Holiday Ice Fishing Gear

~ This article appears in the The Iowa Sportsman Magazine, December 2023~

Soon, the entire state of Iowa will be covered with snow and ice, at least that is what Ice Fishermen are hoping for.  Ice anglers from across the state are hoping for colder weather every day so they can explore their favorite lake or river during the winter fishing season.  Whether you have been ice fishing for decades or are new to the game, your equipment is as valuable to your success as the ice you are walking on.  Having an appropriate lineup of ice fishing gear will make your day on the ice easier and have you catching more fish.  Let’s break down the must-have equipment of all anglers heading out on the ice. 

Clothing: In the summer we must endure the heat, while ice fishing we must brave frigid temperatures to chase down fish.  Your clothing choices are your first line of defense against the harsh Iowa winters.  While many anglers like to sit in an ice shack while ice fishing, you still need to get onto the ice, prepare your fishing area and get back off the ice safely too.  Having an insulated pair of boots that are waterproof is your first concern.  Drilling holes and walking through snow will show how an ordinary pair of boots will ruin a trip before you even get to fishing.  Insulated coveralls that are also waterproof should be at the top of your list as well.  Many companies make bibs and coats specifically for ice fishing, these typically are waterproof and will keep you nice and warm.  Many anglers use hunting bibs and coats that serve the same purpose as well.  Underneath your shell covering you will always want to layer your clothing.  If you sit in a heated shack or move around all day drilling 100 holes, you will get hot, this isn’t good either.  The sweat you produce will linger and send chills to your body when you cool down.  Layering will help you maintain your body heat as you remove and put the clothing back on during your fishing day.  Another great article of clothing to help maintain your body temperature is a stocking cap.  They keep in the warmth but are easy to take on/off as you get warm and cold throughout the day.  Lastly, a good pair of gloves that slide on and off easily are an ice angler's best friend.  Working with the small tackle, rods, reels, and electronics, you will need to take off and put on the gloves numerous times in a day.

Baits:  Ice anglers have so many choices these days, it is hard to even keep up.  Most baits can be split into two groups to help simplify things.  Ice jigs and spoons are favorites all over the state for all kinds of species.  Tungsten jigs have taken over the jig boxes of ice anglers in the last decade, and for a good reason.  They are smaller in profile due to their higher density than lead, making them perfect for panfish.  They come in many sizes, however if you are just getting started, I would recommend the 3mm or 4mm size for panfish.  Like any fishing lure, these small jigs come in more colors than Crayola has ever invented.  Have a variety of colors on hand, from whites to darker colors as well as some glow-in-the-dark varieties.  Spoons and horizontal baits, like the Tikka Mino and Z-Viber, have become popular for larger species like walleye and the different varieties of bass.  They are great for crappies and perch as well.  Again, have a variety of a few colors, and don’t forget the ones that glow.  Visit your local tackle dealer to check out all the great companies that make these specialized ice fishing baits. 

Rods/Reels/Line: Ice fishing rods and reels are specifically designed for ice anglers.  There are so many to choose from these days, it really comes down to how much you want to invest in your hobby.  There are great rod/reel combos on the market for about $60, and there are specialty rods out there for sale for $120 or more.  The more important thing to know about selecting rods and reels is the taper of the rod, or sensitivity.  Like mentioned above, you will be using very tiny jigs while out on the ice, as well as spoons, which weigh a lot more than the jigs.  At minimum you need a rod for jigs and a rod for spoons, several for each is ideal.  When using the tiny jigs, you will want to use a spring bobber or a rod that is super sensitive at the tip.  That tip needs to “load” when your jig is tied on.  If your rod tip is not bending while the jigs hang freely in the air, then that rod will not be a good jig rod.  You need to be able to detect the smallest bites, and if the rod you are using is not showing you the weight of your jig, it certainly will not show you a soft bite.  A spring bobber is the best way to go if you are starting out in the hobby or have not had the best success.  There are many spring bobber rods on the market, Clam Outdoors, a leader in the ice fishing world has several at different price points.  A spring bobber is a small wire that extends out from the rod tip adding the ultimate sensitivity to your rod.  They can be a bit cumbersome when transporting them, but they are well worth it when using small jigs.  If you want to chase crappies, walleyes, yellow or white bass then a spooning combo is what you will need.  The same physics apply when choosing a rod for a spoon, it needs to “load” the rod when you have it tied on.  My favorite spoon rod is the Jason Mitchell Series, Dead Meat Combo from Clam Outdoors.  This combo is ideal for any spoon and comes with a nice compact reel which stays smooth during the winter months.  The reels on the rods are not quite as important as a fine-tuned rod, but a reel without a good drag system is useless.  When purchasing a combo from different companies like Clam or Scheels it will most likely have a size “10” reel.  These are a good all-around fit for most anglers, however if you are purchasing the rod and reel separately, I would encourage you to try a size “15” reel.  The larger size is nice to hold in cold weather and the spool allows your line to fall off a bit easier than a size “10” reel.  This is a switch I have been going through for the past five years or so and it has really simplified things for me.  Although not a rod/reel combo, a tip up or tip down are very good tools for an ice angler as well.  These are live bait rigs, the tip up is typically a large fish rig, northern pike and walleye are the target fish to catch on these rigs with a live chub or bait fish.  A tip down is a simple rig used to present a live minnow to crappies or perch.  These do count towards your limit of 2 lines per licensed angler, so if you are jigging, you may only have one of these devices out.  Check your DNR regulations, as the Mississippi River has its own set of rules on these rigs.    

