The Covid Effect on Early Ice Prep

Covid19 has fundamentally changed our fishing and hunting seasons, for 2020 and likely years to come.  From increased participation, to the trials and rigors that go with heavy use of the resource, the early spring “shutdown” has lasting effects that are being felt as ripples throughout our outdoors experience.  It should be no surprise then that it’s changing how you’ll likely need to prepare for your ice fishing season.

Ice season comes after deer camp has been packed up and meat is in the freezer right?  Perhaps not this year.  Anglers are already seeing ice-gear at outdoor sporting goods stores, and that’s a function of the summer sell-thru happening from coast to coast.  CEOs and inventory specialists from a broad range of fishing manufacturers had a several month “gap” in their production, meaning that loss of supply is now being felt up and down the chain.  It’s hard to find rods and reels, certain brands of lures, line, and a number of fishing related accessories.

The net result has been an early stocking of ice equipment that’s being sold through earlier and more often than ever before.  In talking with friends in the industry, some store sets went up at the end of August where summer product was scarce.  All of which has led to increased buying for ice on account of availability.  That’s triggered re-orders of supply from manufacturers, an unheard of concept when we’re talking September and October.  Typically, this may happen only in December or January, and even then on only the most in-demand products.

When it comes to ice gear, the concern is that so much is forecasted and manufactured to that spec for the coming season, and once it runs out, there’s no more coming for another year.  In a season with so many new anglers to the sport, along with an early stocking, it’s a perfect storm for lack of availability.  This can be a problem in normal ice seasons, but my prediction is that we’ll see a run on your favorite items this year like never before.

Consumer ice shows may not happen this season, with more than 50% of them currently cancelled throughout the Midwest at the time of this article.  That doesn’t mean retailers won’t be selling, but more on that later.  So many anglers wait until show season so they can put their hands on whatever item they may be interested in, compare it to like products on the market, and do some price shopping at shows which typically discount.  Yet, without slashed prices at such shows, and an incredible demand for new product, it’ll likely be tough to find a good sale on many pieces of equipment.  Bottom line, if you need it, purchase early and don’t get too greedy on the price.  If you can live without it, chances are this might be the season to sit it out and live with what you already own.

A digital marketing study showed that 47% of Americans will be doing the vast majority of their holiday shopping online, jumping by double the amount of folks that will likely never visit a brick and mortar location unless they have to.  That same sentiment can be seen in online fishing sales throughout the summer anecdotally, and will likely be the same case for ice gear.  Once in-person ice shows will turn into online shows, with information, seminars, slight sales, and maybe some breaks on shipping.  If you’re not comfortable with this method of shopping, there will still be plenty of retail locations open with gear too, you’ll just need to get there earlier than you’re used to and do some shopping around town if looking for very specific items.

All of which, isn’t a problem at all provided you’re prepared.  If there was ever a year to dig out the ice gear a little early, this would be it.  Go through the big ticket items first and foremost.  Check your shelter to see what items or accessories need replacing, and if mice chewed holes through the fabric.  Go through your auger, and if gas, make sure it has a tuneup long before ice.  If electric, just like the rest of your ice electronics, charge batteries and do some initial testing.  Electric is great, but without power you’re dead on the ice, so check to make sure you’re good to go before fishing.

Speaking of electric, there’s some great new Lithium and LiFePo4 power options out there, and we’re lucky to be living in the age of lightweight, high performance gear.  Consider the switch from sealed lead-acid (SLA) batteries this season, as I know it’s made use and even maintenance a snap as I’ve slowly been converting over everything.  A 12V10AH LiFePo4 battery should be on every ice anglers list, and can easily replace your standard battery.  You know, the one you haven’t messed with in years?  That’s likely the one that’ll fail you this year, and it’s nice to shave the weight of the battery by half or more.

