Fish Fare for the Common Man

Want to get into sport fishing?  Do you have an extra fifty thousand sitting around for a jet boat?  No, me neither.  Do you have $600 for a medium grade fly fishing outfit?  Once in a long while a splurge like that is okay for me, but I need to be saving for college for the mini-HHMM, don't I?  Want a sport that gets you outside during the darker days of winter, puts delicious fish on the table, and is financially obtainable for almost anybody with a paycheck?  Start ice fishing.

Pop Pop is getting his ice fish on.

Mini-HHMM demonstrating that it is never too early to start ice fishing.

First question: where to go?  If you live near a lake or pond that gets at least 3 inches of hard, clear ice in the winter, look for the the dark shapes of overdressed humans kneeling over a hole, slouching on a bucket, or towing a black sled full of stuff across the ice.  That is a popular ice fishing spot, and you should be out there too.  Ask the fisherman on the ice for advice.  Ice fishing is a social sport.  Folks are usually friendly and fairly forthcoming with fishing secrets.  Check local fishing regulations for any new spot... fishing is way more fun if you don't get cited for a fishing violation.

Second question: what to bring, and how much does it cost?  You can do some legitimate ice fishing, putting dozens of tasty fish, such as perch, on the ice with as little as a hatchet, a bucket, and that snoopy rod your kid won at a outdoor education event.  Better yet, get your kid on the ice with a Snoopy rod, and go to the tackle shop and pay less than $20 for a complete ice fishing rod set for yourself.  You are really in business if you have found a lake with perch... they require the least specialized gear.  Ask the gear guy at the tackle shop for a $5 set of glow hooks or perch jigs, a $2 pack of pinch on barrel weights, and a $1 can of live maggots.  As a little jab at my Pop, I am going to suggest that you spend $10 on a spool of decent monofilament ice fishing line to put on your new rod and on your kid's Snoopy rod (Pop loves to fish with ancient, kinked fishing line that is way too heavy for practical use).  If you want an ice auger (they are nice), expect $50, but for perch, get a small one (4 or 5 inch diameter).  Get an ice chisel for less... or use your hatchet to chop open old holes.  For $100 you could have the full setup... auger, new rods, tackle, and you might have enough left over to get a plastic sled (the kids' kind works great) to haul all your gear across the ice.

Third question: How to catch the fish?  Like I said, perch are probably the best introduction to the novice ice fisher.  Rig up the glow jig to the end of your line with the barrel weight pinched on about 3 inches above the jig.  Put a maggot or two on the hook, and drop your line in the hole.  Open the bail on your fishing real and let the line pull off the reel until it hits the bottom.  You will know it is all the way down when line stops pulling off the reel.  Now reel in the slack in the line and use your rod tip to pull the jig a few inches to a foot off the bottom.  Give a couple of gentle twitches and wait.  Feel a tap tap on your rod?  That is a fish.  When you feel a second or two of steady pressure, set the hook hard and reel, reel, reel.  Throw the fish on the ice, replace your bait, if needed, and repeat.

Notice some of the fish are missing eyes?  Perch eyes make outstanding perch bait.  Sure, a little macabre, but it puts more fish on the ice.

Fourth question: I have caught the fish... now what?  Need a step by step guide to cleaning perch... here it is (this works for any and all sport fish caught in temperate waters)...


How To Guide: Fillet a Perch

1.  With a fillet knife, make a cut down to the spine just behind the gill and front paired fins.

2.  Now turn the blade to be parallel to the spine and slice through the ribs and through the abdomen.

Yes, there are some ooey-gooey guts involved here, but they rinse right off the meat later.

3.  Continue with the blade along the spine and cut the fillet all the way through the tail.

4.  Stab the tail end of the fillet with a fork to hold it in place and run the blade of the knife just under the rib cage, leaving as much meat behind as you can.

5.  Now run the blade of the knife under the meat and as close to the skin as you can.  This is easy, as long as your knife is sharp.

6.  When you are done, you should be left with a nice slab o'fish... perfect for bite size fried fish fillets, chowder fodder, or fish taco filling.

7.  Prepare, serve, and enjoy.