Alright, so the best part of ice fishing is when this happens—the flag goes up and you come running over.
Newbies, people who have never ice fished before, love this because the flag popping up indicates that there’s possibly a fish on.
So what you’re going to do is come up to the hole. You don’t want to be too eager—you can slide or skate up, however you get there—but approach it calmly. Then check to see if the spool is turning. In this case, the spool is turning, which is your second indication that you have a fish on.
The flag going up is your first sign. If the spool is spinning, that means a fish is actively taking line.
You want to be careful here, because some fish are sensitive to what they feel on the other end of the line. So pull the tip-up out slowly and lay it down on the ice. You’ll also notice your indicator button is gone—another good sign that a fish is biting.
Next, pick up the line with your hand and physically feel for the fish. As I pull the line in, I can feel a little tugging back.
At that point, give a slight upward tug. We’re using circle hooks, so they usually set themselves. Then you just start pulling the line in hand-over-hand, bringing the fish toward you. Try to lay the line off to the side as you pull it in so it doesn’t bunch up in a pile at the hole.
If you have a buddy, they can help by managing the line while you fight the fish.
Then you bring the fish right up through the hole. In this case, it’s a nice chain pickerel—one of your classic winter fish.
You want to grip it firmly like this. We’re using a circle hook, so it’s usually caught right in the corner of the jaw, which makes it easy to remove.
In Massachusetts, they have to be at least 15 inches to keep. This one is right around that size, but we’re going to release it today.
The best way to release it is to put it back into the hole headfirst—not tail-first—and let it swim away.
And just like that, you’ve caught a fish through the ice.