Ice Fishing generates many diverse thoughts ranging from the best fishing of the year to absolutely frigid crazy.  Many fishermen choose a camp-out behavior in often a fully furnished permanent shelter accompanied with many of the amenities of modern houses while others prefer the more primitive style sitting on their favorite buckets and remaining mobile in today’s ever changing portable counterparts.  No matter the ice fishing style, the South Dakota jumbo perch craze starts with navigable ice and remains an obsession until open water.  Waiting for that traditional tap on your line and seeing that whopping orange fined perch come up through the hole never gets old. 

There is a time when staying put and remaining permanent can pay off.  Early clear thin ice allowing maximum light penetration at its greatest will magnify movement easily scaring fish.  At this time, concentrating on low light or early morning and late afternoon is best.  Selecting a high percentage fish yielding area during this prime time is your best bet in drilling holes and playing the waiting game.

The “ice-trolling”, “hole-jumping” or just plain and simple “on the go” drilling holes style while actively searching is the trending fishing style of some of the most traditional ice going diehards.  Remaining mobile and on the go in essence chasing these schools has yielded and rewarded myself in icing some of the biggest perch of my life the past few years!  This more physical type of fishing may not be for everyone but the use of a few pieces of integral equipment can provide some of the best angling experiences available.

Nomadic schools or groups can vary from a few fish to hundreds, but it is also known that many of the true behemoths are solitary.  Perch behavior can be erratic at best depending on lure selection, available food, time of day, weather, and body of water.  Many will watch lures from afar not acting a bit interested, and the next minute can rush in and inhale your jig as if it is the last bite of food in the lake. 

Remaining with roaming schools often comes down to a game of speed in hooking/catching, rebait, and get back to the bottom to pick off more fish before the schools moves on.  Often hooking one fish will create a “feeding frenzy” environment sustaining the school of fish under you a little longer.  Picking off as many possible before the school leaves is always the main objective.  Fishing the surrounding drilled holes with little results for a half-hour is a sign for me to start the auger and drill on.

I prefer this “on the go” fishing style no matter the stage of winter.  Endurance and the drive to succeed only fuels the motivation to a day of hole drilling and methodical ice movement seeking a true South Dakota prize.  Strategically drilling holes and covering an area is the best practice to either find fish or eliminate water.    At every fishing location, I drill a series of holes allowing the “hole-jumping” and covering an area before moving to another location.  If an area of holes shows promise, this depicts the direction where the next holes should be made.

My Humminbird Ice Units teamed with a Lakemaster Maps play a pivotal roles in seeing surrounding structure aiding in estimating fish movement.  Knowing the exact depth and structure directly underneath without drilling will only save searching time.  An Aqua-Vu AV Micro 5 underwater camera is also deployed to help in identifying species and literally depicting exact movement direction.  The importance of electronics contributing to success is often overlooked and might be the most important piece of equipment used.  With them, seeing first hand fish behavior and location makes the next educated strategic move easy.

With the option of up to 4 lines per ice fisherman here in South Dakota, using tip-ups to aid in indicating direction of fish movement can be one of the best fish locators.   Drilling an extra hole next to tip-ups so a jig rod in the extra hole can be used to actively fish the school when a bite is indicated will assist in filling a bucket.

Manufacturers have done a tremendous job in designing portable shelters aiding in the need to be mobile.  Whether physically pulling, towing behind an ATV or hauling in a vehicle, the weight and design of today’s portables only make fishing aggressively easier.  Somedays on the ice are just plain cold and a thermal portable shelter will only assist in a comfortable fishing experience.  Frabill’s portable shelters with the SideStep Entry is a perch fisherman’s castle allowing for easy access to more hole-jumping action.   Their strong lightweight construction stand strong in winter weather and create a comfortable environment for up to 3 anglers.

No doubt, Mother Nature can grit its teeth and exhibit harsh ice fishing conditions to say the least making mobility the least convenient.   Today’s ice suits like Frabill’s I-Series Ice Suits take the consideration of movement in extreme conditions as a priority in design.  These suits with articulated limbs, superior insulation and a sense of ice safety in mind only play into the hands of the efficient moving perch angler.

There are no hard fast concrete rules as these jumbos can have a mind of their own as many of us have seen on some of the toughest days on the ice.  Remaining mobile and the willingness to put forth the effort in “chasing” and pursing the highly sought after Jumbos will only contribute to icing some of the largest perch of the year.  My fishing style includes relying heavily on my electronics while drilling many holes.  I don’t remain in a fishless spot very long knowing that remaining aggressive when conditions are right will prove beneficial.  My confidence grows each time on the ice knowing that Jumbos are waiting to be enticed if they can be found.  Ice fishing is drawing near and I wish everyone a safe and successful ice fishing season………..GO GET ‘EM!!!!

Remember….anytime is a great time to get kids out and active in the outdoors!

Eric Brandriet is part-owner/operator of Dakota Prairie Angling offering guided fishing trips.  He can be reached at www.dpangling.com.