Tips for Ice Fishing for Trophy Fish

It is that time of the year, especially if you live near northern non flowing waters. As water begins to lock up, anglers take advantage of the yearly chance to walk on water and try their luck with trophy ice fishing.

As always, safety is a concern before venturing out to try ice fishing for trophy fish. “Safe” ice for anglers generally is reported as over four inches, with “new” ice being stronger than older ice that has been through freezing and thawing cycles. State fishing reports commonly include ice thicknesses, but ice can vary, even on the same body of water. For example, while investigating ice fishing for trophy fish in the Upper MidWest, I found a report on an Iowa lake early in the season stating that ice ranged anywhere from 1-8 inches.

A little bit of research also is recommended before bundling up and loading your ice fishing gear. For example, do not overlook the fact that the best ice fishing spots for big fish are bodies of water that support big fish in the first place. Look up your area’s fishing reports, biologist sampling surveys, and even some social media. Better yet, did you lose a big fish in this lake while fishing from your boat this summer? That location could be a good place to start drilling. Often, the features of a lake that held big fish during warmer months will work for trophy ice fishing too. Trophy northern pike ice fishing can be successful around the same weed bed edges and ice fishing for trophy walleye can involve revisiting those deeper holes and channels.

One of the differences between ice fishing for trophy fish and regular fishing is that you probably will need to go to the fish. This means drilling multiple holes to try to get over likely lunker lairs. Depending on factors such as depth, auger method, and fishing pressure, it is possible that drilling holes could disturb fish, perhaps not enough to flee but to become tight-lipped for a period. As with regular fishing, it can be productive to let a hole rest and then revisit it and present bait in a stealthier manner. Cold fish metabolism is low, so they do not need to eat frequently; however, if you put the right bait in front of a sulking brute, it will not be able to resist a snack.

When ice fishing for trophy fish, the right bait varies greatly. Traditionally, ice anglers downsize to small bait such as tiny minnows and waxworms tipped on small jigs. Even these petite offerings can entice large fish through ice. However, many tips for catching trophy fish through the ice also include dropping down 6 to 9 inch golden shiners or suckers. Bait this large will require switching to gear with larger hooks and a slower hookset because large fish usually move off with the big bait before trying to consume.

Besides not forgetting to renew your fishing license, perhaps the most important tip for how to catch trophy fish in winter is to be patient. You can’t catch a trophy through ice if you don’t have a line down a hole. Patience can be buffered by staying warm, or at least catching smaller fish in the meantime. In fact, depending on the severity of the frigid conditions, any fish can become a “trophy.”