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where you simply

struggle to catch
fish with soft
plastics and have
to use bait like
wax worms or
maggots. In fact,
on the toughest
bites, you often

have to use fresh
bait in order to
get bit.

Sight Fish Tuition

I have said this
many times, but
the knowledge
you gain from
sight fishing
makes you a much better ice angler. Obviously, you need the right variables to sight fish. You need fish
in shallow enough water with good enough visibility where you can simply watch the fish. Even if the
fish are small, spend some time watching fish below the hole. Use an underwater camera if you have

to. Spend time watching how sunfish and crappies approach the lure. Watch to see what fish like and
don’t like. This education is not only enjoyable but will serve you well when you can’t watch the fish.
When you have to create the mental picture in your mind from reading the red lines on your Vexilar, the
lessons you learn from watching fish will serve you well. Looking back at almost all of the very best
bluegill anglers I have ever met on the ice, almost all of them became scary good from time spent sight
fishing.

The Big Picture

The reality is that no matter where you fish, finding fresh fish is often the key to being successful.
Fishing new ice and being the hunter who finds the fish is paramount. When you are in search mode,
you can sometimes fish with a different style and error on heavier line, heavier presentations and fish
much faster. On many metro fisheries or on water that sees a high amount of pressure however, you
windows of success are much narrower where the conditions dictate a much higher reliance on finesse.
Combine the fishing pressure with ultra-clear water and you simply have to make that adjustment even

during the search and find phase of the day. The reality for many ice anglers today is that you have
make that adjustment to consistently catch fish.

The author Jason Mitchell produces the popular outdoor program, Jason Mitchell Outdoors which airs
on Fox Sports North on Sundays at 9:00 am. Mitchell is credited with pioneering and innovating many
presentations and strategies in modern ice fishing. More information can be found online at
www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com.