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Mo’
Better Views
by: Mark Martin
Underwater cameras and the latest gear is starting an
on-ice revolution Way back in 1957, Carl Lowrance started a revolution
with transistor and early echolocation technology he used to fashion
a fish finder, an instrument to tell depth and spot the critters
below. Similarly, the underwater camera, as well as a new generation
of additional accessories, is making its mark on ice fishing and changing
where and how we fish for walleye, perch and other species.
In recent years, I’ve learned a lot and confirmed many
of my suspicions
about ice fishing with an Aqua-Vu underwater camera.
Training the camera on my bait or lure, I’ve watched what movements
the fish respond to—or don’t—and have been able to refine my jigging
motions. I’ve learned, too, a lot about favorite spots I’d been fishing
for decades and what ingredients tend to attract fish. An underwater
camera has given me a newfound appreciation for fish behavior and location.
And the technology is only getting more advanced, providing a more detailed,
more powerful look at fish and structure.
You Lookin’ at Me?
A couple of new offerings from Aqua-Vu are going to figure
into my ice fishing and should continue to help the learning process
unfold. The Aqua-VU Mo Pod for instance, is a wireless
remote control with a 100-foot range that lets you rotate the camera
without cable twist. Now I’ll be able to see in all directions not only
to see fish but also figure out their travel pathways for additional
holes that will catch the fish in, or on the way out, of a given area.
Of further help is the new Ice Pro System, a unit with
seven-inch screen for a better view of what’s below. Additionally, six
infrared lights improve viewing in low light, a time when other cameras
have been rendered ineffective. Of course, it’s cool to see fish in
the first place. What’s more important is to notice what kind of bottom
the fish are relating to, and how they respond to the movements of a
lure. On the Great Lakes, I’ve seen walleyes migrate out of the depths
following old net stakes from commercial fishermen.
The times I’ve drilled other holes, I’ve looked for similar net stakes
or patches of hard bottom, even zebra mussels.An underwater camera
has also helped me figure out what to do when I’m jigging. For walleyes,
my go-to bait is a Jigging Rapala (the #5 for inland,
the #7 or #9 for the Great Lakes) with a minnow head or whole minnow
on the treble. But while everyone’s tendency is to rip the Rap with
sharp bursts, I’ve watched walleyes on the camera that zoom off with
sudden movement. That’s why, when I jig a Rap, I give it a light jiggle
and little more, subtle maneuvers that keep the walleyes’ interest.
If they keep looking and not biting, though, I slowly lift the lure
over their heads—a key trigger that often makes the fish bite. On
the other hand, if you drop the lure below them, they’re gone in a
flash. With whitefish spotted on an Aqua-Vu, though, that’s just what
you want to do—lay the lure on bottom and the whitefish will pick
it right up. The same basic jigging approach extends to spoons
such as Northland’s Fire-Eye Minnow, holographic
spoons to which I add a minnow to the treble. If the water is somewhat
murky, I go with the Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon, a lure with a brass rattle
in it.
Lazers, Traps and More
The Aqua-Vu also plays a role in where and how I set up on ice. I’m
a big fan for drilling a lot of holes to give my friends and me the
versatility to scoot from shallow to deep water, or to head in the
other direction. Taking my StrikeMaster Lazer XL 3000,
a three-horsepower auger that provides holes of 8–10 inches, I like
to drill from shallow to deep to give our group the opportunity to
spread out and try different depths. For base campsomewhere in the
middle, I set up a portable shanty. I’m
able to watch the Aqua-Vu and get an idea of what’s going on down
below. I’m able to see how many fish are moving through, and if I
think it’s not enough, the StrikeMaster and Fish Trap make it easy
enough to move. So do the predrilled holes shallower or deeper, where
I’ll set up next. If it’s midday, I’ll go deeper to soft bottom where
walleyes hang in depths of 40 feet or more. Come the hour of low light,
I’ll move in shallower, where walleyes cruise the edge of prominent
structure to feed. Some additional equipment and preparations also
enter the picture. Some great jigging rods come in the Lightning
Rod Professional Ice Rods
series by Dave Genz, a collection of rods from 24 to 36 inches
in actions from light to medium heavy. The rods are made with solid,
not hollow, graphite to withstand punishing conditions. At the same
time, the rods are made of higher modulus, stiffer graphite than most
ice rods. The reason is that less graphite is needed in the rod—hence
it’s lighter in weight and more sensitive. Also yielding a feathery
touch are five (instead of three) chrome-plated guides with stainless-steel
inserts, another way to reduce weight and improve sensitivity and
strength. I like them for jigging with Raps and spoons, and I often
take a light rod with a Northland Fire-Ball jig with
a minnow for a dead rod I set on a bucket, keeping the minnow about
a foot above bottom. For manageable line, I’ve always liked Berkley
6-pound XL, but with the recent formulation called IronSilk,
I can get similar limpness and manageability in cold weather but additional
strength in case a big fish runs and scrapes against the side of a
jagged ice hole. Speaking of cold weather, I also take care of my
reels with Reel Saver Grease, a light, high performance
lubricant, that treat and smooth out reel parts and truly prevent
corrosion like no other and that won’t seize up in freezing conditions.
Electronics, including the Aqua-Vu units my trusty Lowrance
X-85 or the new X67C color liquid-crystal
locator, I’m able to see fish and figure
out how to catch them. It might take a little trial and error until
you figure out your own favorite jigging motors, but by seeing fish
on the screens before you, it takes far less time to come up with
the right moves. With underwater cameras and the latest in ice gear,
effective ice fishing is elevated to an altogether new level.
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