Well, another year gone. At least this one ended on a positive note, especially for those who love ice fishing. It's been at least 6 years since we were on the hard stuff before Christmas. This year, there was an added bonus of "new" water to fish. The formerly private Wingfoot Lake, a playground for employees of Goodyear Tire and Rubber, is now a state park.
I remember when I was a kid, heading out there to fish Wingfoot with my Dad. We would take my brother Don's canoe there, launching at Jindra's Landing, then paddling the lake, heading to the stump field looking for big bluegill. It was the first place I ever used a fly rod and the action was fast and furious. There were a bunch of hungry gills there back then and the same holds true today.
In my several trips there on the ice this Winter, it's been an education, that's for sure. In looking at the topo map provided by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, you an see a few deeper holes on the lake, but not too many. The deepest is 15 feet, not very deep for a lake its size, and from the myriad of spots I've fished on the lake, there is very little bottom structure or weeds to speak of. The fish basically roam the lake in schools, searching for forage. There's really nothing on the bottom to hold them anywhere specifically, save the large "tire reef" near teh main parking area, but the water there is pretty shallow.
I've had the most success using a heavy marmooska style jig tipped with maggots. The majority of the fish, crappies, have come suspended between 5 and 11 feet of water over 12-15 feet of water. I couldn't imagine ice fishing without the use of my Vexilar flasher unit, especially in the conditions presented at Wingfoot. It really is an education, seeing the bottom, teh lack of structure or weeds, where the fish come through while suspended, and how they react to the baits. It really teaches you a lot.
The best way I've found to trigger the fish is to vigorously jig the bait, stop, then start a slow lift. This will get the fishes attention, get him to commit, and also get him to bite. Also, since the water is incredibly clear, you need to use the lightest possible line, 1 or 2 pound test at the heaviest.
I have to say the addition of the new water does make the decision of where to fish that much harder, but it's a problem I'll deal with because the alternative of not ice fishing at all is just not acceptable to me. Call me crazy, call me whatever you want, but there is no better time to get out and fish than when the water freezes solid enough to walk on.
I'll be out on the water again this weekend for sure. The first four days of 2011 really stunk with the chest/sinus cold from Hell but it's on its way out and I will be too, soon enough.
See you on the water!
Carl "Big Daddy" Bachtel