Auger: Ice fishing is full of choices these days, there are so many good companies out there that produce nice equipment to help us catch fish on the ice.  Augers are no different, there are several varieties of augers on the market, gas powered, propane powered, and electric powered.  In the state of Iowa, an electric powered auger is probably your best bet, and it is the best choice economically also.  Gas and propane augers are best when the ice is two feet or thicker, when drilling dozens and dozens of holes is not practical with electric augers.  However, most lakes in the states do not reach that thick of ice.  An electric auger, either powered by the manufacturer drill or your own personal work drill is a reliable choice.  Eskimo and Strikemaster both make great eclectic augers, but both will cost around $500.  Most ice anglers are turning to their drills in their garages and attaching an auger bit to them.  Using your own drill and batteries with a purchased auger bit is by far the cheapest way to go.  Again, there are many good choices of auger bits out there, some made of metal, some made mostly of plastic.  I really like the K-Drill for most of the ice fishing season.  It is very light, and the blades have a lifetime of free sharpening, that’s right, buy one auger and you have sharp blades for the rest of your life for free.  If you ice fish a lot you will probably go through at least one set of blades per year, if not two.  My advice, try a few different ones to see which one you prefer, and which one fits your style.

Ice fishing is finally in sight for most of the state, something I have been looking forward to since Labor Day.  I love the fall season of fishing, but there is something magical about walking on frozen water and catching fish.  Next month we will tackle all the electronic side of ice fishing, until then, stay safe and good luck.

A CRAPPIE Fall & Fish Cleaning Tip

 

The weather this fall has been overall very nice.  The weekend weather has offered some beautiful
temperatures to get outside and enjoy some fishing.  Typically this time of year bass take up most of my time, this fall held true to that.  However, I did find myself enjoying some crappie fishing on several bodies of water too.  I was able to take several trips with friends and family, all enjoying some crappies coming into the boat.  The crappies did not seem to be affected by the up and down water temperatures as the bass were, making bass fishing up and down this fall.  The crappies held true and allowed many hours of enjoyment.  I find myself chasing crappies and gills more and more each year on the boat.  My winter is consumed by panfish through the ice, and this fall was a great warm up!  Different types of jigs and colors all worked throughout the fall, some days certain colors worked better than others, but I pretty much narrowed it down to a green or pink leadhead with a variety of plastic trailers.  It seemed the crappies this fall did get educated, as you caught a few out of a brushpile or dock, a change in color or jig action was needed to catch a few more.  I always say it, "let the fish tell you what they want", don't force it and don't become a creature of habit.  By mixing things up as the days went on, we were able to keep catching crappies.  Catching crappies is awesome, however eating them is the real treat!  

Bleeding out crappie makes the cleaning
process much cleaner and the 
fillets will turn out pure white.

CLEANING TIP:  Crappies are one of my favorite fish to eat.  I prefer to fry them in a dry batter or bake them to make fish tacos.  One major thing I have been doing doing for many years is
bleeding the crappies out.  No matter if I am on the ice or in the boat, bleeding out crappies is the way to go.  Slicing them right under the "chin" and letting them bleed out allows you to have the whitest fillets you will ever see.  It makes cleaning them so much nicer as well, no bloody cleaning table that makes everything messy.  While ice fishing this process can be done immediately as the fish lays on the ice it will bleed out.  While in a boat you will want to wait until the end of your trip.  When keeping fish, there are two things to consider, keep them alive to clean them or get them on ice.  This preserves the meat for maximum taste and the fillets will stay nice and firm.  

