes to ice fishing. I’ve …