From here, go through rods and reels, then tackle.  Inventory and evaluate honestly, paying particular attention to staples.  I’d rather experiment with new colors on a proven bait, than too many new baits I’m unfamiliar with.  Confidence is earned, not purchased, and it’ll take time for brand new lures to keep getting secured to your hook keeper, rather than cut off and placed back in the box.

When it comes to ice apparel, it’s a bad idea to own a floating suit if you don’t already.  The ones these days are custom made for ice, and ergonomically designed for angling first and foremost.  No longer are they experimental lifejackets tucked into loose windbreakers, with all kinds of great designs for anglers.

No matter your needs for ice, from just a few new jigs, to getting fully equipped for all the new iceheads out there.  It pays to start doing your shopping and price checking immediately, as your options this season will likely be more limited, more quickly, than ever before.

Ice Prep - Battery Checking Season

The evolution of modern ice equipment has been rapid, to say the least.  Mere years ago, electric options for ice augers were in their infancy, with gas-powered versions dominating the icescape as they had done for decades and decades before.  Standard SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) batteries based again on decades-old technology were heavy and the default for any ice-electronics purchase or replacement.  In my youth, the best lighting option for fishing after dark was a white-gas powered lantern.  Now, portable shelters have dimmable LED lighting accessories that draw very little juice, and are powered by far more capable batteries than the SLA’s of old.  Point-being, as ice anglers, we use more electric power than ever before, for things that were never electric to begin with.

All of which means that the success or failure of any given fishing trip comes down to a battery.  Or more likely, multiple batteries.  Can’t fish without a hole in the ice.  Can’t (or won’t) drop a lure without underwater eyes in the form of a flasher or camera.  Can’t fish after dark in the pitch black either.  So you’ve got some work to do as an angler in getting ready this season that maybe wasn’t as pressing in year’s past, given so much of our gear has gone electric.  Especially if you’re running older SLA batteries, this might be the year to go Lithium, but more on that later.

First and foremost, if your deer hunting is winding down, it’s time to get going.  I’ve detailed in these pages before what a record supply shortage will do for product availability this season, coupled with the fact that there will likely be the largest freshman class of anglers stepping on ice this season that we’ve ever seen.  Sales forecasts developed a year ago had never heard of Covid-19, and there’s probably not more product coming for all but the most nimble of manufacturers.  Interpretation: if you need it, better get it sooner than later.

Pull out your electric auger first, as likely the batteries inside of it are specialized.  If there’s a battery indicator on it, check and see where you’re at, assuming you topped it off before storage, and maybe even gave it a charge or two over the long summer?  Even if no indicator, put a full charge to the battery and attach it to the auger.  Spin it a few times, revving to full speed, while ensuring it’s not dead-on-arrival.  While Lithium technology is much more rock-solid than SLA, you can drop a battery, damage the leads, or otherwise still destroy them if you’re especially rough on things.

Consider ordering a spare auger battery.  It likely won’t be cheap, but it’s nice to have if you’re a hole-hopper anyway.  Lithium batteries hit a wall once drained vs. their old standard counterparts which would slowly lose power, letting you know it was time to hold off or get another battery.  With Lithium, it just stops, and the battery is done.  Now that could come mid-hole, or just before you’ve drilled out the perfect tip to an underwater point you want to attack, so having an extra battery is more than a trip-saver, it’s a tactical advantage.

Now on to your ice electronics.  In talking with flasher manufacturers over the years, the one constant in customer service is battery issues.  As many as 90% of the issues they handle at the outset of a season are completely and totally related to battery failure.  So If your flasher will not turn on, or exhibits any of the following symptoms, a bad battery is the most likely culprit:

·         Unit turns on, but there are no lights

·         Unit turns on, but only works for a short time or screen flickers

·         Unit will not mark bottom, with transducer clicking - (When doing pre-season preparation, the bottom is your floor and reads only when the gain is turned high enough. When conducting this check, be sure that your transducer is a few feet or more off the ground, and hanging straight down.)