Only a couple more weeks in the boat...the ICE will be here soon!

Slow, Slow and SLOWER

 There are just a few weeks left for boat fishing here in Iowa for the season and anglers across the state have been enjoying this nice weather.  No matter what your favorite species is, this time of year when that water dips below 45 degrees, you must slow down.  On a recent quick 1-hour trip looking for bass, I was reminded of this once again.  The water was beautiful and 48 degrees, the weather was so nice, so why not throw a spinnerbait?  That wasted about half my fishing time along with throwing a swimbait.  I then changed to jig and chunk.  It didn't take long, I worked it as slow and picked up a bite right away, however the hook didn't connect.  I slowed down even more and the bass loved it.  This time of year when you thing you are going slow enough, you probably need to go slower.  Enjoy the last few days in the boat...it is time to start shifting into ICE FISHING MODE!

Fall Bass Fishing...what a mess!

 

This fall started out great in October, the temps slowly cooled down and the bass increased their appetite each week.  Things were going as planned in the world of bass fishing until the late October winter weather arrived.   Those few days of below freezing weather really turned the fish off, it was such a drop in temperatures the bass didn't know what to do.  Now, sitting here on a Monday night with temperatures reaching into the 60's for the entire week, what are the bass supposed to do.  Water temperatures in this area were 41 last weekend, typical for early November, just a day ago the water temp was 44, excuse me Mother Nature, wrong way!  All experienced anglers know that consistency is key in the fall and the spring, we have had very little of that this fall.  In turn, the bass have not reacted with a typical fall bite window that is normally great.  Bass have been caught, but certainly not in the numbers or size of a typical fall.  

This fall reminds me as an angler, no matter what sometimes, the fish and their environment are what we are in, they dictate what happens, and ultimately how they will react to weather patterns, for the better or for the worse.  

I will keep at it, who knows, in a couple days I may be back throwing TOPWATER baits for them! :)

Indee Bass Club Year in Review

2023 Angler of the Year: Colton Cameron
and Coach Todd Reed

The 2023 Indee Bass Club fishing season has come to an end. A few weeks ago, the club had their end of the season banquet. Many awards were passed out at this event and a record number of families and friends of the club were in attendance. The bass club offered students of the Independence community a fishing event every month from April through October. Let's look at these events and which anglers took home end of the season awards.
April brought some very cold weather to Eastern Iowa, causing this event to be pushed back a week. With temperatures in the low forties and wind gusts up to thirty miles per hour, Coach Reed along with President EJ Miller and Vice President Ranger Reed decided it would be best to postpone the first event. This was a wise decision as the weather was horrible that day. The rescheduled tournament was held on the Wapsi River here in Independence. The weather was much better that day and 18 kids participated in the April event. Colton Cameron and Carter Eddy were the champs that day, they caught three bass that weighed 5.36 pounds. Gable Eddy caught the big bass of the event, a smallmouth bass that weighed 3.35 pounds.
The May event was the annual Iowa High School Bass Team Championship held at MacBride Lake. Forty-Nine boats (98 anglers) from seventeen different schools took part in this event, including several boats from the Indee Bass Club. The top placing team from Independence was Jackson Beatty and Gable Eddy. They were 4th place out of those 49 boats. Team Independence (calculated by the top two boats) placed 2nd out of the 17 schools.

April Wapsi Champs

As the students moved into summer, the bass club traveled to Pleasant Creek Lake near Palo, Iowa. Once again Colton Cameron and Carter Eddy came away with the win. They had a five fish limit that weighed 10.85#. Carter also had the big bass of the event, it weighed 3.24 pounds.
July was home once again to the annual "scramble event". This event randomly partners anglers and captains together to fish for the night. It was a gorgeous night on the Wapsi River and a lot of bass were brought to the scales. Colton Cameron and Will Clark found the winning bass, they had a three keeper limit that weighed 6.35 pounds, Colton also had the big bass that weighed 2.36 pounds.
The Iowa Bass Nation State Tournament was held in August on Pool 10 of the Mississippi River. Again, teams from all over the state participated in this event, the Indee Bass Club had 5 boats represented. The highest placing Independence team was Cal Sweeney and Hunter Sherwood, they placed 11th out of 37 High School teams. Later this month a virtual fishing tournament was held. Anglers from all over Independence fish whenever their schedule allowed and sent pictures of their catches on a ruler to Coach Reed. The top three anglers were 1st- Carter Eddy, 2nd- Clinton Junk, 3rd- Ranger Reed.
As school started back up again for the students, excitement around the September tournament grew. The last points tournament of the year was scheduled at Lake Delhi, and that would decide who was Angler of the Year for 2023. Fourteen students fished in this tournament, and every boat weighed bass in, a first for the year. Ranger Reed and Jackson Wolf were the Delhi Champions, they had five keeper bass that weighed 8.55 pounds, included in that was Ranger's Big Bass, a smallmouth bass that weighed 3.00 pounds.

