Ice Fishing Season

If any of you follow me or my blog, you know that this time of year is one of my favorites.  I always enjoy freezing my butt off on a frozen lake trying to catch fish!  I know that standing over top of  a hole in the ice, in freezing cold weather, hoping that a fish bites the other end of my fishing line may not sound fun to some people, but there are a few things that make ice fishing much more enjoyable that I want to share with you.

My #1

First and foremost, the JawJacker! This contraption has made a sport I love into a new and exciting event every time I go fishing.  Here in Idaho we can use up to 5 rods per person which can quickly turn into a lot when fishing in  a group.  I always like to have my rod I use for jigging, but with my other 4 rods I always have them in a JawJacker.  The JawJacker not only acts as a safe rod holder so I don't lose my rod down the hole (Which has happened a time or two before I owned the JawJackers), but the JawJacker also increases my success rate and literally keeps me active the whole time I'm fishing.  If the JawJacker is legal to use in your state I strongly recommend you picking one up for one of your extra ice fishing rods! You wont be disappointed I can guarantee it! Here is a video of one reason I use the JawJacker:

#2
Three years ago I really started to get back into ice fishing.  Out of everyone  who came fishing with me, my favorite person to take out on the ice has been and always will be my wife.  As much as she loves me, she didn't necessarily share my same passion for ice fishing seems how she isn't a huge fan of the cold weather.  Luckily for me, she gave me the ultimatum and said that if I wanted her to come fishing with me, I would have to buy an ice fishing shelter to keep her warm.  I picked up the Eskimo Quick Fish 6 which I have been completely satisfied with.  This fishing shelter is a quick set up and take down as well as provides plenty of room for me and a few friends to fish in comfortably.  The only time I've had a problem with it was when I took on of my friends ice fishing and he decided to pick up my ice auger inside my shelter... Long story short, he accidentally brushed the auger blade against the side wall of the shelter and left a 6 inch slit in the shelter wall.  We got the slit fixed up and it has been great ever since.

My Eskimo Quick Fish 6 and JawJacker

#3
The last thing I will mention in this post that I feel is such a game changer for me is having a custom ice fishing rod!  I have bought all sorts of different rods and tried lots of different companies.  I have found a small hand full that I really feel do the job well while I have also found a huge amount which I feel are a complete waste of money.  I am currently in the process of having another custom ice fishing rod made from Cal Piccolo which I will be sure to write about later this year!  The thing I like about having a custom rod is a little bit of the superstition factor, as well as the concept of being comfortable with your gear.  The more you are comfortable with your gear, the better you and that gear will perform the way its supposed to.  Plus if anyone has seen the movie Grumpy Old Men, you will understand that ice fishermen have their lucky ice fishing rods... and my custom rod is just that!

 This brief list of ice fishing gear makes my ice fishing trips a lot more than just sitting over a hole in the ice waiting for a fish to bite... I wish that I could say since I've had this year I've never had a bad day of ice fishing, but I can honestly say that since I've had this gear it has made the bad days of ice fishing into better ones!

A bunch of Brook Trout I caught this year

Ice-fishing Is Coming!!!

So I have been thinking non-stop about ice-fishing lately.  Some people think ice-fishing is crazy and stupid but I absolutely love it! One reason I love it so much is because in my area I am able to use up to 5 poles per person while ice-fishing which can make for a very exciting time when the fish are really biting!  Without going on and on about lots of the other reasons why I love ice-fishing I want to share with you my top 3 items that I feel are essential to ice-fishing!

#1 - Ice Shelter

My Eskimo Quick Fish 6

I know there are plenty of times that I take my ice shelter and do not use it, but I can't express how essential one is when you do need it! It is like the common saying that you never realize how much you need something until you don't have it... Even on the days when it is good weather and great fishing it is good to have the shelter set up and a place to keep your gear.  I have used the shelter to not only keep me warm on the freezing cold bad weather days, but I have also used it to keep me from getting sun-burnt on the clear calm days sitting on a snow covered frozen lake which refects the sun rays no matter what direction you turn!  A shelter can also be used to dry out wet clothing if you have a heater or some other heat source inside.

#2 - The JawJacker!!!!!

JawJacker with a nice brook trout I caught

Another view of the JawJacker

If this contraption is legal in your state then get one!!! Honestly it has been a blast using this product and I have zero complaints about it!  For those who don't know what the JawJacker is, it is an ice-fishing pole holder which holds your pole bent down and then releases the tip of the pole when a fish bites your bait... this release allows the bent pole to straighten out and set the hook for you resulting in more hook-ups when ice-fishing.  I wrote a post review about this product last year and if you want to read more about it be sure to check it out here.  I will be posting videos of me using this product this year and hopefully get some footage of me pulling out some great fish. This product is great as a pole holder if you are able to fish with more than one pole.  I know some people who use these on all of their poles while I myself like to use them on a few while jigging the others.

