Gearing up for the Ice Season with Vexilar

I have had the opportunity to speak with many anglers around the state about the upcoming ice fishing season.  Most conversations centering around the Vexilar units.  Clear Lake Bait and Tackle hosted the first "Ice Show" in Iowa for the year and Kevan Paul knew customers were wanting more information on how to get the most out of their flasher for the upcoming season.  Pictured above is the seminar session and the many interested participants.  It amazes me each year as I make the rounds at seminars that I see some of the same anglers from time to time.  Most want a refresher, because there is a lot to know about your flasher if you know what to look for.
Vexilar units were flying out the door that day and I know customers have a better grasp on what their units can tell them on their time out on the ice.

Next stop for seminars was Hank's Live Bait and Tackle in Waterloo, IA.  Again, anglers filled the store to talk and learn about ice fishing from the seminars and the friendly conversations around the store.  If you are in the market for any ice fishing gear, give these two bait shops try, if they don't have it...you probably don't need it!

Here is a small section of my seminar that gets a lot of attention from those attending.  Just how much of the water below the ice do we see using our Vexilars?  What does the "cone" show us?  The answer always surprises anglers, and it is one thing that we must remember when searching for specific structures or school of fish.  Drill, Drill, Drill!

Be safe out there anglers...the ice is slowly freezing!

Fish Chowder

The Iowa Sportsman Magazine often highlights recipes for wild game.  With plenty of fillets in the freezer and wanting something different than another fried meal, I decided to give one a try. 

The featured recipe I tried was "Walleye Chowder".   I couldn't find any walleyes, but did find a bag of 10 bluegills, they filled in just fine.  The recipe was simple and had all the ingredients on hand except the red pepper.  I am not one to enjoy really "hot" food anyway so I left it out of the recipe. 

The chowder was great, and you could still get that hint of fish taste.  It makes quite a large helping, probably about 12 bowls.  So if you will not be sharing with many, you may want to cut hings in half.  Another thing, that red pepper that I left out, I am glad I did.  The cayenne pepper was plenty to give it a zip.  This is a great recipe to try, so if you have some fillets around give it a shot...you won't be disappointed.