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Ice Fishing

Featured Outfitter:
Hatchet Lake Lodge
Species Guided: Walleye Northern Pike Lake Trout Arctic Grayling
hll@sasktel.net

PrairieOutdoors Ice Fishing

We have Ice Fishing pictures, stories, and tips. Do you love ice fishing? Would you call yourself a die hard ice angler? We mucst confess, it’s hard to beat a nice day on the lake, hunkered over a small hole through the 4 foot thick ice, bobbing a jig and a chunk of bait up and down, hoping to coax the fish below to take a bite. Hmmmm…., did I forget to include a few choice beverages, some for celebrations of the catch, some for body antifreeze, and some as part of the fish batter? Oh ya, and don’t forget to bring out your buddies. Ice fishing can be shared with many, but the best spots should only be shared with a few (who are sworn to secrecy).

Ice Fishing Tips | Outdoor Cananda Ice Fishing Tips | Ice Fishing Pictures


Ice Fishing Tips

If you enjoy ice
fishing, then you are among the dedicated few who will take on all
challenges to spend time outdoors and catch fish in any weather
conditions. The key to ice fishing success is not necessarily how to catch more fish or bigger fish
but how to make ice fishing a more enjoyable experience. Follow some, or all, of these tips to be more comfortable and to get the most out of your day on the
lake.

  1.  Bring along
    thick board to place both of your feet on. 
    It will insulate your feet from the ice, and you’ll stay
    warmer longer.  Make sure it’s wide enough.

  2. The
    ideal depth for ice fishing is 6-12 inches off the bottom. 
    that’s where fish tend to be in the winter months.

  3. Try an underwater
    camera next time you go ice fishing.  Drill three holes in the
    ice, each about 2 feet apart, in a line.  Drop the camera down
    one of the outside holes and aim it towards the lures/bait you drop
    down the other two holes. see the
    article

  4. Use the drive-by
    fish finder method. Drive by the lake you plan to fish the day
    prior, a few hours after sunrise. 
    Everybody should be set up, and you should get a good idea of
    where the fish are.

  5. Smooth the edges
    of the hole above and below the ice. 
    This will prevent your line from being nicked and cut by the
    sharp edges of the hole.

  6. Don’t waste your
    money on an expensive heated pad or seat.  It’s too much stuff
    to carry.  Instead, use a five gallon bucket to carry your gear
    out to the fishing spot and turn it over to use as a seat while you
    are fishing.  Put a thick piece of wood under the bucket as
    insulation.

  7. Walleye are often found in deeper water, so choose a braided line because there’s zero stretch in it. When you’re fishing deep water, feeling those subtle bites is tough. The no-stretch line helps telegraph that message back up to your rod. My walleye rod is more sensitive as well – the tip flexes a lot more – so I can feel any movement or touching on the hook, even 30 feet under the ice. Together with a drag system on your reel, the zero-stretch braided line will help you land those walleyes.


For more fishing tips,
check out the Short Casts article.

Outdoor Canada Ice Fishing Tips

Outdoor Canada magazine has put together a set of ice fishing tips from expert anglers that we would like to share with you. click on the links to read the articles on the Outdoor Canada site.

  1. How to target big pike – A few days every spring, monster pike are accessible. How to catch yours…
  2. Best lures for perch and whitefish – To catch more of these fish, mix up the menu…
  3. Why you should stay off the bottom when ice fishing – Most anglers think fish are at the bottom. Learn where your lure should really be…
  4. Catch more panfish with new patterns – Don’t use the same panfish presentation over and over. Here’s how to switch it up…
  5. Tips for using sonar – How to make the best of your sonar unit…
  6. How to lure in walleye – Want to catch more walleye? Try this simple jigging tactic…
  7. Top 3 tip-up tactics – How to reel in more fish with tip-ups…
  8. How to catch lake trout in March – Learn this simple formula for landing lakers on & around St. Patrick’s Day…
  9. 11 ice-fishing basics – New to ice fishing or know someone who needs to improve their hardwater game? Try these 11 proven tips on how to catch fish—and more of them—through the ice.

