Which Boots?

Colten Gehring of Bozeman, MT writes:

Hey Joel I've been watching your videos from the beginning and always liked the shows you’re on. My boots of 12years finally fell apart and I'm in the market for a new pair. In your opinion what would be the best boot to get? I don't have a permanent house so I'm on the ice all day, And I'd say 99% of the time I'm driving out to the spot. 

Tough question, but one I get a lot and wonder a good deal about myself.  I’ll be honest in saying I’m still searching for the perfect boot.  As all the rest of our gear gets specialized, and fits into certain niches depending on the ways we fish, I think of boots in much the same manner.  A boot that works great for nearly stationary anglers, may not work as well for someone that puts on some serious steps while out punching holes. 

I’ve worn nearly all of them at one point or another, and a key consideration is how much your feet sweat.  If your feet sweat very little, then the Mickey Mouse style paratrooper boots you can pick up at Army Surplus stores are great.  Sadly, mine do, and even straight neoprene tends to not work as well for me.

LaCrosse Ice Kings have been really great to me over the years, and are ultra-warm but unfortunately are a bit bulky.  Baffins are great too, but I put them in the same class of heavier/bulkier footwear.  To combat that problem, I’ve worn the lace up GoreTex versions with leather uppers over the years but have had leak-thru issues. 

I’m currently wearing the Muck Arctic Pros and still giving them a good run through in more situations before putting them up at the top of the heap.  I roll down the neoprene to allow a little bit more breathing room when possible, and they’ve worked great thus far. 

If you’re mostly stationary, I’d go with the Ice Kings or Baffins and enjoy the warmth!

Interpreting Targets on Your Flasher

Featured: Marcum Lx-7

Jake Williamson writes:

Hey Joel, I really enjoy reading the articles you have been posting on your page. I appreciate the helpful advice I gather from them! I have been using a flasher for a few years now and it has made a huge difference in landing fish on the ice. One of the struggles I have is interpreting what I see on the bottom while searching holes for fish. A lot of times I interpret lines as fish while later finding they are just weeds along the bottom. Do you have any advice or links for better interpreting what we see on the bottom?

Thanks for the question Jake.  I know what you mean, especially when you’re in search and destroy mode.  You’re bopping along and see some lines here and there, and decide that you should fish them.  As you later find out, those lines are stationary and don’t add up to much. 

One thing to key in on is the strength/color interpretation of the target or mark.  On a Marcum, only the densest of weed growth and usually only cabbage or other high-climbing greenery that you see up in the water column a bit will actually show up as “red.”  Most weeds along bottom will always be green or weaker sonar returns.  Fish, especially anywhere near the middle of the cone angle will show up as distinct red targets, usually separate from bottom instead of faint signals that flicker or seem attached to bottom.

In extremely shallow systems (less than 10FOW), it can be difficult to drill right on top of fish and have them stay directly below you.  That can account for not finding or seeing much when you’re hole hopping.  For everything else, you’re looking for more than just a flicker of small hint of fish, you’re looking for strong red returns that are distinctly separated from cover or the bottom. 

In terms of reading bottom content or hardness, a larger or longer tail behind the leading edge of bottom indicates soft muck or mud.  The thinner that red bottom target, the more likely you are to be on sand, gravel, or rock, in that order progressing from thick to thin. 

Nothing beats time on the water with a sonar, but an underwater camera is an invaluable tool to help you visually pair what you’re seeing on sonar, with what you’re mind’s eye interprets that as being.  Work with them in tandem, and you can get really good with your sonar!    

Jig/Spoon Storage?

Mitchell Louden writes:

Hey Joel! I have a few Plano tackle cases and whenever I ride my fourwheeler on the ice they roll around in them and chip the paint. So I am wondering the best way you recommend storing tackle? 

Well Mitchell, there's not alot of great options for the larger lead lures and spoons.  These are the ones most affected as they're the heaviest and do the most rattling and moving around.  That said, for jigs, one key is to get a tackle box like the Rose Creek Polar box or Rapala Utility Box that holds each lure individually in place.  

