by Dave Graybill, January 17, 2012

Ice Fishermen Hoping for Repeat Of Great Fishing on Moses Lake

It may seem odd, but there is a large contingent of anglers hoping for really cold weather this winter. Granted, they are an odd bunch. These are the folks that are waiting for a solid cap of ice to form on Moses Lake so they can break out their ice augers and other specialized gear to go ice fishing. The ice fishing on Moses Lake was great last year and they are hoping for a repeat this season.

I have to admit that last year was the first time that I had ventured out on Moses Lake in the winter. Safe ice has been short-lived in recent years, and while there had been some brief activity on the ice, it didn’t compare to what went on last year. I had met a Moses Lake resident Travis Pavelek at Coulee City while shooting video and fishing for perch. He told me that although the fishing for small perch was good at Coulee City, he was waiting for Moses Lake to freeze solid and the fishing for “jumbo” perch to develop. He promised that he would call me when that happened and happily he did.

When he called and said the jumbos were biting I got down to Moses Lake as soon as I could to join him for an afternoon of fishing. He and a buddy were set up on the ice quite a distance up the lake from the I-90 Bridge and about in the middle. He wasn’t alone. I was there on a week day and was surprised to see the number of people that were hunched over holes in the ice. I understood why when I saw the catch that Pavelek and his fishing partner had accumulated. They had a very nice mess of fat perch on the ice, including some jumbos, and some keeper-size walleye, too.

The bite at Moses Lake on that particular day had been slow, too. Pavelek complained that it had been much better the day before. Even on this slow day, he and his partner pulled several nice perch up through the ice, along with some more walleye. Just like any other kind of fishing, the bite would vary day to day, and even the time that the fishing would turn on would change. Like I said, though, even when it was slow it was worth the effort of drilling a hole in the ice.

Pavelek took his ice fishing seriously and had ordered some of his jigs and lures from web sites that specialized in ice fishing. Others were using what they could find at local sporting goods stores and were doing just fine. I have noticed that many sporting goods stores have started carrying much more ice fishing equipment and the jigs and lures that are meant to be used under the ice. These stores are responding to a pretty good increase in interest here in Central Washington. I live in Leavenworth and am just a short drive from Fish Lake. Years ago, when I would take my wife to the lake for some ice fishing, we would pretty much have it to ourselves. Not any longer. When the ice is safe at Fish Lake there will be over a hundred people out on Fish Lake fishing through the ice on the weekend. I have seen similar increases in activity on many of the lakes that are open in the winter throughout the region.

I paid close attention to what anglers were using on Moses Lake last season. Like any angler I am always looking for better ways to consistently catch fish. As usual there was a wide range of equipment being used to get out on the ice and to cut through it, as well as what was being lowered through the holes to attract strikes from the fish waiting below. There were certain items that any angler would find handy and useful.

First of all, many people had sleds to transport all the their gear across the ice to their favorite fishing spot. I put this off for many years, but am glad I finally got a sled, it makes things much easier. I can load all my gear, including an ice auger, mats, chairs, tackle boxes, heaters etc. on the sled, and even slide the whole thing into the back of my truck. I punched holes along the edges of my sled and got a length of stretchy twine I looped through them. This helps hold everything on the sled when I am going across rough terrain on the way to the ice.

Another thing I noticed was that many anglers were using a six-inch diameter auger, instead of the eight-inch that I have. These smaller augers slice through the ice with much less effort and when you think about it, most of the fish caught through the ice are going to be less than six inches around—even the larger walleye that were being taken on Moses Lake through the ice.

Short, ice fishing rods are now much more in use than in years past. These little rods can handle even the large walleye, and have definite advantages. They put you close to the action, and that means right next to the hole. This is important as there are times when the bite is very subtle. Fish can be very lethargic in the chilly water and will just lightly sip on the bait. Many anglers get rods that have a light wire extension on the rod tip just for this reason, and you can buy and add them if your rod doesn’t have one.

When I would visit anglers fishing through the ice on various lakes throughout the region I find them using pretty standard stuff. Most often it’s just a couple of hooks tied on their line above a sinker. This works, too, and the majority of anglers catch buckets of perch using just this. Anglers are always trying new things, as I do myself, and many are trying jigs. There are all kinds of jigs made for ice fishing, and most are made to just attract attention to the bait. Many are very effective and are worth a try. Pavelek used some lures that are miniatures of some lures that are used when the water is warm, like Rapalas. These lures were particularly effective on larger fish like the walleye.

Jumbo perch are always a possiblity on Moses Lake.

What goes on the hook can be important, too. A tub of crawlers can do the job when the fish are on the bite, but other baits can be more attractive to fish when they are being particular. Maggots, which now are even available in neon colors, are a favorite of perch and trout. A bait that I have learned to be an excellent ice fishing bait is meal worms and wax worms. These have out fished other baits when the fishing was tough and spiny rays and trout will both take them. These are available at pet stores. I have also found that using scent, and I like the Graybill’s Guide Formula, of any flavor when fishing through the ice. This “secret sauce” was developed by my brother Rick years ago and is now owned and being bottled and distributed by Northwest Bait and Scent.

I have noticed that ice fishing enthusiasts have expanded from the hardcore that I used to encounter to include families and large groups. I see them on the weekends cooking chilly and other treats over a camp stove on the ice. I would avoid telling my coworkers that I was planning an ice fishing trip. I got the same jokes over and over. Now I feel right at home on the ice, in the company of many others that know how to have a good time on a sunny winter day. Oh, a meal of fresh perch makes it worth the effort, too!

Dave Graybill - The Fishin' Magician