The New York herald., 1922-01-29
Fishing for Perch Through the Ice.

Fishing for Perch Through the Ice.
BY o. w. S.
Perhaps the average angler takes his win
ter fishing by the fireside. reading of others
exploits. or in fixing up his tackle for the
open season. Now l have nothing against
either occupation. in fact. often indulge
ingly. 20. W.. II you don't clean out that
furnace we viii freeze to death!' Sure. l
know the fascination Of tackle repairing
glowing CRATE while the wild winds riot out
side, on my lap we'll thumbed volume OF
ichthyic lore. Just the same. when reading
and repairs irk me, I fix up my "tip-ups',
and HE me to the Ice bound lake out behind
the hills. not far from Evansville. Wis. and
a pickerel and pike to lend thrills to an
otherwise rather tame sport
The .'tp-up' as used by me Is an adapta-
tlon OF the well known contrvance. In n
word. get bit of quarter inch pine board
from which whlttle and saw out my tip
up" 2tt inches wide at the larger end. mar
third OF the distance from the smaller end
bore a hole. Inch hole II the wood will
serve. Ordinarily make the tip-up is inch,"
long, both ends being notched to cor
the line. The hole is TO thrust throu'
stick. cut on the shore OF the lake.
the fish from pulling the outfit VS.
water, and allows the upper end TO be
up when the fish takes the hook viii
attached to the line tied 10 the smaller
Exciting Sport.
~ Is
over watching half dozen tip-ups when
the perch biting. One can make the out
ft quite ornate. painting the boards some
bright color that Will show well upon the
white surface OF the snow covered ice. The
tp-up is far and away more satisfactory
than the simple twig stuck into the snow, or
frozen into hole chopped In the Ice.
Without any question the best bait for
perch Is the common earth worm, though
he may be rather difficult TO secure In the
winter unless you know some sawdust or
compost pile beneath which the ground never
freezes. The wise winter fisher lays by a
forces them down. Small ninnows arc very
good bait and have the added value OF being
moro attractive to croppie and pickerel than
are worms, though have taken many of the
former on garden tackle" and not few
OF the latter. always to my own surprise. Tor
somehow never can think OF members OF
tho pike family AS worm eaters. Perhaps In
winter time they are put TO II TO capture
enough niinnows to keep t1rrri going. or u
may be that they are hanging about the
edges OF perch schools.
/ do know that now and then when drawing
a medium sized perch toward the opening
through the ice have had pickerel and pike
grab and swallow my capture. Not always
have succeeded IN landing the larger fish.
the line parting. II Is the part of wisdom
TO employ rather strong line ~ doing your
perch fishing where pike abound. for II Is
a reasonably sure thing that you will connect
up with one or more Of the unsavory gentle
men II you fish their water for "A day.
Necessary Implements.
The other morning. cold and windy Il
was too, set out from the house armod
with half a dozen ripped tlp-ups, axe, ice
chiyei pail OF minnows. lunch and blankets.
the latter 10 form wind break out on the
lake. In passing, Just a word about the
ice chisei-simply large Ma; chisel, such AZ
any blacksmith can make, provided with a
hollow haft into which wooden staff Is
thrust: handy for trimming out the bottom
OF the hole after tho axe blade has cut
through into water, for OF course the water
| fills the hole 20 the surface, and happy 70
Is to be freed. bubbling and squirting up
ward as though under heavy pressure. When
I reached the lake the first thing was TO
erect my wind barrier and collect wood for
fire. The first was accomplished by
cutting notches IN the Ice and filing them
with wet snow, into which sticks-cut on the
shore-wcrc thrust and allowed 10 freeze IN.
Tho blanket was tied 20 them. Then n
fire was kndled on the windward side, and