These work fine for smaller items, but to protect spoons and other lead items with paint, I think the best way is to make your own or look at the Clam Spoon Box.  To make your own, start with a Plano Deep 3700 box and go to Walmart to find the type of hard foam insulation you'd like.  Use a drill bit to drill small, evenly spaced holes in that foam which you've measured and pre-marked ahead of time.  Experiment with different sizes for different lures until you find which matches most of your tackle.  Glue it into the box for a good fit.  While these boxes are quite a bit bulkier, they do hold a pile of tackle and keep it much safer.  

Good luck!

Joel

Photo Credit - Ben Larson - In-Depth Media Productions

Keeping Your Equipment in Good Shape

Photo Credit - Ben Larson - In-Depth Media Productions

Featured: Otter Sport Sled

Otter Sportsmans Case

Otter XTH Lodge Hub

Ben Vicere writes:

Joel, I've watched you fish a lot and wonder what simple tips you can give on keeping your equipment in good shape (reels, rods, sonar etc.) so they function reliably in the harsh conditions of an ice fishing season?

Friends of mine would say that I'm the wrong person to ask that!  While it's true that I can be hard on my gear, that fact also makes me qualified to comment.  I've learned the hard way, multiple times, as to the very best way to keep equipment through the rigors of an ice season.

First off, if you tow your equipment in an Otter sled, you need one crucial piece of equipment.  In my experience, the ice auger is most likely to get damaged (notice all of the vehicle mounts for them), but also does the most damage inside of a sled.  It sounds like a shameless pitch, but the Otter Auger Shield covers the flighting and takes away all of the sharp and protruding edges that destroy electronics, minnow buckets, and anything else plastic or less rigid.  

Rods get a hard case as few soft-sided cases on the market withstand long hauls without some form of damage.  A hard case does a good job with the reels attached too, as they can't move/rattle around too much.  

Packing your gear is really important too.  On long hauls over rough ice, the auger needs to be suspended above the bottom of the sled or somehow cushioned.  Everything should fit tightly, as loosely packed items, especially heavy ones like propane, act as a wrecking ball inside otherwise.  Sonar should go on the sled or ATV.  It's just too expensive, and no matter what you're using it's plastic that can get destroyed.

I guess one thing too I've learned from guides over the years, is that gear prep gets attention immediately after you come off the ice, and again well-before you go out again.  Put it away well, and it usually rewards you when you come back to it.  I hope this helps, and good luck this winter!

Joel

Underwater Camera Questions

Photo Credit - Ben Larson - In-Depth Media Productions

Featured - Marcum Pan Cam

Rob Stachowski from Cannon Falls, MN asks:

What are some of the best ways to use an underwater camera for ice fishing? Is there a recommended distance from your fishing hole to have a camera hole drilled?

For years I think the ice fishing community was entranced by the question, "are underwater cameras a tool or a toy?"  True, they are a cool way to keep kids interested, and it's always fun to positively ID what's swimming below you.  

Today, I think we've moved past that idea towards the thought that there are a variety of situations and uses for the cameras.  First and foremost, for catching.  I've been part of a number of bites where having a camera not only helps you catch more fish, it's critical to catching ANY fish.  Trout in small lakes, perch that require the bait on bottom...I can think of nearly a dozen bites I've been on in the past five years where it was a difference maker.  Beyond that though, underwater cameras are a great way to find fish.  The Marcum Recon 5+ is compact and allows you to drop all over the place, identifying areas that are fishy, even if your flasher doesn't indicate that they currently hold fish.  I've found brushpiles, clam-beds, rock outcroppings, and all kinds of other neat areas I've returned to via the camera that I might have overlooked with a flasher.

The last and perhaps best way to use a camera however, and one few people utilize, is to view jigging action of baits.  You can learn how to fish any bait better, by seeing its action on an underwater camera, and then, translating that jigging stroke to what you're seeing on the flasher.  It's amazing how much better you can get on a Jigging Rap or even your average panfish jig.  I try to do this annually for a refresher when the bite is slow.  

As for recommended distance, rule of thumb is to keep it as far away as possible while still seeing a clean image of your jig.  This gives you a broader field of view, and prevents tangles when a good predator eats.

Good luck Rob!

Joel 

Small Water Gills

Joel Gohman asks:

When going to a new small body of water with no idea of structure or where the fish will be, what are you tactics to finding them quickly and efficiently?

