Warning: You will catch LESS fish using this trick...but the ones you do catch will be the right ones! Full scoop in this Virtual Angling write-up, few excerpts below:

> It doesn’t matter if you find crappie suspended over basins or classic wintering holes. It could be shallow weeds or pencil reeds, or maybe sharp breaking basin or channel edges. Perhaps you are fishing flooded brush piles, cribs, or submerged timber. Wherever crappie swim, we often find a universal theme. In fact, this is the secret or trick, if you will, that separates that person who always seems to catch the biggest, baddest crappies. It doesn’t matter if I am in MI or NE, if there is an angler who always seems to have a knack for sticking the biggest crappies, chances are that the angler is fishing higher in the water column – often right under the ice.

> If you are content to simply catch fish, fish the fish. Fish slightly above the fish you are marking with your electronics. If you want to try and catch the biggest crappie in the neighborhood, fish much higher above the fish. If you are fishing suspended fish that are 15’ down over 20’, fish 5-10’ below the ice. If you are fishing an 8’ weed flat and most of the fish are running halfway down in the water column, go ahead and try fishing right below the ice. Get up above the fish. The reality is that you won’t catch as many fish but you will often catch the biggest crappies.

> The presentations can run the gamut but as a rule of thumb, this strategy doesn’t border on finesse. Soft plastic options like the Maki offer fish an easy-to-find profile or silhouette.

> Power-fishing strategies with small spoons like the CPT Pinhead Minnow are also really gaining momentum in a lot of regions. Big crappie might have a mouth that is as big as a Styrofoam cup and crappie are indeed a predator. While there are times when fish can be difficult and require finesse, the reality is that crappie can often surprise us with their level of aggressiveness. For targeting the biggest crappie, don’t be afraid to fish high, and don’t be afraid to go bold and big.

> Horizontal jigs paired with soft plastic profiles have been a big crappie staple the past decade. Many of the more popular plastics have been a larger minnow type profile. On horizontal jigs, you can get the jig to swim and kick forward by sliding a Palomar knot back towards the hook. Sliding the knot back and letting the jig move more horizontally does often seem to work well for catching these bigger fish.

> On occasions where crappie will rise high or show up high in the water column but won’t hit larger and more aggressive profiles, there are times when a more subtle vertical jig can be the ticket. Especially with unstable weather, heavy fishing pressure, or just the classic midwinter doldrums when fishing seems to get tougher. We often use a similar minnow or Maki profile plastic, but hook the plastic horizontal below a vertical jig. Vertical jigs just seem to move less water, have a more subtle footprint and a much smaller profile as fish look up at the jig.

> For simply covering water with an aggressive power fishing attitude, the spoon craze is a fun way to target aggressive fish. Many anglers are using spoons like the Pinhead Minnow without any bait or plastic. To be fair, the Pinhead Minnow does have a small blade on the treble for an added bit of flash that seems to be a part of this lure’s allure. With the spoons, fish high and play keep away. Keep the spoon moving and make the fish chase the lure.

> This high, big, and bold routine probably catches the larger crappies in a school for a variety of reasons but I think there is a universal theme at play... The smaller crappie seem to like the security of the pack...don’t like to be exposed above the rest of the school...don’t seem to like to be alone...know they are a meal. Big fish have a different swagger. Big fish beat the small fish to a meal and don’t worry about exposing themselves above the pack. By fishing as high as possible in the water column, often pushing the limit to the bottom of the ice...you offer a presentation that the big fish will find and eat. You are also outside the limit and comfort as to what small fish are willing to risk for a meal. This ceiling or elevation game is perhaps the easiest way to sort out the top-end fish.

> By pushing how far fish will rise to hit the lure, remember as well that a 14” crappie usually beats a 10” crappie in a race. What we have also found is that so often, the bigger fish are often lone wolves.

> If your goal is simply to catch the biggest crappies you can this winter, cheat higher in the water column. Fish so high in the water column that you start to catch notably less fish. What you will often find is that you will start to catch some real trophies.

- That’s MN guide Jason Durham talking about a struggle only true ice-heads will understand:

Yup, it’s time to sell the truck lol.