#3 - Sled

My Otter Ice-Fishing sled

As basic as this item is, you can never leave home without it! I am also realizing now that it is better if you get a bigger sled than you need so that when you take extra people with you or extra gear you don't have to small of a sled!!! My dad is always giving me a bad time because I convinced him that I only needed a small sled for ice-fishing and now I am always asking him if I can borrow his bigger sled... I have seen people build their own as well as build a 2 story sled which is like having a sled with an upper shelf.

Bonus Item #4

Ice Fishing Success

Have something unique which makes you stand out!  I have a hat my wife bought me when she was in Russia a few years ago... This hat has now become my favorite/lucky ice-fishing hat!  Things like this just add to the fun and craziness that often goes on while ice-fishing... Like I mentioned earlier some people think I'm crazy because I love to sit on a frozen lake and try to pull fish through a hole.  This hat just keeps those rumors and people talking :) Make it fun!

Ice Fishing Basics

I know it is late in the season for a post about ice fishing, but I have a friend who wrote a post on his site about some ice fishing basics that I thought would be good to pass along.  You can check out his website at http://ponderosaoutdoors.com/.  I found his post helpful for anyone interested in starting out ice fishing. The following post is his writing not my own.

 

I’m not really sure how I feel about ice fishing. I believe I have come to the conclusion that it is just what you do when you want to get outside and there is snow everywhere you look! I didn’t grow up ice fishing, but over the years many people have been willing to get me started on the basics. Last year was the hardest I had ever hit the ice fishing scene. I was graciously invited several times by Kevin Jones to go ice fishing with him and his family. Before this I usually just roughed it out on the ice with temperatures often times dipping below zero and the relentless wind howling at 25 mph! The first time I met up with Kevin on the ice he had what I considered to be beautiful, an ice fishing tent! The giant red Eskimo Quick Fish 6 posed on the ice like some camp from an arctic research team. When I entered the tent the warm air from the heater inside welcomed me. This was ice fishing! If i was going to be out fishing all day in the nasty winter conditions I was going to be warm doing it. I simply had to have one! Little did I know I would soon get my chance. Kevin and I fished pretty hard all day and caught many trout in the 14″ range. While sitting in Kevin’s “new that year” ice tent, I started to admire the new blades he had put on his ice auger. Sitting on a bucket, pole in a stand, I picked up the auger to get a closer look at the blades. Bad move! Kevin continued to fish as a looked the auger over, but when I went to put it back disaster struck. While I carefully and strategically went to place the auger back to its spot one of the blades barely touched the side of the tent! Ouch! Instantly a 4″ slit appeared in the tight wall of the tent. How do I fix this? Maybe Kevin won’t notice? There was no getting around the fact that I had just cut a hole in a $250.00 ice fishing tent. the only words that could come out of my mouth were, Kevin, I just put a hole in your tent. Kevin’s response, ya right, haha. As soon as his eyes met the light coming through the hole no words were needed. Uh………..that sucks. Interestingly enough Kevin shared the same thoughts I did. Well, I said to Kevin, looks like I’m getting an ice tent earlier than expected! I was not happy with myself that I had made such a dumb error, but it is a beautiful thing to have such a great excuse to give your wife about buying new gear! That day of ice fishing was one of mixed emotions and learning, but the important thing is that we got out and caught fish. Since my day of hard lessons learned I have used my “new” ice fishing tent to protect myself from the elements and I am happy to have it as part of my fishing arsenal. Make sure that when you go fishing that you keep your hands to yourself and to your own gear! Obviously these were some of my fathers words that fell on deaf ears.

Here is a quick video of some ice fishing basics:

I hope this information is helpful for anyone starting out with the sport of ice fishing, and I would also like to encourage you all to check out Earl's website at  http://ponderosaoutdoors.com/.  Thanks Earl for letting me share your post.

JawJacker Giveaway!!!

JawJacker Ice Fishing!

Many of you may not know what this contraption is, but hopefully after reading this it will be on your wish list!  What you see above is called a JawJacker which is an ice fishing contraption with the purpose of making good ice fisherman great!  The way it works is explained and demonstrated thoroughly on this video from YouTube.

See them in action!

JawJacker in Action!!!

When I used these for the first time myself, it shocked me how easy they were to use!  I will admit, I was worried looking at it and wondering if I would set it up wrong with all the different adjustments such as the rod height, the trigger slide, and the trigger tension.  After getting it out of the box and playing around with it, I realized that all of these adjustments are extremely simple and self explanatory.  If there is any confusion on how to set it up, there are step by step instructions on the back of the JawJacker box.  I headed up to the lake Friday morning to give these a shot in hopes that I would have some good luck.

JawJacker set up and ready for a bite!

In Idaho, we are able to use 5 poles which can be hard to monitor all 5 poles at once.  With my poles in the JawJacker, I didn't stress about looking around constantly checking to see if my poles were getting a bite or not.  This made ice fishing so much more relaxing and enjoyable because I was able to sit and jig one pole while all my other poles were being "monitored" by the JawJacker.  It wasn't long until I got some action on the JawJacker and the only words I have to say about my first experience is that these things work!

