So I thought I would try this thread one more time...

Last year I surprised my husband with this beautiful ice fishing set up at Christmas.

Complete with the woman of his dreams (ME!!!) that wanted to learn how to ice fish, and was willing to cook, and help drag the sled.

Silly me- I forgot to find out if he ever ice fished. Turns out the expert fly fisher, all around kick butt fisherman- has never ice fished! We winged it couple of times last year- but were skunked.

Anyone willing to set up a great scenario for some fish for a weekend trip in Jan and/or Feb in Wisconsin- BWCA would probably be too far for from Chicago for a 2 day weekend.

Ice fishing is tough, the first several years are spent learning not catching. If you are in the Chicago area it is even tougher. If you both are not willing to put in a few years of getting lucky with a fish or two every once in a while then you may want to consider sticking to what you know. However, if you know someone who knows much about it and is also willing to "tutor" you then it might help a little bit. But you will not get the help you seek from any forum. Best bet is fish where others are fishing and if they are in the mood they will throw you a few pointers.

quote Richwon4: "Ice fishing is tough, the first several years are spent learning not catching. If you are in the Chicago area it is even tougher. If you both are not willing to put in a few years of getting lucky with a fish or two every once in a while then you may want to consider sticking to what you know. However, if you know someone who knows much about it and is also willing to "tutor" you then it might help a little bit. But you will not get the help you seek from any forum. Best bet is fish where others are fishing and if they are in the mood they will throw you a few pointers. "

I am quite the novice- but from what I have observed- all types of fishing seems to be about- the right time, the right location, with the right bait for the available fish at that location.

Sooooo... then the question is- what are you doing while ice fishing that is so different from other fishing?

Plus most of us who have to live in Chicago and love the outdoors-know we have to get in our car and drive for a awhile.

We have a great time together- even if we never catch anything. I was just trying to tap into the collective wisdom here- seeing if there were any tutors in the mood to throw a few pointers my way.

What do people do that is different from normal fishing? i'd say 'drinking' hahaha.

IDK. i'm not an ice fisherman either. I think that once you find the right spot, you catch fish. But it can take a while to find that right spot ... so I've been told ....

Ah - Ice fishing is much like duck hunting. This assumes that you sit quietly in a cold dark cabin staring at the cold empty fireplace waiting - shotgun across your lap - for the duck to fly down the chimmney so you can bag it.

Much like ice fishing in a pop up shelter.

First pick a lake that is known to be a quality fishery. You can only spend so much time out there so you want to be on the best fishing lakes you can be. After that if you are really serious about learning to ice fish consider hiring a guide. For one to two hundred dollars you will learn more in a half day then you could in years of trying to figure it out on your own.

quote ripple: "So I thought I would try this thread one more time...

Last year I surprised my husband with this beautiful ice fishing set up at Christmas.

Complete with the woman of his dreams (ME!!!) that wanted to learn how to ice fish, and was willing to cook, and help drag the sled.

Silly me- I forgot to find out if he ever ice fished. Turns out the expert fly fisher, all around kick butt fisherman- has never ice fished! We winged it couple of times last year- but were skunked.

Anyone willing to set up a great scenario for some fish for a weekend trip in Jan and/or Feb in Wisconsin- BWCA would probably be too far for from Chicago for a 2 day weekend."

ripple,
Give the shop a call in the mornings (9-noon) to get a few tips.(email for phone number) If you are interested in trout fishing, and have the time to drive to Ely anytime after the 15th of January, we could send you to a few trout lakes after giving you the crash course. These would be lakes outside of the BWCA that you could drive to.

Now that's my kind of wife!!!

Believe it or not if you can catch fish in open water, ice fishing should be a piece of cake after a few trips. Sure your fishing a much smaller area then open water fishing but once you locate fish ice fishing can and is usually much more productive then open water fishing. Schools of fish during the winter can be massive and you don't have to worry about boat control since your sitting on a stationary platform directly above the fish. Once inside a shelter away from the wind and cold you can really concentrate on enticing your quarry to bite.

