It's a new year!! Happy 2009!! 2008, for many folks was a challenging one. And, for some folks, 2009 looks to have its challenges as well. But we press ahead: That's all we can do. With these challenges, we're fortunate to have diversions to, for a period of time, take our mind away from some of the unpleasant things we've got to deal with. One of those diversions is fishing. When you go fishing you're able to focus on the simpler things, like watching a turtle crawl up the riverbank or a mother duck with her brood paddling around.

You might also focus on getting a fish to bite. With that in mind, following are some things I'm going to do this year to increase my fish catch. You might consider adding these ideas to your fishing arsenal.

With the high cost of gas this past summer, some anglers went fishing less. Not necessary! Wherever you live in the Midwest, there is a good place for you to go fishing close to your home. It might be a pond, small lake, or river. You'd be surprised at the smallmouth bass that live in large streams and small rivers. Do a little homework now to discover some of the hotspots that are close to your home.

As we get farther into the ice-fishing season, things change a bit. We still need to put our bait in front of a fish if we want to be successful, but we need to be a little more aggressive in our search for fish.

Early in the season, because of thin ice and minimal snow cover, the fish can see activity above them very easily, and that can make them spooky. The less activity the better, which means anglers should move around less.
As the thickness of the ice increases, and as we get more snow, it's harder for the fish to detect activity above them. They also probably get conditioned to the noise and movement, so they aren't as easily spooked.

Because the noise and motion isn't as objectionable this time of year, it will generally be helpful for ice-anglers to move around more on the ice. We want to be going after the fish, not waiting for them to come to us. With some of the innovations in ice-fishing products in recent years, it's easier for us to go looking for fish.

In open water, there are times when a fast moving bait is best, at other times the fish prefer something that is moving slowly. The same thing is true under the ice. Different lure actions will appeal to the fish at different times. Here are some ideas for selecting a bait that will appeal to more fish when you're ice-fishing.

We'll generally use larger baits for walleyes and smaller baits for panfish. Sometimes we'll catch perch on baits intended for walleyes, but most of the time we want to use specific baits for specific species of fish.

A Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon is one of the best baits available for walleyes and perch. It has a rattle that attracts fish to the area, and the paint schemes appeal to fish in stained or clear water. When jigging this spoon, it works well to give it several good shakes, which activates the rattles, then let it sit still for a few seconds. The shaking motion attracts the fish, but they usually hit when the bait is sitting still.

Sometimes it is productive to "pound" the spoon on the bottom. This kicks up little clouds of sand, which again attracts the walleyes to the bait. Pound the spoon three or four times, then lift it off the bottom a few inches. Make the spoon quiver slightly as it hovers over the bottom.

Ice-fishing can be whatever you want it to be. Some folks like to make ice-fishing a social experience, others are more intent on catching fish. It seems like the anglers who like the social aspect of ice-fishing will opt for a warm, well-appointed ice house. They'll employ rattle-reels while they sit in the shelter playing cards, watching a football game on satellite television, and eating deer-sticks while they discuss almost any topic. They're having fun, and that's why they go fishing.

Other anglers prefer to use a portable shelter and move from hole to hole, usually fishing alone even if they're part of a group. These anglers keep a close eye on their depth-finders and change baits frequently. They're usually more interested in putting fish on the ice. They're having fun also, and that's a good thing. Different people like different things.

When I drove by the local pond this morning, it was covered with a skim of ice. Certainly not enough ice to support a person, but nonetheless ice. This is the earliest I've seen ice on the pond for a long time. Maybe that indicates an early start to ice-fishing this year, or maybe not. It's a good reminder though, that now is the time to be thinking about early ice tactics. Panfish are an early ice favorite for many Midwest ice anglers. Here are some ideas as to how you can catch more bluegills, crappies, and the like through the ice as soon as that ice is safe to walk on.

It is the belief of many accomplished ice-anglers that the number one factor for early ice success is keeping quiet and still. Of course you have to be in a fishy area, but we're assuming there are fish around. If you want to catch fish, you can't let them know you're around.

Remember that those fish are directly below you. They are probably only a few feet away. Also remember that most fish can see up pretty good. Mother Nature built fish so they could see above them effectively because many of the things that eat fish come from above, like birds. A fish's eyes are on top of its head so it can see those potentially dangerous things from above as they approach.