Erie ice fishing----help a beginner.......................

[Amanda Too]

Ive never ice fished before and wish to try it this winter.
Assuming that I'll be walking out on the ice what areas would be best to try? I know the Islands area is best but where specifically within reasonable walking distance? Marblehead? Catawba?
Davis Bessie?

Are manual (by hand) ice augers actually a feasable thing to operate?

It seems that it would be very difficult to drill through 6inches of ice by hand?

What lures and baits should I use?

I understand that safety is a big issue and would only go under calm and good conditions if there is such a thing.

Thank you for any and all advice.

Please include a list of "must haves" for a newbie ice angler.

[Ryan B.]

Paul,
Last year, I walked out and caught fish a couple of times, but a quad or sled is ideal. If you want to hook up with me this winter, let me know. Typical areas are west of catwaba, around the islands, off of crane creek, camp perry, and between S. Bass and Kelly's. Yes, a hand auger will work fine, I have both, but rarely use my gas one. You can drill through 6" if ice in no time. Best lures include sweetish pimples, do-jiggers, jgging rapapla's and buckshot spoons. Last year, orange was a good color as well as green. I would not walk out on the lake by yourself, it was way to dangerous. There is usually a well marked path once the ice gets good. Shoot me an email or give me a call and i can fill you in better. I can hook you up on an airboat as well if you would like to go in that direction.
Ryan
rbondo1@yahoo.com
419-706-4095

[Thomas O]

Amanda Too,
I've ice fished over at Put-in-bay for years with a lot of real good guides, John Hagman from Prime Time Charters being one of the best, also Bud Gehring,and with Bo and Mandy( can't remember their last name). If you are going to try fishing off the mainland, I strongly and I can't emphasize strongly enough to go with someone experienced with ice fishing off the mainland. I fished with Reel Magic last year and had a great time.We caught a lot of walleyes and some real nice ones.Watch for his post on this site and get his phone number. He will take you out on a flat bed trailer behind his 4-wheeler and provide you with plenty of bait and drill hole with his power auger for you. You can even bring a small portable shanty with you if you want to make it more comfortable. As far as lures, I like Swedish Pimples in silver with red tape, chartreuse tape or green tape. Nils Masters in blue gold combination and Jigging Rapalas in fire tiger or chartreuse colors.Various sizes from 1/8th oz up to 3/4th oz will work and tip with minnows. Lake Erie ice can be dangerous with changing conditions almost every day so fishing with a guide for a few trips will really help you. Then when you get a few trips under your belt you may decide you can then go out on your own. Always fish with someone and respect Lake Erie and above all, be safe.
Tom

[some more]

ice picks

chains or cleats are almost always are needed for your boots

man-made heat

green-flash Vibe in 3/4oz

shelter if there's any wind

cell phone

walking sucks go with a guide

if you must walk- don't sweat on the way out, dress just before you cool down.

Realize that iceing off mainland Erie can be dangerous and is not advised without someone who can read the always changing ice conditions. Even with a guide it can be a rush just getting to the spot. You should expect to cross a crack or 2 along the way, and it's probable that you will have to take a long step over open water. Just prepare yourself mentally that things can be a little nervey at times and

[SS]

No expert, but agree with what's been said. Just my perspective & a few misc.

1. Just because 50 to 150 fools are out there doesn't mean it's safe. Any south wind can be bad news for mainland fishing if the ice isn't locked in and your on the wrong side of the crack. If your out on foot 2-3 miles, you can't zip back in if conditions change. Same if cracks open up, you can't run up and down it to maybe find a place to cross like the quads and snow machines can. South passage is least safe because of current.

If you walk way out on a warm day, things get sloppy (cracks widen, etc) close to shore over the course of the day even though nothing thawed way out there. As stated, walking generally sucks, but it is doable. Garden tractor w/o deck can work in some conditions if you have one of them.

Compass is a must, w or w/o handheld gps. I've squeezed a quite a few fat, Feb, 29-30" females through a 6" hole but most would say 8" minimum. Remember me mentioning raps getting stuck at the hole more than pimples. I'd rather lose a fish or two than drill 8 or 10" holes, I'm in the minority. Cost more, but I suggest a drill that you turn with both hands rather than one that you only turn with one hand.