Of course you need the right equipment which it appears you already have. Get a map of the lake your planning on fishing and fish the same areas you would normally fish during open water. Weed beds, points, inside turns, drop offs, deep holes, the basin of the lake, etc. A portable fish locator is invaluable. If you don't have one make sure you fish all levels of the water column, in deep water panfish especially active feeding ones will suspend.

Big fish houses are nice and comfortable but they also limit your mobility which is the biggest factor in your success. KEEP MOVING, searching for active fish. The big fish tent will still come in handy, use it as a base camp but venture out to the surrounding area to search for fish from time to time then head back to the tent to warm up on those very cold days....again keep moving, keep moving. I can't emphasize that enough. If your not drilling at least 50 holes a day your not moving enough.

The Chicagoland area offers great ice fishing you don't have to drive far. The Fox Chain of lakes in northern Illinois is my favorite, Pistakee, Marie, Petite, Catherine, Channel and Fox lake are all good ice fishing lakes. Concentrate on the zillions of quality panfish these lakes have to offer and then graduate to game fish like walleye, Pike and maybe some Bass....oh, their also great for Catfish. When unsure of where to start head for the crowds but stay out of the pack, concentrate on the edges of the crowd. If you arrive late and try drilling in the middle of a crowd someone might throw a snowball at you;-) Some of the Chicago harbors also offer great ice fishing for lake perch and trout...my favorites are Montrose and Belmont, lots of guys also like the harbor right across from Soldier Field.

For bait my favorite is a wad(4-7) of spikes aka maggots...they catch everything from panfish to catfish to walleye and muskie...you don't need minnows which will only slow you down in your search for fish. Keep the maggots warm in a container in your pants pocket, it will keep them alive...frozen maggots don't work very well.

If your in the Chicago area check out my buddies website chicagoland fishing.com for more great timely info and reports not only for Chicago ice fishing but for the whole midwest.

Last but certainly not least bring safety gear along. The Spikes of Life and a flotation device with 50 feet of rope. I've been ice fishing the Chicago area since the late 70's on first and last ice and have never needed to use a safety device or fallen in. However, I don't take chances...you might not need it but it could save some other angler that makes a poor choice.

Good Luck and don't get discouraged...ice fishing is definitely a great way to beat cabin fever!!

Dave

My faith in the BWCA.com has not failed me!!! I knew there would be fisherman who would appreciate a wife trying to make her husband happy!! (even though he does not know she posted this- and he would be horrified that she was asking for directions- he will be impressed that she had good lake ideas)

I know that a guide would be a great idea- I would do it in a heart beat- but my husband... not in this lifetime.

Dave you are the BOMB!!!

Other ideas...

The Madison, Wi chain of lakes is a great option and only a few hours from Chicago. Also Lake Geneva, Delevan along with several other smallish Wi lakes just over the border. Mississippi river backwaters in Wi, Iowa and MN, maybe stay at a little Bed and Breakfast in the valley?

Regarding the Chicago harbors....be very careful if you choose this option. Always remember no ice is completely safe, strong currents can make this ice unstable especially near the mouth of the harbors. You don't want to be venturing off into uncharted territory here...it's best to stay where others are fishing in the harbors. The back ends of the harbors usually have very safe ice of 12" and more.

Access on the Fox chain is limited but for a $3-5 parking fee at these few access points would be your best bet.
Pistakee - Oak Park hotel/bar/restaurant Some of the best fishing is just to the south east of the parking lot.
Marie - The sand bar or Barnacle Bob's
These are the two I fish the most.

Channel and Catherine - cousin has place on Catherine but I guess you can access these lakes through Choppers if that's what it's still called.

Blackwell Forest Preserve in Dupage county on rt.56

Tampier(131st and wolf rd) and Maple lake are two of the better Cook County Forest Preserves but don't expect a lot of big fish from these.

Shabbona is another good Illinois panfish lake 30 minutes west of Aurora.

Even if your subdivision has a retention pond can be a great place for nice largemouth bass and panfish...you won't enjoy the surroundings of the BWCA but it's an option:-)

Don't think of ice fishing as trying to be lucky enough to drill a 6" hole in hundreds of acres of water and just happen upon a fish. Like I mentioned the schools of fish in winter are vast, I've marked schools of crappies, stripers, bluegills, drum, perch with my locator that have been hundreds of yards wide and 10 feet thick.

