OUTDOORS: A beginner’s guide to ice fishing | Sports

Of course, we need strong arctic cold fronts in order for ice to form on Sodus Bay — or anywhere. Nonetheless, many of you may already have your deer, so wax the bottom of your shanty and make your plans for some outdoor fishing.

Ice anglers don’t get the recognition they deserve. Some of the other methods that bring fish to the frying pan have elaborate names associated with their sport.

Fly fishermen have great terminology: tippets, hackles, waders, and corkers. The weight of the line has nothing to do with how many pounds it weighs … funny, huh?

Trout and salmon anglers often will talk about planer boards, from the wire, or 90 over 130 feet. Have you ever heard of monkey puke, dodger/squid or A-Tom-Mik flies?

All these terms take on a life of their own when used by anglers. Some names are the actual manufacturers, while others are the common variety descriptions created by the user. “From the wire” usually means fish that are caught from a Dipsy-Diver, which is a device that enables wire line to travel at measured depths, while keeping it away from a trolling boat.

Now, I know you are asking yourself, where is he going with this drivel? Well, I will explain that to you, dear fair-weather angler. Many outdoor enthusiasts, me included, enjoy the sport of ice fishing.

If you don’t believe me, check out the south end of Sodus Bay on any given Sunday during the ice season. All those dark spots are anglers enjoying the art of taking fish through the holes.

Most of us ice anglers take our sport seriously, but sometimes I believe we end up defined as second-rate fishermen.

How many publications are devoted to ice fishing? I found one issue of the In-Fisherman that featured a magazine about ice fishing. How many fly-fishing publications are on the newsstand? Dozens, I would guess. And, I do remember one fishing show at the OnCenter in Syracuse. It lasted two years, before the promoter decided New Yorkers don’t ice fish. Boy, what do they know?

That’s not why I am writing this, though. Let’s get back to the terms, the ice-fishing terms. Yes, we do have our own lingo. Mousies, spikes, creepers, and spuds. Mickey Mouse boots, Swedish Pimples, and shanties. And how about, “It was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mousie, spike, or buckeye.”

Consider the following a brief ice fishing dictionary.

• Mousie — A grub from the fly family that usually is placed at the end of a jig. Mousie is a user-friendly term that’s better than maggot, which is what we are talking about.

• Spike — Another one of those maggots.

• Swedish Pimple — A great jig that is heavier than most. An excellent walleye and large perch lure. I have no idea the origin of such a name; take a guess.

• Creepers — Small spikes that slip over your Mickey Mouse boots for better traction on bare ice.

• Mickey Mouse boots — Footwear from the military designed for severe cold-weather environments, like ice fishing. Muck boots also work well in low temperatures.

• Spud — One of the original methods for getting through the ice. Spuds are long handled-solid poles used to “punch” through the ice.

• Auger — The new way to get to the fish. There are hand drillers and the motorized variety. The tips are laser and can drill through ice with very little effort. Electric augers can be used too.

• Shanty — Any hut that keeps you out of the winter elements. Some shanties are permanent fixtures on the ice that must be removed before the spring thaw. In the Finger Lakes region, a wide variety of portable tents serve as the most common shelter. Clam makes an easy shanty to drag across ice and set up.

• Buckeye — A minnow.

• Jig — Any lure, generally small, that has a body and a hook. The best ones usually are brightly colored. Jigging is the most common way of ice fishing. Just move the bait up and down, attracting fish.

• Tip-up — Plastic and wooden devices that suspend live bait under the hole. The line is attached to a spool, and a flag will pop up when a fish takes the bait. “Flag” is a great sound to hear as your buddy runs to the active hole.

• Tip-down — Another device that has the bait suspended from an arm that tips down when fish hit the bait. Tip-downs are very sensitive to hits.

• Wind flag — You see your tip-up flag flying, run to the hole, and discover no fish. The wind has played a joke on you.

• Cold dude — Me, when the day is over.

There are additional terms for ice fishing, but I thought a few might make the sport less daunting for beginners. Knowing the terms makes it easier to navigate among the hardy ice people.

Now that we have the terms down pat, how about the gear?

For the perch I stick with Caty Jigs, Forage Minnows, and Eye Droppers. Caty, which I believe is still a Pulaski-based lure manufacturer, has hundreds of colors and weights. Prices usually run around $3 or less. There is a colorful little gem they dubbed the Football Jig. It resembles a bumblebee, and yes, it works.

The Northland Fishing Tackle Co. has been offering quality fishing tackle since 1975. The Minnesota-based lure manufacturer has a hot jig for ice fishing. The Forage Minnow, which comes with either a treble or a straight hook, has a very impressive holographic design. Quite simply, it mimics the small scales of a bait fish. It certainly is impressive out of the water. Down deep, this jig is a killer lure.

Northland also produces the Eye Dropper, another little jigging lure. The jig is the size of your thumbnail and has the ball-peened affect, which flashes and flutters down deep. The Eye Dropper, tipped with a spike, has always enticed even the most lethargic perch to make a strike. I would venture to say it’s the most-used lure in my ice fishing box. Tip your jig with perch eyes if the bite is slow. Live bait always works. Use small perch minnows.

I very seldom use tip-ups, and usually stick with the jigging. My Frabill outfit has a nice 5-bearing Ultra Ice spinning reel. The jigging pole is extremely sensitive to bites; however, it’s stout enough to handle walleyes.

There you have it, the facts and terminology for ice fishing. A final note: BE SAFE. Make sure you have solid ice, and never take chances. Hypothermia can kill in 30 minutes or less if the water is 30 degrees or colder.