A primary role of an outdoor writer is to sometimes give advice, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always good advice. I sometimes get skunked like everyone else, which is why I refuse to be the final word on anything.  On the other hand, I do have some sensible ideas that will usually be of benefit to fellow ice anglers.  Good advice is, perhaps, most important to ice anglers.  Who won’t agree that augering or chiseling holes through three-feet of ice is too much of a chore without doing everything you can to put the odds in your favor. So here’s some advice to take or leave.

Often I see anglers clustered together like bees in a hive.  They’ll cut holes only a few feet from each other and have several lines dangling over a tiny part of an underwater island, reef, or weed bed.  Why not spread out and cover more area?  Each angler is allowed two lines, so as few as three people can use six lines to cover a fairly large area.  If someone continues to have more action, then you can cluster together over the hot spot.

Let’s say you are fishing an underwater point that drops from 10 feet to 30 feet.  Use a depth finder or weighted line to find any “stair steps”, or flat spots, in the drop off.  Walleyes and other game fish use these flat spots to cruise along and feed.  Also look for any inside turns or small points jutting out from the main structure.  Areas where there are rocks mixed with weeds are also good.  It is the structure that attracts the fish, but it is these little irregular spots that hold the fish.

Once you’ve found these high percentage spots put lines down on each one.  If you can’t find evident irregularities in the drop off, place your lines so you cover all depths.  Now you are making the most of your fishing time and the fishing suddenly becomes twice as exciting.

Spreading out becomes much easier if you use tip ups; after all, that is what they were made for.  First of all,  tip ups usually have a flag-type bite indicator so you can see that you’ve gotten a hit from a distance away.  Secondly, most tip ups are constructed so the line holding spool is suspended under water so it doesn’t matter if the hole freezes over, the tip up will still function.

A frequent fishing companion of mine uses another device that allows you to cover a large area.  He cuts out the bottom of a plastic pail and attaches an arm that holds a line spool over the pail.  The whole thing is placed over the hole.  On the spool is a piece of highly visible red reflective tape.  He uses a bobber to suspend the minnow over the bottom and turns the spool so the red tape is positioned up.  When a fish hits, the spool will unwind.  The red tape makes it easy to see the spool revolving from quite a distance.

The only thing this outfit doesn’t do is keep your ice hole from icing over and the line from freezing in.  It works very well in warmer weather.

Regardless of what you do, don’t limit your chances of catching fish.  Cover as much area as you can in a systematic manner.  But remember, you can be 200 feet from a tip-up before a game warden will consider it an unattended line.  Just keep it legal and catch more fish.

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If you would take a look at the Small Game Hunting and Trapping Regulations pamphlet that is handed out when you purchase your license, you would see there are lots of hunting options for the outdoorsman to get into over the winter. Rabbit and some trapping seasons run all the way through February and fox, badger, opossum and raccoon season, along with some trapping, goes into springtime.

Cottontails prefer hardwood forests and lowlands, while snowshoe hares are most common in coniferous forest areas.  One type of habitat both species love are recently logged over areas.  The remaining brush piles offer both food and cover.  Hunting for these rabbits doesn’t require any special gear, except maybe a pair of snowshoes or cross country skis.  Most rabbit enthusiasts make do with their favorite shotgun.

Hunting jackrabbits is another story though.  These long-legged speedsters prefer wide open prairie country with some brushy spots for cover.  This type of terrain and the jack’s eyesight make it necessary for hunters to use flat-shooting, scope mounted guns, such as a .223 or similar rifle.  However, your deer rifle with lighter loads can work just great.

The most challenging winter hunting is for red and gray fox; these critters didn’t get the reputation of being wiley for nothing. Whether they be red or gray, fox like rolling farm lands with mixed sections of field and woods.  Getting permission to hunt on farmer’s property is usually no problem if you courteous and very careful.

There are basically two ways to get a fox in your sights.  One is by sitting quietly and using a varmint call to bring them to you.  Varmint calls are not hard to use and are available in most sporting stores.  Practice on your new call until you get the hang of it, and then find yourself an area with plenty of fox sign.  Locate a spot with a good view of the countryside and start calling.  If nothing shows after 15 to 20 minutes, move to a new spot; eventually one will come looking for you.

If you are energetic, you may want to strap on a pair of snowshoes or cross country skis and take off on a fresh set of fox tracks.  The idea is to keep watching as far ahead as you can and see the fox before it sees you.  You might just catch one napping on a sunny hill side.

Again, most hunters in Minnesota do not participate in these winter hunting seasons.  But remember, fall hunting is a long way off and doesn’t last very long once it’s here.

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