What Makes Ice Anglers Different?

Fishy Fridays

Weekly spotlight on fisheries science journal articles

 

Jeff Kopaska
AFS Executive Director
[email protected]

As I’ve observed another warm, 50+ degree F January day, I am lamenting the passing of the central Iowa ice fishing season. It’s not for sure done, but it is becoming a bit more risky to venture out on the ice. As such, it should be no surprise that given the option to read and share an article about ice fishing, I did!

Today’s paper resulted from an angler survey in Ontario, and looks at a variety of demographic and other factors influencing participation in ice fishing. Some of the results are unsurprising (rural > urban), while others were (young > old). There are a lot of other inferences about ice angler behaviors that I found quite insightful. The paper is very well done, I complement Len on this work. Now here is what I really want to find in a paper someday – where are the walleyes during the day, and what are they doing? I’ve spent many afternoons fishing a great spot on a Minnesota lake, only pestered by little perch. Then, dusk approaches, and “Prime Time” happens. The walleyes seem to “come through”, in a consistent pattern (deep to shallow, SE to NW), every day, every year. Where were they all day? Laying on the bottom, only to become active at lower light levels? Or, deeper water, and following the lessening light intensity as day fades to night? I would love to know (and catch more).

Kudos to all of you “more committed and likely skilled” ice anglers. As Red Green would say, “we’re all in this together”.

https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.11053