JawJacker with my 3 pound male Brook Trout

I was able to catch some great fish using these things and had a blast every time one went off.  I would be in the middle of a conversation and then hear the sound of a JawJacker go off and my adrenaline would rush in anticipation of what would come next.  There were a few times when the JawJacker would go off, but fail to hook my fish... I was a little frustrated and thought that there was just a little fish messing with my bait.  Then I remembered a tip which was also on the back of the JawJacker box which said that if you are getting bites on the JawJacker but not having many hookups, then try to downsize your bait.  I thought what do I have to loose, so I gave it a shot... Sure enough the next time the JawJacker went off the fish was hooked and the rest was left up to me to get that fish on the ice.

My dad and one of his fish of the day

My dad and I spent about 6 hours on the ice and caught almost 50 fish.  There were quite a few people fishing around  us who kept saying that the fishing was quite slow.  In respect to them, the fishing was quite a bit slower than what it had been for them a few days earlier.  They were catching a few fish here and there, but the fish were not biting very hard for some reason this day.  Those next to us would run from pole to pole because they would see a fish was nibbling on their bait, but by the time they got to it the fish was either gone or it was not interested in their bait any more.  I would not say that we had more bites than the other fisherman around us, but the difference was that when we were getting bites, we were mostly always hooking up with a fish because of the JawJacker.  A few of these people kept asking us what we were using for bait and we were open and honest about what we were using.  To their disappointment, it was the same thing they were using, but we were catching more fish.  I would definitely say that the purpose of the JawJacker, which is to "make good ice fisherman great," was fulfilled because the only difference between us and the other guys was the JawJackers... AND... about 30 more fish!

When we decided to call it a day and pack up, the JawJackers collapsed very compact and simple so that they were easy to pack on and off the ice.  They are also secure so that you don't have to worry about any part of the JawJacker getting caught on something and breaking off.  My personal favorite part about the JawJacker is that you are more likely to catch more fish with them than you are without them.  In my opinion, the more fish you catch, the better chance you have of catching a big fish! The great part about this day is that my thoughts were confirmed because the last fish we pulled in for the day was this great trout!

My Catch of the Day! 

 I would 100% recommend the JawJacker to anyone who enjoys ice fishing, or is thinking about getting started in ice fishing.  You do not have to be a professional to run one of these contraptions, and they are worth every penny.  Honestly if you see one of these things work you will realize that they are worth it! This is why Matt from JawJacker Ice Fishing Supplies is letting me give one of these away on my blog to show some lucky reader/follower how amazing this product really is!  All you have to do to be registered to win is share this blog post either on Facebook or Twitter AND leave a comment below!  The drawing will be Wednesday November 28th so please pass this word on and leave a comment for your chance to win a free JawJacker!!!

 If you would like to purchase a JawJacker, please visit http://www.jawjackerfishing.com/
 Visit his website for tips on ice fishing and other ice fishing gear!

ICE FISHING TIME!!!!

Great way to start the morning!

It is getting to be that time of year again!!! I love winters in Idaho! I know a lot of people complain about the cold and the snow, but I absolutely love the winter because it means one thing... ICE FISHING!!!  I have grown up ice fishing, but the last two years, I have really taken it a lot more serious.  I used to go out with one, maybe two poles and sit there frozen next to a hole in hopes of catching a fish or two.  In Idaho, you are able to fish with 5 poles as long as you can maintain all 5 of them.  My dad purchased a gas powered auger so that we wouldn't have to hand drill all of our holes, and my wife (yes it was her idea) informed me that if she was going to continue ice fishing with me then I would have to buy a ice shelter. 

My Eskimo Quick Fish 6

Between the auger, the shelter, and all of the other gear, I was destined to make it worth the investment.  My wife and I started to go as often as we could and began to have a lot of fun!

My wife and I goofing off while fising

Eventually, I was able to talk a few of my family and friends into coming out and going fishing with us.  I realize that the idea of going outside while it is literally below freezing (often times below 0) standing on a frozen lake over top of a small little hole waiting and hoping for a fish to bite doesn't sound like a lot of fun to people.  I have however, been quite surprised at how many people have really enjoyed ice fishing once they get out and do it.  It really helps having the ice shelter and a little heater to stay warm, but even without it most of the people we took has a blast.

A few of my family on one of our ice fishing trips

While reminissing on last years season, I can't help but get excited to get out there again soon and hit the ice!  I have a few new things I have been wanting to try out and hope to out do my best ice fishing catch of last year which was a 7 1/2 pound trout.  My uncle had to torture me today on his day off by being one of the first ones to hit the ice this year and witness this 9 1/2 pound trout being pulled through the ice! If all goes my way I will be out there Friday trying my luck!

9 1/2 pound trout (2 inches of ice...)

If you want to read more about our ice fishing from previous years you can check out my brother's post on his blog !