any ice fishing tips??

[sarg]

hey this is going to be my frist year ice fishing so i'm just looking for some tip and helpfully hints on where to go and what to use, i bought a ice fishing rod from wholesale today but i still need some gear and i have use of an auger.

i live in the LML and im looking to do some day trips to start, i was thinking of trying shea lake, i fish it in the spring and summer and i always catch fish there and we are going to rent a cabin at tunkwa lake in feb. any other lake to try with in a 3h drive from mission? i was also thinking of maybe trying face lake or paska lake.
thanks :-D

[sarg]

would like to try red lake to but i'm not sure i'll make it this year.

[jeff]

sarg , a buddy of mine ice fishes up the coquahalla somewhere .not sure what lake ,but he always comes back with plenty of nice fish

[358mag]

# 1 rule
Make sure the ice is thick enuff to walk on !!!

[sarg]

# 1 rule
Make sure the ice is thick enuff to walk on !!!
lol ,that's the part that sketches me out i'm a slimber 260 pound guy and i'm not one for playing on frozen lake but i really want to try ice fishing, so im going to put my big boy pants on and do it. :)

[Jagermeister]

You're going to have to wait abit as lakes at the mid-altitude level is not harbouring much ice if they have any ice at all. To give you an idea about when to start, keep a check on those interior town's temperature. When you see it consistantly at sub freezing temps, then the ice will form up and you will be go to go. Right now, the interior has been too warm and windy to have any significant lake ice formation except at extreme elevation.
I was talking to Norm from Wendego Lodge on Tranquille Lake Friday and he was telling me that lake lacks ice.

[sarg]

i was going to wait till the new year to start, i just wanted to get the ball rolling to give me some time to stock up.

[yzchamp]

invest in ice fishing tent ..170$ at costco Keeps u warm ,no wind, and u can see all the fish below you!! it actualy makes ice fishing real fun! best investment by far..

[yzchamp]

red lake and lakes around roche are good to go..

[Jagermeister]

An ice fishing tent is a nice accessory. Get one of these to haul the tent and other items. http://www.pelicansport.com/index.php?language=en&utilitysleds=snowtrek75
Now this one seems long, but you can pull it unless you are a puny runt and it also can be towed behind a sled or quad if need be.

[lovemywinchester]

Hey Sarg, I will give you a tip that will make you a great ice fisher very quickly. The tents are nice but what you really need is a fish finder. Humminbird makes good portable, rechargeable units. $300 will get you a great unit that will work in the boat in the summer as well. To be able to see your spoon or bait on the graph and fish coming into it will make you an instant fish catcher. It may seen obvious but to see what depth the fish are cruising at and to put your bait or lure into the zone will turn slow days into meat hunts. I speak from personal experience when I tell you this. Before you buy all kinds of ice fishing gear get a graph. It is THE most important tool for ice fishing. If someone tries to tell you differently they don't know what they are talking about. Also make sure you take a bottle of Sambuca, very important as well.

[Billiam]

I've only been ice fishing once and by the time we had cut a hole big enough for the boat it was time to go home.

[3kills]

You're going to have to wait abit as lakes at the mid-altitude level is not harbouring much ice if they have any ice at all. To give you an idea about when to start, keep a check on those interior town's temperature. When you see it consistantly at sub freezing temps, then the ice will form up and you will be go to go. Right now, the interior has been too warm and windy to have any significant lake ice formation except at extreme elevation.
I was talking to Norm from Wendego Lodge on Tranquille Lake Friday and he was telling me that lake lacks ice.
lots of lakes around here have been fished for weeks now. actaully i think i might go this weekend. or maybe next depends if i go hunting or not

[yzchamp]

Hey Sarg, I will give you a tip that will make you a great ice fisher very quickly. The tents are nice but what you really need is a fish finder. Humminbird makes good portable, rechargeable units. $300 will get you a great unit that will work in the boat in the summer as well. To be able to see your spoon or bait on the graph and fish coming into it will make you an instant fish catcher. It may seen obvious but to see what depth the fish are cruising at and to put your bait or lure into the zone will turn slow days into meat hunts. I speak from personal experience when I tell you this. Before you buy all kinds of ice fishing gear get a graph. It is THE most important tool for ice fishing. If someone tries to tell you differently they don't know what they are talking about. Also make sure you take a bottle of Sambuca, very important as well.

works good in deep water.. but when u fish in 4-8 feet clear water and u can see em comming... waste of time..

[yzchamp]

Fire ball works as good as sambuca too...:)

[swampdonkey]

rent a cabin at tunkwa lake in feb. any other lake to try with in a 3h drive from mission? i was also thinking of maybe trying face lake or paska lake. paska and face have small fish and lots of them but you will catch em tunkwa has the bigger ones
thanks :-D[/QUOTE]

[ABad]

I am also looking forward to ice fishing soon. I am not the best but if I go to a lake I am not familar with, I look for and area where there are several holes already drilled. Then I look for holes with blood near them, then I will drill near the blood. For bait I never leave home without the tiny popcorn shrimp you find in the grocery store (raw). I have seen guys buy a shrimp ring and use one for the season. I just like the fresher shrimp. Also you will need an ice skimmer, and I sometimes use a hatchet to open old holes. hope this helps

ABad

[lovemywinchester]

works good in deep water.. but when u fish in 4-8 feet clear water and u can see em comming... waste of time..

You are right on the fire ball but like I said, you don't know what you are talking about. Saying a graph is a waste of time is a ridiculous statement and shows you have obviously never used one. In any depth it will help you. Super shallow water maybe not as much but if you get one it will increase your catch ten fold in 90% of ice fishing situations. Give one a try before you say its a waste of time.