Perhaps the best part about backwoods secluded gills is that the water is small!  Many of the location issues and difficulty finding bluegills we have in larger systems can be eliminated in the smaller ones by brute force.  Plain and simple, sometimes you need to drill out the likely depths until you find what's there, or are satisfied that you've looked long and hard enough to find them if they were.

Still, there are some tips to finding a place or two to start.  First and foremost, I scour the aerial photography and look at the shape/structure of the lake.  Perfectly round lakes are somewhat rare, and any irregularity can be a tip-off.  Inside turns at the bases of points, neckdowns, or where the lake comes to a corner, especially if it's surrounded by steeper shoreline can be a great location to start.  This is doubly true if you've got great weeds at the top or upper end of the inside turn once you do start your drilling.  

To get a better feel for lake contours, even when none are available, I use LiDAR elevation data to get a good feel for the surrounding shoreline.  This has been recently acquired for the state of Minnesota, and in parts of Wisconsin too.  For Minnesota, go to the MN Topo viewer to look at incredibly accurate (1m ground resolution) terrestrial contours along lake edges with the idea that steep shorelines (or broad and flat ones) extend into the lake itself.  

You can also use these data to eliminate poor water.  A swamp to one end generally indicates shallower water a good ways into the lake, so you can eliminate exceedingly shallow and non-gill habitat that way.  You can also eliminate water by looking at Google Earth and its various years of photography available.  Water that is weed-choked and annually blanketed by emergent and submergent vegetation will typically not hold good gills unless it's the last available habitat.  

Hole Hopping - How Many Holes?

Photo Credit - Ben Larson - In-Depth Media Productions

Chris Wojcik asks:

How many holes do you typically drill while hole hopping. And what's your preffered length of rod for hole hopping. 

Good question, but it's highly variable depending on the lake I'm fishing and for what species.  Species like perch that love to continually roam in big schools demand a guy on the drill more than you'd think, with up to a few hundred holes punched after a long day on the ice.  Other species like bluegills in clear or shallower water can require some quiet time until things get back to normal.  You're better drilling 15-20 holes and then fishing them quietly over the next half hour to an hour or so.   

Small lakes require less, large lakes more on average, as with large lakes many of the structural elements you're drilling out can cover an expansive area themselves.  I try to focus my drilling on areas that differ; structurally, substrate-wise, or in depth.  Similar types of the fore-mentioned, and I'm drilling less holes and making what I do drill further apart.  

I'm not the ice-troller that some are, unless fishing large windswept walleye/perch lakes, but certainly don't stay put and wait it out.  If anything, I'm more mobile than not, drilling when I need to, realizing that I can't catch fish where they're not.  Yet at the same time, I understand that you're more easily found (by fish) when stationary and fishing than while out drilling holes.  A line in the water is worth its weight at times.  Speaking of, when out on the open ice, I use a 36" rod.  Most of that is height related, as it's more a function of how close to the ice you want the ice rod to be.

On an average outing on the open ice, I'm drilling at least 50 holes, sometimes more than 100.  Big waters, perch/walleye, and lots of like-minded individuals.....until we're tired.  :)

Joel 

How To Get Involved in the Outdoors Industry?

Cody Wiesmueller of Ripon, WI asks:

My name is Cody Wiesmueller from Ripon WI. I am 18 years old and one of my biggest goals in life is to work with some of the biggest ice fishing companies and travel, produce television shows, promote products at shows, etc. I have sponsorship experience but recently I have had a really hard time getting any type of company to notice me and believe in me. Seeing as how you've become really successful in the fishing industry I would like some advice. I attend shows and talk to various companies. I really feel like I am qualified to work with any company. I make connections but nothing ever comes of them. Any advice is great. Thanks Joel.

Hey Cody - I get this question quite a bit, and I remember asking it several times myself when I was trying to work my way up in the industry.  It's a tough question, with no simple answer.  There's even a book or two devoted to the subject.  I'll offer the same advice that a great friend and brand manager of a national fishing company offered me more than a decade ago.  The thoughts are his, and I've found them to be wholly accurate and important.

