Ice fishing ‘25

I’ve been out quite a few times now, usually for a few hours at a time. It’s been generally slow but hopefully it’ll pick up. I’ve caught anywhere from a half dozen to 15 yellow perch each time, only a single crappie and a rainbow trout one evening. I went smelt fishing one night for a few hours after sunset but that didn’t pan out either. Lots of winter left and I’ve gotten a good dose of fresh air.
Someday I might even figure out how to post a picture that’s not sideways!

Attachment 499786

Attachment 499787

Nice catches.

Awesomeness sir! Those perch are mighty fine eating. Thanks for sharing

Glad I'm not the only one having trouble finding crappie this ice season. Quinn, are you fishing shallow or deep for the most part? Shallow, say 15' or less, I have not done well, only finding the 3 perch last weekend on about a 2 1/2 hour trip. Mighty slow. Was out on the same water this past Saturday at mid day and was totally skunked in shallow water; only marked 1 fish in almost 3 hours of hole hopping. Wonder if I'm not giving each hole enough time or wrong bait selection or what? I'm using plastics only, no live bait, not even waxies or spikes. I know the water pretty well from open water fishing and feel that I'm working the weed line or just a bit beyond based on my way points marking the general weed edges.
I've always found perch and some crappie out over the basin and looking back, it was about the same time of year 3 years ago and beyond.
On this last trip, I was using a 5mm tungsten bait with a whitish colored tail for a horizontal presentation (which worked great in '22) and 870 was using a Swedish pimple for a vertical presentation, all in 28-32' of water. Any tips on where else we should be looking or presentations that are working for you and that we should try? I do have some much smaller jigs of various colors and styles, as well as other vertical lures, like Forage jigs and Hali jigs, as well as Pimples.
I'm really just guessing as I don't have a lot of ice experience and simply go back to what worked in the past (since I got back started in '18) which is deep water out over the basin.

I do both but I fish in deeper water more often, usually in 30ish feet. I almost always fish with a 4mm tungsten jig with a wax worm. I jig until fish show up on the Vex and then very little, often I slowly reel up away from them and then stop.
I have caught perch on Hali jigs but I use them more smelt fishing.
I tried crappie fishing Thursday evening and stuck out again on them, I did catch 5 big yellow perch.
my daughter and I went smelt fishing last night for a few hours after dark, we had a great time and managed 156 smelt. We were fishing in 35’ of water but the smelt are scattered from top to bottom. A Hali jig and a wax worm will usually tempt them, the hard part is hooking the little rascals. We probably don’t do any better than 50% hooking them.
Attachment 499983

I've heard that smelt are a tasty little fish, never had the opportunity to try for them. I rigged up 2 more poles this this morning with different jigs to try when I can't seem to get them to commit repeatedly. I think one of them was a 4mm.
Thanks for the info on how you're doing it, pretty similar to what I'm doing, particularly finding them deep and not shallow.

We went back for a bit last night and I took a few pictures, I meant to take one from outside after dark but it was below zero and I didn’t want to go out! We caught 142 and then the heater wouldn’t stay lit so we headed for the truck before we froze.
Attachment 500057
Attachment 500058

Double

Good job. Just hearing you talk about it makes me cold.

I went back out smelt fishing last night, got set up as the sun was setting and over the next few hours caught 273 smelt. For the first hour the wind was really gusty and occasionally I had to grab the shack and hang on for dear life. The deep snow and water on top of the ice made it difficult to get the anchors in.
It’s time to start getting serious about finding some crappies.

That's a lot of smelt! What I know about them comes from the book by Byron Dalyrimple "hunting for the pot, fishing for the pan". In that book, he talks about dipping them rather than hook and line like you're doing.
Tell us a little about how you're cleaning and cooking them, assuming you are having a taste of them fresh and not putting them all in the freezer.

I fish at night so before I head home I pack them in snow or if there’s no snow I use my auger to make shaved ice. That keeps them from freezing solid in my garage overnight. They are easy to clean, I use a small fillet knife to slit the bellies and cut behind the head, but only thru the spine, then pull off the head and most everything comes with it. Some people use scissors but I prefer a knife.

I put snow in the bowl with the cleaned smelt as I go. When I’m done I wash the bucket and dump the smelt and snow back into it, add some water and swirl it around awhile, take out the melt, dump the water and usually another quick rinse in cold water and thats it.

I stink at posting pictures here!

I like them fried, I put some flour in a bag with salt, pepper and Old Bay. Throw in 10 or so smelt to coat them and fry them for 5 minutes or so at 350 degrees. You can eat the whole thing when they’re small, the bones disappear.
Attachment 500816Attachment 500817Attachment 500818

Those look tasty!

"Glad I'm not the only one having trouble finding crappie this ice season." I think he meant he felt bad that you were having a hard time also. :Rofl HAHAHA

I went out yesterday afternoon for a few hours and stayed until 7:30 or so. No crappie which was disappointing but I caught a half dozen big perch and 3 rainbows. Lost 3 other rainbows trying to get them headed into the hole.

Good score! Glad you made it out and that's a good meal or 2 for your efforts. 870 and I, we didn't make out so well yesterday, ended up with a single perch each for a 3 hour effort. His was a whopper like your picture above, mine was average.

Smelt fishing is still great, still having very little luck with the crappie. Planning to go out again in the next few days.

There ya go.. start them kids young! 6lb and I are done hard water fishing down here, the edges are all opening up.