By: Xander Russell 

     With an especially snowy winter and all the cold temperatures, this year our region has had a lot of ice. For most people it is an inconvenience because it makes everything slippery and driving more difficult, but not for ice fishermen. It means that they can go out and finally ice fish after waiting all year to do it.  

     Before ice fishing, you should know the safety precautions that should be taken. First of all, it is always a good idea to make sure you have at least two inches of good, clear ice and have ice cleats, so you don’t slip on the ice. It’s also important in case of an emergency to know how to get out of the water if you fall through and to have the tools to do it. It is recommended to have ice picks to pull yourself out with, or floating bibs so if you fall through you can stay on the surface. Once you pull yourself out, you should crawl and try to spread your weight out until you get to a spot you will not fall through again. Once you have done that, you need to get to somewhere warm as soon as you can. 

      There are many methods of ice fishing, with the main three being jigging with a rod and reel, using tip ups, and using Jaw Jackers, which in the state of Pennsylvania just became legal to use this year. You can catch many kinds of fish with all three tactics of ice fishing, anything from Perch to Musky depending on your spot and with what you are fishing. 

      The Squire interviewed Joseph Gigliotti about ice fishing, and he described his favorite parts of ice fishing sharing, “I like to play smear while ice fishing, eating donuts, and I like to catch big fish.” His favorite target while ice fishing is “…sturgeon because they are very long and girthy.” Lastly, we asked him about his favorite memory while ice fishing and he said, “When Xander, Nolan, and I were playing smear, and Nolan flew three feet back because Xander trucked him.” 

      There are many important aspects to consider when looking for a good spot to ice fish. First, make sure there is safe ice to go out on. I prefer to try to find underwater points, especially inside points because they funnel the fish into that one smaller spot, making the chances of catching them higher. I like to be near anywhere from 8-30 feet of water, depending on what fish I am targeting. For example, for Walleye, as it gets darker, they move up into shallow water to feed, so any depth can be good, but, for pike, they are typically up shallow in the 5–15-foot range. So, where you choose to fish may depend on which type of fish you are hoping to catch. 

      For next time you go ice fishing there are many good fishing spots in our area, for example Chautauqua Lake, Chapman Dam, and Lake Erie. So, remember next time you go ice fishing to have fun and stay safe and catch a lot of fish!