Welcome to the Ice Force IceBlaster, your 2x/week email with the funniest, bestest ice fishing content IN THE WORLD! Enjoy!
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Today’s Top 5
Dang! That 14-10 SK walleye is yet another freaky big fish caught on a Pat O’Grady creation: a Red Dot Glow PK spoon.
Dude has it dialed in. Catch and release the Kraken!
2. Zona on ice: 4′ of solid fish!
MI TV star Mark Zona still gotz the goods, not ruined by all that namby pamby southern bassin’…! Texted us this:
> “Was on a lake in North Indiana yesterday chasing perch and no lie – found a wintering hole and it seemed every bass in the lake was in a 3-acre circle. Don’t know how many we caught – I’d say 60.
> “My flasher said 12′ but it was 16′ – 4′ of solid fish – serious!”
> “Bait wasn’t key but the Humminbird is everything doing that. I called every fish before it bit.”
Rob Jackson of RJnBirdees Outdoor Adventures with a GIANT ‘seed just shy of breaking the ON record. Used a Vexilar FLX-28 to work a school suspended over 25’. Nice feesh!
Guess Maine wasn’t enough, so now filming is moving to MN, the 24th Annual Ice Fishing Extravaganza.
Only holdup is NYC production company getting passport approval into Brainerd….
Uh…not sure why this was made, but it does hit the high points: ice fishin’, pretty girls, beer. Just no real, you know…fish!
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News
Guy leaves hospital and chemo to hit the ice with his brother, funded by My Bucket List. Awesome. Good luck, boys, we’re cheering for ya!
Dos burros, dos horas!
Never miss another tip-up flag with the magic of Bluetooth. Just don’t dummy it up by dropping your phone in the hole. Here’s a smart fix for that.
4. WI: Fund-raiser derby.
Yahara Fishing Club’s Ice Fishing Derby at the Green Lantern in McFarland, WI. Money is raised for the club kids’ events. Contact Jim Kloth for details: titeline62@gmail.com or 608-635-0116.
…on Erie and Ontario.
> Anglers should keep in mind that ice thickness can vary greatly on the same body of water, especially if there are springs, stream inlets or heavy snow cover. Before you head out on the ice this winter, remember that a minimum of 3 to 4 inches of solid ice (blue or black, not white) is the general rule for safety.
> Drilling holes or tapping with a spud bar to check ice thickness is recommended on your way out. Safety ice picks, boot cleats, a throw rope and a floatation device are recommended safety supplies. Use good judgment and fish with a friend when possible.
Fishin’ Reports
Jeff Sundin, the “Early Bird:”
> Walleyes are feeding during twilight hours on midlake bars and small humps. Action is concentrated on the outer edges of structures where softer bottom and hard sand meet. A funnel between two bars, a dip on a sand flat, or an area of mixed rock and sand will produce fish.
> Perch fishing has been reliable, with the best action shallow. Deep weed flats and soft shoreline breaks are producing the most. Avoid steep dropoffs and heavy rock. Perch are showing a strong preference for areas where soft bottom contains insect larvae.
> Sunfish slightly more aggressive as the weather warms throughout the day. Our best baits are heavy, compact jigs fished slowly tipped with a combination of Wax Worms and Spikes. Bluegills struck our jigs as they lay motionless above the bottom.
Hearing good things about the ice quality and the lake trout fishing on Ontario’s Crow Lake. Ice head Pat Donelan: “Lots of fish over 30 inches.”
3. MT: Swedish pimples at Canyon Ferry.
Deals of the Day
Book an ice fishing trip with ‘Sconnie’s Wolf Pack Adventures before Jan 25 and you’ll be entered to win some cool gear.
2. Ice Force Ultimate Giveaway.
Didja enter yet?? Winner wins:
- Rapala custom-wrapped Polaris Indy Voyager 550 snowmobile (WANT!)
- Otter Pro XT1200 Lodge portable fishhouse
- MarCum LX-6 fishfinder
- StrikeMaster Honda Lite 8-inch auger
- Ice Force suit, gloves, neck gaiter
Estimated retail value is – check it – $10,500!
Tip of the Day
Guide man Jeff Sundin taps Grand Rapids, MN lakes fer big ol’ ‘gills:
> “It’s not the depth of the water, it’s the type of structure on the bottom. Feeding flats will keep fish in the area all season long.”
> “There’s a definite difference between a bluegill spot and a crappie spot on these smaller lakes. When you’re trying to zero in on bluegills, sometimes it’s a good idea to think of the bluegill as the fish that’s inside of the crappie zone. By that, I mean if there are crappies out over 25-30′ over a soft bottom suspended, sunfish will typically be in a little bit from that.
> As soon as you get to a harder bottom – if you’re out over 30′ with a soft, mucky, mud bottom – move up to 18, 16, 15 until you start to see a little bit more solid bottom. That is key to finding these fish, even if there’s some mixed clamshells in there. That will help bring them in.”
Quote of the Day
Ice fishing with kids can be like poking yourself in the eye with a treble hook.
– Hahaha! Memories…(*sniff*). From Karlynn Johnston, aka “The KitchenMagpie.”
Shot of the Day
IA’s Mike Keane with a Devils Lake SLOB!
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GET OUT AND STAY OUT ICE-HEADS!
