Page 22 - ODUNovAndDec2018

PLAN

YOUR

SEASON

By Shelly Holland

If I don’t plan out my winter trips now,
before the season starts, I fear that
winter will slip away and that ice will be
melting before I know it. So, I intend to

plan as many ice fishing trips as I can
before the ice even sets up.

I don’t know about you, but I’m always comparing my ice fishing season to the last one and especially
the best one. But even before the hard water season begins the plan is that it will be the most epic one,
I’ve ever had.

Planning my trips now is like rolling out the carpet for my big winter adventures. Not to mention
securing a hotel or cabin can be impossible last minute, so there’s no time like the present to set up a
winter game plan.

Early Ice Gameplan
This is a great time to plan a group outing to share that special first ice time of the year. You get to fish
with your friends and family while staying safe in numbers. It’s always prudent to carry a spud bar and

throwable flotation devices but ever more so on thinner ice. There are all kinds of resorts in northern
Minnesota that would love to rent a cabin right on the lake and sharing the cost of a cabin can be
cheaper than renting a hotel. So as the ice starts setting up, you start setting up your plan for that
unforgettable first ice of the year extravaganza.

Mid-Winter Gameplan
Have a mid-winter plan. Make this winter memorable with an ice fishing trip that’s sure to deliver.

Sometimes that means getting out of Dodge, going to a lake that consistently produces fish and putting
your gear to the test for which it was made. Make those plans to those places where everyone talks
about — the ones that seem too good to be true where people catch their limit in a few hours. Places
like The North West Angle, Lake Winnipeg or perhaps Tobin Lake in Saskatchewan. Memories like these
are priceless and last forever.

You know it will be cold so plan this trip with the hardcore fellow ice anglers. You know, the ones who
don’t just have a shelter and a buddy heater, they have multiples of everything. Things can fail under

extremely cold conditions so be prepared. Don’t make it unforgettable for the wrong reasons. It’s all in
the palm of your hands, my friends. Just google these places or others you may have always
wanted to go and begin your journey.