The next step in battery inspection is to ensure that your positive and negative wire leads remain attached securely to the battery and are not starting to bend or break.  Then, fully run your battery down and re-charge it.  If your flasher battery sat unused over a few seasons, it’s probably lost some performance hours.  So even if you charge it to what looks like full capacity, it won’t hold a charge as long as it used to, and could shut down out there on the ice.

Once you know it’s time to replace a battery, you have two main choices to make: Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries or Lithium LiFePO4.  SLA batteries can last 3-5 years, run a bit more than 5lbs each, give you all-day power to an average ice sonar system, and have a lifespan of around 200 charge cycles.  All for around $20 to $40.  Lithium LiFePO4 batteries last 10+ years, are half the weight, give you 2+ days of power for most ice flashers, and don’t start to degrade until after 2,000 charge cycles.  All for around $100 with the all-important specialized Lithium charger, as you can’t charge Lithium batteries of any kind effectively with an old SLA charger.  

If you run the numbers, I’ll put it as strongly as saying there’s not much to decide, Lithium LiFePO4 technology is cheaper to run over the long haul.  Most ice electronics manufacturers are realizing this too, and not even offering SLA batteries for sale.  Basically, it comes down to paying now, or paying more laterou can pay now or pay more later.  Why not enjoy half the weight, longer run-times, and a stress-free battery that you don’t have to replace until a decade or longer from now?

Even if your SLA battery is fine for now, or you have a lithium battery in the lineup, consider buying a replacement battery now.  Just like with your ice auger, it’s the cheapest insurance you can have for not ruining a great day on the ice.  Add up your fuel, bait, food, and other gear, and consider that this is only a one-time expense.  I started to like running Lithium because it was roughly half the weight, but the other benefits are great too.  Being in far-away fish camps with little power or no access to it makes you far more confident in your gear towards the end of day two.  Not to mention, the charging process is faster in these batteries as well, making the whole experience more enjoyable. 

No matter what you power your ice gear with, go through it early and give it a check.  Consider a replacement before it ruins a fishing trip, and be mindful that especially this year, mid-season gear may be harder to track down than ever before.

Ice Fishing's Top 5 Upgrades

Photo Credit - Matt Addington Photography

Gear in Photo -

-Marcum Lithium M5

-Beaverdam Classic Tip-up

-Striker Predator Bibs

-Striker Combat Gloves

-Engel Cooler

Ice fishing is likely the fastest growing segment in all of sport fishing.  That’s in no small part due to the development in creature comforts that have fundamentally changed the mechanics of the sport.  A five-gallon bucket has turned into any number of portable or permanent structures with a built-in seat.  The massive, exhaust-spewing power augers of old are now odor-free, lightweight electric powerhouses that drill many dozens of holes on a single charge.  Bib overalls and flannel have given way to ice-specific suits that are ergonomically designed for the rigors of the sport. 

Maybe all you’ve added to the arsenal in the past few years is a couple jigs, or maybe you’re coming back into the sport after a hiatus of a few years.  Even if you keep your ear to the ice every season, it's often wise to let first-year products enjoy a few cycles before investing in a dead end.  That said, each of the categories below are tried, tested, and true technologies that I see only advancing rather then retreating. 

Here’s a top-five list of the best categories to upgrade this year if you’ve been reticent to get on the modern ice bandwagon:

1.        Electric Auger – Today’s electric augers are major contenders in the space.  Unless you’re drilling in extremely thick ice, or hundreds of holes per session, you may likely already own one.  No mixed gas or smoke-filled permanents are another major advantage of the tech.  Add to that, that trend towards lighter-weight options, and you’re no longer looking at 40 pound steel grinders that you have to prime, pull, and maintain a carburetor on.  Click “on,” and flick a switch to drill. I’m running a new electric auger this year that I tried at the end of last season and really liked. Fastest and lightest electric i’ve ever used, and it re-drills old holes and rough ice with ease!.

