It's Ice Time!

Ice Time is here!  It was 7 degrees on my way into the office this AM and as I looked at the trees I noticed it was dead calm.  Calm and 7 degrees means we made some really good ice last night.  After very cold weekend and very minimal snow (at least in central MN) the ice should be ready to go very soon.  There is no doubt that people will be out ice fishing over Thanksgiving weekend, as I was able to walk on my pond up North last weekend while doing some scouting for late season muzzleloader.

I know some of you are very organized and in fall spend days slowly moving your ice fishing gear to the front of your shed and test all your equipment even prior to the hunting season.  But, if you are like me and the ice stuff stays in the back of the shed until I need it, here are a few quick tips to expedite your transition to the ice season.

Get that ice flasher out and put the battery on the charger.  Now, while that battery is charging, run to the store and buy another 12v battery.  Yes, I said go buy a new one.  When you get home, put the new battery in your flasher and charge that one.  For $12 you just bought a very cheap fishing trip insurance policy and have a back-up flasher battery.  You WILL thank me for this some day when you get to the ice and have a dead battery.  Batteries are cheap and with the investment in ice fishing, you owe it to yourself to have a back-up battery.  Plus, you have the peace of mind knowing you have a new battery in your flasher.

I also like to test my transducer before and during the season as it is the most important part of your ice flasher.  To do this, turn the flasher on and listen that the transducer is ticking, if it is, hang the transducer one foot from the floor (hard/flat surface works best) and check that you get a nice return signal on your flasher.  The return signal should be roughly between 3-5 feet on your flasher dial.  Turn your gain up to MAX if you are not getting a return and use wide angle Beam if you have a dual beam transducer.  You should get a second and third echo returns with the Gain on the maximum setting.

Now, get the auger out and dispose of the gas in the auger. Yes, I know you treated your gas last spring before you put the auger away and ran it, but replace it with fresh gas that has been treated with a little Sea Foam.  Assuming your auger starts, it will be much happier running the first trip out with fresh treated gas and this will pay dividends as the year goes on.

Lastly, set up your portable and put the seats in it.  Sit on the seats and make sure they are not loose.  Then, tip them over and check the screws underneath the seat to make sure they are still tight.  These screws can work loose from the extreme beating they take while being towed.  Also, check for mice holes and that you have all your poles in it. There is nothing worse then getting out and finding out mice have chewed up your portable material and your portable smells like mice.

There are a ton of other things that can and should be checked.  I recommend you check the ice line on your ice rods/reels and well as check that you have an ice scoop.  I keep an extra ice scoop in my ice house sled because it never fails that I forget to bring one with.

These are just a few tips or suggestions.  There are a lot more I could list but the idea is to get you thinking about your ice fishing gear that has been sitting in the corner or your shed or garage for the last seven months.  Now is the time to get out there and check it out!