IT IS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR!
Every year we have a huge list of ice fishing destinations on our wish list. Believe it or not, we always seem to run out of winter before being able to make all those trips happen. Here is a list of the “must fish” places this crew of two will be hitting up first!
CLEAR LAKE
Three years ago, Robert and I drove up to Clear Lake after hearing stories of Master Angler whitefish being caught out of this lake. With not a hot clue where to start! We decided to plunk ourselves in the middle of some permanent shacks on the lake. We got a zero that day, not even a perch, but we did not give up! Heading off to the other side of the lake we basically threw our whole tackle box at those whitefish.
The sun was setting on day two of our trip, and just as we were about to pack up, something magical happened. I was jigging with a Williams spoon and a whitefish swam in from nowhere, aggressively attacking the spoon. For the next two hours we had non-stop whitefish swimming through our sight window. Our faith in the lake was restored!
AN ANNUAL DESTINATION
We have been heading back to Clear Lake a few times a season ever since that day. We found the Williams spoon to be a whitefish favourite. If you do have other small metallic spoons on hand, pinch the barbs and toss them in your tackle box. We generally start our morning in shallower water, sometimes as little as a foot, and move out towards deeper water, up to 25 feet, throughout the day. Clear Lake lives up to its name!
LOOK DOWN THE HOLE
While fishing in the shallows, we lay down on the ice and look down our ice holes as opposed to using electronics. Typically, this technique is fine up to 10 feet, depending on how sunny it is. Electronics are still a key for deeper water. Bouncing our spoons off the bottom a few times, then jigging up to the middle of the water column, has been great for us. The flash of that spoon draws the whitefish in from afar.
If you are a fair weather angler, focus your efforts on the early morning fish. During the midday you can go have some hot chocolate, and head back out just before the sun sets. A bonus about Clear Lake, healthy sized pike are generally lurking around nearby. Be sure to check the regulations and licensing requirements as Clear Lake is in a National Park.
CADDY LAKE
Early ice crappie fishing must be one our most talked about trips amongst family and friends. Last year saw a late winter freeze for our back-country trails, so we spent a lot more time on the very accessible Caddy Lake. Whether you have a snow machine or plan to walk on, we love that this trip is so easy for all levels of anglers and set ups.
Small jig heads in red, black, white, and pink tipped with short plastic tails in the same colours are all you need to enjoy a successful day of crappie fishing. Bringing along a gas or electric auger certainly helps. Move around to find fish. We drill upwards of 50 holes while walking across the lake. This allows you to follow the fish as they move around throughout the day.
CLEARWATER LAKE
The first year Robert and I were together, we drove up north for a long weekend, spending four glorious days targeting lake trout. It was my first time ever fishing for these beasts. It wasn’t to be the last. That same year we ended up making the 8-hour trip as many times as we possibly could.
MASSIVE FISH A THRILL
The thought of catching a giant, feeling the line rip off your reel, your heart fluttering at the thought of losing a fish, landing a giant, seeing a fish pop out of the hole, the size of its head… Are you excited yet?
We generally decide on where we want to set up before we even head out on the lake. Looking at maps and depth charts can help with this if it is your first time fishing a certain body of water. If all else fails, look to see where the locals are fishing. Since we tend not to move around much, we always drill a hole and do a quick depth check. It is confirm we are setting up in the depth we had planned for before popping up the tent.
UNDERWATER CAMERA
We are slightly more technical on these trips, bringing along the underwater camera to assist with studying lake trout behaviour. Our success rate for landing fish improves while using the camera. This is key as we are generally fishing in approximately 80 feet of water and we can see the fish nibble the lure before we even feel the tug on our line. Our tackle can vary for lake trout depending on how the fish are reacting to what we try on any given day. Large spoons, white tube jigs, Bondy Baits, large hooks with bait, have proven to be successful over the years. When in doubt, keep it simple! Robert’s “go to” set up during the last few trips has been a simple jig and a minnow.
Techniques for catching lake trout can also vary depending on fish behaviour. When the fish are more active, dropping down to the bottom, bouncing your lure a couple of times, and then reeling up at a moderate to fast speed can prompt fish to chase and connect. On other days, fish can be less active and simply leaving your lure on the lake bottom can lead to a successful catch.
BE VERSATILE
Part of what we look forward to most is trying new things on these “old trips”. We are always excited about the prospect of learning something new about these species to make our trips more successful. Even if you have never been to a certain lake before, never targeted a particular species, embrace the joy of trial and error. Don’t be afraid to listen to yourself ever once in a while. Most importantly, do not lose sight of the reason why we fish in the first place. Sit back, relax, and go play outside!