With red and orange , the change in
a slate grey sky and gusts that blow leaves across the lawn like a waves of
temperature has many putting away their boats and preparing for the “ hard water ” season . I prefer sun , warmth and SPF 30 over putting the boat to bed , but for our weather , ice fishing is the perfect remedy for cabin fever . For ice anglers , the glass is always half full when the snow flies . Canada ’ s premier angler , Bob Izumi , has a line in the water 12 months a year . I caught up with him by phone on his second morning coffee with a flock of wild turkeys roaming his southern Ontario backyard . “ I do look forward to ice fishing each winter and I fish right up until the boat can break through the ice ,” he said .
It ’ s all about safety with Bob . “ I like to err on the safe side . I always have hand picks with me which are easily accessible if needed .” He checks websites for ice conditions before heading out ( www . northernontario . travel / fishing / icefishing-conditions-report and http :// www . fishinglakesimcoe . ca / ice-watch ). Then it ’ s up to the angler to check ice colour .
According to Ontario ’ s Ministry of Natural Resources , clear blue ice is the thickest , followed by white or opaque ice . Stay away from ice honeycombed with air bubbles that show up in spring or during a winter thaw . For the ice angler driving out on the ice , the rule of thumb is at least 20 centimetres of clear blue for a snowmobile and 30 for a light vehicle . Double those numbers if the ice is white or opaque .
Birds of a feather flock together and ice anglers are no different . Just look at the clusters of huts at Petrie Island or on Mississippi Lake . The ministry requires all those huts to be registered with the province – it ’ s free and easy to do on line . You get a display number by mail or online for the hut for the season , with its removal date set by the province .
Whether you ’ re fishing in a hut or shelter or just drilling holes and dropping a line , you have to “ layer up ” to stay warm , according to Big Jim McLaughlin , a member of the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame .
“ The bottom line is you don ’ t want to be sweating ,” he said , because layers let you peel off easily if needed , particularly in an ice hut . He ’ s also a fan of Polar Fire ice suits . Dressing for a day out on the ice , McLaughlin starts with wool socks and sturdy ice fishing boots – you want them waterproof , insulated and breathable to keep you dry .
When it comes to tying into a feisty crappie , or something larger like lake trout , he favours the Shimano Sedona 500 reel . But if you ’ re targeting larger fish with anything over eight-pound test , he goes for the Sedona 1000 and pairs it with the Bob Izumi series HT Enterprise ice rods .
Where to drop a line is always a question , and you could do worse than think about how Izumi does it . He ’ s a man who can ’ t sit still . Whether it ’ s on the water , on the ice , in front of the camera or talking to fans , he ’ s a guy on the move and that ’ s reflected in his ice fishing .
“ I ’ m a bit of a gambler when it comes to fishing ,” he said . He starts by mapping out a number of holes in shallow , medium and deep water using the Lowrance Elite 9 Chirp GPS / Sonar unit for finding those hot spots under the ice .
That gear is pricey , about $ 1,000 , but with it you can see the contours of the bottom along with the fish , weeds , logs , branches and rocks . It gives you a better idea of what is underneath the ice opposed to drilling the hole , dropping a line and hoping for the best .
There are as many reasons to ice fish as there are species to catch . Whether you enjoy the solitude , the one-on-one battle , the camaraderie with friends in an ice hut , or a day with the family outdoors and a pan of fresh fish as your reward , it all starts with a little tug on the end of your line .
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