January 31, 2014 at 2:57 p.m.
The definitive glossary of ice fishing
The definitive glossary of ice fishing
Actually, it seems a little weird to me right now, and I'm one of the initiated. Below zero weather will keep me away from hunching over a hole in the ice, but some keep it up regardless.
A few years ago, I was fishing a favorite little bluegill lake and talking with another ice angler out there.
"The big bluegills really bite on here when it's below zero," he said.
"I'll never know," I told him truthfully.
I'm not sure if the tip was a solid one, or if the guy just wanted me to freeze to death pursuing a meal of 'gills.
Of course, after long stretches of cold, any positive movement by the mercury makes it seem like it's warm enough to head back out.
A few years ago, I was duped by an eight-degree sunny day. It felt warm as I worked in my yard, and I yearned for the ice.
Well, hours later, I was collecting tip-ups from iced-over holes, cursing through frozen lips at a merciless wind, and dragging an Otter sled that was void of fish. It took me hours to thaw my hands and ears.
I'm sure I'll get fooled again, but I'm growing wiser little by little. Though not so wise that I'll give up ice fishing altogether, I hope.
Anyway, if anyone wants to take up the sport, I have some advice: Wait until it's at least nine degrees out unless you will be in someone's shanty or you can have your vehicle nearby.
I've also included some basic definitions so the beginner isn't overwhelmed by the technical jargon associated with ice fishing.
Tip-up: Commonly, what happens to the bottom of a beer can while ice fishing. The beer can tipper might even shake the can in an effort to get the slushy contents through the tiny opening in the top of the can and into his mouth.
Can also refer to a device that is equipped with a flag set to trip when a fish pulls line out.
Jig pole: This refers to a device that ranges from a set of wooden dowels fashioned to store line and to be used to attempt duping a fish and setting a hook, to second-mortgage dollars worth of rod and reel technology made for the same purpose, or any variation in between.
None of these variations are necessarily productive, but you'll want at least 25 of them.
Line: Something used to convince someone to go ice fishing with you. Example: "It's eight degrees and sunny. It won't be cold out there. And I'm sure the fish will be biting after that cold snap."
A line should contain only enough truth to make sure the resulting outing doesn't result in the loss of an ice fishing companion.
"In theory, I was sound," you should be able to say afterward. "I guess that's why they call it 'fishing' and not 'catching,' heh-heh. Boy it's colder on the ice than it was in my yard, hey?"
Five-gallon bucket: The most important thing to bring ice fishing. Two to four of these per angler is about average.
These hold styrofoam minnow pails, jig poles, tip-ups, lure containers and more. Sometimes people even put fish in them, but four 6-ich bluegills and a 14-inch pike don't take up a lot of space.
They are also the ice angler's chair, but the best use of the five-gallon bucket is for organizing your ice fishing paraphernalia into one handy glob at the end of a day of fishing.
Tip-up line forms the base of the glob. The frozen-fingered angler gathers up tip-ups in haste at day's end, not taking care to properly secure line and hooks.
The resulting snarl of line and treble hooks will entwine almost anything else put into the bucket, meaning your spare gloves, hat, jig poles and more will be handily stored together until the next trip.
Luckily, ice anglers usually have way more stuff than is necessary for a single, or even several, outings. Just remove the glob and put different gear in the bucket. An experienced ice angler might have several such globs decorating a basement or garage like modern art pieces.
Minnow pail: Something you have a dozen of and all leak, have broken or missing styrofoam lids, or still have bait from a far earlier trip in them -- and you are afraid to look. Just go ahead and buy a new one again.
Jaw spreaders: Beer. Also a device used to keep the teeth of fish, most notably northern pike, away from your fingers during hook removal. You carry them in your pocket for hours, then remove them and set them "somewhere" right before actually catching a pike.
Tackle: What young anglers do to each other whenever a tip-up flag goes up, in an effort to get there first. Old anglers treat the moment differently, saying, "There's a flag up on that one about a hundred yards out. I'm pretty sure that's yours."
Depth finder: A sort of fashion statement. An ice angler attaches these, which are typically a colorful hunk of lead joined to a spring-loaded clip, to pocket flaps on ice fishing garments.
Usually, they are removed days later and left in a spot nowhere near the rest of an angler's ice fishing gear. The typical angler owns at least a dozen depth finders, but often cannot produce a single one when it's actually needed.
A bite: Something wished for. It sure enough happens, but usually while you're doing other things like holding down a job, or last week, as in "You shoulda been here last week."
More commonly "bite" refers to the temperature and/or wind -- "that wind has a bite" for example.
Sometimes the word "bite" is prefaced by "a good" and a fish species, as in "a good walleye" bite.
It's not automatically untrue, but, remember, anglers are sometimes known to exaggerate.
Anyway, anyone want to go fishing this weekend? I hear it's supposed to be nine degrees and sunny Sunday.
Craig Turk may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.