Aaron Martens, who is a five time Bassmaster tournament champion, BASS Angler of the Year winner and who has been second in the Bassmaster Classic four times now, was leading after the day one weigh in with a mammoth 23 pounds, 14 ounces. I’ve know Aaron since he was about 20 years old and he is not only a super nice person, but perhaps the finest angler I have ever fished with.

“Today went great,” Aaron said. “I caught about 25 fish. I was looking for five pounders or bigger. I ended up with two in the five-pound range and three in the four-pound range.”

Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, Aaron was obviously pumped.

“I feel good about the rest of the event,” he said. “I have about thirty good spots with schools of fish. Some of them had boats on them today, but the fish are hard to catch. There are about twenty spots with good fish—over four pounds—on them. Today I went to a few of the spots where I thought the biggest fish were and it worked out.”

What really impressed me, however, was what Aaron said about his approach to the Douglas Lake tournament. “What I am most excited about is that the pattern I am on is good,” he said. “It’s what I love doing. Anytime you are fishing the way you love to fish and it’s working pretty well, you’ve got a chance to win.”

When all was said and done yesterday, Aaron was sitting in the hot seat, leading the tournament with only two remaining anglers left to weigh in. Unfortunately they nudged him out of the $100,000 win. Still, any time you can finish in third place against the top elite bass anglers in the world and put $20,000 into your pocket, you know you did things right.

And pattern fishing is one of the things that Aaron excels at. Indeed, I’ll never forget fishing with another legendary bass angler, Ricky Clunn, a few years ago and Ricky telling me that, “a good pattern will beat good spots every time.”

What the pros mean when they talk about developing a “pattern” is searching for the specific set of conditions they can use to predict and replicate where and how they can catch fish on any given day.

It starts with every fish they catch. When each one comes into the boat, they keep a mental note (Clunn actually writes down the details in a notebook) of the depth the fish was at, whether they were reeling the lure fast, slow or at a moderate speed, whether the structure or cover was positioned on the windy or sheltered side of the lake.  And so on, and so on, and so on.

(Credit: B.A.S.S. Communications)

After they catch three, four or five fish, and see the pattern evolving, they can usually then pick up an underwater contour map of the lake and predict with uncanny certainty that they are going to catch fish here and here and here.

Trust me, I’ve seen them do it. And it is nothing short of unbelievable.

So, the lesson for the day, folks, is that if you want to catch more and bigger walleye, bass, salmon, trout, or panfish—or whatever your favourite fish happens to be—like the pros, instead of always heading to your favourite fishing “spot”, broaden your scope and develop a pattern.

And if you can’t resist going to your favourite spots, at least keep track of things like the depth of water the fish are using and how they are relating and reacting to the wind and weather conditions. Then, take the information and try to expand on the evolving daily pattern.

Trust me: you will be pleasantly surprised by the results. You may even find yourself fishing like a five-time Bassmaster tournament champion!

Here is what Jason wrote: “My friends and I brought a couple lake trout home and while cleaning one of the fish I found a small white growth embedded in the meat.  It was pure white, shaped like a jellybean, and was about the size of the fingernail on my pinkie finger.  I removed the growth, squeezed it and it did not pop – it was firm.

“Have you ever heard of this type of growth before, or have you heard of any instances where lake trout are not safe to eat?  Do you think it would be best to discard the meat, or if I cook it thoroughly will it be safe to eat?  Any insight would be greatly appreciated.”

Well, Jason, unbeknownst to most anglers, is the fact that fish are susceptible to any number of parasites, grubs, bacteria, viruses, growths and diseases. The good news is that when we’re cleaning fish and see one of these things we tend to cut it out.  And even if we miss a couple during the filleting process, as we often do, few are harmful to humans.  Especially, if you freeze the fish and / or thoroughly cook it.  Indeed, this is the reason most Federal and Provincial Health Codes require that any fish that is to be served uncooked, as sushi in a restuarant, must first be frozen at a very cold temperature for a set period of time.

While it is only a guess, it’s likely that what you saw was the common tapeworm called Triaenophorus crassus.  The life cycle of this parasite is fascinating because the tapeworm matures only inside northern pike. The life cycle goes something like this.

When a mature worm lays its eggs inside a pike’s intestine, they are excreted into the water. This usually happens in the spring when the pike are spawning, as happened over the last few weeks, depending on where you live in Canada.

