Do you follow proper ice-fishing etiquette? Here’s what to consider – Outdoor News
Weston, Ohio — With ice fishing well underway on Minnesota’s Lake of the Woods (LOTW), the region’s tourism bureau thought that it would be timely and wise to list some common-sense rules of ice fishing etiquette for those who never learned, have forgotten, or choose to ignore those rules.
While some of these practices may be well-known to experienced hard-water fishermen, newer participants to this popular winter sport may truly not yet know when they are committing errors on the ice.
As Lake Erie ice fishing gets underway, Ohio Outdoor News used their list as general guidance, then modified it to include examples that we have seen occur that apply everywhere. To see their list in its entirety, go to: LakeoftheWoodsMN.com
If ignored, some of the examples listed below can lead to arguments between fellow anglers, conflicts with ice guides, compromise ice safety, and lead to potential citations from wildlife officers.
Where to drill holes
First, do not drill holes on ice trails. While this may give an inexperienced ice angler confidence that the ice is thick enough to continue, drilling holes on a commonly used trail can lead to flooding when water levels rise from changing wind direction, especially from the east.
When water pools on top of the ice, slushy areas can bog down ATVs and make foot travel sloppy for those pulling their portable shanties, sleds loaded with gear, and cause people to get wet feet.
Do not drill holes or set up a shanty too close to others. Those who do not know any better and other inconsiderate anglers find it tempting to punch a hole near where someone else has set their ice shanty or is “bucket fishing,” especially when fish can be seen flopping on the ice.
However, on early or thinner ice, the extra weight of additional anglers and their ATVs can cause the ice to sag just enough to create a pool of water around the other fisherman’s shanty. After it freezes, ice can engulf the runners and add extra work to chop them out when it is time to leave.
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Another important reason to keep an adequate distance between others is to avoid frustrating interference between fish finders. When sonar signals are too close, extra flashing images on the screen make it difficult to see a fish’s responses to lure presentations as clearly.
Also, adding holes too close to other anglers can lead to someone stepping in one and twisting an ankle, or tripping and falling. People have every right to fish anywhere on the lake that they want, but keeping a polite distance away eliminates the most common cause of arguments on the ice.
Proper catch and release techniques
Use proper catch and release techniques to prevent needless fish mortalities. Ohio anglers are lucky to be living in what the Ohio Division of Wildlife calls, “the good old days of walleye fishing.”
It is not uncommon to catch a limit of walleyes but want to keep fishing. To remain legal, extra fish must be released. However, don’t be “that guy” who throws dead fish back into the lake if a bigger one is caught. Just because they are currently abundant, why waste them?
Fish destined for live release should not be handled too long. If it is a trophy and you want a picture of it, don’t toss it onto the ice or spend so much time measuring it or taking pictures that the eyes, gills, or fins freeze.
Also, fish caught from water more than 30 feet deep can suffer barotrauma. That’s when their air bladder fills because of the lower air pressure at the surface compared to where it was caught.
If not quickly released, it may not be able to overcome its buoyancy and have enough energy to swim back down to their preferred depth. Extra seconds out of the water can make the difference between its life and death.
More best practices
Don’t leave trash on or under the ice. It baffles most of us when we see piles of beer cans, cardboard containers, snack wrappers, bait cups, lure packaging, cigarette butts, empty propane fuel cylinders, or other trash left behind when so-called sportsmen quit fishing for the day. It is inexcusable not to take home your unsightly trash for proper disposal at the end of the day.
Don’t speed on the ice trails and ramps. Running at high speeds causes a wave to form under the ice ahead of the vehicle. Continued flexing of the ice sheet can weaken it.
Take care to protect the lifespan of the ice access ramps by not running up and down them at high speeds, especially when using chains or driving UTVs, Argos, or similar vehicles that are heavier than single-passenger ATVs and snowmobiles.
Know the location of the nearest bathroom. Leaving human waste inside or against the outside wall of someone else’s shanty is just plain nasty. Go back and use proper facilities on shore when the call of nature becomes too strong to ignore.
Always help others who need assistance. Good karma dictates that when fellow anglers are having vehicle or equipment trouble or falls through the ice, it is a moral duty to offer whatever assistance you are able to provide.
Someday it could be your turn to need a ride into shore, get help setting a shanty, have gear returned that has unknowingly fallen onto the trail while being towed out, catch a runaway bucket, be provided a few minnows, find a way over a crack between ice floes, or benefit from other good Samaritan’s deeds.