[yzchamp]

You are right on the fire ball but like I said, you don't know what you are talking about. Saying a graph is a waste of time is a ridiculous statement and shows you have obviously never used one. In any depth it will help you. Super shallow water maybe not as much but if you get one it will increase your catch ten fold in 90% of ice fishing situations. Give one a try before you say its a waste of time.
i'll give it a go as i actually do have a portable fishfinder, just not sure how would it actually help me when i can clearly see my bait bouncing 6 feet under the ice in my 10 inch hole while i sit in my pitch black tent, andi can see all of the fish that are close to it.... not dissing the idea by any means and im planning to use my fish finder once i go to deeper lakes... What depthts are you fishing?

[BillBraskii]

i'll give it a go as i actually do have a portable fishfinder, just not sure how would it actually help me when i can clearly see my bait bouncing 6 feet under the ice in my 10 inch hole while i sit in my pitch black tent, andi can see all of the fish that are close to it.... not dissing the idea by any means and im planning to use my fish finder once i go to deeper lakes... What depthts are you fishing?
portable fishfinder is not the same as an ice fishing graph......
the scope is way broader on an ice graph and lets you see the fish you cant see through the hole.

[yzchamp]

portable fishfinder is not the same as an ice fishing graph......
the scope is way broader on an ice graph and lets you see the fish you cant see through the hole.
that makes more sense ... i thought lovemywinchester was talking about regular portable fishfinder...

[SimilkameenSlayer]

if possible hold the rod in your hand, for a quick strike; i have often set the hook this way, seems to be more effective than just watching the tip of the rod.

[3kills]

was talkin to a guy today they are out fishin mammette lake already. tunkwa should be fishable soon or pretty close to it. there is 5 inches of ice on mammette

[BigfishCanada]

People have been fishing red for at least a week now, careful but its fishing welll supposedly

[meat eater]

i was slaying them out at edna last week an i seen two fellow's on mammette today an they said they had three on the ice!!

[meat eater]

rent a cabin at tunkwa lake in feb. any other lake to try with in a 3h drive from mission? i was also thinking of maybe trying face lake or paska lake. paska and face have small fish and lots of them but you will catch em tunkwa has the bigger ones
thanks :-D[/QUOTE]
try out mammette if you pm closer to the time you are coming i will tell you if the fish are biting or not an where to go on the lake as we fish it every week!!

[sarg]

try out mammette if you pm closer to the time you are coming i will tell you if the fish are biting or not an where to go on the lake as we fish it every week!![/QUOTE]
is it a small lake? where abouts is it?

[3kills]

mammette is a big lake its along the highway between merritt and logan lake. not to far from logan lake. I have heard edna is fishing really good

[Benthos]

fish the similar spots you fish in summer, concentrate on drop offs, around shoals, etc. use a weight, and 8inch below that put a bait hook or tear drop jig. put a piece of cooked shrimp or mealworm on it, drop it to the bottom of the lake, then do one full reel to get it off the bottom. if fishing for rainbows, give it the occassional jig up and down, no need for constant jigging.

[lovemywinchester]

A good tip I learned a few years ago was that rainbows often cruise right below the ice. Instead of dropping your bait right to the bottom every time try just hanging it down a foot or two under the ice and you will be surprised how well you do.

[.300 R.U.M. Grizzly]

No. 1-Try and get ahold of some Wood Worms. They can be found in the bark of Fir trees.
No. 2- If you can afford it, get a power auger. It can be really tough drilling through 3 feet of ice.

Good luck. Ice fishing is a great way to spend time outdoors!

[FirePower]

# 1 rule
Make sure the ice is thick enuff to walk on !!!

Actually that is rule 2. Rule 1 is plenty of Prince Rudy apple brandy and coffee. At least if rule 2 doesn't fall in place you can sit on the shore light a fire a dream of what might have been lol

[gmcgilli66]

# 1 rule
Make sure the ice is thick enuff to walk on !!!
You Got that right!! A friend went through on Red Lake this morning!
Main lake was fine, but knee deep in the marsh cattails!

[sarg]

so we just booked a cabin @ tunkwa lake for feb 3/4 :) for some ice fishing

[britman101]

Once you have picked your spot and drilled your hole, then put the line with your lure down the hole. A small lil cleo lure for some flash for instance. Let the lure hit bottom, and pull the line up 1 or 2 feet off of bottom. Mark the line, put your bait on the hook be it shrimp or maggots and put it down the hole again . If the fish are biting you should be able to catch some for supper.

[lovemywinchester]

Tunkwa can be tough through the ice. Concentrate on Leighton and you will be way happier. Its tough to pinpoint the fish in Tunkwa as it is a big bowl they cruise around in. Leighton fish are way easier to catch.

[sarg]

Tunkwa can be tough through the ice. Concentrate on Leighton and you will be way happier. Its tough to pinpoint the fish in Tunkwa as it is a big bowl they cruise around in. Leighton fish are way easier to catch.
That's what the guy said at the lodge, so we will try both just to see,

[Chody]

im in the same boat lol, boooking a small cabin at tunkwa in jan, i wanna get out there a couple times this year.

[sarg]

im in the same boat lol, boooking a small cabin at tunkwa in jan, i wanna get out there a couple times this year.
well let my know how u made out, its my first time up there ice fishing.

[whitebirch]

Without an auger has anyone used a chainsaw just to get a hole started?
What size of hole is ideal for a couple guus

[frenchbar]

Without an auger has anyone used a chainsaw just to get a hole started?
What size of hole is ideal for a couple guus

A big hole at least 6 ft by 6 ft lol...

[whitebirch]

A big hole at least 6 ft by 6 ft lol...

I was thinking 6' would be wide enough but I can cast about 40', so will need to be longer than 6'...

[whitebirch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJvDk9AYQTo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Guess its fine