The time is right for an ice-fishing upgrade

I have been vigilant for several decades when it comes to protecting exposed flesh with heavy layers of winter survival gear in order to prepare for comfortable ice-fishing expeditions.

Naturally, standards and practices have changed over time.

I have numerous faded color photographs as well as torn black-and-white Kodak shots from my grandfather's era, when his contemporaries would venture out onto the ice on Lake Marie.

Their winter gear was a set of woolen long johns, woolen great coats (WWI surplus), leather boots, a facemask someone's grandma would spend hours knitting and gloves the size of a truck tire.

If the typical group of ice cronies didn't construct a wooden ice shanty to protect their tender mercies, they frequently would be found sitting on a 5-gallon bucket dreaming of grandma's apple pie.

These were the ice shelters that were "sleepers," in that if a couple of the stout-hearted group wanted to have a few shots of old overholt and then snooze it off, they could climb into one of the bunks, cover up, stoke the stove and snooze away for a couple of hours.

Very few of us in these times do that anymore. Sure, there are "permanent shelters" put on the ice once there's enough safe thickness to support a structure.

But now, as I have reported in recent years, we (friends I fish with) use pop-up tents that will comfortably sit at least a single angler and many up to four or five people.

Some of the popular brand names include Clam, Frabill and Eskimo. Most are built around aluminum frames and have waterproof outer coverings made out of super-tough material.

I no longer have my two-person Fish Trap shelter because someone came along and decided they had to buy my unit.

But I am ready to give the portable ice tent notion a whirl again. After all, I already have an Ice Armor ice-snow suit that serves me well if I choose to sit outside and fish in the cold temperatures.

Now I'm switching gears and will list my favorite early-ice tactics.

On the Fox Chain I will focus on the back channels where there is at least 3-4 inches of solid ice. Because we are not allowed to drive on the lakes (like in Wisconsin and Minnesota), I will keep moving every 10-15 minutes and drill quite a number of holes with a gas auger so that I can pinpoint schools of fish with my Vexilar sonar unit.

It has been my experience that some fishermen spend too much time sitting on one hole without a single bite.

Ice guru Dave Genz suggested that some fishermen expect the schools to zero in on their jigs and live bait, but in reality it's up to you and I to search for the fish just like we do on soft water.

Over the last several years I've had good success using tiny, silver and gold Ukrainian jigs tipped with a spike.

I'm also spooled with 1- and 2-pound mono and fluorocarbon (for the clear water) and have been able to land big fish with ultralight rigs.

Even with the new tents, an ice angler can pop up the shelter in seconds and take it down in a little more time. The trick is to move until schools are located.

Ice fishing is fun when you have the right equipment and the desire to locate suspended fish on any number of fish-laden lakes.

• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (live streamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.