Once again, best of luck...feel free to ask for more detailed info if needed.

Here's a link for a guide...never used a guide but I hear a lot of good stuff about Larry. This would be in Wisconsin...he guides a TV host and from watching the show can see he's good and down to earth if you choose to go this route.


Ice fishing guide

A lot of my coworkers and acquaintances diss it, but I concentrate on good crappie/sunfish lakes. Lakes that balance some size with good numbers. I like the action. Yesterday I was out in metro Minneapolis catching both. It was fun to have the crappies start to go crazy 1 hr before darkness. I have a popular ice fishing depthfinder called a Vexilar. The same crappies lit up the unit with red bars like a Christmas tree, and then it was catch a fish, get it back down the hole as quick as possible and catch another one. I use a teardrop jig, 4lb test line and a waxworm for bait. They are easy to get at the bait stores and store well.

WOW

Just kidding Ripple, TGO can put you on the fish in the Northland, I can help you out with the rest of the state if you need some tips, because I have pretty much fished everywhere in Minnesota.

I find I like waiting for the late winter crappie bite to be the most fun ice fishing. Go out in late Feb / early March and fish just before dark and a little after and you will have lots of action if you hit the right spot.
Do a little research to find a lake with crappie action and contact a bait shop to get more information. Many times a "crappie town" group of anglers may be easy to find too.

One downfall is late ice can be very thick so you I hope you have a power auger.

For the Madison, WI and Wisconsin lakes in general I use sites like lake-link for fishing reports and watching what people are catching (and sometimes where).

http://lake-link.com/fishreports/viewposts.cfm?Thread_ID=4333

Ice fishing is more about the location since you have a fixed shelter and position. Most of the times the "locals" on the lakes already know the locations. It's common to drive past a lake and see all the shelters in a small radius on one part of the lake or over a certain structure like a sunken island.

Good luck.

Wallidave gave you some excellent advice. I'd just like to re-emphasize the fact that to be successful in ice fishing you need a map to find the structure and you have to drill LOTS of holes. As he said, "Keep movin." Good luck and have fun!

Ice fishing can be hit or miss. I have been with six guy fishing through the ice and only one guy is catching fish after fish. Go to a bait shop in the area and ask them what they are catching fish on.

Equipment really helps! I can't emphasize enough how important a flasher (Vexilar or Marcum) is for catching fish. This device let's you know if fish are actually below you so you aren't wasting your time. A power auger is also very important. I use both to troll for fish. Troll you ask? I find a break and drill a triangle of holes such that triangle points horizontal to the break. This allows me to move around and the Vexilar helps me find the proper depth the fish prefer.

Another tip that helps a lot... Using two holes close together, I drop a big, shiny spoon or a chubby darter (Rapala type of bait designed for ice fishing) down one hole and make a bunch of noise with it. The fish are curious and come over to investigate. Then, they are usually attracted to my minnow/hook or larvae/jig bait in the other hole. By keeping the spoon at a different depth as the other bait, you can see where the fish are going by looking at the flasher. I rarely catch anything on the spoon/chubby darter, but quite often draw fish to the other bait.

Good luck! If you ever do get to northern MN, I highly recommend Upper Red Lake or Lake of the Woods. Simply find a resort and rent a fishhouse. The holes are pre-drilled and the house is warm! Plus, they usually put you on top of fish. It's like hiring a guide without an actual guide telling you what to do. My buddies and I caught a bunch of tastey walleyes over Christmas break.

quote Basspro69: "Just kidding Ripple, TGO can put you on the fish in the Northland, I can help you out with the rest of the state if you need some tips, because I have pretty much fished everywhere in Minnesota."

Thanks Basspro!!

I love that my husband thinks I'm sexy with my chubby thighs in my waders and that these chicks would scare him (dirty girls!!)

We might take you up on the advice though!

Thanks all for the advice!! I love this place- real fisherman willing to help... where else does that really happen?