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Girls We Need to Talk
Let’s Hit the Ice
As fall brings its falling leaves along with it comes falling temperatures. Which for some of us who can hardly wait for the hard water season to begin, this is great news. Fall also brings an introduction of the new products available for the ice fishing season.
I am always looking for new products that are female friendly, encourage families and groups to head out on the ice and that protect our environment. With the 2011 season soon upon us, I can’t wait to round up the girls and hit the ice.
WHATS NEW
This year is extraordinary; I found some of the most incredible products that will guarantee a ladies weekend slamming walleyes on Lake Winnipeg to be like no other. My sources vary from internet, press releases and magazines and a great friend of mine from Gander Mountain in Fargo, Eddy Carlson. He is like an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to fishing. During our conversation about the new products we discussed the new Fish – Scout Underwater Camera from Vexilar. This new cutting edge underwater camera features a 7 inch color wide screen monitor and a host of features that make it irresistible at my local trout pond. Being able to watch 3 - 4 lb rainbows slam a 1/8 ounce flasher jig is going to remarkable. Vexilar has also introduced the FL 22 HD. The FL-22HD is the first flasher sonar system that matches the depth range you've set to the resolution on the display so you see every possible detail in the water below.
For that annual get – together with the girls Clam is introducing the NEW Command Post Thermal which is quite simply ingenious. The Command Post Thermal is a lightweight and compact portable pop-up shelter that provides 72 sq. ft. of roomy fishing space when set up. With the FULL THERMAL IceArmor top you have a shelter that will retain more heat than any other portable pop-up shelter and reduce condensation. We will have room for the fish fryers and 4 to 6 chairs so we can fish together. This also eliminates a lot of extra equipment such as heaters and portables having to be taken out on the ice, along with a faster over all set up time.
Eddy and I also spent much time talking about the new products from Strikemaster and a couple definitely made me smile. The light weight four stroke Strike – Lite II at 23 lbs.,is so convenient that you simply fill it up at the pump when filling up the truck. The Strike-Lite's sturdy synthetic drill drives twin stainless steel Lazer-Lite blades. Oh my gosh! For us ladies who worry about being able to start the auger in extreme weather conditions our prayers have been answered! The Electra Lazer is an all electric auger with a 90 RPM auger rotation. One flip of a switch rather than pulling puts us ahead of the game. On the ice, we will find the bottom of hole after hole without burning an ounce of gas. The Electra Lazer 12000 DP sips from a 12 volt battery while swallowing the lake in gulps. Specially designed stainless steel Lazer Blades cut crisp corridors through the ice. External battery cables clamp to your vehicle as an alternative power source. Look out lake here we come and it is environmentally friendly!
Eddy and I once again talked tips, techniques and products and shared the same feeling about the anticipation of the hard water season. Digging though the archives of my computer I found a fantastic technique that Eddy uses for monster walleye.
"Hog Call'n" up a Sumo Piggy Walleye, Backwater Eddy Carlson style.
I have a little presentation trick I like to use for calling in, and most importantly, for trigger roaming walleye into a strike. I refer to it as "Hog Call'n". It consists of 2 rod combo's rigged and ready, with 2 separate lures attached, ready to go. Rigged and ready is critical, but we can get more to that in a bit. And the best part of this system is, anyone can put it to work and up there chances on a true trophy class walleye.
The basics of my "Hog Call'n" system consists of 3 basic steps or stages.
Step #1 Get their attention. You accomplish step 1 with large bodacious vertical jigging bait, worked vigorously. My personal choice for this is a Salmo Zipper, and I let that baby rip. Rod combo selection is also important in this 2 rod system. For the first rod, a firm medium to medium heavy ice rod combo works very well with this larger bait offering. The firmer rod in the 28" to 32" range will be an asset to handle a fired up hard hitting sumo piggy walleye, because if a big fish is near and riled up they will likely hit sooner, than latter, and hard. Wimpy rods need not apply for this step. Have some backbone working for you with this combo. The primary "Hog Call'r" here, the Salmo Zipper, will produce a loud rattle and also a seductive shimmy and flash that will get any fish's attention in a very wide perimeter from your ice hole...Soooo--Weeee....here piggy...piggy...piggy! Drop the Salmo Zipper down to the bottom...Rip-Rip-Rip...You just called Da Hogs. Not so much rocket science or fish'n finesse involved here, we are jigging for effect here. "Hog Call'n" pure and simple.
Step #2 A fish comes into view on the Vexilar. If it's hot to go, you will know real quick...THUD...game on. If the fish appears not so hot, you work the Zipper up a foot or two and repeat...Rip...Rip...Rip...still just a looker. Well OK then, now we need to proceed to the next step. This step is where we turn the "Lookers" into "Hookers".
Step #3 Since we got the fish's attention but it appears leery of the offering, we reel that Zipper up quickly removing it from the game completely. We than reach for the second rod and bait and get it back down there as quickly as we can before the fish losses interest and movies on. My fallow up presentation on this rod would likely be a Salmo Chubby Darter of the same basic color and pattern as the Salmo Zipper, but much smaller in comparison. I would prefer a med weight rod combo for this, with a lighter action more suitable for walleye, lighter than the first rod for sure. Now we slip down to the fussy fish the Ol' Chubby, but in a size #3 or #4 Chubby. Which is far less intimidating for a Look'r fish to take a poke at. I'm confident in estimating that 70% of the time that #3 Chubby will never reach the bottom if the fish is still in the vicinity. That Looker' more often than not will rise to meet it and inhaul that Chubby on the drop, or with very little encouragement on your part once it comes back into view. But before warned, be ready every inch of the way down, that fish can come out of nowhere if the fish slide off the Vexilar display. It may come in Hot from any depth and angle to meet that poor little Chubby on its way down.
"Hog Call'n" is a bait and switch approach to drawing fish in to you. It works very well when exploring large basins to locate roaming walleye. It does wonders in clear water as well as in stained water. I also found it highly productive if not more so on river systems. A simple 2 rod system that can turn a lot of roaming Lookers, into rod bending Hookers. Give it a go, do some "Hog Call'n" and see who comes a running on you next ice fishing trip.
I think the best part of this technique is the stealing fish factor! I can’t wait to be sitting beside someone when those finicky fish are just bumping the hook and drop down a Salmo Zipper.
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