Fishing Industry Thoughts:

You need to think of yourself as a business. You must make the initial capital investment in your business in order to sell your product to a sponsor.  Being a skilled angler is not enough (it’s expected).  What makes you attractive to a sponsor is thought leadership and influence.  Most brands/products/manufactures will have been in business and selling well without your help, your “business plan” must be centric to explaining “why” they need you (not the other way around).  That’s where your investment comes in.  You must first invest in developing your “business” because the early years will be 99% funded by you with 1% support from the industry.  Your “Business plan” should be to reverse those numbers over a period of time.  How quickly you get there is determined by how hard you work.

 Set your expectations equal to your effort, knowing most start up business don't turn a profit for the first 5-7 years, so figure out a way to fund yourself. Whether that’s guiding, retail sporting goods, normal 9-5 gig.... but do it in a manner that allows ample time on the water, because there is no better credibility than a big fish & a bigger grin.

 Location - Is your market is currently under served?  Is it a destination/vacation area?  If so, this works in your favor in that you have a dense population of local anglers as well as a ton of visitors thirsty for information.  Your job will be to promote the fishery as much as yourself. Spend some time doing your due diligence to better understand and duplicate this.  There are plenty of case studies out there (Jason Mitchell + Devils lake), (Tony Roach + Mille Lacs), etc, all multi species anglers that promote the area and in doing so themselves.  You see they know these are destination lakes with healthy fisheries therefore people will want/seek information to have a successful day on the water.  Be the person that gives them that information & make it easy to find.   All the examples above are guides turned promoters. They did the hard work years ago and are now reaping the rewards.  They are all trusted thought leaders of the sport but that didn’t happen overnight, their credibility was earned one hook set at a time.

Decide what to be and go be it - Specialize early on. Think of it like opening a restaurant in your area. We both agree your location would support a restaurant to feed locals & travelers, but what kind?   Burger, BBQ, Taco?   

 Are you going to be a buffet and serve up information year round on all of that, or are you going to be specialty focused?  Again, do your due diligence/market research from a competitive stand point.  Who is already successful in your area, what are they doing, who are they doing it with, how do you fit in, will you create enemies?  A buffet has more inventory, but they make it up in volume whereas a specialty restaurant has less inventory and makes it up on margin.  Point being are you going to do a lot of things and be all thing to all people, or a few things really good?  Either way you can be successful but make sure you know what your signing up for.  One is a shotgun blast that requires a pellet load, the other a rifle shot that has to hit center of mass.  Are you going to be a big fish in a small pond (specialized) or a small fish in a big pond (All things to all people)?  It’s easy to raise one’s profile in a small segment.  Ice fishing is a market size of roughly 2 million anglers.  There is roughly 12 marquee thought leaders to serve the market all geographically based and so on, but you can get more blanket coverage by being all things to all people, but raising ones profile in larger segments (Open water / Bass) requires more work as there are thousands of regional thought leaders with long lasting relationships serving the industry.  Either way you go, your product is credibility and influence because without it, you have no basis in creating a path to purchase towards the gear/brand you endorse.  Cause at the end of the day, if you cannot convert sales for your sponsor you have no value to them.

Once you select the segment, your next step would be to select the gear you want to use/promote. Again do your market research - Let’s use ice fishing as an example OK.

Nobody wants to represent/endorse “junk products or brands” but there is a good better best that all sell well in each category. One could rate shelters as such good/better/best.  In every case, the good is volume based more unit sales require more support so getting on a crew like that is easier.  The best is not volume based.  A company like that spends more money on development & quality and less on marketing with the mindset good products sell themselves.  They invest in the product -vs- the marketing of it, so getting on their crew is a little harder, but in the long run worth it, as aspirational brands make the credibility factor easier.  Next you need to explore the need aspect.  Anglers on Lake of the Woods “need” quality as they make 20 mile runs out to the fishing grounds daily whereas an angler in Iowa that has limited ice and a shorter season can get by with any shack...

Determine what’s the right product mix for the style of fishing suited for your area.  Once you determine this decide which products/brands offer the unique selling position and cater best to your area, then go into retailers and find out how those products are selling.   If they are already selling well, it’s no mistake, if they are not, there’s your opportunity to reach out to the Manufacturer and offer assistance in growing sales in area.  Remember you are a business, most new businesses fail, failure is the result of poor planning.   Spend a lot of time formulating your business plan, determine if it’s possible, then go execute it.