Cool little story posted by Tom Fanjoy on FB:

> In the same area my grandfather, father and I have speared my entire life I lost this decoy I made in high school. It has been underwater and lost to the world for 15-20 yrs.

> My now 18-yr-old boy spears a lot and sometimes sits where he too grew up spearing. He speared a fish the other day and let the spear lay in the mud and somehow this old relic was still there and wedged between the tines. I was pretty pumped.

What are the odds of that? Pretty dang cool.

Burbot/eelpout have been known as bottom feeders for years. If you’ve been trying to learn up on ’em...basically every write-up or YouTube video you’ll see talks about pounding bottom. How you don’t even really need a flasher or graph ‘cuz they come thru soooo tight to bottom that they’ll often be in the sonar’s “dead zone” anyway.

BUT I’d say probably half the fish I have caught the last 3-4 seasons have been suspended off bottom. Sometimes that’s just 2-4′ off...but MANY other times they are 10-15′ off bottom and right in the middle of the water column. Shoot, the other night I had one stroll thru just 5-6’ under the ice!

Bugs me that I don’t know the actual reason(s). Wish I had firm answers for you, but these are just a couple of random thoughts on a fish we don’t know a whole lot about:

The more obvious one might be that suspended burbot are up feeding on baitfish. The prey depends on the system you’re fishing. The couple of lakes I target ’em around here have tullibee/cisco. Don’t see a whole lot of them after dark, but the ones we do see usually tend to be suspended and slow moving. Yup, burbot will absolutely take one down. Same goes for a suspended rainbow trout or even smaller walleye.

Judging by the burbot I have cleaned in the past (and checked their stomach contents) they still seem to prefer eating crayfish and small perch, which of course are going to be tighter to the bottom.

Another thing I’ve noticed since getting LiveScope a few seasons back, is that a lot of those suspended burbot are staying at the same depth as where they slid off the break. Can’t tell you how many times I have watched them swim OUT of a big weed flat on LiveScope, and stay right at the 14-18′ depth where they left the weeds. Then they swim off into the abyss – out over 30-50′ of water – but stay suspended at that 14-18′ depth until they’re no longer visible on LiveScope. Wild.

Maybe it’s a pressure thing? Not like angling pressure, but the pressure changes of going from shallow to deep water, and vice versa.

I’ve also watched numerous suspended fish “meet up” in the middle of the water column. Burbot that were hundreds of feet apart on LiveScope – both suspended – but then meet up somewhere in the middle and mosey off together.

Don’t know what it all means, but it’s interesting nonetheless. 🤷‍♂️ Or at least I think it is lol.

Cold temps and nasty travel conditions sure do put our gear to the test. Shoot, even polar bears can break from being in that -30°F stuff hahaha.

This relatable Top Item was inspired by a FB post from Jason Mitchell that said:

> “We always joke that if we run out of gas or break down, we just hope to be on a decent fishing spot. We’ll worry about everything else later!”

> “Every day is a gift but some days are better than others. Here’s to being broken down and beat down but no matter what...you can always smile.”

And it was very, very easy to see under the original FB post that he’s not alone LOL.

That collage ^ perfectly sums up ice fishing about 95% of the time. 😅

1. MN: A snowmobiler lost his life...

...after crashing into an unoccupied ice-fishing house on Two Inlets Lake. 😔 Prayers to the family.

2. Lithuania wins World Ice Fishing Championship – AGAIN!

This win is Lithuania’s 4th of the last 7 world titles....

3. MN’s walleye season closes after this weekend 😔

The season runs thru Sun, Feb 23 (opens back up May 10, 2025). In the meantime, you can still get out chasing panfish...or burbot if you wanna catch something that actually fights back hahaha!

Few other things to keep in mind:

Border waters have different seasons and regs, so look them up! For example: The walleye/sauger season on Lake of the Woods runs thru Apr 14 (and pike never closes). It has different regz because it’s a border water with CAN.

You’ll need a new MN fishing license starting Mar 1 (the 25/26 license year ends on Feb 28).