2.       Custom Ice Rods – Go ahead, live a little.  More importantly, take the species and situation you face most often, and select an appropriate tool for the job.  These days, custom ice rods are expressly made to solve problems on the ice, and give you, the angler, the upper hand.  Whether you fish shallow water for gills, or deep rock lakers, there’s a custom rod for you that will be lighter, more sensitive, and plain catch more fish than any of your other sticks combined.  While they can be expensive, they’re a mere fraction of their open-water counterparts, and worth the money in my opinion. I helped design and develop the Croix Custom Ice Lineup by St. Croix Rods. Check them out here, or read up to find the perfect CCI for you!

3.       Floating Ice Fishing Suit – Whether you tempt the fates with early and late ice excursions or not, talk to 10 ice anglers and each of them will have a different story about ice that should’ve been safe and wasn’t.  For your troubles, you’ll get a bib and jacket combination that holds tackle boxes and bait pucks exactly where you’ll need them, and will have padding in the places an ice angler requires.  Not to mention, with venting technologies and the quality of garments out there, you’ll be comfortable no matter the temperature. I wear the Striker Predator bibs and jacket for safety as much as comfort. For the ultimate in comfort and warmth anywhere, I opt for the Striker Climate bibs and jacket.

4.       Digital/Lithium Sonar Technology – I’m a big fan of the analog units out there, as they’ve stood the test of time and caught gobs of fish doing it.  Still, the advantages of digital sonar can’t be ignored.  Customizable views allow you to set up a screen however you like, while maximizing the real-estate offered for only the fish-catching information that’s interesting to you.  While you’re at it, you should power your electronics with a lithium battery.  All the rage in everything from electric cars to power drills, your electric ice-auger has one because of the incredible long life, weight savings, and cold-weather performance.  Lead acid batteries for fish-finders will likely soon become a thing of the past, as manufacturers are now starting to sell their electronics with lithium power onboard. I run both the Lithium LX-7 for a combination of hole-hopping and stationary fishing, and hole hop almost exclusively with my Lithium-powered - M5L.

5.       Shelter – No matter what your budget, there’s a great shelter upgrade out there waiting for you.  From fully thermal hub-style portables, all the way to fully decked out wheelhouses, there’s never been more choices on the marketplace than we have right now.  On the upper end, with increased materials costs, borrowing rates, and tariffs, wheelhouses and the like will probably only continue to go up in price so this could be a good year if you were already budgeting for one.  On the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got incredible performance fabrics and thermal insulation that makes hub and flip-style shelters remarkably durable and easy to heat. I run an Otter XT X-Over series and have been really liking the side-entry feature on the X-Over editions. For the hub angler, the XT Lodge Hub has been perfect for my family.

While a part of me loves the nostalgia of frozen days gone by, ice fishing is more enjoyable when you’re warm and comfortable.  Catching fish while doing so has no doubt led countless new people to the sport.        

The Right Auger for the Job at Hand

Ice augers these days are undergoing a modern revolution of sorts, with all kinds of “firsts” and “never-before’s.”  Many manufacturers are moving away from gas, favoring lighter and more reliable electric models.  I think that shows confidence in the technology, along with consumer adoption in electric models over previous years.  We’re also seeing a big push for lighter auger flighting materials, namely synthetic resins that shave plenty of pounds from the overall unit, especially when paired with cordless drill drivers.  Had you told me me years ago that people would be using a cordless electric drill to power a plastic flighting for all of their ice holes, and I wouldn’t have believed you. 

All of which makes for some great opportunities that ice anglers will undoubtedly benefit from…eventually.  For this season however, folks looking to take part in that revolution have a lot of choices to consider, perhaps too many if you haven’t been following the recent developments.  In that light, while I think there’s a time and a place for many of the designs on the market, if I was forced to choose an ultimate combo, here’s what I’d come up with.