Marketing - Frequency, Consistency, & Reach.  This should become your bible. Look at In-Fisherman Frequency -  40 years of TV programing every Sunday morning.   Consistency - same slogan, messaging, position “catch more and bigger fish”.  Reach nationally broadcast multimedia organization (TV, magazine, syndicate articles...).  That being said they started out in the same boat you are. They grew up in Chicago, and moved to the Brainerd area, became successful guides and tournament anglers.   That drew the attention of Jerry Mckinnis (I think it was Jerry if not someone else that had a show back then) They filmed a show one day with Jerry, and the very next day Ron looked at Al and said, “we can do this,” and so they did.   Reach is the most important part,  remember everyone can catch fish, your value to the industry is reach.  Kevin Van Dam’s reach is by winning Tournaments (Consistently see how this word keeps coming up) the Lindners do it via TV/print. This day in age it’s easier than ever. 20 years ago you needed a larger investment in that the medium wasn't free (TV, Radio, Print were large investments, i.e., production cameras, cameramen, editing suites, commercial spot sales people, broadcast airtime fee’s...)  Now a kid with a hot stick and a go-pro can create a YouTube channel that creates more views than Fox sports north programming (Look up un-cut angling YouTube views/subscribers or In-Depth Outdoors YouTube views/subscribers.) Follow their formula. One is entertainment based and one is information based in creating a following. Both have gathered an audience large enough to attract sponsors. How will you gather your audience must be part of your business plan and fit the product mix (Serious brands require serious influencers or are technical sales)

 The rest of the playbook is as follows:

 Build relationships with the brands you want to target. Don’t ask for a thing (that’s a turn off).  This is an old boy’s network, so become one of the old boy’s. Frequently (there's that word again) send them an email telling them how you caught a fish because of their product or because of a unique feature only they offer.   Include a picture.  Emails like these travel all through the office.  It’s like getting a thank you card.   Do it often enough and eventually you will strike a relationship with a decision maker within the organization.   Call them up in the off season, find out what new products are coming out tell them why that will be successful in your area, because after all they now their product, but you know your area and how it fishes.  Eventually they’ll ask you to do more.   Point is don’t ask for anything until you have a relationship. 

Tourism councils/Bureau The local community has budgets and resources dedicated to driving in tourists dollars associated with the resources. Find out how you can become part of the similar objective. This won’t happen overnight, but is a key ingredient.

Local writers Writers write and fishermen fish. Do you want to spend your time fishing or writing about fishing? Writers are always looking for a story (cause that’s what they are paid to do.  Call/email them build a relationship with them. Read their articles send them an email when the write a good one telling them how much you appreciate it... When you’re on a hot bite, tell them the story send them a picture. Give them a reason to write about you and eventually they will.

Digital & Social media. Post Consistently on fishing forums pick one or do all (Fishing MN, Lake State Fishing, In-Depth outdoors) all have regional threads dedicated to your area. Give updates on water conditions, bites, species... Do enough to build credibility, but walk the razors edge of not pissing of the locals and killing a bite with too much pressure.....

Live a clean life. It’s worth saying, one stupid mistake like a DUI or Fish and game violation can destroy any credibility you have. In this day in age with all the special regulations make sure that you know every one of them. You’ll be under a microscope and local angers pissed that you’re promoting their hot spot or an envious competitor will be looking to knock you down.   Don’t give them a reason.

Good Years & Bad Years - Expect change.  It’s the nature of the industry.  Expect change that is out of your control.  A relationship you have with a brand could change overnight.  As long as you are valuable to the brand the relationship won’t matter.  Every business ebbs and flows, don't ever get discouraged.

Take your time and build it right. Be in it for the long haul. Nothing happens overnight. But everything that’s worth it is worth working towards.  Your business should start today (register on a forum search for a writer) and be self-sufficient in 6-10 years.

Let me be the first to tell you that you can’t do this and you will fail. Everyone you love and everyone you respect will eventually say this to you.  As long as you feel the magic that happens when your line is ticked, you are impervious to that statement.  It’s easy to make a living, everyone does it.  You can go out and get any job you want, make money and fish on the weekends, do it for 40 years, retire, and fish every day. They say “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” if that’s what you want, I just gave you the play book.