Maciejewski Ice Fishing

Dallas with her personal best! The barometer is your friend for lake trout. Conditions were perfect and the rod was bent at the cork for 10 min.

I like to use tube jigs! Lots! Let me tell you why; When I ice fish I follow a system for hook selection, it’s simply called General to Specific 1)(General/Searching)... The most generalized lure, something that can imitate many things and can be presented many different ways. I’m looking, and trying to figure things out with this step. Are fish here? Reaction? Mood? Structure? 2)(Modify/Narrow down) This comes right from results of step one. I might be downsizing to jig and plastic, focusing on a depth, spooning for aggressive fish, slowing down. 3)(Specific/ Replicate) If and when I get to this step, I’m using realistic lures/plastics, honing in on an exact thing. The tube jig is one of my Go to (General/Searching) baits because it is so simple. It can be mistaken for anything under the water, and it’s versatility is key for narrowing down things quickly. Less is more for me, no extra flash, no eyes, let the fish decide what it is. The tube can be bounced on the bottom, jigged erratically, dropped slowly, and fished throughout the water column. I carry a case with all tubes, pre rigged from 1.5 to 4.5 in every variety of colours. I change the out quickly by using a Mustad Easy Snap. Here are 3 examples from the last 2 seasons where it has payed off; 1)Perch I drilled out an area to start in the morning, focusing on a gradual slope and started with a 1.5 light gold tube. As I was nearing the flat I began to see some action, switched to a pink tube and things really heated up. Fishing the slope/flat contour the perch were liking the tube close to the bottom. Finally I changed to a black tungsten with a bloodworm plastic. Caught to many to count, bite was red hot. 2)Walleye Late morning, started with a chartreuse 2.5 tube, fishing deep water structure (24f). I was jigging aggressively with no luck, I slowed it down and fish were coming in at the pause. Changed to a fire tiger colour tube and they continued to come in, but would not come higher than 1f off the bottom. I changed over to a slow horizontal presentation using a fire tiger jigging rap, caught 4 over the next hour. (Fish in the picture) 3)Brook Trout Drilled out an area off of a point (12f) and started with a chartreuse 1.5 tube. (Chartreuse because water clarity is poor at this lake) I began working the entire water column, the trout were taking notice higher up and chasing it down. I changed to a flutter spoon silver/chartreuse and caught 4 from the same hole. A good friend once told me A fly fisherman does not start with a size 16 green drake just because it’s the second week of July Just something that works for me Jason

Countless factors determine the mood of perch under the ice, fish can range from negative, to positively hitting anything you put down the hole. Normally if the perch are not responding to my presentations after a few minutes, I move. The reason I say normally is because I cannot leave a hole with a larger mark, no matter how negative or neutral the behaviour. Instead I’ve been switching to a drop shot setup, actively working and pausing. This set up allows me to pound the ...bottom, and have my plastic visible and moving above the disturbance at the same time. The jumbo in this picture was caught with this technique. Initially I was searching the area with a spoon, my sonar started marking fish, two of which were much larger. The larger marks would follow, but not commit. I downsized to a jig head with a minnow style plastic (1.5). Once again the larger marks were interested but would not commit. I changed over to the drop shot setup with the exact same plastic, the distance from hook to weight being about 12. I pounded the bottom for about 5 seconds and a large mark came straight in and hit with no hesitation. The result was 14 1.9 lb. Just something that has been working for me.

We are back in action with an unreal start to our 20/21 season. His face tells the story. Big plans for the 20/21 season, look forward to new destinations, tips, video, and fish!!!!! ************If you haven’t already, follow us on Instagram; maciejewskifishing******************

How’s everyone spending their home time? Tying flies with the boys is time well spent!

Throwback Thursday! To our 2 memorable trips down south. We ate well after these trips. Biggest being 2.39lb. What a place!