Dedicated Electric Powerhead and 8” or 10” Flighting

You didn’t expect one auger to do every task did you?  For predator-anglers and wheelhouse junkies, a 10” hole offers a few luxuries.  Slower freeze-up is one of them, but so is turning big fish to the top of the ice.  Of course, a 10” hole swallows up boots…and rods….and really just about anything.  It’s not as effective for roaming the open ice, unless predators are your only game.  In which case, the trade-off is worth it.  For late winter, an extra battery offers peace of mind, and really negates the gas-auger argument for all but the most ardent of hole-poppers.

Speed is a consideration for open-ice hole-popping, but total ease of use may be more important to many anglers, especially those in a wheelhouse.  For that reason, the standard-style blade options (not the curved shaver blades) will perform better at break-through and provide a more comfortable experience.  No binding at the bottom, no hard-jarring as the blades catch at the bottom of the hole.  Also, standard-style flat blades can re-drill old holes with ease, making them the best choice for those who drill in permanent houses.

An 8” option is best for most anglers that roam the open ice and fish small predators to walleyes.  It’s the ultimate in versatility, and sales numbers prove that fact.  Should you ever need replacement blades, it’s far easier to find 8”ers than anything else out there, and that one is based on hard-earned experience scouring baitshops throughout the hinterlands at times.  If you fish in portables, or ice troll the frozen expanses, your 80% auger will be a dedicated electric auger powerhead and 8” flighting.

Why a dedicated powerhead?  In my experience, cordless drill drivers are a great option, but not necessarily for larger bits.  Depending on the drill and flighting combination, I simply find it more comfortable to drill with a larger handled apparatus, and am just fine with 20lbs or so for big lakes, thicker ice, and better fish.  Maybe I’ll change my tune in time, but for now, I’m happy with the cutting experience of a dedicated electric powerhead on these larger bits.

Lightweight Synthetic 6” Flighting

Once we start talking panfish, my opinions change dramatically towards the electric hand-drill units.  Pair up an 18V construction grade cordless to the new synthetic resin flighting systems out there now, and you’ve got an unbeatable lightweight combo that simply shreds ice.  You’ll be easier on your drill unit using a 6” flighting, and for panfish, you really don’t need anything bigger.  I’ve seen a 15” crappie come up a 5” hole; mind you, it reminded me of a cork coming off a bottle of champagne, but a 6” hole in the ice fits just about anything.  That includes most walleyes and certainly all panfish you’re likely to catch in the Midwest. 

The beauty of this system is that you can pair the smaller 6” bit to your dedicated powerhead, or run it with a hand drill, whichever you prefer.  Interchange them at will, and you’ve got the best of both worlds for nearly any species you’re likely to encounter.  Fish light when you can, such that you’re not stuck trying to hole hop backwaters panfish with your 10” house auger, and use the larger option when tackling bigger species. 

Why not one auger to rule them all?  For me it’s about using the right tool for the job.  Sure, I can pound roofing nails with a sledgehammer, but it’ll take me more time and effort.  So often, it’s the panfish species that require extra hole drilling sessions to really pinpoint anyway.  That’s when a flyweight 6” synthetic bit can make it so much easier, and you, much more likely, to get out there and find more fish.  Certainly, if you’re a perch and big water walleye angler roaming for nomadic schools up and down the break, you may opt for an 8” synthetic bit for the same reason.  In that instance, you may want a dedicated electric 10” with an 8” synthetic. 

To each their own.  That said, if you’re chasing multiple species in a variety of waters, using these ultimate configuration guidelines to have a larger dedicated electric auger and flighting combination, with a synthetic version only slightly smaller, will get you punching more holes in more ice.  For me, that’s always meant more success, and in this instance, more comfort and convenience to go along with it.  

Bleeding Fish - How to Make Any Fish Taste Better

Over the years, I’ve been shown by other anglers a number of ways to make fish taste better.  Nearly all of them involve drawing blood from the fish by washing, salt, or general care of the catch before ever getting to the filleting stage.  It’s a fascinating topic, as everyone seems to have their own family traditions or guide-tested tactics.  Yet, fish have been a manner of sustenance for tens of thousands of years, so surely there must be some deeper roots to a perpetually interesting subject.    

