Don’t take chances when it comes to walking and fishing on thin ice

I hate to be a buzzkill, but I will never recommend anybody hit the ice for an ice fishing trip without knowing there is a good base of ice available and weather conditions warrant continued frozen water.

It seems like it takes forever for the water to harden when the season starts. I think that is because ice fishermen are eager for their sport to begin. Then we get a few days of exceptionally warm weather and the ice seems like it disappears.

I’ve told you that I personally don’t walk on ice that is less than 6 inches thick. I don’t ever cross over open water to get to ice. There are people who will walk across soft water to reach ice, but that is not for me. I have to see ice spanning all the way across the surface of a body of water before I feel comfortable.

I am squeamish to ice fish on frozen bays on a lake like Geneva, when the center of the lake is wide open. It scares me.

Most of the ice fishing derbies on local lakes and forest preserve lakes have passed us by and I apologize for not posting these events. It seems I have been used to the fact that I’ve had more time because the derbies have been canceled and replaced by makeup dates that gave me more time. This year. The ice stuck around for the original derby dates.

I like derbies for beginners because they are a great occasion for families to try ice fishing. People aren’t so competitive and help each other out more than usual. Some people at ice derbies will often drill holes for their neighbors. You can’t beat that.

If you can be assured of safe ice, let’s try some tips to get some nice cold-water fish fillets for the dinner table. Ice jigs made of expensive new materials like tungsten are very popular. Tungsten is heavier than lead and falls faster in the water.

It will get your bait down past the tiny fish quicker and get to where the bigger fish swim. Mormyshka, imported from Russia, is a top brand of jig. Jigs and hooks are tipped with normal baits like minnows and spikes (a more palatable name than “maggot,” which is what they really are). Avid ice fishermen order their spikes by the gross.

It is rumored that some hard-core anglers will keep a few spikes in their mouths, to keep the bait lively, but I don’t believe it. Unless I actually see someone do this, I’ll keep it filed under the “urban legend” tab. A new entry in the bait arena is Chema bait, which is reported to be a sealskin material, which is hard to find but very effective.

I suggest that you put a single spike or waxworm on your hook to start out. It’s a good idea to squish it between your thumb and forefinger before dropping it into the water. The gooey mess tends to drive the panfish wild.

You may be one of the ice fishermen who set “tip-ups.” Tip-up fishermen usually target pike, muskies and walleyes. A tip-up is a contraption that holds a reel and a mechanical flag that pops up when a bite happens. They sit and wait for a tip-up to go off.

Tip-up fishermen waiting for a strike to be signaled. When the flag stands up, there is a mad dash to grab the tip-up and reel in the fish at the end of the line. I love tip-up fishing with kids. They love seeing the tip-up flags go off and run like heck to be the first one to grab a rod.

Tip: northern pike go absolutely crazy for frozen smelt under the ice. The bait doesn’t have to move or look alive. The pike are looking for an easy meal that they don’t have to work for.

• Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.