Move regularly, change offerings often: you抣l crack midwinter抯 code
Imagine your home growing darker by the day, to the point you haven抰 seen sunlight in over a month. Moreover, your surroundings are growing colder by the day. In fact, it抯 so frigid that your muscles have become rigid; to the point it抯 all you can do to muster moving a few feet卐ven to eat. And you抮e hungry.
Oxygen is diminishing, too. Some areas are completely void of oxygen, while other pockets have just enough to sustain life. So you migrate to where respiration is still an option.
To say life抯 registering a zero on the fun-o-meter is an understatement.
And with that lowly scenario in place, you now know what it抯 like to be a fish living in the Ice Belt during the dead of winter. It抯 been a long time since light penetrated the surface and temperatures are at the coldest they will be all year. To boot, the lack of vegetation, rain and wave action have oxygen levels dwindling rapidly.
And it抯 this combination of factors that make midwinter a difficult time to catch fish. But if you抮e game to put in the time, find those oxygenated zones, rewards are paid in bites and fillets.
Heavy breathers
Minnesota Ice-Fishing Guide Brian 揃ro?Brosdahl is no stranger to fishing shallow, heavily snow-covered lakes. The Grand Rapids, Minnesota resident moves around a lot. And uses specialized electronics to find panfish other anglers often overlook.
揑 drill a lot of holes and check every one for any signs of life,?said Bro. 揑f fish are right under me I抣l see 慹m on the 態ird, and, because of the ultra-sensitivity settings on the Humminbird ICE HELIX 5, I can put my jig right in their faces.
揃ut I抣l also lower my Aqua-Vu Micro DT down every hole, as well; especially if I am not marking anything. Fish might be just inches under the ice during the heart of winter, following the oxygen. The camera is able to spy those fish.?
Paying close attention to the underwater viewing system抯 screen the moment its camera hits the water, Bro starts spinning the lens right the bottom of the hole. Oftentimes, panfish will be literally inches away, curiously inspecting the corded device. Once fish are revealed, Bro removes the camera, strips off a couple feet of line and lowers his jig梩ipped with either spikes, wax worms or mousies.
揂 lot of anglers have no idea those fish are even there,?Bro added. 揟hese suspended fish get totally overlooked this time of year. It抯 cool when you can see your jig and watch a fish swim over and gobble it up.?
If there are a lot of fish just under the surface, Bro will operate out of his Frabill flip-over. The darkness not only allows Bro to see the fish better, but also camouflages the fact he抯 above by muting his silhouetted movements.
When oxygen levels are low, and fish lethargic, Bro uses tiny jigs with a slow fall. His preferences are Northland抯 new Impulse Helium Mayfly, Stonefly and Waxyfly. Custom Jigs & Spins?Nuclear Ant, Ratso and Shrimpo are another trio of lifelike lures that sink slowly.
Goin?with the flow
When Walleye Tournament Pro Mark Brumbaugh targets pike, walleye and jumbo perch late in the season, he searches out river and creek mouths.
揂nywhere water抯 flowing into a lake there will be more dissolved oxygen,?the Brownstown, Ohio, resident said. 揂nd because fish spawn in these same rivers, they抣l be here staging to reproduce, too.?
Because there抯 more dissolved oxygen near inlets, fish will be spread throughout the water column. Subsequently, Brumbaugh likes larger, heavier jigs that can move up and down quickly.
Bladebaits are one of Brumbaugh抯 go-to lures in stained water as they produce a lot of vibration. Reef Runner抯 Cicada is one of his favorites. He also employs Custom Jigs & Spins?B3 Blade Bait and new Rotating Power Minnow (RPM) swimming bait.
Take a deep breath
As avid anglers will tell you, late winter can be one of the toughest times of the year. But maybe that抯 because they weren抰 looking in the right places.
Some fish might be right under foot; literally, mere inches under the ice. If this is the case, use light lures with a slow flutter and fall. In waterways with inlets, search out the entire water column with lures that sink fast so you can get the lure to fish before they turn tail.
