I have recently observed yet another climatic change.  Oh, not like the dramatic warming or cooling of the global environment.  Just your standard yearly temperature increase due to the coming of spring.  Not that I have really been paying attention to anything but the last home heating bill, which I originally mistook for the fuel statement of the most recent launch of whatever orbital system NASA is using now.  The signals which tip me off to the coming of spring are much more subtle.  Things such as the noticeable reduction in the climb over the snow pile I left in the driveway because it was, after all, already February and sure to melt soon.  Also, in the spring it’s easier to track the kids through the house because the mud melts more slowly than the snow which preceded it.  Finally, a change in the center of balance of the chairs in the kitchen is a foolproof system.  This occurs in most households as the winter coats, which for some reason cannot be placed on a hanging-type device in an actual closet, become stacked so high on the backrests that the chairs assume positions lying around the table at perpendicular angles.

          I have also noted that the fishing habits of a lot of my friends have changed.  The ice is going out and the seasons’ ice fishing is drawing to a close – except for a few individuals who:  a) are extremely cautious, b) are extraordinarily stupid or c) are filled with a desire to swim in large, frigid pools with small doors.  Each year as spring approaches, there is some moron who takes his life in his hands and drives out onto the middle of the lake because the ice at one point seems to be thick enough… or they’re too lazy to walk.  More often than not this is a waste of a person who, while they should have known better, could have been trained.  It’s also a loss of a perfectly good vehicle.  Worse yet is when the person behind the wheel escapes from institutionalization long enough to take someone else with them.  This should be a question on the drivers test in all northern states and Canada:

                                                                                         yes           no

                     Are you an ice fisherman?                           [ ]           [ ]

                     Are you an idiot who doesn’t know any      [ ]           [ ]

                     better than to drive on the ice in March

                     because you’re too damn lazy to walk?

If they answer yes to the first question they should be required to take a free course on ice driving safety.  Should they answer yes to both questions the tester should deny them licensure while staring at them as if they have mayonnaise on their eyebrows. 

          Come this time of year, most of us will move into other fishing venues.  If the ice is out far enough – say 12 feet from shore – some individuals will attempt to fish from the boat.  These are usually the same fellahs who’ve recently lost a vehicle through the ice.  They will normally spend an hour and a half getting the boat in the water around the ice and troll 400 feet of beachfront in 3 ½ feet of water.  This is, of course, a much more active endeavor than standing on the shore pulling in fish like all those other guys. 

          Personally, come ice-out, I like to wander to shore and fish for the really big northern pike.  This change in prey requires a change in fishing style.  My first change in technique is basically to stay awake.  This is not because of the increase in the volume of action or the subtle approach of the northern pike in nibbling your bait.  Mostly it’s because you could wake up and find that a northern in the twenty-pound range ran out your hi-tech line and took your graphite composite rod and $127 bait casting reel for a spin around the bottom of the lake.  Since northerns live, at best, to be the age of small children, as evidenced by the fact that they can’t remember where they found anything, you will never see that particular rod and reel again.

          This leads us very naturally to our next point – anchorage.  No, I’m not referring to fishing in Alaska.  What I’m talking about is the systematic fastenage, if you will, of your rod to some solid, well-set fixture.  A tree works well if available, or possibly the bumper of your vehicle.  Personally, I use a steel carrying tube for my rod.  This doubles as a tool to pound in metal fence posts, which I can use as a rod holder.  It looks stupid, but I haven’t lost a rod and reel in years.  When fishing around a reservoir it’s possible to use a driftwood log.  It’s always hopeful that this will serve a twofold purpose – that is, if it doesn’t keep the fish from pulling your rig into the water, it will at least act as a bobber.  Since most of us are not likely to catch a fish quite that big, I’m guessing you could be fishing a bit too high in the water and you should scan the vicinity for that guy trolling the thin water strip.

          Another major change I make from the usual walleye and perch fishing I do through the ice is a change in line.  Of course all you proficient fishermen will know this and probably change your line quite frequently anyway.  Still, when fishing for an aggressive fish like the northern or muskie it’s surely a good idea to go to a heavier line.  Now, this fish is not nearly as picky as a trout or even a walleye.  Because of this, your line selection need not be particularly specific…actually, ¼ inch nylon rope works pretty well.  The downside of that is the resulting size of the spool.  Even a heavy rope, however, is little protection against the rows of razor sharp teeth carried in the mouth of these aquatic predators (i.e., big, hungry fish).  A few shakes of the head and any line will be sawed clean, allowing the pike to escape with your bait, your treble hook and a really bad case of indigestion.

          For these reasons, the employment of a leader is called for.  If, however, you can’t find a competent leader who is knowledgeable in this type of fishing, you should at least use an 8 to 12 inch spacer on the end of your line, which is harder than the teeth of the fish and thus resistant to abrasion.  This is also a leader and generally a steel one is used to prevent the escape of these game fish.  For set fishing I like to use a 3/16th inch cable.  It’s definitely heavier than needed but I don’t have to replace it very often and it does away with the need for a weight on the end of my line.

          The final note in technique for pike fishing is simple and stems from the fact that these fish are, even as fish go, rather crude.  They have no real style and are more or less the rednecks of the fresh water fish world.  Truth be told, there really is no “technique” to pike fishing once you find out where they are.  My grandfather used to use large nuts for sinkers, homemade treble hooks, braided line and bailing wire for a leader – all on the cheapest rig he could put together.  I always thought it was kind of funny until it occurred to me that Grandpa had caught a number of northern in the mid to upper twenty pound range.  My best in expensive gear in a number of the most productive lakes and rivers is nearly 10 pounds beneath his average.

          My point?  I’ve spent a lot of time reading articles and stories by the most respected fishermen in the world and I have learned a great deal – only to forget the most important lesson about fishing that my grandpa taught me:

          Find yourself a good spot, relax and enjoy yourself.