4. WI: 2025 'Battle on Bago' results

The biggest fish (1st place) was a 7.371-lb walleye that won Eric Fischer some new Yeti gear – props on the impressive catch! But it was Paul Weise's 1.427-lb white bass in 2,000th place that won his choice of a 2024 Ford F150 or $50K cash. 🤑

5. WI: 1,000+ students compete in State Ice Fishing Championship...

...on the Mississippi River.

6. MN to allow automatic hook-setting devices?

Minnesota is one of the few states that doesn’t currently allow automatic hook-setting devices (JawJackers, Automatic Fisherman, etc) while ice fishing. Something a lot of folks have been asking about for YEARS. Basically they function like a tip-up or deadstick, except they automatically set the hook when the bait gets bit – like triggering a mousetrap.

In my experience using them in other states, fish are almost always hooked in the lips and primed for a healthy release...whereas it’s super common for tip-up fish to be deeply “gut hooked” and come up bleeding before you ever even touch ‘em.

Now the MN DNR is asking for the public to comment on proposed rules that would change that, and if adopted, would go into effect in Mar 2026.

> The rulemaking allows for the use of certain automatic hook-setting devices for ice fishing that currently are not allowed.... These changes would allow anglers to use a wider range of commercially available products and be more practical for bait commonly used. The changes are anticipated to reduce the number of swallowed hooks and deep hook sets, thereby decreasing hooking mortality without posing a threat to conservation.

> As is required with all tip-up use, the angler must be within 200 ft of the tip-up."

Comments/feedback about the proposed rule change can be submitted by email to bethany.bethke@state.mn.us thru Mar 20.

7. MI: DNR plows public accesses?!

> The MI DNR is continuing a program begun in 2021 to keep boating access sites plowed at more than two dozen popular Upper Peninsula ice-fishing locations.

> The nearly 30 locations – situated across 10 of the U.P.’s 15 counties – are DNR boating access sites managed for recreational boating. The DNR enters into agreements with partners to plow the access sites for the winter.

Dang, is that ever nice!

8. 2025 NWT co-angler priority registration now open

If you're a co-angler planning to fish the full season.

9. MN: 20th-anniversary ‘Fishing for Ducks’ is Feb 22

The largest Ducks Unlimited event in the nation is actually an ice-fishing derby. I believe 1st place wins $20K. Will be on the northwest end of Mille Lacs this year (out of Garrison Sports and Myr Mar Marina) and the contest area has been set on Myr Mar Flat:

And yes, they actually do drill the holes in the shape of the DU logo.

I had no idea how, but TW reader Chad H. provided a little insight:

> “I used to work for DU in the engineering department that serviced the upper Midwest, MN included. We would use our GPS equipment loaded with coordinates from a CAD or survey program that make up the shape of the duck head logo. I personally was never on site for the layout but have seen the drawings used for doing it. Same technology we use for staking the wetlands that are created or restored in the prairie as well!”

Now you/we know.... Thanks again, Chad!

10. SD: Hooked on Hardwater is happenin’ Feb 22

60 pro anglers take out 60 underprivileged boys from the Rapid City Club for Boys for a 1-on-1 ice fishing experience in the Black Hills. 🙌

11. MN-FISH’s “Angler’s Summit” is Mar 27

At Timberlake Lodge in Grand Rapids. MN-FISH members and partners are invited to attend.

> MN-FISH exec dir Mark Holsten: “The goal of the Anglers’ Summit is simple...we want to bring together DNR fisheries leadership, state anglers, resort owners, bait shop owners, guides and other stakeholders from the greater Itasca County area to dig into the issues affecting our fisheries so we can make MN fishing even better.”

> DNR fisheries chief Brad Parsons as well as local fisheries leaders will present at the day-long event. In fact, MN-FISH has invited the MN DNR to start the event by sharing their thoughts on the proposed statewide 4-walleye limit and year-round bass season. Audience questions and comments will follow

12. MN: MLFAC meeting tonight from 6-8pm

> The Mille Lacs Fisheries Advisory Committee (MLFAC) will meet from 6-8 pm Tues, Feb 18, at Izaty’s Resort and via online videoconference. The agenda will cover winter creel survey updates, an update on the multi-year plan discussion with the 1837 bands, an update on the fall night ban, and a discussion on regulations for 2025.

