Most successful early ice fisherman have a definite game plan before heading out on the ice. Sure, there are many fish taken by lucky anglers, but don t rely on it. This is one of the few periods when location is much more important than presentation. Through the years I have seen fishermen doing many things wrong, but they still catch fish, because they are on fish. The secret to consistent catches of both numbers and quality are shallow-water weeds.
Many fishermen make the mistake of looking for deepwater fish at first ice.
Weeds that seemed dead a few weeks before the ice covered the lake are now teaming with life. Forage fish will move into the shallow weeds to feed, and in turn, the larger predator fish will follow. Throughout most of the open water period, much of my time is spent fishing weedlines. However, don t make the mistake of just working the weedlines at first ice. While weedlines will hold large fish they are not the real hot spots.