Obviously a tapeworm’s eggs are much too small for us to see with the naked eye.  But they’re not too small to escape detection by the trillions of microscopic animals (zooplankton) that live in the water.  When a zooplankton eats a tapeworm egg it becomes infected.  (By the way, the tapeworm egg has to be eaten within 48 hours or it dies.)

Once inside the zooplankton, however, the egg transforms itself, changes its shape and grows for about two weeks. Now, as you probably know, zooplankton are a favorite food of many smaller fish species.  Especially ciscoes.  But, whitefish and lake trout also eat them, especially younger trout.

When a fish eats an infected zooplankton, the gastric juices inside the fish’s stomach free the tapeworm embryo.  It, then, punctures a tiny hole in wall of the stomach and penetrates the flesh.  When it does this, however, the fish’s response system encapsulates the worm, almost like a cocoon, and forms a cyst.

By the way, the worm, or Plerocercoid larvae as it is called, can live in the host ciscoe, whitefish or trout for many years.  But they can only fully mature and develop eggs inside a northern pike, which is what happens when a pike eats an infected ciscoe, whitefish or trout.  The mature larvae attach themselves to the wall of the pike’s intestine and live off the digested food of the pike. The larvae finish maturing over a period of almost a year.  Then they develop and lay their eggs and the cycle starts all over again.

Ciscoes, which lake trout and pike devour, often host tapeworm larvae.

As I mentioned, if an infected ciscoe, whitefish or lake trout isn’t eaten by a pike the larvae can remain in the flesh for five or six years.  Eventually it will die, however, and when that happens the tapeworm is absorbed into the flesh and the wound heals.  What you saw was likely the scar tissue.  But, as I mentioned, if you removed it during the filleting process, or prior to cooking the fish, you shouldn’t have any worries.

Bon appetit!

It is the date for Tackle Rama 3.

No, Tackle Rama 3 isn’t a high price pay-per-view wrestling match or Ultimate Fight night contest – it is the third annual Winnipeg fishing tackle swap-and-shop hosted by good buddy Bob Duncan at the Nor-Villa hotel.

And it is also the place to get in on the fishing tackle bargains of a lifetime.  As a buyer and a seller.

“For individual anglers, Tackle Rama is a great opportunity to reduce the amount of new and used fishing tackle and equipment that you may have taking up valuable space around the house or in the garage,” Bob says.  ”You can even find a buddy to share a table if you like, or we can help you arrange to share tables with other folks on a first-come-first-serve basis.

“Similarly, if you are a vendor, give us a call and we’ll be happy to book your table and parking spot early.”

As any angler who attended Tackle Rama 1 and 2 knows, this fun gathering is the place to buy new and used fishing rods, reels, nets, electronics, sonar units, underwater cameras, electric trolling motors,heck, you name it and I guarantee someone has it for sale, at a rock bottom, give-away price.

That is what makes it such a win/win event.

If anglers are anything, we’re big time collectors of tackle and every year we just “have to have” the latest, greatest, biggest, brightest and newest things.  So we always have a ton of new and gently tackle items taking up space that other anglers would dearly love to buy.

That is what makes Tackle Rama so interesting – it is the fishing tackle equivalent of E-Bay and Quibids wrapped up into one.  It is also why in past years, so many anglers showed up for the event that vendors were sold out by noon and anglers were walking out the doors with big smiles on their faces and bags of goodies in their hands.

Not surprisingly, Bob has extended the hours so Tackle Rama 3 this year will run from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

If you’d like to book a table (they rent for peanuts, something like $20 each) give Bob Duncan a shout at (204) 774 3250 or (204) 334 2547 or send him an e-mail at bob.duncan@hotmail.com Alternative e-mail addresses are dwbuchholz@shaw.ca and j.wiebe@mts.net

And don’t forget – mark it down – April 21st, Nor-Villa hotel in Winnipeg.

Now … are you ready to rumble!  Oops, wrong event!

The very last place you’d imagine catching belly sagging rainbows of world record proportions, would be in dusty, dry southern Saskatchewan.   But trust me, dusty, dry Saskatchewan, especially gigantic Lake Diefenbaker, is the place to be.

And that is where Russ Sutherland, aka “Suds”, a faithful Outdoor Canada reader, has set his sights come June.  Suds sent me the following e-mail recently, and I am sure his questions echo what is going through the minds of many other trout anglers these days.  So, it is worth sharing Suds’ question and the answer.