2. Some bucket fishermen do well with pimples or vibes using long rods. Long, steady med speed lift (3-5 ft) and freefall, tight line drop. Most prefer flasher/graph fishing with ice rods. Small shiner on every hook point or 1 large shiner & covering other points optional for everything but blades is most common. Blades might get a minnow head. Black/Silver jigging rap, then light green tape/chrome pimple or same in gold are my go-to's. Raps tend to hang on smaller holes worse than pimples. If only buying a few baits, go big & heavy. Very small pimple/rattling snakie/buckshot rattle jig with 2.5" stiff mono tiny treble dropper makes a good perch rig. Your supposed to remove the top treble w/droppers but I leave it on to get more minnows down (more minnows floating around/catching perch gets them going) & for the occasional eye.

8lb mono with a quality snap swivel will get you started. 6 or 10 ok, some use up to 17 to slow drop of baits. If you wanted to do things on the fly, you could pack 2 reels & snag a couple of rods & baits at Rickharts when getting minnows. You can make your own rods using broken tips inserted & glued into a dowel rod, black electrical tape holds reel well. Rickharts should have augers, but your selection is better shopping on-line. Most probably prefer spinning or baitcasting, (I think there are prob more rods avail for spinning). I like zebo 33 spincast because they have good drag, you can instantly adjust depths, and they travel well in 5 gallon buckets. Zebco 404 will work ok, so you don't need to go crazy, use whatever you already have.

If you catch, don't diddle, get back down there fast, action can be 5-10 minutes or all day, you never know. Always pull up & try marks 6-10 ft off the bottom when flasher fishing.

Store bought picks are nice. You can make your own, look at a manufactured set, pick up some dowel that fits your hand well, cut to length, drive a suitable med nail into end, (maybe drill narrow hole to prevent splitting), snipe off head with sidecutters & file to point, slip wine cork on ends, drill other for cord to circle neck.

Ice skimmer, 5 gallon bucket with lid for minnows out/fish back, runner sleds pull easier in most conditions, anything pulls easy on ice, bungee everything down. Disposable handwarmers in case you didn't dress well enough might be helpful. Life jacket isn't stupid, but most incidents probably involve getting a foot wet. If you were to get wet, what's the plan?

Guide is way to go at start, if you don't rig up a finder (thread on main discussion board within last week), ask the guide about a loaner when you book. Licensed Guides and experienced locals know things about ice movements in the area that weekenders don't.

Try different triggers & baits when flasher fishing til you find out what works. Sometimes traditional jigging moves, sometimes vibrate the minnows just above fish, sometimes rattle the hooks, sometime play keep away. Fish will sometimes follow a bait up to within 10-15 feet of the surface before dropping off. That's the cut-off, you need to make them hit before they get there. If you hook and fish and it gets off before the cutoff, watch it as it drops down & get your bait to it because the often hit again. A bait worked 10 or more feet off the bottom will often draw fish in.

I haven't fished there yet but Presq Isle is supposed to be an awesome place to catch large numbers of perch & gills with pretty safe ice. Be a good place to start on your own. Your erie ice rig will work if you add 50 ft of 2lb mono line (4 is you must), couple of spring bobbers, a few tiny horizontal (I like Rat Finkee's/Gentz stuff) & vertical jigs, wax worms, shiners, maybe the prev mentioned dropper, a few tiny bobbers in case the eyelets freeze & you end up retrieving stuff hand over hand. Depthfinder (storebought is alligator clip w/sinker) or use a junk planer release clip, with small bell sinker is needed to set bobber depth if your not using a finder. It would all be available at local shops except maybe the line (try large retail for that). Frabell's makes a very affordable yet serious rod & reel combo for panfish that I like, think it's about $20 and the reel is sweet. Just to mention it, another option for this combo is packaged with a large selection of jigs that I wouldn't want.

Though you can barely thaw frozen fish, clean and refreeze w/o any problems, I'd rather prevent freezing when possible. They freeze slower in a bucket, being out of site can be good too.

