W-b Diamonds Shine In Debut Against Slamm

4 Players Hit Double Figures As Altoona Downs Hazleton

Sunday, January 11, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Drill a hole, drop a line &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ice fishing &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is as easy as riding a bike &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Learning to take fish through the ice is like learning to ride a bicycleThe
first few attempts may be awkward, ridiculous and perhaps downright futile. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But, with the bike, you eventually starting catching on. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And with ice fishing, you eventually start catching fish. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ice on waterways throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania may not be firm
enough to support safe ice fishing just yet, but the deep freeze will come.
Count on it. No matter that rain and warm weather has prevailed throughout the
week. It is January. Winter. The temperature will soon plummet. Cold weather
will come. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Anglers will be on the lakes and ponds when that occurs. And they will be
using all manner of odd-looking contraptions that would never show up on the
water during the summer months. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 You will never see an auger in use in August, for example. And you will
never see tip-ups on the Red Man Bass Tournament trail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ice fishing may require different techniques and different kinds of gear
than that used during the summer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But the gear is quite simple to use when anglers come to understand its
function, and most ice fishing techniques can be learned in short order. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 What follows is a survey of the equipment and techniques that will prepare
novice ice anglers to fish alongside grizzled hard water veterans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Gear &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 You need to reach the water before you can fish. And that means breaking
through the ice. Unless you want to rely on the kindness of other anglers,
some type of auger or "spud" will be necessary to punch holes through the ice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A motorized auger is an expensive luxury not everyone can afford. These
devices will drill clean, round holes through the deepest ice in no time with
very little labor. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the northern states, where ice can reach a thickness of three or four
feet, motorized augers are not an option. They are a necessity. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In Pennsylvania, where ice never approaches that thickness, a
well-sharpened hand operated auger will get the job done efficiently, but a
little physical effort is required. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ice spuds should be known as ice spikes, for they are no more than long,
heavy chisels used to punch through to the icy waters. They are inexpensive
and work satisfactorily when the ice is rather thin, but become a burden to
use when the weather grows colder and the ice thickens. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They also have a terrible habit of slipping through cold hands when they
are finally thrust through the ice. If you choose to use one, attach a loop of
rope on the upper end and run your wrist through it to avoid losing a spud to
gravity. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Short jigging rods and tip-ups will be needed to catch fish. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jigging rods are miniature fishing rods. Anglers who fish through the ice
don't need to cast, so the short, ultra-sensitive rods are perfect for
detecting bites when baits are dropped through holes into the water. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sporting goods stores sell ready-made jigging rods, but I like to fashion
my own from the tips of broken rods, or from older fiberglass rods no longer
in use. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Any rod with a reel seat and a sensitive tip that is between 18 and 30
inches long can be fashioned into a ice fishing rod. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There are anglers who use expensive baitcasting reels on their jigging
rods, but any inexpensive, push-button casting reel will do. Some anglers even
buy the round plastic ice fishing "reels," spools that hold line on rods, and
find they have no trouble catching fish. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tip-ups are made from wood, plastic, or metal. They are X-shaped devices
that support a spool of line that is submerged in the water beneath the ice.
The water keeps the reel and line from freezing, and a red or orange flag
"tips up" to announce when a fish has taken the bait and is stripping line
from the spool. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The plastic and metal models are rugged, but costly. I find them to be
colder than wood to the touch and thus prefer wood tip-ups over all others.
The models made from wood are durable if handled properly and have no
disadvantage over those made from space-age materials. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An ice scoop comes in handy. It's merely a dipping sieve that strains ice
from the hole. They are inexpensive and eliminate the need to plunge a bare
hand into a hole to free it of ice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Techniques &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Just like summer anglers, ice anglers use live baits and artificial lures
as part of their technique to land fish. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Panfish such as bluegills, crappie and perch are especially responsive to
minnows, mousie grubs and waxworms. While such baits will even attract the
larger gamefish, it's best to use the smallest minnows for the best
panfishing. The grubs can be used to embellish teardrop jigs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The artificial lures used in ice fishing range in size from 4-inch
"naturals" with the eye positioned in the middle of the back for a proper
jigging motion to teeny jigs painted every loud and crazy color of the
rainbow. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The jigs include smaller versions of the summer standards. Round-headed
bucktails, plastic twister-type tails and jigs tailed with pulsating marabou
are sure-fire fish attractors. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But jigs designed especially for ice fishing include the colorful
teardrops, some of which have chrome or copper spinners and wobblers attached. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's time to fish after you have assembled an adequate ice fishing arsenal,
and panfish are probably the best quarry for novices. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Panfish are plentiful in most waterways. They are fun to catch. And they
are good to eat. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's important to remember that panfish by nature are a school fish; they
prefer the company of their own. There is even some truth to the old maxim
that fish of similar size school together, so if the size of the fish are
disappointing, bore new holes and keep trying. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Keep drilling holes and moving rigs if after a fitting time there isn't any
action. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The proper amount of time to wait depends entirely on each angler's
patience. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ice anglers tend to congregate where the fishing is good, so there is no
harm in joining the crowd. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If that isolated cove that appears appealing doesn't harbor a single
angler, there is probably a good reason for it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Set out for a new, uncluttered spot only if none of the anglers assembled
on the ice is having any luck. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As in the summer, fishing near structure or near the bottom is best. Jigs
will plummet down deep, but a minnow on the terminal end of a tip-up may
choose to float and swim near the surface. Add a split-shot about a foot above
the bait to keep minnows from rising upward. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Use a heavy sinker to find the bottom. Slide the fishing line through two
holes of a large button, then feed the line through the button as the sinker
drops. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When the sinker touches down, raise it up about a foot and mark the line
with the button. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 You can then retrieve the line, add bait to the terminal end, then use the
button as a depth marker. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It may not be possible to reel in line with the button attached to the
line, but in most cases the amount of line out is not great. Retrieve line by
hand when fish bite, then add new bait and drop it exactly into the school by
using the button depth marker. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If action slows down, try stepp

Drill A Hole, Drop A Line Ice Fishing Is As Easy As Riding A Bike Learning To Take Fish Through The Ice Is Like Learning To Ride A Bicycle.