To start, Suds writes:

“Dear Gord, I have read many of your articles on fishing over the years. They are always interesting, and have helped me become a more successful angler. Many, many thanks.

I live in Alberta and plan on fishing Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan this June and hope to target trout.  I need some help, as this is a very large lake and we have a week to 10 days. Where do we start?  What would be good lures for trolling?  Would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks again for your time.  Suds”

Now, I don’t have a lot of experience fishing Lake Diefenbaker for rainbow trout, which is to say, I have none at all – although the giant trout and the lake have long been on my “bucket list”.

Fortunately, however, my good buddy and long standing Saskatchewan fishing guide, Jeff Matity, has plenty of knowledge and time on the water.

“I don’t know how many more years that population of diploid and triploid trout have left,” Jeff told me, explaining the giant, fast growing trout that anglers have been catching in Lake Diefenbaker are actually “escapees” from commercial pen nets set in the lake.  “But, now is as good a time as any to go for it.  I think Suds has a shot at a monster with that much time to fish.

“From a boat, June is one of the best times to locate trout in the back bays, coulees and shallow water areas.  During the day, casting #10 Husky Jerks, Blue Fox Strobe spoons and Mepps Syclops spoons in silver/blue tones is the proven strategy.”

Interestingly, Jeff says it is best to fish as many of coulees as possible, during the day time, so you can learn the areas in order to come back to fish the night bite.  That is when the “MOGOMBO” rainbows, as he calls them, come out to play.

“I can only assume Suds and his buddies are putting in this amount of time in order to cross paths with a 20-plus pounder,” Jeff says, “so by fishing during the day, he can learn how to navigate the water safely and go from coulee to coulee after the sun goes down, looking for surface activity.

“Once in a bay, use your electric trolling motor to quietly move along, casting your baits, looking for the “magic moment” when the giant trout push a school of ciscoes to the surface.  When that happens you can lay waste to them.

“The surface will begin with an area of “nervous” water, which will then switch to individual ciscoes jumping, before an all-out feeding frenzy with the rainbows breaking the surface like dolphins, tearing the ciscoes to pieces. This only happens at night, however, so to get in on the action you have to be there after the sun goes down.”

Wow, talk about an interesting pattern.

But Jeff says there is another option that anglers should consider.  That is fishing the tail waters below the dam that forms Saskatchewan’s mini Great Lake.

Jeff says the key areas to target with the same spoons, jerkbaits and spinners are the eddies and he notes, “This is where all of the world record rainbows have been caught.  In other words, in the South Saskatchewan River below the dam and not in Diefenbaker Lake itself, as has been reported in the media.”

So, there you have it, Suds.  Keep this good advice in mind and I am betting you’ll hook into at least one “moogator” like this 30-inch by 24-inch giant that Jeff’s buddy, John Salamon, caught and that tipped the scales at 20-pounds 5-ounces.

To make the catch even more impressive, John caught the fish on a Bunny Strip Zonker fly, using an 8-weight fly rod and reel spooled with a full sink line.  And he caught the giant rainbow below the powerhouse dam, in 15-feet of “heavy water”, at high noon.

Wow … it makes you want to start planning a trip to Lake Diefenbaker as soon as possible, doesn’t it?

The other good news, of course, is that we have so many fabulous yellow perch fisheries to choose among.   In Ontario, Lake Simcoe and Lake Erie are probably the two most prominent ones but Erie rarely freezes over well in the winter and even Simcoe has had terrible ice conditions this winter.  (I just read the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOMA) is suggesting that the winter of 2011/12 is likely going to go into the record books as among the top ten hottest winters since records have been kept.) 

A little further north, Lake Nipissing offers great perch fishing and as I’ve mentioned many times in the past, the bays and coves along the north shore of Lake Huron and Lake Superior have untouched perch potential.

Heading further west, into Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba and Last Mountain Lake are superb perch fisheries offering both numbers of fish and trophies to boot. 

Indeed, we have so many easy perch fishing opportunities at our doorsteps that it is hard sometimes to leave them alone and go a little bit off the beaten path.

But, exploring off the beaten path is what Winnipeg-based buddies Tom Van Leeuwen and Mike Schamber have been doing the past week and they have discovered what just might be the finest perch fishery anywhere on earth.

