FINGER LAKES — During the New York State DEC Free Fishing Days/Weekend coming up Feb. 19-20, anyone can fish the fresh waters of New York State and no fishing license is required. All other freshwater fishing regulations still apply.
Ideas for Free Fishing Days
- Try ice fishing for the first time.
- Haven’t fished in a while? Remember the joy of catching a fish again for free!
- Become an ambassador to the sport; take a friend fishing for the first time.
- Invite a friend to New York to fish.
- Take a spouse or significant other fishing.
- Take the family fishing…and don’t forget the grandparents!
Upcoming Free Fishing Dates: June 25-26, Sept. 24, Nov. 11
Ice fishing
Anglers in New York State can stay busy all winter by targeting some of their favorite fish species through the ice. If you’ve never been ice fishing before and would like to test the waters.
Learn how to ice fish
Like open water angling, fishing through the ice requires skill and knowledge. But anyone can ice fish successfully if they do their homework. Learning about the water to be fished, the equipment and its capabilities, wearing proper clothing and taking safety precautions are all part of a successful, enjoyable winter ice fishing experience.
Perhaps the best way to get started is to accompany a friend or neighbor on a half-day ice fishing outing. If you are unable to locate someone to go with, the next best alternative is to visit a tackle or bait shop in a popular ice fishing area. The shop owners want you to have a successful and enjoyable trip and can provide you with all the necessary equipment. Ice anglers tend to be a highly social group, eager to share tips, techniques and stories – if you can find one, you can learn a lot.
One of the most important steps to take when ice fishing is to make sure the ice is safe. See the table below for general rules to ice safety.
What to wear
It is important to dress in layers. Start with a layer of material that can wick (remove) moisture from your skin. Avoid cotton clothing, which loses its insulating ability when wet. Many wind and water-resistant clothing options are available. Gore-Tex® and wool are two good material choices. Bring extra gloves, as they tend to get wet. Wear warm, waterproof boots. Add cleats to your boots to help prevent falls.
Where to ice fish
Most ponds and lakes offer ice fishing potential. Their characteristics define the kinds of fish that may be caught. Large, shallower ponds and lakes favor species such as chain pickerel, northern pike, yellow perch and sunfish. Deepwater lakes need to be fished selectively to get good catches of northern pike, walleye or lake trout. Brown trout, rainbow trout and landlocked salmon are frequently caught while fishing just a few feet under the ice, even in deep bodies of water.
The local tackle shop where you purchase your bait should be able to advise you on where fish are currently being caught. Online fishing forums are another good resource for choosing your next fishing destination. Regardless of the fish species that you are seeking, concentrations of anglers or the presence of many old holes will provide an indication of areas where good catches have recently occurred.
Cutting the ice
After you have your gear, bait and a place to fish, you’ll need to make a hole in the ice. There are a variety of tools available that make this “essential task” simple.
Perhaps the simplest is an old-fashioned “spud” bar which your grandfather may have used on his ice fishing trips. Spuds are often the cheapest way to cut a hole in the ice and work reasonably well on ice up to about a foot thick. Spud bars are also very useful in testing the thickness and safety of the ice.
Hand-powered augers, which are slightly more expensive than spud bars, are easy to operate and offer the best all-around compromise for moderate ice conditions. Purchase an auger appropriate to the species of fish that you are seeking. Anglers who fish for yellow perch, sunfish and other pan fish frequently favor ice augers 4″, 5″ or 6″ in diameter because of their light weight and the speed that they bore through the ice. Anglers who fish for larger fish, such as trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon and northern pike, frequently prefer an ice auger which will make a larger hole, which helps with the often-tricky landing of these large fish. But remember, cutting an 8″ hole requires the removal of almost twice as much ice as a 6″ hole, so don’t buy an ice auger much bigger than you will need. Some hand augers can be outfitted with an adapter that connects the auger blade to a cordless drill for rechargeable hole drilling.
For the avid ice angler or for thicker, more extreme ice conditions, a more expensive, power auger provides the ultimate in speed and convenience, albeit at a sacrifice in weight and portability and may be restricted on some waters.
How to drill an ice fishing hole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjhvOrMcxDQ
Ice fishing methods
Ice fishing methods include “jigging” with short, light fishing rods and using tip-ups. There are many kinds of jigging poles and tip-ups.
Jigging involves the use of a jigging rod or hand line and a small jigging spoon or lure which is often “sweetened” with a piece of bait. The jig is designed to dart around in different directions when it is jerked up and down by the angler.
How to Jig video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21GxPzQlayk
The tip-up is basically a spool on a stick holding a baited line suspended through a hole in the ice. When the bait, usually a minnow, is taken by a fish, the pull on the line releases a signal, usually a red flag.
