Strategize Your Fishing Hole: Strategies To Use The Next Time You're On The Ice

Are you on a quest to elevate your ice fishing experience this season? Besides providing high-end fishing supplies and other outdoor equipment, we at Wildside Outdoors can also provide you with excellent advice to enhance your experience. 

These three strategies will maximize your ice fishing experience: Run and gun, hole hoping or sit and wait. 

Run And Gun 

You stay as mobile as possible and drill tiny holes in each area. You fish it quickly, then move on to a new area. With this technique, you will be moving lots. It is most useful on a new lake to help you find those sweet spots in the lake. It is best to just use an ice fishing rod like Rhino Tough Ice Rod 28mh to get the best out of this method.

The Hole-Hopping Approach

You pick a location and grind it out. When doing this, I like to drill lots of holes in a grid pattern. Sometimes up to 60 holes. Then I'll hop between each hole and fish each hole for less than 3 minutes each. This will get the fish interested in your area and hopefully move in to snatch up the bait. With this approach, use a tip-up and an ice fishing combo to maximize the potential of having an additional ice fishing line in the water. 

Sit And Wait 

This is on those lazy days where I’ll just hunker down in the ice fishing tent and grind it out. Usually on cold or bad weather days. I stay in a constant area. I usually use this technique after having a successful day on the ice. 

Don’t forget that in the winter, you can fish two lines, so take advantage of this. How to make the most of your ice fishing is to drop that second line and use a dead stick, quick strike system, or tip-up.

• Dead stick: You fish in a hole beside the hole you're jigging in. Many times, the fish will come into your jigging line but will bite your dead stick. The dead stick is a rod stationary with your bait hanging suspended in the water. 

• My favourite: is the HT Quickstrike System. This device acts like a dead stick, but when the fish bites, it sets the hook for you. The trip tension is adjustable and can be fine-tuned to match your rod, presentation, situation and species being sought. This gives you the advantage of keeping it farther from you as long as it’s within 25m of you. 

• Tip-ups: are used to suspend bait, and when the fish bites, it triggers a flag to notify you but gives zero resistance to the fish, so the fish will not know it’s hooked. Keep a close eye on your tip. If left too long, the fish will swallow the bait. You can tip your hook with a minnow or a small smelt.

Remember to find good fishing gear at Wildside Outdoors to maximize your fishing hole experience. Don’t forget to live a little on the WILDSIDE with Wildside Outdoors. 

Bonus - Cook it Fresh!

Once you catch your fish, don’t forget the best part, cooking your fresh catch. Picking a filet knife is dependent on the thickness of the blade and the length. Typically I find the best filet knife to use is a Rapala filet knife or an Uncle Henry filet knife. Both have great durability and flexibility to get perfect filets every time. 

The best coating I’ve used for my walleye is the Outdoor Flavours. I typically purchase the beer batter - a true original, and the lemon pepper - adding amazing additional flavours. 

The best way to cook your catch is to take both filets from your fish and rinse them, then coat your fish with Outdoor Flavour Lemon Pepper, used as a dry base. Then dip the filets into Outdoor Flavours Beer Batter to coat for a thicker coating and enhanced flavour. For the beer batter mixture, add beer or sparkling water to a 1:1 ratio. Cook by deep frying, pan searing, broiling, roasting or grilling. Cook at 350°F until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. 

About Wildside Outdoors

Wildside Outdoors is your premier store in Lloydminster for all your hunting, trapping, archery, and fishing gear needs. Our store's goal is to assist you in selecting the ideal gear for your specific requirements by providing professional advice and guidance. Learn more about Wildside Outdoors. 

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