ATTRACTING the FISH!!!
As you may have already figured out by reading this series, there is never just One Thing. Attracting fish is no different. Its like try to pick up a girl, or guy, at the club. It is about getting someone’s attention. Smell, look, size, sounds, and good vibrations are needed. Without all your Mojo working, you will go home skunked!
In ice fishing, these One Things are even ore important since the fish are in the cold, still, muffled, darkness of a frozen lake.
SCENT Select a glow scent that is flavored for the fish species you are after. Anise is a good all-around scent. After you bait up, add some Joy Juice or gel to your rig. It is like icing the cake. If globs of this gel are seen floating in the hole, touch them with your line and watch the glob slide down the line. You can also use a bright light to energize the glow.
NOISE Fish can be attracted by sounds. Light jingles or rattle style lures can offer enticement. Too much noise can also send the fish to the other side of the lake. No River Dancing while you are fishing please. I also notice that fishermen playing loud music catch fewer fish.
LIGHT Seeing is believing. If the fish can’t see it, they can’t bite it. Once a couple feet of snow are on the ice, the fish are in the dark. Dropping Glow jigs can make the difference. Add the Glow scent for even more of an attractive treat. The opposite is true for clear ice. Find a place to fish that has some snow cover or cloudy ice to set up. If the fish see you, they will be spooked.
JIGGING Jig, jig, thump, thump. Or was it jiggity, thump, jig, thump? Everyone has their own rhythm. Mix it up until the bites start. Try lifting the jigs full up then allow them to drop. Now watch for the bite. Some days, no jigging is allowed. The fish may just want the Dead Stick.
SILTING Lakes that have a silty bottom are perfect for Silting. Drop a large flat washer, tie to a cord, down the hole. Once on the bottom, pull the cord up and down to create a silt cloud on the bottom. This silt cloud mimics feeding fish. You can also add a vial filled with cotton balls and scent.
CHUMMING Adding some chum or food to the equation helps. Normally, I use corn niblets. Drop a couple down the hole. I rarely hook up when using corn as bait, but I have seen other guys use corn exclusively. If the corn is not eaten on the way down, it will attract fish at the bottom. Spread the niblets out. Just a few will do. I have also used white rice soaked in scent. Keep them in a zip bag and drop a few when the fishing slows.
Say Hey good looking!
Montana Grant
For more Montana Grant, get chummy at www.montanagrantfishing.com.