Lures and baits
There are many artificial lures made especially for ice fishing, from small ice flies used for panfish (sunfish, perch, and crappie) to large jigging spoons for lake trout. Most lures are tipped with some form of bait, commonly minnows and fly larvae called “spikes” or “mousies.” Minnows are most often used with tip-ups and can be hooked through the lips or under the dorsal fin.
Sleds and shelters
Getting gear to your fishing spot is easier with the use of a sled. A child’s plastic sled works well, but there are sleds made specifically for ice fishing, often with compartments for storing gear and sometimes with an attached shelter.
Shelters block the wind, making ice fishing more comfortable. Many types of ice fishing shelters, from simple wind breaks to portable fish houses are available.
Ice fishing lingo
If you’ve ever been ice fishing, you may have noticed that ice anglers practically speak their own language. To clear up any confusion, we thought we’d cover some commonly used terms you may hear being thrown around the next time you’re out on the ice. Enjoy!
- Spikes – bottle fly larvae (maggots)
- Mousies – drone fly larvae (maggots)
- Flasher – Electronic sonar fish finder
- Markin’ – Fish showing up on a flasher: “Hey, you markin’?’”
- Juice – Great spot, holds lots of fish, marking lots of fish. “I’m on the juice.”
- Rip – Hooked up, have a fish on the line. “Rippppppppppp!”
- Paper Party – catching lots of crappie. “We’re having a paper party!”
Ice fishing with inline reels
Small spinning reels work well for ice fishing, but another alternative to consider are inline reels. We weighed out the pros and cons to help you decide if an inline reel is something you’d like to add to your arsenal.
Pros
- Less line twist
- Less line memory (curls in your line)
- Fast drop time
- Larger spool diameter = more line pickup
Cons
- Can be expensive
- Backlashes/tangles
- Drags can have issues with certain models
Popular species to target for ice fishing
While most freshwater fish can be caught through the ice, only certain species are in season through the winter. Some popular species to target through the ice in New York:
- Lake Trout
- Brown Trout
- Rainbow Trout
- Pickerel
- Largemouth Bass
- Smallmouth Bass
- Sunfish
- Yellow Perch
Chain Pickerel – where’s the love?
If there’s one species of fish that can evoke a groan out of any angler once they realize they have one on their line, it’s probably a chain pickerel. They’re slimy, have a mouth full of sharp teeth, and sometimes get the bad rap of being a “trash fish.” All too often we hear of these fish being left on the ice to die.
Chain pickerel are a valuable sportfish that play a vital role in an aquatic ecosystem. Not to mention, they’re relatively easy to catch and can provide a lot of action on the ice. And believe it or not, they’re actually very tasty if prepared properly. As members of the pike family, they tend to be bony, but you can grind the “y bones” along with the meat and make them into patties. We encourage anglers to release the pickerel they catch or harvest them legally to take home for a tasty meal. Chain pickerel may just become your new favorite species to pursue.
Keep in mind, if you do plan on targeting pickerel, you’ll want to make sure you attach a steel leader to the end of your line. Otherwise, you’ll quickly see what all the groaning is about.
Ice fishing regulations
Ice fishing is permitted on many waters in New York State, but not all. Consult the Freshwater Fishing Regulation Guide (PDF) for ice fishing specific rules and regulations.
Ice shanties
Ice shanties must be marked on the outside with the owner’s name and address in letters at least 3 inches high. Shanties must be removed from all waters by March 15 to prevent them from falling through the ice and becoming hazards to navigation.
Baitfish
Baitfish are commonly used when ice fishing. Make sure your baitfish are certified disease free when you purchase them. Never dump unused baitfish or water from your bait bucket into a lake or pond. Undesirable aquatic invasive species might be mixed in with your bait or bait water. Consult the Freshwater Fishing Regulation Guide (PDF) for NYS Baitfish Regulations.
Ice safety
Safe ice should be your number one consideration when ice fishing. A minimum of three to four inches of solid ice is the general rule for safety. Ice thickness, however, is not uniform on any body of water.
The guidelines presented here are based on new, clear ice on non-running waters. Since ice thickness can vary on a lake, check the ice periodically to stay safe.
Note: This guide is based on new, clear ice on non-running waters.
- Slush ice is about 50% weaker. Clear ice over running water is about 20% weaker. Double the recommendations for white ice. Many ice anglers do not like to fish on less than five inches of ice, and do not like to drive a pick-up truck on less than 15 inches of ice. Use common sense.
- Be cautious in areas where “bubblers” are used to protect docks. They can produce thin, unsafe ice some distance away. Be especially alert in areas near shore, over moving bodies of water, and where streams enter and exit lakes and ponds.
- Remember, use the buddy system while ice fishing – it saves lives.
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