13. ND: 60th-annual Red River Valley Sportsmen’s Show...

...is happening Mar 6-9 at the FargoDome.

14. Great Lakes: Nonprofit paying folks to measure ice thickness?

15. WI: Peshtigo River fish-movement study meeting tomorrow

> The meeting will be held in person [at the DNR’s Peshtigo Field Office in Peshtigo] and virtually via Microsoft Teams from 6-8 pm.

> This meeting is part of a Spotlight Series that highlights various fisheries in Green Bay, the Winnebago System and inland waters in the northeast. This meeting will highlight two fish movement studies [tag and acoustic telemetry] on the Peshtigo River and discuss how the critical information collected from these studies is used to help manage those fish populations.

16. IA: Ice shacks must be removed by Feb 20

17. PA: Dude catches 45” pike while shed hunting

18. MN: New bill would put sheriffs in charge of conservation officers

19. IN: 2025 'Free Fishing Days' are set

> On Free Fishing Days [May 4, June 7, June 8, and Sept 27], IN residents do not need a fishing license or a trout/salmon stamp to fish the state's public waters. All other rules such as seasons, bag, and size limits apply. ...an excellent opportunity to learn how to fish, take your family fishing, or introduce a friend to fishing.

20. MN: Andy Schmidt named 'Conservation Officer of the Year'

21. OH: DNR awards $350K for local boating edu programs

22. JP/RU: 139 fishermen rescued from ice flow...

...in the Sea of Okhotsk floating between Japan and Russia.

> ...the men became stranded after a crack measuring about 32’ caused a large piece of ice to split from the island of Sakhalin before floating to Okhotsk.

> When help finally arrived, many of the 139 men refused "to leave without a catch under any circumstances.” Footage of the rescue shows a group of fishermen walking across a frozen landscape to a waiting helicopter as rescue workers usher them in.

23. Roku becomes the streaming hub of Bassmaster tourneys

Bass-heads get it right on Roku, and we're still waiting for there to be any live-stream walleye tourney coverage anywhere. 🤷‍♂️

Water temp as structure?

Using water temps to find active bites is nothing new during the open-water season, though still not too many folks paying attention to it through the ice....

This super-interesting piece by Matt Straw is from back in 2016, but still one of the most overlooked pieces to the ice fishing puzzle IMO. Full write-up here, few excerpts below:

> How many ice anglers bother to observe water temperature at depth? Most perceive conditions under the ice to be pretty homogeneous, not only month-to-month, but year-to-year. But it isn’t so.

> Temperature bands move up and down through the water column all winter, expanding and contracting....

Btw you might already have an underwater camera that displays temp and depth, so it’s just a point of paying attention to it.

Also some super easy to use units out there like the Fish Hawk TD, where you just gotta: 1) drop it down, 2) reel it back up, and it’ll register the water temp for every 5′ of the water column.

> Heavy snow cover can improve the shallow bite, but extremely cold weather can push frigid 33°F water down to the bottom in 8-10′, driving walleyes out of there.

> When I find 36°F or warmer water on bottom in 10′, I know walleyes will push even shallower on those key spots.

> Walleyes in one lake kept biting at about 22′ for over a month, even when temperatures varied by about 4°F. But the bite wasn’t the same at 34°F as it was at 38°F. Not even close.

> In warmer water (always accompanied by warmer air temps and stable weather), walleyes tended to move higher off bottom and strike more aggressively. In colder water, they held closer to bottom and exhibited smaller strike zones.

Way more info in the full Matt Straw write-up here.

Lol!

Diehard doing diehard things! Victor Mendoza has been bundling up and shoveling out the access in search of open-water gold on the Columbia River – throwing BIG swimbaits – and sticking some absolute units! He’s been posting pics of fish up to 34.5” recently 😳 and even had one break his 30-lb braid this night. I’m going to have to dig up some more details, but in the meantime, here’s one big reason why the Columbia River is on my fishing bucket-list!

Thanks for reading! 👊 Back at ya in a couple of days.

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026