Ice Fishing Offers Cure To Cabin Fever

It is time to dust off the ice fishing equipment you have stored in the garage for the past few years. Recent cold temperatures have many area lakes frozen over and ice-fishable. Most waters in the Idaho Panhandle are open to ice fishing. However, before we get far into the discussion it is important to mention that anyone interested in ice fishing must carefully review the regulations for dates and species or size restrictions on the many waters in our area. Once you know the regulations for the water you like to fish, it is critical to know what type and thickness of ice will safely support anglers and their equipment. The safe load that ice will bear is not dependent entirely upon its thickness, but there are some reliable rules of thumb. A minimum of three inches of clear, blue ice (preferably four inches) will support a single angler; and, five inches will hold several anglers in single file. Eight inches is needed for safe operation of a snowmobile. If you want to drive your truck on the ice, please travel to Minnesota. N. Idaho ice is never safe for that. Thickness is not the only consideration. How the ice formed and the weather following formation are important to determining the integrity of ice. Slush ice is only about half as strong as clear ice, so anglers should double the minimum thickness figures when encountering such conditions. However, the ice you will find on most area lakes at this time was formed under ideal conditions and is likely to be quite strong. Ice weakens with age. Late in the season, when it turns dark and gets "honeycombed," it's time to quit for the season. A cold snap sometimes halts the deterioration, but honeycombed ice will never refreeze to its original strength. Any lake with moving water in it, whether from an inlet canal, springs, groundwater seepages or an outlet, should be regarded with skepticism. Water movement, no matter how slight, retards freezing, often leaving hard-to-detect thin spots. Be suspicious of any discolored ice. Imbedded materials such as weeds or logs weaken ice, and large objects in or on the ice such as abandoned duck blinds or ice shanties can absorb the heat of the sun's rays and weaken ice. Ice near shore may be weakened by heat from the ground. Anglers, skaters, snowmobilers etc. need to keep in mind that a sudden warm spell can change conditions quickly. Caution must always be used before venturing forth on ice covered lakes. Ice conditions can quickly change whenever the weather changes. N. Idaho offers some excellent ice fishing for yellow perch and northern pike. Also available at times are crappie, bluegill, bass, cutthroat, rainbow and kokanee. Mornings and evenings are often the most productive fishing times, with slow periods in the middle of the day. For yellow perch and other panfish, auger a few holes until you find a spot about 20-25 feet deep and fish just above the bottom using maggots, cut bait or black maribou jigs. Occasional movement of your bait or lure seems to trigger strikes. Those who prefer to catch or eat trout should fish three-15' deep. Any type of the bait additives which add scent or color will likely improve your success. Places where action should be good (provided the ice is solid) include Avondale, Upper Twin, Cocolalla, Rose, Hauser and Fernan Lakes. Try any of the chain lakes (esp. Medicine and Killarney), or Hayden and Coeur d'Alene lakes for pike when well frozen. Use smelt or herring 3-4 feet below the ice. The southern chain lakes tend to lose ice quickly when rain falls on the ice, so use caution if that chain of events materializes. Round Lake traditionally produces limits of trout. Remember you will need to pay a state park entrance fee to fish at Round Lake. When ice conditions permit, try Spirit Lake for kokanee in the very early morning. The limit on Spirit lake is 15 kokanee. Kokanee swim in schools, so look for other anglers catching fish and without crowding them too much, auger a hole nearby. Use a bead chain with a maggot tipped glow hook. Ice anglers are permitted five lines (with or without a "two pole validation), however any more than two or three are difficult to keep baited and watched at any particular time. Holes may be no more than ten inches in diameter for safety reasons. When I worked in southern Idaho, I remember taking a call once from an angler complaining that the fish were too big because he couldn't get them through the ten inch hole. I told him I'd better come check it out for myself, but he wouldn't tell me where he was fishing! (It was Springfield Lake near Aberdeen I discovered). Ice shelters left overnight must be marked with the name, address and phone number of the owner. Currently in most areas of the Panhandle, the ice is not covered by snow. That can allow excellent ice formation, but can also lead to very slick walking. Ice creepers are a good idea to avoid spills on the ice. After safety considerations, the second most important thing to remember is that a new license is required as of January 1st. Good luck, be safe and stay warm. For more information on ice fishing in the Idaho Panhandle, look at the IDFG web page. Fishery Manager Ned Horner has posted excellent information on where to go and how to stay safe.