Sounds too good to be true?  Well, feast your eyes on the images of the 14-, 15 and 16 inch, two- to two-and-a-half-pound plus yellow perch that grace this page.

Mike and Tom didn’t keep count of the number of big jumbos they caught on Saturday but thought it was 50 or 60, many even more.  Needless to say, I’ve already got a trip planned with them come “first ice” next winter, but until then, mum’s the word, and I am going to have to satisfy my perch cravings by looking at these pics!

The bottom line of course, is that it always pays to stray from the beaten path, and try fishing new waters.   Many times you strike out chasing false dreams, but then again, you only have to win like this on occasion to make it all worthwhile.

As I was telling a group of folks who had asked about the ice augers I use and the ones I would recommend, if I had a spare million dollars to invest in the fishing industry, the very last place I would risk my money is in anything involved with ice augers.

And not for the reasons you might think.

Over the past four or five winters I have spent close to 75 plus days on the ice fishing and filming television shows.  And I can’t believe the number of folks I bump into with tales of ice auger woes.  Usually of broken clutches, drive shafts and gears.  It is nothing short of bewildering and I do not know how auger manufacturers stay in business.

I say that, because the fault usually lies with the anglers, not with the machinery.

So, let me give you three tips that I absolutely guarantee will add years of life to your ice auger and will free you up to spend your time on the ice much more productively.

Let’s start with the easiest one first:  add fuel stabilizer to the can in which you store your gas/oil mixture.

I have a friend, here in Kenora, who owns and operates a mobile marine business repairing big, medium and small engines of every size and shape imaginable.  Everything from chain saws and ice augers to 4-wheel drive quads, snowmachines and giant outboards.  And get this: he tells me he would go out of business – those are his words, not mine – if everyone added fuel stabilizer to their gas.

He has one or two technicians at the shop that do nothing all day – nothing – other than tune up small gas engines.  Things like ice augers that start, stop, start, sputter and won’t cut, because they’re gummed up inside.

Now, I am not sponsored by any fuel additive company, so I am not going to tell you that you must buy one brand over another, or that one works better than all the rest.

All I know is that I never – EVER – put gas into my ice auger, chain saw, kicker outboard, quad, snowmachine or big boat without adding fuel stabilizer given my buddy’s advice.  And I could not tell you the last time I had trouble starting or running any of my toys.  I also couldn’t tell you the last time I took one of the engines in for a tune up.

The additive – I use the red stuff from Canadian Tire, how’s that for a commercial – is cheap and it works like magic.

Ice auger tip number two: When you finally get down lake and start up your auger for the very first time, let it fully warm up.  Nobody does this.  I mean, how many times have you seen a group of anglers arrive at a spot and watch them unload their augers, start them up, and immediately begin drilling?

The damned auger has bounced around inside a sleigh in minus 30 degree temperatures, is caked in slush and snow and ice and then someone starts it up, hits the throttle and wonders why it “runs rough” or “doesn’t cut”.

Duh ….

Engine repair buddy says you have to let them warm up for at least a few minutes, until they’re purring like kittens.  If you don’t do this and immediately try cutting through three feet of blue ice, you’re asking for trouble … and you’re going to get it.

So, put fuel stabilizer in your gas can each and every time you fill up, and when you get to your fishing spot, start the ice auger and then let it fully warm up while you go about doing all the other chores to get ready to fish.

Which brings us to ice auger tip number three.  Drum roll please, because this is the single most important thing you can do to guarantee you will never blow up, break or otherwise damage the drive shaft, chain and gears in your ice auger.   But, wait a second, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so click on this short video link and you can watch how I do it using my Rapala/Husqvarna ice auger that I have used to drill more miles of holes than TransCanada Pipeline.  Oh, yes, and trust me, I sufficiently warmed up the auger before I shot the video clip.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stay safe and have fun on the ice this week, everyone!

In any event, the e-mail I received recently from Brad Williams in Alberta, about catching perch in the winter, is a super one.

Brad writes:  Hi Gord, I’m an avid reader of the magazine and would really appreciate some insight on how barometric pressure affects fish activity, specifically perch and panfish during ice fishing season.

I live in Alberta, and fish northern natural lakes. I’ve noticed over the past several years that my best fishing seems to coincide with nice stable sunny days with high pressure systems, as opposed to overcast days with snow and low pressure systems. My best success seems to be when we have high pressure systems combined with a full moon cycle.  On slow, low pressure could I get better results by moving to deeper water, closer to the basin?  Should I try adjusting fishing locations and presentations, or do they just generally get lockjaw during these types of weather patterns?

