Lake Erie Walleye and a big ole Catfish through the ice.

January and the  deep freeze over the last 3 weeks had us looking at some pretty good ice fishing this past weekend. We have more waxies , spikes and and mousies on the way -stocked  with fresh emerald shiners as of now. Local ponds and reservoirs are producing well. Some heavy ice fishing pressure out at East/West harbor had that place pretty packed but should be less anglers today with it being a Monday. Now that we have some decent ice development , anglers are moving out onto the main lake in search of some walleye.  After  this storm we have coming through on Wednesday it will be sketchy due to the wind and snow coverage affecting the ice stability. Be cautious  every time you head out on the ice.

Small ponds are abundant across much of ice-fishing country. Many ponds also have crappies and bluegills and the like. Ponds like these are perfect for introducing someone to ice-fishing. Fish can usually be found quickly in the smaller waters, they’re often protected from the wind, and they usually don’t get much fishing pressure . On smaller ponds, just pop a few holes and look around with your depthfinder. If your taking a young kid out a couple things are important. First, let them entertain themselves if they want to. Don’t force them to fish if they want to take a break and slide on the ice or explore or whatever. Second, make sure they are dressed appropriately, and when they get cold, go home. The first couple of ice-fishing trips should be fairly short.We all  love ponds because of the generally higher concentration of cooperative fish like bluegill.It is a good idea to downsize when ice fishing by using thinner, lighter weight fishing line and smaller hooks. Traditionally, the best bait for crappie, through the ice or not, is a minnow of some type or wax worms.

Have fun be safe and good luck fishing