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When ice fishing, first ice and last ice are typically what every angler looks forward to. This is where fish are plentiful and seemingly eat whatever presentation is offered to them. When mid winter ice fishing rolls around, things slow down, fish don't seem to bite anything placed in front of them, and your catch rates go down.
What if a few subtle changes to your tactics could make you more successful, all winter long?! A lot of factors need to be taken into account when heading out for a successful mid winter ice fishing trip. SEARCH FOR STRUCTURE First and last ice offers a short window with wonderful weather, where sitting out on the ice all day can be rather pleasant. With freezing temps, swirling wind, and blowing snow, most anglers set up shop during the mid season. Whether it be in a shanty, a portable shelter, or you are fishing outside in the elements, you usually don't feel like moving around too much. Most of the time, neither do the fish. They will be held up to structure off the main lake basin such as drop offs, steep points, reefs, and humps. As winter drags on and the ice gets thicker and snow piles up on the surface, there is less and less light penetration, and shallow weed beds die off, forcing pan fish (such as Yellow Perch) from the safety of their cover to structure where they can elude predators. These predators (such as Northern Pike and Walleye), can be found cruising along the edge of these drop offs looking for an easy meal. If you are willing to take a little extra time before setting up to put yourself on top of some mid lake structure (such as a reef) and fish from shallow to deep, you will more than likely be rewarded. Another option is to head out to the lake in the summer and map or mark out these locations ahead of time to save the hassle in the winter.​
TWILIGHT, DAWN, AND DUSK
It is also very relevant to consider the total hours of daylight during the shortest days of winter, and maybe even to consider how much darkness there is. A lot of species will continue to feed right through the dead of night, and the short span of time known as twilight at both dawn and dusk can be extremely productive for all species. Understanding the three recognized types of Twilight (Astronomical, Nautical, and Civil), at both morning (dawn) and night (dusk), as well as how their respective angles are affected directly by the time of year and latitude of the lake you will be fishing can be a huge benefit to your success. It may seem like a lot to understand, but with a little bit of research, it is a game changer. As a lot of species use low light conditions to ambush their prey, and this can be a very advantageous time to ice fish. Walleye for example are considered "phototactic negative", which means that they prefer low light conditions, compared to most fish which would be "positively phototactic". They are awarded this incredible sense due to the "tapetum lucidum" which is what gives their eyes the distinctive glow they are known for, which most people can compare to the eye of a feline. With this incredible advantage, Walleye are able to seek out prey best during low light conditions. This means that if you are willing and able to fish during the peak twilight hours, or even throughout the night, you will most likely be rewarded with some great fishing. Changing up your tactics to include glow or rattle baits, as well as scent, such as bait or attractant will improve your low light hours on the ice, and put more fish in your future! BIGGER ISN'T ALWAYS BETTER Quite often anglers believe that big lures catch big fish. This may be true for a small portion of the year, but typically not during the months where the lakes are frozen. With colder water temperatures, less light, and less cover, fish will be much more opportunistic about their meals and pick up small snacks more readily than chasing down a big meal. Collecting energy vs expending it is a huge winter consideration for all species under the ice. If your usual presentations are not garnering any interest, or fish are coming to take a look and then turning away, downsize your lure and bait of choice. This may mean that the herring on a quickstrike rig under a tip up may need to be swapped out for a minnow and small single treble, or the 3 inch jigging spoon you are reefing through the water column needs to be given up for a 1 inch flutter spoon and a little more finesse. More often than not, when I have downsized my presentation to picky fish, my success rates increase, and the overall size of fish increases as well. It's like offering a child a piece of candy or dessert versus another cheeseburger after they just finished their Happy Meal. Fish are going to grab that little candy, every single time.
COAT OF MANY COLOURS
Take a look through most anglers (including my own) tackle boxes, or gaze at the shelves of any tackle shop and all of the colour options available to us, and it can be overwhelming. But what do all of these colours really mean to fish? Can they see them? What about UV colours? How does colour choice affect your success? First and foremost, yes, it is believed that fish can see colour including ultraviolet (UV). Humans can not see the UV spectrum, but we can see that UV colours pop a little more than your standard paint job. Each species sees different colours through different ranges, and without going into too much detail, it can make a difference. Personally, what colours a fish can see is less important to me in the dead of winter than how a fish can see them. As discussed earlier, there is far less light penetration and overall daylight when the ice is thick and covered with snow. Taking that into account, as well as the wavelengths of the five primary colours from shortest to longest (red, orange, yellow, green, blue), it can be assumed that many colours disappear quickly beneath the ice. Blue stretches into the depths the farthest (or when light is low, such as under the ice) and should be a common theme among the tackle that you choose. Chrome, gold, bronze, and silver lures that are able to reflect light and flash or attract fish from a distance may be more important than colour itself. As brought up when fishing under low light conditions, glow is also a huge advantage when it comes to colour choice. By bringing light to the fish, they are able to see your offering more readily, and are more likely to take a swing at your presentation. If you are fishing shallower water, red, orange, and yellow may be visible during the peak hours of the day, but consider swapping to greens and blues or glow patterns as light fades to increase interest of fish in the area. WILLING TO CHANGE If you are willing to adapt your current practices and adopt some of the techniques or knowledge outlined above, I believe that you will have a more successful mid winter ice fishing season. Until that dreamy time known as "last ice" when the days are longer, sun is warmer, and the promise of open water is around the corner, I wish you good luck, and happy fishing!
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