How do you keep ice off rods in the winter:



While Walleye fishing in the winter ice tends to build up on the top eye of the rod from reeling in and out and this can cause big problems. It can freeze the line making it hard to feed out line or reel in. When you try to pick it off it causes damage to the eye resulting in line damage and lost fish. I used to pick it off with a nail, my cutters and other things but all damage the line. I tried sprays but that is a pain and only helps a little. So to fix this I put an over size eye on the end of rod and no more ice. If you do get a little ice built up, just tap your rod on the side of the boat and the ice breaks off completely. It looks funny but ice is no longer a problem and I don't have any trouble using these rods year round with the big eye.

What do you use for a minnow scoop? Use an ice-fishing scooper and attach an extension by taping on a small board or anything to the scope handle so it can be in reach it from your chair so you don't have to get up or bend over. The ice scooper will keep your hands dry where a net doesn't. It also only catches a few minows so the majority of the minnows don't get netted every time you need a new minnow.

Keep minnows in a cooler so they don't freeze. Keeps minnows cooler in the summer too. Keeps the temperature stable. Use coolers for worms and Leeches or any bait. Keep cheesebait in an Igloo cooler so it doesn't melt and it keeps the odor inside. You can find small coolers for very little at used goods stores and rummage sales.

How to make instant hair jigs without having to tie them. Works great for a floater rig. I got lazy and tried melting hair to a twister tail without the twister and it not only works but also makes one heck of a floater with a great wobble triggers fish strikes.

Use single hooks for cheater hooks; lighter diameter hook keeps the minnow upright, catches less debris, catches bigger fish with bigger hook size. Tie ahead of time, use a slip knot - Just slide it over hook eye and pull tight.

Add an oar on the back of boat to keep the boat from spinning in the wind; there is no skag on a jet-drive motor to keep the boat straight. Try using a thin metal bar, bolted it to the boat transom, then folded it back and bolted to a half an oar. This way you can easily pull it up if there's ice at the ramp, and it does bend up and back down if I run over anything like a log, and if I back up and hit something it just bends and returns to original position. This is indestructible.

Pictured above shows my transducer mount. Transducers don't get along with ice and after snapping a couple off I came up with a method that let me use the broken transducer
and it cannot break because I easily bend it up out of the way if there is any ice at the ramp. I used a 4" piece of 2x4 board, drilled and carved out a hole the shape of the transducer and used caulking to hold it in place. I then used a piece of galvanized metal for a brace and attached to the transducer and the boat transom.That thing has been on there for over ten years and still holds great and it does work while running full speed.

I use a duck decoy for a marker buoy. I rarely use markers because I get landmarks but this thing fools them all! The only bad thing is people will try to pick it up to keep it and may not believe you that its yours.

Bobber stop: No need to use the string that comes with slip bobbers, and piece of monofilament will work. Seventeen pound test line works good. Just tie half a square knot and pull real tight and there you go. It will slide through your rod eyes with ease.




The Button: Add a button to any surface lure for more action. I like to use these with rubber mouseys in the weed holes where you don't have much room to work the lure. This gives you twice as much action for twice the distance. It makes it look like a frog trying to catch a bug. Add a button before you tie on the lure. Peg the button hole with a tooth pick and break off excess.