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You’re all bundled up to stay warm. You’ve cut a hole through the ice. You’ve dropped a line and you’ve been waiting and waiting for what seems like forever. If the fish don’t start biting soon, you’re outta here.
Sometimes ice fishing can be discouraging. You’ve gone to a lot of work to prepare your gear (and yourself). You’ve spent time cutting a hole in the ice. And now you’re frustrated because the fish don’t seem to be biting. What can you do?
First, add a twist to what you are doing. Fish become accustomed to the up and down bobbing motion of the lures. This doesn’t catch their attention. So, instead of bobbing you line, twist it. Twist your line between your thumb and index finger. This spinning action works well to attract fish especially in shallow water.
Change the style of your jig. Many ice fishers use tea-shapped jigs which hang vertically in the water. When the fish stop biting, switch your jig to one that hangs horizontally.
Another tip is to bounce your jig off the bottom of the lake. Bouncing your jig will create a small cloud in the water. This cloud and the sound that you create will attract fish from a distance.
Change the type of bait that you are using. If you’ve been using plastic bait, switch to live bait. If you’ve been using ive switch to plastic. Changing the type of the bait that you use will attract the fish’s attention.
If you’ve been bobbing your bait and twisting your line, try stopping the motion. Prop your pole on the ground so that your bait can sit totally motionless. (You might think that you can hold your rod still in your hand. You really can’t.
Another way to change things up a bit is to change the colors of your jig. Or change the size. If you’ve been using a small jig, use a larger one and vice versa.