I mostly fish shallow flats in 5 to 12 feet that held good weed growth during the fall. I often find the fish in these areas even during low pressure systems but can’t get them interested. Many times I see them on my camera—they come in for a look, and then just slowly swim away. Any advice or science you could offer would be most appreciated.  Thank you for your time.  Brad.

Wow, just reading Brad’s message tells me he is one heck of an ice angler.  The way he has isolated the various parts of the problem and then, carefully considered the solutions is superb.

I am sure, too, that he is more than capable of solving his perch predicament on his own, but let’s see if I offer some help to speed up the process.

Like Brad, I also spend most of my ice fishing days on northern Canadian Shield-type lakes.  They’re the predominate ones across the country, characterised usually by an abundance of hard structure.  Things like long underwater points, humps, reefs, isolated rock piles and the like.

The reason I mention this is because on these types of lakes, some of the best perch fishing is found on and around these structures.  But here is the key I’ve found for catching the fish in the winter.  The best perch structures are usually associated with relatively large islands and mainland shorelines where the hard structure, say an underwater point, merges with the soft silty basin of the lake bottom.  The immediate transition, where the hard structure merges with the soft bottom is a killer winter perch location on lakes like my home, Lake of the Woods.

Something else: like Brad, I’ve also found that the very best days for catching perch often coincide with high pressure systems.  But here is the qualifier:  I’ve found the best high pressure systems are the ones that bring warm, sunny, above normal temperature weather, versus the high pressure cells that bring bluebird skies and frigid, super cold temperatures.

So, when it is a “good” warm high pressure system, the hard/soft transitions I mentioned are often superb.  But when it is a “not so good” super cold high pressure system, I find we do better on the much deeper, more isolated, main lake structures like sunken reefs and humps.  And almost always, under these cold high front weather conditions, I find the perch on the very top, flattest part of the structure, and rarely along the sides.

So, Brad, if the lakes you fish offer these deeper type structures, by all means, check them out when the perch activity plummets.  By the way, I rarely fish for perch in the winter ….. “on shallow flats in 5 to 12 feet that held good weed growth during the fall.”   My best hard/soft transitions are usually in about 17 to 25 feet of water, whereas the deeper, main lake structures that we fish when the weather is frigid are typically 25 to 32 feet deep.

As a mater of fact, some of our best deep, main lake perch structures are also where we ice fish for walleyes.  We tend to catch the perch during the sunny main part of the day and the walleyes at sunset.

But here is what I find the most fascinating.  It is where Brad writes, “I often find the fish in these areas even during low pressure systems but can’t get them interested. Many times I see them on my camera—they come in for a look, and then just slowly swim away.”

Why I find this is so interesting is that the reason most anglers don’t catch fish is because there are no fish where they are fishing.   That is not the case with Brad, though, because he can see them on his sonar and camera, so it means the problem is a presentation issue.

I am not going to go into the “easy bite” baits and techniques we use when the perch fishing is good.  I’ll save that for another day.  And, unfortunately, Brad doesn’t tell us what he is normally using for bait.  But, when I know there are big perch in the area but they’re refusing to bite, here are my top two “go to” winter presentations.

First, there is something about using a tiny bead chain to separate your hook from your jig or spoon that turns on yellow perch.  I am sure it has something to do with the ease and the way the hook pivots and floats effortlessly into a perch’s mouth, but lures like HT Enterprise’s Marmooska Tungsten Dancer are perch slayers.  By the way, I normally remove the tiny #16 hook that comes with the jig, with the bead embedded on it, and use a similar size plain treble baited with a live maggot on each of the tiny tines.

Which brings us to the second “tough bite” perch presentation.  It is one we call it the “tight-line-to-a-bobber technique” and it is deadly.

What you do is just barely lay a small jig tipped with a maggot or two on the bottom and set a tiny float just on, or even better, just under the surface to indicate when a perch picks it up.  Now, jiggle the float nervously for a couple of seconds and let it set.  When a perch takes the bait, you see the float tip up slightly and turn over onto its side.

