Ice fishing without ice

Someone did a study once showing that ice fishing is the most productive of all angling sports, and it's probably true. Follow just a few basic rules, and you can sit over an ice hole and catch bluegill, bass, perch, crappie, even bullheads and channel cats at a rapid rate. So, right now in the late part of Ohio's long winter is a perfect time to go. And while you might say "But, there's no ice," my advice is the same "Go ice fishing , anyway." Actually, winter fishing without ice has some advantages over normal fishing, and can give you an even better catch. Take farm pond action, for example. To do it in mid-winter on ice, you may need to bore half a dozen holes, even more. The reason is that while early season bluegills and bass are usually in the deepest part of the pond, by now oxygen levels might have diminished (weedy ponds, especially), and the fish moved to mid-lake, and you'll need to hunt for them, drilling hole after hole. But if you have a small boat or canoe, you can cover that lake like a blanket and find customers in a hurry. I still use standard ice fishing gear for this open water fishing, and I favor a sinker on lines end with two waxworm baited ice fishing spoons on short side lines above. I always have white on one side line, and perhaps yellow, chartreuse, or red on the other, and still bait with waxworms. Sometimes I'll switch the scenario just a little if they're being picky, and use gaudy little ice flies or equally small panfish jigs with waxworms. Next step is to drop the rig to bottom and drift along just tapping mud occasionally to make sure you're down there properly, and jig the baits gently. In a one acre pond or so, you're sure to find them soon, then you can anchor and load your boat. Nothing to it. A distinct advantage of this open water fishing is that if the fish are in mid-lake or shallower, you'll make no grinding noise with an ice auger. Boring holes is like scratching a blackboard to fish not far below, and they'll flee in all directions. It might be a half hour before they return. Shore fishing is a little tougher, but not much. You'll use the same gear, but this time fish with a slip float. Adjust it to the depth you think you're fishing, then cast out again and again, and adjust further until the float is just right. Then cast in all directions, and let the baits sit, twitching them occasionally. Again, you'll find them sooner or later. Larger lakes almost require a boat of some kind, though you might get lucky from shore. Look for points that slant to deeper water on both sides, and drift over them again and again. Look for weed beds too, because these are banquet tables for panfish who love to forage among even dead strands for insects, snails, and amphipods. A fish locator is a big help, but once again you can move until you find them without drilling hole after hole. Keep in mind that many of our larger lakes have fishing piers, and these are worth a try in winter if you lack watercraft. Finally, come Lake Erie marinas, and they're far better fishing without ice than with. I hit them every winter and always have to contend with boring holes in shallow water since most marinas up there have depths of six feet or less. Again, fish flee instantly and won't come back for a while, so I've learned to drill half a dozen in widely separated areas, then go back and fish them one by one. Without ice, it's simply a matter of walking along each pier with spoons, flies, or jigs and waxworms, and jigging around the pilings as you go. No noise, no frightened fish, and you can cover a whole marina in an hour or so, instead of a few specific areas that might or might not have fish. It goes without saying that on such expeditions you'll want to dress warmly, carry hot coffee or chocolate and sandwiches, and fish patiently until you hit the jackpot. But that jackpot will be filled with fine eating, and a good catch is waiting out there right now. Hooks & Bullets: The Millers Ferry to Put-in-Bay is running again following its early schedule of six runs per day from the tip of Catawba. Island. Businesses ae beginning to open on South Bass Island now, and are excited to welcome visitors back to the island. The ferry print schedule will begin today. Questions? Call the ferry line at 800-500-2421. Dick Martin, a freelance writer from Shelby, is a retired biology teacher who has been writing outdoor columns for more than 30 years. Reach him at richmart@neo.com. You also can visit his blog at outdoorswithmartin.com.