Years ago now, I caught the tail end of a great cooking show called “Mind of a Chef,” where Chef David Chang toured the famous fish market in Kyoto, Japan, explaining an ancient technique in fish preparation called “Ike Jime.”  It was a more complete version of various methods I’ve been shown, where the fish is quickly brain-killed, its spinal cord is severed under the gills, and the tail portion is cut open to insert a wire down inside the length of the spine.  The seemingly gruesome process is done quickly and humanely, to first quickly dispatch the fish and stop brain signals from tensing the muscles moving forward, then bleed the gill portions of the fish, and finally, to detach nerve endings that still may be sending signals from the brain and through the nervous system.  The carcass is then put in an ice-water slurry to bleed out, as the fish naturally expels its blood. 

It’s a technique that’s been deployed successfully for many hundreds and perhaps thousands of years, on an island that treasures its fish.  It’s quickly deployed (think seconds), and is followed precisely to provide the world with sushi and sashimi-grade fish of various species.  While we may not be as interested in performing the full process, or even require care of this caliber to have a simple fish-fry, there’s a great deal of scientific merit to the process itself.  Namely in the taste.

Food science research has proven in tasting and physical labs that this method of fish care simply produces a better tasting fillet, again, primarily because of quick blood removal.  Blood serves as a nutrient rich food source for bacterial growth, so when removed, there’s less chance of off-putting tastes or unsafe bacterial growth.  Additionally, Ike Jime more humanely kills fish and its nervous system more quickly, delaying the onset and amount of rigor mortis.  That small difference leads to firmer, better textured fillets which also contribute to taste improvement.  It’s one of the reasons that the same fish caught in many oceans around the world never make sushi-grade. Most of the fish markets over there keep the fish alive and swimming, where Ike Jime is practiced just before presenting to sell. When cooked same-day, it apparently leads to the optimal timing for the best tasting fish.

So what’s your average angler to do when wanting a great tasting meal of walleye, bluegills, or crappie?  To me, the answer involves a small, but simple portion of the Ike Jime process in your livewell, about 15 minutes or so before you plan to clean the fish.  Brain stab your fish, then turn the fish upside down, and take a knife or even better, my favorite game shears, to cut the small portion of gill and connective tissue that meets at the “V” of the gills, all the way down to the spine.  Here’s a quick video if you’d like a demonstration - https://youtu.be/aFFJtbuYHzs. 

Fillet on right has been bled, and an un-bled fillet on left for comparison.

Perform this cut just before you make your run back to shore, put the fish in your livewell, and run the recirculation to pump bloody water from your well.  The fish will expunge blood from their fillets during your boat-ride, and when you go to clean them, the result will be a nearly snow-white fillet, sans a bit of blood immediately near the top of the fish’s rib cage.  Especially if you’re eating the fish soon thereafter, there’s no better way I know of to fillet and eat fish.  The result is always a firmer, tastier fillet than any other method I’ve tried, and I promise you’ll wish you’d done this sooner.

I’ve never tried the full method of cutting open the tail and inserting piano wire or other firm wire down the length of the spine, though I’m sure it helps or folks wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of doing so for centuries.  That said, for at least my purposes, it’s a step that’s too time consuming given how good the blood removal goes, and resulting taste is.  Speaking of, don’t trust advice regarding leaving blood, slime, or other “natural” portions of the fish on your fillets.  I’ve heard a number of times that “I want to taste the fish and that gives flavor,” or “You’re removing all the taste,” but those suggestions have fallen flat, and fishy at least to my taste buds.  In absence of this technique, a quick rinse of each individual fillet (that part is important), followed by a saltwater solution to draw out blood, then a soak in milk has been the next best method for me when dealing with un-bled fish. 

So give bleeding a try the next time you’re looking to keep a fresh meal of fish, as I’m betting it’ll be something you continue to use moving forward if you don’t already.