I like using small #6 and #8 Marmooska tungsten jigs and I’ll tip them with one or two lively maggots.  By the way, I’ve also discovered that a single Berkley Gulp! or Trigger X scented plastic maggot, or even better, a tiny pinched off piece of red wriggler coloured Gulp! or Trigger X mini-earthworm works almost as well.

Simply drop the jig down the hole and lay it on the bottom so that your line – delicate 3- and 4-pound test – is tight all the way up to the tiny bobber that is partially submerged just under the surface.  When a perch inhales the jig, which resembles a succulent chironomid nymph, the bobber twitches, rises and then falls over onto its side.

The other thing I do, since you’re usually allowed to fish two lines in the winter, is to drill three holes very close together, say a foot or two apart.  In the centre hole I place the transducer for my sonar unit so I can monitor both holes at the same time.  In one of the other holes, I’ll jig the bead chain Dancer, while I set the tight-line-to-a-bobber rig in the third hole.

It is usually more than any self respecting yellow perch can resist!

Good ice fishing to you, Brad.

A week ago, for instance, I was out ice fishing for walleyes with buddy and Lake of the Woods guide Ryan Haines.  We fished for two hours right at sunset and did not go five minutes—I kid you not, not five minutes—between fish.

The action was crazy.

Then, on Thursday, I took my nine year old grandson, Liam, ice fishing for lake trout.  He was enjoying a PD day from school and had never caught a lake trout, so what better time to break the ice.  We hooked four gorgeous trout and had an absolute blast.

So, what is not to like?

Well, when I got home and checked my e-mail, I opened a message from buddy, Tom Gruenwald, one of the top ice anglers on the continent, who had been catching giant bluegills—and I started pining for the chance to do the same thing.

We have some of the best fishing in the world up here in Northwestern Ontario, for just about every species that swims in fresh water, and here I am wishing I could catch bluegills—about the only fish we don’t get a chance to target.

Is that crazy or what?

But the truth is that bluegills fascinate me.  They always have and I suppose, they always will.  Lest I forget to mention, too, for all of you folks living in southern Ontario, you have some of the best winter bluegill fishing in the world at your doorstep.  Especially, in and around the myriad of lakes comprising the massive Rideau-Trent-Severn system.

And if you’ve never targeted bluegills through the ice, well have I got some great advice for you.

“Hearing about a lake known to produce some big ‘gills,” Tom told me, “but also learning that few ice anglers were having much success catching them consistently … well, the challenge was just too much!

“A map review and sonar scans revealed few bays and a relatively small percentage of shallow, weedy littoral zone.  Instead, we found narrow shoreline flats ringing the basin, most breaking rather quickly into about 15 feet of water, then sloping more gradually into a 20 to 30 foot soft bottom basin.  To me, this is a clear indicator of a possible big bluegill factory—not an abundance of shallow cover for the small ones to hide within, causing overpopulation and stunting.

“We tried working some holes and pockets within the narrow bands of shoreline weeds and a few turns along the deep, 14 foot weed line, but caught only a few smaller sized perch, so we began exploring the deep water flats and basins and the sonar lit up.   To make a long story short, we found a couple loosely schooled packs of bluegills suspended about 10 feet off bottom over 25 to 30 feet of water.  After catching several using a mobile, multi-hole, run-and-gun approach, we decided to begin keeping count.

“Moving across the basin and working to intercept these schools, we ended up icing over 150 bluegills, several measuring  7 to 9 inches, and I iced a giant 10.25 inch fish with a beautiful, eye-popping, namesake blue gill flap the size of my thumb!

“We caught them using HT Enterprise’s original, super-sensitive Ice Blue ultra light rods and my now “go to” deep water ice jigs, the new HT Marmooska tungstens.  The tungsten Marmooska Diamond in chartreuse/glow with the red crystal worked especially well, as did the new silver tungsten Marmooska Dancer, which features a #16 colored epoxy treble dropper.  I would just nip the tip of two maggots through the tip of the hooks, mashing one to send out some attracting juices, while allowing the other to wiggle alongside the fluttering skin of the mashed grub.

“The trick was to get this down to these fish before the juices dispersed or the schools roamed away, and these fast dropping tungsten jigs perfectly suited the situation.  I would drop the bait down a foot or so above the top of the school, then gently work it, to lure active fish up.  As soon as one would respond, I’d raise the bait ever so slowly a few inches, then pause to trigger the strikes.  I’d also re-bait with a fresh maggot after every fish or two, which I found critical to keep them biting.”

