Tips on Ice Fishing from a Master!

The Creator of the Flirty Girty panfish jigs, Dave Sumner, has graciously allowed us to use some of his own favorite tricks of the trade to help all those who love the sport of ice fishing. He has taught me well and I have even used the Flirty Girty in the Everglades of Florida and for Bonefish in the Bahamas.

Here are few great TIPS for catching fish….

Comfort Zones
Fish have what I call a “comfort zone,” or a certain depth range that they prefer to hold.
When you identify this zone on your locator, work the upper edge, barley dropping your jig in and raising it out as the fish nears it. Fish are more likely to hit a lure when it appears as if it is leaving their comfort zone.

The Second Hole Tactic
If a current is pulling your lure out of your locator’s viewing cone, drill another hole a short distance downstream. With any luck, you will be able to see your bait…as well as any fish about to bite! I also use the second hole tactic when I begin to lose fish at a hole. Wrapping line around your locator’s transducer sometimes gives Crappies the little slack they need to come off at the hole. Some days, I drill a few 4 inch holes; as placing your transducer in a separate hole will reduce the risk of your line catching on it-and in turn losing a fish.

The Amazing Flirty Girty!

Muddin’
When I’m fishing Perch and they are not cooperating (especially around midday), I rap my bait on the lake bottom in order to stir it up. I have caught many Perch with mud caked on their lower jaws; I believe they stir up the bottom in search of blood worms and other food.
Jumping
Over the years, I have seen slow fishing turn into madness just as soon as a vehicle passes near a hole being fished. I believe that fish begin to move when something travels over them; thus a vehicle passing overhead may cause some fish to move…in my direction! If action is slow I try jumping on the ice in a big circle around my hole; often times I am able to stir some up by doing this. Am I crazy? Maybe so…

Here are some TRICKS that I’ve used over the years….

*First ice and last ice are the two most productive times for ice fishing. Fish shallow early and late ice. Look to deeper edges in mid-winter. Crappies will stage near spawning areas near last ice.
*Keep moving, looking for active fish. Drill several holes and use a good flasher to find fish. REMEMBER: locators don’t lie, …no fish? …MOVE!! If fish are suspended, fish just above or at the level they are suspending at.

*When fish are biting light… go to 1 pound line, …try smaller jigs, …bend barbs in, …use a spring bobber and watch for slight lifts, those are BITES!
*If fish are fussy… try going to smaller grubs or minnows. Sometimes, small plastics work with fussy fish.

*Change colors often. Bluegills and perch seem to like fluorescent colors more so than crappies. Chartreuse is a great all-around color.

*Flip your knots UP after tying on your jig.
*Moving the knot to the side makes a FLIRTY GIRTY swim in a circle. This can be effective.
*Black FLIRTY GIRTYS can be deadly on crappies early and late in the day.
*Ripping the jig up violently and letting it fall back down, has worked for me to trigger fish.
*Experiment with live bait and scents. I knew of a fisherman who used grape jelly smeared on his jig. I knew of another who used cooked barley when he ran out of waxies. I tried it, and it worked!

The Ultimate Safety Device for the Outdoors Guy

I have finally realized that I am no longer the spring chicken I used to be, scampering up 14,000+ peaks, hiking many miles into the Everglades or fishing 20 miles offshore of my home in South Florida by myself may not be the smartest thing to do. Don’t get me wrong, I love my adventures and they will have to pry the throttle or walking stick out of my cold dead hands before I am relegated to a rocker on some front porch. It is for these reasons that I have decided to purchase some sort of Personal locator beacon that will not only give me the peace of mind that I can be found and rescued in the event of an emergency, but will also ease the fears of those that care about me and have concerns over my adventure lifestyle.

I spent quite a bit of time researching various products, asking many questions at the local Bass Pro Shops in Fort Lauderdale and Gander Mountain in West palm Beach and comparing the answers of the sales staff with my own personal needs. They were all very informative and were all also in agreement that for my needs I needed something that was extremely reliable and hopefully would never need to be used. There were several models that were reviewed, some that allowed friends to track your progress and send text messages and others that were geared strictly for imminent danger and life threatening situations.

After weighing all my options and needs, and deciding that reliability in such a device outweighed price and occasionally used features, I had narrowed my decision down to a select few, all made by the company ACR which deals primarily in Epirbs, PLB’s and other life support devices. The several models I looked at from this company confused me for a while as they all seemed quite similar. I visited their website and then sent an email to their customer service manger detailing my intended uses for a Personal Locator Beacon and how my journeys are quite often water related. I was very pleased with his response and have copied here in hopes it helps others contemplating purchasing one of these units.

Dear Noah,

Look no further than one of the two units below.

• SARLink 406 GPS PLB

http://www.acrelectronics.com/product2.aspx?sku=2883

• AquaLink 406 GPS PLB

http://www.acrelectronics.com/product2.aspx?sku=2882

The SARLink is sold by the Outdoor Industry because the voice of the Outdoor customer tells us that they want smaller and lighter. So we responded by taking all of the air out of it to make it as small as possible, and because of this it doesn’t float. However, because a small portion of the Outdoor consumers also recreate around water, we do offer a floatation pouch accessory.

The AquaLink is sold by the Marine Industry because they need a product that will float. This product has a larger back making it inherently buoyant, as size is not as important to the boater.

The following is the physical differences.

AQUALINK P/N 2882 9.2 oz OR 260g 2.3 x 5.8 x 1.45″ 5.9 x 14.8 x 3.7 cm

SARLINK P/N 2883 8.9 oz OR 252g 2.3 x 5.8 x 1.25″ 5.9 x 14.8 x 3.2 cm

Because it floats and you have no problems with a unit a little bigger than the Sarlink, the Aqualink would be your best bet.

You can then also use it for any overland excursions you may want to add to your travelling itinerary.

I am now planning to purchase the AquaLink 406 GPS PLB this week and regain my confidence that if I Journey into the great outdoors I will also be coming home with more great stories to share. Remember that when purchasing such units, they should be considered a method of last resort and not because you ran out of gas but because your survival is seriously in question.