Gable & Jackson at the HS Team Championship

A special event took place in October. The Highway 20 Bass Club Battle, for the second year in a row took place between the Cedar Falls Fishing Team and the Indee Bass Club. The Indee Bass Club won this event in 2022 on Lake Delhi, but in 2023 it was Cedar Falls that picked the venue. The Cedar River in Waverly was the site for this year’s event. Once again, the Indee Bass Club came away with the team win. In this unique format that places one club versus another, all boats go out fishing like a typical tournament, however at the end of the day only the top three boats from each team count in the club totals. The Indee Bass Club was led by Wyatt Mether and Carson Hanoway, they had 11.02 pounds, Ranger Reed and Jackson Wolf had 10.81 pounds including Ranger's big bass that weighed 4.40 pounds, and the third team was Colton Cameron and Carter Eddy with 9.16 pounds. The total was 30.99 pounds compared to 25.66 pounds that Cedar Falls was able to weigh in. It was a great fall day of fishing, and the traveling plaque once again is displayed at the Independence Junior/Senior High!
The Indee Bass Club is run by volunteer coach Todd Reed. Garry Anderson and Keith Donnelly assist at events as well. This club is free for any student in the Independence or St. John's school system. The club was able to give out fishing gear and gift cards throughout the entire year at every event, totaling several thousands of dollars. The club also pays for memberships for students which includes a subscription to the Bassmaster magazine. These great perks available to students would not be possible without the help of our great sponsors: Colony Plumbing/Heating and AC, BankIowa, Buchanan County Wildlife Association, Cy & Charley's, Tim Reed State Farm, Rick Wendling Memorial, Klever Concrete, Shay's Minn Kota, Scheels of Cedar Falls, Hank's Bait and Tackle, Quantum Rods and Reels, Hot Rod Baits, The Rod Glove and X-Zone Lures. This great list of sponsors keeps all these activities free for students and puts fishing gear in their hands for future enjoyment. Another huge shoutout to the many "Captains" that took the kids out fishing, many are parents of students, and some are just volunteers to help the next generation enjoy the great sport of bass fishing. These captains include Todd Reed, Dan Sweeney, Brian Miller, Jackson Toale, Cyrus Butters, Travis Butters, Dave Wilson, Chris Weepie, Steve Bley, Shane Beatty, Garry Anderson, Andy Sommerfelt, Kevin Christensen, Aaron Svoboda, Chuck Lee and Chad O'Brien.

Hwy20 Bass Club Battle CHAMPS

It is hard to believe that fall is here, and winter is just around the corner. As the seventh year of the Indee Bass Club came to an end, the annual awards banquet caps off all the great accomplishments brought forward by the members of the club. The awards banquet took place on October 12th. The largest group ever showed up to celebrate with the club members with cookies and milk enjoyed by all. During each club event, four in total, anglers accumulate points towards the Angler of the Year. A 1st place gets you 10 points, 2nd place 9 points, 3rd place 8points, etc. When all things were calculated, Jackson Beatty was in 5th place, Ranger Reed in 4th Place, Gable Eddy finished in 3rd Place, Carter Eddy in second place and Colton Cameron was crowned the 2023 Angler of the Year. Ranger Reed earned this title in 2022, and Jackson Toale won it in 2021. Anglers that weighed in a limit at a tournament received their 2023 Limit Medals, those included Will Clark, Ben Anderson, Colton Cameron, Carter Eddy, Jackson Beatty, Gable Eddy, Ranger Reed, Carter Cameron, Hunter Weepie, EJ Miller, Owen Latwesen, Jackson Wolf. The Big Bass of the year award went to Gable Eddy, he weighed in a 3.35# smallmouth bass he caught on the Wapsi River.
It was a great year for the anglers and a lot was learned about the sport of bass fishing. Again, the Indee Bass Club thanks all fourteen of the different boat captains for their help and the sponsors for allowing the club to give away fishing gear and gift cards to help build the kids' equipment and enjoyment of fishing. Kids have already voted on places to fish for the 2024 season and planning is already happening to ensure another great season for the Indee Bass Club. You can find out more information about the club on their Facebook, Instagram and website, search them out for pictures and information.

2023 SPONSORS