Are you ready for ice fishing?

I know, it’s not even opening day of hunting season yet, but I have ice fishing on my mind. As a tournament promoter (Perch Assault and Ice Duels), my thoughts turn to ice fishing about mid-summer as permits must be submitted and advertising deadlines loom, so I have an excuse.

For those of us who fish quite a bit in the fall, one of the best things we can do is to make note of several things we see while we are out fishing. Simply put, where fish are in late fall is the first place to look for them at first ice.

Using your sonar and GPS, marking weed lines and edges and other structures with fish around them makes drilling those first holes less of a guess. Taking some time while in the boat, marking waypoints, tracing out structure areas and even transferring them to your hand-held GPS will pay great dividends.

It’s also a good idea to take some of that ice fishing tackle out on the boat for a day. Make sure the rods and reels are in good working order and that your ice jigs and lures are ready to go. Make your shopping list now so when the gear hits the shelves you get first crack at the full selection of gear.

Bringing the ice sonar along and comparing what you are used to seeing on your open water sonar to what it looks like on your Vexilar or Marcum units can help you be more efficient and certain of what you’re really seeing below the ice.

Get the batteries charged up and even replaced if they are more than three years old. Older batteries really show their weakness out in the cold, so starting the new season with a fresh battery is always a good choice. I always have a spare or two ready to go in case of an on-ice failure.

Power augers need attention now, too, so get them out and start them up. Hopefully you put your auger to sleep for the summer correctly and it fires right up, but if it doesn’t, it’s most likely fuel-related. There is a great new product on the market specifically for fixing small engines with ethanol fuel issues. It’s called Fix-it Fuel and I would be happy to provide you with more info if you send me an e-mail. A new spark plug and a light coating of oil on all the moving parts is best done now, before it gets colder, so the lubricants will reach all the places it needs to.

Take a look at all your ice-fishing gear. Examine your portable shelters for any material defects, especially if rodents are a problem in your area. Look at your ATVs and snowmobiles and make sure they’re ready to go.

Batteries, fuel systems, tracks and tires should be checked now. It’s much more pleasant now with the weather, and you won’t be surprised when it’s time to go fishing. At the minimum, when the boat gets winterized and put away, getting the motorized ice gear ready should be an integral part of that process.

This winter will see some awesome new gear for the ice angler, just as in the last few years. The ice fishing market is growing rapidly, with several top companies putting a lot of emphasis on the ice angler.

Clothing, shelters, rods and reels, electronics and augers have all advanced rapidly over the last two to three seasons. Lures are becoming more and more realistic, and tactics are being advanced every year. Modern day ice-fishing looks nothing like what grandpa did back in the day.

Mobility, comfort and safety are light years ahead of where they were when I first ice fished, and information is everywhere. Whether you’re a seasoned icehead or just getting into it, if you love to fish and don’t go ice fishing, you’re “missing the boat.” If, like me, you can’t wait for first ice, following the above advice will mean you’re ready to go when that first layer of ice covers the lakes. See you on the “water.”

Mike Howe runs Howe’s Fishing/A Able Charters, online at www.howesfishing.com.