Now, that is quite possibly the most succinct strategy for catching bluegills through the ice that I’ve ever read or heard.  And it is making me pine, even more, to get out and catch a bunch.

At the recent Great Outdoor Show in Toronto, Bob set up the Pure Fishing knot machine in the Outdoor Canada Magazine lounge and it was great fun to tie up various knots and see how well they tested.

I love fishing with ultra-thin, low stretch, almost invisible, braided lines.  And while I know that I probably don’t need to add a leader, as a “confidence builder” I almost always attach a 12- to 18-inch monofilament or fluorocarbon leader using back-to-back uni-knots.

I’ve tied so many back-to-back leader-to-mainline connections that I can do them in my sleep and I was pleased that when I tested them on Bob’s knot machine that the mainline braid broke before the knot every time.

Still, I was impressed with a new knot Bob showed me, one he designed himself, that is just as easy to tie as back-to-back uni-knots and offers some additional advantages if you’re using bottom bouncers, slinkies, drop-shotting or fishing a Michigan rig.

Bob’s knot has affectionately, and appropriately, been dubbed “The Bob Foran Knot” and it is one you’d be wise to learn how to tie.

With that in mind, click on the following and I’ll show you how to do it:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is the reason we fish for ciscoes - so we have bait to catch gators!

Which brings us to the question I am probably asked the most, by folks who want to learn the tactic:  What are my favourite dead baits and where do I get them?

Well, the simple answer is that tulibees, herring or ciscoes – call them what you will, they’re all the same species – are my favourite fish to use as bait and I catch them by ice fishing for them.

The reason for that is twofold.

First, I can’t find ciscoes big enough to buy – I like them between 12- and 14-inches in length – and second, catching them is a ton of fun.

I am not going to get into the biology here, but ciscoes are similar in many ways to whitefish.  They frequent the same areas of the lake – although ciscoes suspend much more – eat many of the same food items and even look similar, although whitefish are generally much bigger. 

This is what big northerns call "dinner".

By the way, like whitefish, ciscoes are great table fare.  I remember when Lake Simcoe had a unbelievable population of herring – before smelt invaded the system – and it was common to catch 100 or more a day.  We routinely kept a dozen or so of the biggest herring to make a fantastic Jamaican Escoveitched dinner.  Oh, so, good!

But back to the topic at hand – how to catch the blasted things.

One of the best methods is to remove the treble hook from a moderately large spoon – my favourite is a Williams Gold/Silver Nu-Wrinkle – and tie it to your main line.  Then add a 10-inch dropper line so that the spoon acts as a weight and attractor.  To the end of the dropper add your favourite small 1/16 to 1/32 ounce jig.

Now, just between you and me, here is a little secret: one of my favourite tricks is to drill a hole through a pearl white bead.  Then, skewer the eye of a small #6 or #8 Gamakatsu treble hook through the hole and glue the bead to the hook.  It is deadly.

Saskatchewan buddy Jeff Matity, on the other hand, has developed what he calls the “Mirror Rig” and its thoroughly lethal too.

“I’ve used the Mirror Rig for the past 25 years for perch and ciscoes,” Jeff told me when he joined me for a week of ice fishing last winter.  “The rig is comprised of a #000 Luhr Jensen Dodger with a 9″ dropper line to a #10 Glo/Orange Demon jig.

“It is a search and destroy rig.  No other lure I’ve ever tested planes out to the side like the #000 Dodger.  I tried the #00, which is one size larger, but it is too much of a good thing.  I did the math on the Mirror Rig to determine how far it reaches out to the side on the fall and in 30 feet of water, it takes 42 feet of line out with it.  That tells you how much it planes.  Like your Williams spoon, the Dodger takes the bait to the fish and then racks them up.

“What is so appealing about your spoon and my dodger,” Jeff explained, “is they plane off to the side of the hole far enough to disappear from the sonar cone.  By gently crawling the spoon, or lift-falling it back to its final resting position below the hole, you can literally “rake” the fish into a central area below you, where you can then manipulate them into striking by watching their reactions to your jigging moves on the sonar screen .”

So, there you have it, folks.  Two great systems for catching more ciscoes, herring or tulibees this winter than you ever thought possible.  Not to mention more fun …. and food … if you are so inclined to indulge.

I always have a rod rigged for ciscoes when we're fishing for whitefish