So there you sit, atop at least several inches of hard ice that’s covered with snow, staring down into a small dark hole that you’ve just cut through the ice. If you’ve chosen the right spot, and the fishing gods deem you worthy, you just might catch a fish or two. But, if not, the cold temperatures and chilling breeze may usher in thoughts of hot beverages and a warm fire. Such is the rugged activity called ice fishing.
I’ve never been quite clear on how this winter activity that attracts millions around the nation’s colder states got its name. After all, you’re not “fishing for ice,” but rather, for fish. I always thought that a better name would be “sub-freezing fishing,” a title that might make newcomers think twice before trying it. Be that as it may, with all of today’s winter clothing and gear, once people sample it, they often are the ones that get hooked.
Having ice fished since I was a kid, I can readily relate to the why … there’s something almost mystical about being able to walk and fish atop water that, in warmer weather, you’d be either boating on or swimming in. And your window to those darkened waters below is a small temporary self-made porthole that connects two drastically different and alien worlds.
Although many avid anglers prefer to use tip-ups, sit in a pop-up ice shelter or shanty and watch for a flag to go up, signaling a bite, many opt to be “up close and personal” by jigging a single line down through one hole at a time. Both have their advantages. The former is especially appealing when temps and wind chills are uncomfortably cold, and the anglers have some sort of heating device inside their shelter. However, if it’s not overly uncomfortable, the jigging method gives the angler something to keep his or her mind occupied between catchses, which on a slow day might be many minutes or even several hours.
Most serious tip-up users are seeking bigger game such as walleye, pike, pickerel, trout or even tiger musky, but jigging anglers are more apt to be looking to catch panfish species, the more popular being yellow perch, crappie and sunfish. The advantage of fishing for these smaller species is they’re usually more abundant and therefore provide faster action than the larger species. Plus a batch of panfish will yield fillets that can provide a more reliable opportunity to enjoy a delicious fish fry.
While I happen to personally favor the jigging method, moving and cutting additional holes until I locate some receptive fish, tip-ups offer the opportunity to cover a larger area, all at the same time. In New York, each angler can legally set out five tip-ups. So if there are two anglers, that means they can cover a rather expansive area with up to ten tip-ups, plus each is allowed to fish an extra line, usually done by jigging while they wait for a flag to go up. The downside of tip-up fishing is the cold work involved in pulling all the units and then re-setting them in a different location on the lake.
With the discovery of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) in New York fresh waters, only certified baitfish can be used. These are those that have been tested and found to be free of specified diseases. Use of certified baitfish helps prevent the spread of fish diseases. Certified baitfish purchased from a bait dealer can be transported overland in a motorized vehicle and used on any body of water where it is legal to do so. For baitfish to be considered certified, a dated receipt containing the seller's name, the species of fish and the number of each species sold must be obtained from the seller and retained by the purchaser while in possession of the baitfish.
In lieu of certified baitfish, baitfish or other legally taken fish species intended to be used as bait when hook and line fishing may only be used in the same water body from which they were caught. Transportation of personally harvested baitfish overland by a motorized vehicle is prohibited.
Daily limits per person for the various species normally caught when ice fishing are:
• Yellow perch and sunfish: 50 (any size)
• Crappie: 25 (minimum length 9 inches)
• Pickerel: 5 (minimum length 15 inches)
• Walleye: 5 (minimum length 15 inches)
• Pike: 5 (minimum length 18 inches)
• Tiger musky: 1 (minimum length 30 inches)

Local Ice Derbies Are Fast Approaching
The 2009 running of the Oxford Lions Club’s Annual Perch Derby at Chenango Lake and Almost-Annual New York State Crappie Derby at Whitney Point Lake are rapidly approaching. The Perch Derby is scheduled for Feb. 7 (postponement date is Feb. 21) while the Crappie Derby is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31. Both derbies are family oriented events that allow everyone to get outdoors after a couple of months of being cooped up inside. There are often more spectators than registered contestants, but prize and raffle categories exist for spectators and those not successful in catching fish. Food and refreshment are available. Updates can be obtained at www.frontiernet.net/~madouglass/events.html or contact Info@oxfordlions.org for the Chenango event and at www.crappiederby.com for the Whitney Point event.

Groups Plan to File Injunction
On the heels of the governor’s announcement of the closing of the state’s last remaining pheasant farm and program, the NYS Rifle & Pistol Assoc. (NYSRPA) is filing in conjunction with the Conservation Alliance of NY (CANY) a motion for injunction regarding the pheasant farm and program situation. Those supporting the action are: the NYSRPA, CANY, the National Rifle Assoc (NRA), the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and most likely USA Shooting. Reportedly, an official notification of this action will come in a day or so.