Heading north on Route 93 towards New Hampshire, we have been drained, asking ourselves if the lengthy drive could be price it, however we have been decided. On a hotter than common day on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, my buddy Josh and I had determined to take an ice-fishing journey up north to salvage the warm-winter curse blanketed over southern New England. We have been headed to a lake I’d by no means even seen earlier than in a state I’d solely fished as soon as, with the purpose of serving to Josh catch his first fish via the ice. However first, we needed to navigate the lake with the intention to discover ice fishing spots for Josh to meet his purpose.
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My automobile was packed to the gills with ice-fishing gear and digital camera tools after we left Cape Cod shiny and early round 4am. Along with catching fish, I deliberate to seize the journey for my YouTube channel “FishAholic Fishing”.
5 Steps to Discover Ice Fishing Spots
1. Use a GPS or charts to seek out gradual drop-offs
2. Drill holes within the ice
3. Grasp your ice transducer within the water (in case you have one)
4. Setup ice fishing tip-ups and/or begin jigging
5. For those who don’t catch fish, transfer till you discover them!
For a lot of fishermen, fishing a lake for the primary time with little or no to no data could be daunting. The one factor I knew was the fish species current, the place I might park, and the lake depths—because of my handheld Garmin GPSMAP 64sx paired with Navionics lake maps.
I’ve loved the problem of fishing new lakes since earlier than I might drive, when on daily basis after faculty my father and I’d choose a random lake on the map and fish it till we figured it out. Now, fishing new lakes up and down the East Coast is a ardour of mine, and I’ve discovered that making use of what I’ve discovered at different lakes helps me achieve success on new lakes.
As soon as we reached New Hampshire, we snaked via the backcountry mountain roads and located Lake Massasecum, our goal for the day. However first, we stopped to get some giant and small shiners for bait. After we lastly took our first steps onto the lake round 9am, it was solely 7°F, however with a rising solar and no wind.
It felt like we have been getting into the unknown as we crossed the barren lake. Utilizing my GPS, I first regarded for shallow flat areas the place the typical depth was between 4 and 10 toes with a gradual slope. You will discover these areas by contour strains—the nearer collectively they’re, the steeper the drop-off, and the additional aside they’re, the extra gradual the slope. With assist from the lake maps on my GPS, I can get a normal concept the place the slope goes from gradual to steep. However in the long run, the one certain solution to know is to drill holes and test the depth with a fish finder.
Outfitted with a Nils USA Velocity Cordless Convertible Auger and a Marcum Showdown Ice Troller, I drilled a gap to take the depth and located the shallowest level on the flat. Then, I circled the world, drilling numerous holes 50 yards aside, making an attempt to trace the contours. Lake Massasecum, at simply 402 acres, shouldn’t be an enormous lake (however not a small lake both).
After discovering the precise level the place the flat dropped from 10 toes to 16 toes, I dropped a shiner and set my first tip-up proper on the sting in 10 toes of water. Then, I needed to make the choice to fish deep or shallow. Niny % of the time, it’s shallow as a result of that’s the place you’ll discover aquatic vegetation. I arrange the final two tip-ups in 6 and 4 toes.
Jigging By the Ice
Feeling comfy with my tip-up positioning, we drilled a couple of extra holes for jigging. I set Josh up with a lightweight motion 24-inch ice rod, excellent for panfish, to attempt to assist him ice his first fish. Within the first gap in 4.5 toes, he dropped down a small 1/32-ounce Acme Tungsten Pendu ice jig tipped with a tender plastic Berkley Gulp Alive Waxie. I sat down subsequent to him put my Showdown Ice Troller within the gap, and whereas explaining the method of tips on how to work the bait and use the spring bobber, a college of fish appeared on the display screen. It’s all the time a delight to see that when fishing a brand new lake!
With my teaching, Josh ended up icing his first fish, a chunky 8-inch bluegill, and inside 5 minutes, he landed one other. I made a decision it was my flip to get some fish, however earlier than I might, Josh hooked a great fish on his small jigging rod. I ran over and coached him via the method to get the fish to the outlet, and he was rewarded with a pleasant 26-inch pickerel, caught on a jig the dimensions of a pea fished on 4-pound take a look at.
Ice Fishing Tip-Ups
I went again to jigging and made one jig earlier than a flag went off. Sprinting over with pleasure, we iced the primary tip-up fish of the day, a 10-inch pickerel. It was nothing to jot down dwelling about, however one thing to be taught, as this tip-up was the shallowest one, arrange in 4 toes of water. I reset the bait, and 5 minutes later the identical flag goes off once more. We sprinted over and instantly I noticed the road flying off the reel. I grabbed the road and set the hook, and the burden advised me immediately it was no panfish or pickerel. Lastly, the gaping mouth of a 3½-pound largemouth got here to the outlet.
I bought a little bit overexcited, as a result of it was the primary massive fish of the day—and after lower than 45 minutes of fishing on a brand new lake. The second was priceless. After that, I moved the tip-ups, bringing the 2 deeper ones into 4 and 5 toes of water. As quickly as I reset, one other flag went off. We sprinted to the flag and observed the reel wasn’t transferring in any respect. Pondering it’s a small fish that may be good follow fish for Josh, I coached him via the method and he ended up touchdown his private greatest largemouth bass, a 19-inch, 4-pound fatty! For the following 3 hours, we ran forwards and backwards chasing flags, catching principally pickerel and the occasional grasping jumbo perch.
At noon, the fish bought finicky. We’d have flags go off, however once I regarded down the outlet I’d really see pickerel and perch nosing the bait however not committing. So, if a flag went off with no fish, I’d pull the bait and ship down a little bit spoon and find yourself instantly icing a pickerel. Pickerel are actually enjoyable on jigging rods as a result of they like to run and put any 1000 reel and 24-inch ice rod to the take a look at. We additionally explored round a little bit and located some good jigging areas, hooking into some yellow perch.
Then, the tip-up chew began once more. A flag would go off, we might ice a hefty pickerel, set the shiner, after which one other flag would go off. We did this till the solar went down beneath the timber, ending an ideal day on the ice.
A day on the water like this one is one thing I stay for—filming and fishing, and serving to pals catch fish. Discovering success on a brand new lake is among the greatest emotions in fishing. Whether or not I journey south or north, I’m all the time excited to be taught one thing new, catch fish in a brand new place, and catch all of it on movie for all to see.
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