Ice Fishing Pictures

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Essox Lucius (a.k.a SLEW SHARK)
Essox Lucius (a.k.a SLEW SHARK)
Date: 02/10/03
Story: Another nice Pike from Rattle Snake Lake (Sauder Reservoir). Steve caught this Essox Lucius (a.k.a SLEW SHARK) on 02/10/03 it was approximately 38″ and around 15lbs.
Location: Rattle Snake Lake, AB

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ice fishing
ice fishing
Date: Jan 2004
Story: After an hour of fishing Dave pulls in a 13 pound Jack and 5 minutes later I pulled in a 22 pounder.  Have a look at the photos out at Blackstrap. They are having them both mounted
Location: Blackstrap Lake, SK

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ice fishing
ice fishing
Date: Feb 2002
Story: Brett Sonntag
Location: Lake Blackstrap, SK

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ice fishing
ice fishing
Date: Feb 2002
Story: Kyle Sonntag
Location: Lake Blackstrap, SK

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Tobin Lake Pike
Tobin Lake Pike
Date: 2007-03-14
Story: Here is a fish that was caught on Tobin Lake.
Location: Tobin Lake

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My Tobin Pike
My Tobin Pike
Date: Mar 24, 2008
Story: Here are a few pictures of Avery and I this past weekend. We where on the flats at Tobin Lake. Unfortunately we did not have a scale, but based on Big pike that I have seen in the past I estimate the small one to be to be about 18-19 lbs The bigger one I got was about 21-22. Avery’s caught the biggest one of the trip. I estimate him at about 23-24 lbs. He caught it in about 3′ of water in the hut, so we got to see it strike his hook. He did an awesome job of fighting him. Needless to say it was pretty exciting for the both of us to see it come up the hole!!
Location: Tobin Lake

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Releasing Avery's Monster
Releasing Avery’s Monster
Date: Mar 24, 2008
Story: Here are a few pictures of Avery and I this past weekend. We where on the flats at Tobin Lake. Unfortunately we did not have a scale, but based on Big pike that I have seen in the past I estimate the small one to be to be about 18-19 lbs The bigger one I got was about 21-22. Avery’s caught the biggest one of the trip. I estimate him at about 23-24 lbs. He caught it in about 3′ of water in the hut, so we got to see it strike his hook. He did an awesome job of fighting him. Needless to say it was pretty exciting for the both of us to see it come up the hole!!

Location: Tobin Lake

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Tobin Pike
Tobin Pike
Date: Mar 24, 2008
Story: Here are a few pictures of Avery and I this past weekend. We where on the flats at Tobin Lake. Unfortunately we did not have a scale, but based on Big pike that I have seen in the past I estimate the small one to be to be about 18-19 lbs The bigger one I got was about 21-22. Avery’s caught the biggest one of the trip. I estimate him at about 23-24 lbs. He caught it in about 3′ of water in the hut, so we got to see it strike his hook. He did an awesome job of fighting him. Needless to say it was pretty exciting for the both of us to see it come up the hole!!

Location: Tobin Lake

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Avery's Tobin Pike
Avery’s Tobin Pike
Date: Mar 24, 2008
Story: Here are a few pictures of Avery and I this past weekend. We where on the flats at Tobin Lake. Unfortunately we did not have a scale, but based on Big pike that I have seen in the past I estimate the small one to be to be about 18-19 lbs The bigger one I got was about 21-22. Avery’s caught the biggest one of the trip. I estimate him at about 23-24 lbs. He caught it in about 3′ of water in the hut, so we got to see it strike his hook. He did an awesome job of fighting him. Needless to say it was pretty exciting for the both of us to see it come up the hole!!