You can glean some info by searching prev erie ice reports. Be smart, use your weather skills. Insulate guidewear works pretty well. If you wear carharts, it would be wise to have a waterproof/windproof shell avail.

Good Luck,
SS

[Buckeye unlogged]

There is a number of access sites to get on Lake Erie walleyes but the safest is with a guide around the islands. Even if we get a good freeze up, going on the ice from the south shore ALWAYS has it's risks. Some conditions limit the risks more than others.

Here's some ultra conservative "rules to live by" in really good Lake Erie ice conditions.


1. Never go off the south shore in an offshore wind that is higher than 10-15 mph. While it's rare for ice to move around with moderate winds when there is good ice cover, USCG ice breakers busting a channel miles away can fracture and create voids for the ice to move.

2. Never cross a crack that has water working above the ice surface. Cracks are normal and are the "give" from expansion of the freezing process. They will open and close daily, but water on top of the ice indicates overlapped ice and excessive weight.

3. Never be the "viking"....the explorer. The old addage about lead, follow, or get out of the way does not apply to ice fishing.....well, the first one anyways. Stay on the main trail.

4. Always carry a sharp spud bar. If there is any question on the safety of the ice, take a few swipes. 2 swipes without getting through will hold you up...but also indicate it's unsafe to be on. A spud bar is a must for crossing any crack when light snow is blowing enough to hide water on the ice.

5. Carry a pocket GPS. Darkness, white out, and foggy conditions can turn you around fast on the ice. Save a route on the way out and follow it on the way in.

6. Invest in a flotation suit. They are really warm even if you never have to test the flotation.

Other questions you asked: Yes a Lazer hand auger is very practical especially if you are walking. I use a 7" Lazer which is plenty big to pull hogs through the ice. My opinion is minimum dia. is better anyhow(I can explain that in detail in another thread if anyone want's to hear my reasons), especially in thick ice and cutting a new hole is a breeze. I can get through 12" of black ice in a matter of seconds.

Baits: I'd never go out without some basic baits in the basic colors.

Swimmers: jigging Rapalas in #3-#7 sizes in chrome/blue, orange/gold, and fire tiger. Nils master jigging shad and baby shad sizes in blue/silver, chartreuse/silver, and perch.

Spoons: Bay de Noc Swedish pimples in sizes #4-#9. Both gold and silver with chartreuse tape, prism kelly green, emerald green, and blue tape. Also Bay de Noc Do-Jiggers small and medium sizes in silver/orange, silver blue, silver green, and painted white/chartreuse. Heavy Krocodiles also work.

Rods/reels: Med. weight heavy backbone with really slow tip is my favorite. Mine are mostly 24" so they are easy to use in a shanty although I prefer a 30" outside. HT and Berkely lightning rods are economical and well above functional. I use my Penn 420 SS or any perch/walleye spinning reel that will have a smooth functioning drag in the cold. 10# fireline to a barrel swivel with an 18" 10# test leader and a small crosslock snap for my terminal end.

Other gear: Dry towel, quart plastic drink thermos to keep minnows in (good for preventing freezing) 2 minnow nets, slusher spoon, small gaff, needle nose, 7 gal bucket (vs. 5 gallon...much easier on the back), pocket hand warmers. A Vexilar or any other flasher/graph will up your catch rate more than anything else. I won't fish without mine. A shanty will allow you to fish more effectivly in the bitter cold but it limits your ability to move around easy.

The only other advice I can give you is to buddy up with some experienced folks for the first few times or hire a guide.

Good Luck and be safe.

Merry Christmas to all.

[Amanda Too]

Thank you all for your educated responses. I guess Im a woos but it seems like a risky proposition.

I guess I'll wait for the creeks to thaw and fish the steelhead again.

[Johnnyg]

Paul,
All the creeks are open, but high.
They should fish in 2-3 days depending on how much rain we get this week.
Grand tribs are fishing now.

[fishhogg]

Go with a good ice fishing guide! You can get a recomendation off of Walleye Central. They will know where the fish are, they with put you on them with the proper technique and equipement. The other thing is they will know where the safe ice is! Some years it is everywhere most years it is not. You have made a good start by asking on this site, there are alot of Erie rats (I say that lovingly) on WC and they will take care of you.