Location: Tobin Lake

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25 plus pound pike
25 plus pound pike
Date: 2009-03-19
Story: here is the pike i caught yesterday on tobin lake, 44inch/112 cm, maxed out my 25 scale, only one that caught,but was well worth it…hopefully can get out one last time next week!
Location: Tobin Lake

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Big Pike Ice Fishing
Big Pike Ice Fishing
Date: 2009-03-19
Story: here is the pike i caught yesterday on tobin lake, 44inch/112 cm, maxed out my 25 scale, only one that caught,but was well worth it…hopefully can get out one last time next week!
Location: Tobin Lake

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Ice fishing on Tobin
Ice fishing on Tobin
Date: 2009-04-04
Story: Not sue how big? Somewhere around 20 lbs. Let her go to grow!
Location: Tobin Lake

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Good weather and good fishing!
Good weather and good fishing!
Date: 2009-04-04
Story: 11.5 lb Northern
Location: Tobin Lake

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1 of 10 over 10 lbs this weekend
1 of 10 over 10 lbs this weekend
Date: 2009-04-04
Story: 16 lb Northern
Location: Tobin Lake

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Another big Northern
Another big Northern
Date: 2009-04-04
Story: 18+
Location: Tobin Lake

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Beat up hog
Beat up hog
Date: 2009-04-04
Story: 12.5 lb Northern

Location: Tobin Lake

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The next Bob Izumi
The next Bob Izumi
Date: 2009-04-04
Story: 13 lb Northern

Location: Tobin Lake

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Double Header!
Double Header!
Date: 2009-05-09
Location: Wizard Lake, Alberta

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You need one of these when the ice is 4 feet thick.
You need one of these when the ice is 4 feet thick.
Date: 2009-12-15
Location: Blackstrap, SK

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Saskatchewan Ice Fishing
Saskatchewan Ice Fishing
Date: 2010-01-07
Location: Saskatchewan

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My Best Pike for 2009
My Best Pike for 2009
Date: 2010-01-17
Location: Tobin Lake

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Walleye Ice Fishing
Walleye Ice Fishing
Date: 2010-04-12
Story: A nice day in March fishing for Perch and Walleye on Blackstrap. We must have pulled up over 100 fish this day.
Location: Blackstrap Lake

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Nice pair of eyes.
Nice pair of eyes.
Date: 2010-04-12
Story: A pair of Walleyes we pulled through the ice.
Location: Blackstrap Lake

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30 pound pike from Tobin
30 pound pike from Tobin
Date: 2010-04-30
Story: Late season ice fishing
Location: Tobin Lake, SK

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25 pound pike from long lake
25 pound pike from long lake
Date: 2011-03-28
Story: Caught at the north end of long lake
Location: long lake, Saskatchewan

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Nice Little Perch
Nice Little Perch
Date: 2012-02-07
Story: One of a few perch pulled through the ice. Using a Hogger lure baited with a fish eye.
Location: Blackstrap Lake

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Ice Fishing Gone Wrong
Ice Fishing Gone Wrong
Date: 2013-01-23
Location: MInnesota

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Ice Fishing Gone Wrong
Ice Fishing Gone Wrong
Date: 2013-01-23
Location: Minnesota

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Not what to put on your ice fishing stringer
Not what to put on your ice fishing stringer
Date: 2013-01-23
Story: and believe it not, this one was foul hooked, but I knew I had something big!
Location: Minnesota

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Sport Fishing?
Sport Fishing?
Date: 2013-01-23
Story: What bait do you use for one of these?
Location: Minnesota

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Nice Day for Ice Fishing
Nice Day for Ice Fishing
Date: 2013-01-23
Story: Must be good weather today.
Location: Minnesota

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Ice Fishing Where to Park?
Ice Fishing Where to Park?
Date: 2013-01-23
Story: Damn, lost my favorite lure, and my truck.
Location: Minnesota

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Let's Take Your Ttruck
Let’s Take Your Ttruck
Date: 2013-01-23
Story: My truck is in the wash. Let’s take your truck ice fishing next weekend.
Location: Minnesota

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