Following the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays, once families, relatives, and well-wishers have gone home, and once the dust settles, if you are like me, it is time for a break.

At this point, perhaps you are asking yourself what there is to do during the dead of winter other than going to Florida and spending money. 

Over the course of the past several winters, I have attended a “school”—a fishing school of sorts. Pro walleye angler Mark Martin of Twin Lake, Mich. annually hosts two or three ice fishing/vacation schools on some of the premier lakes in the Wolverine state. “Students” get the chance to fish with one or two of the several pro walleye anglers who are part of Mark’s pro staff.

Many courses of instruction in each event appeal to both seasoned ice angler and novice. You may greet some of the same anglers year after year, ad well as welcome folks who have never fished through the ice. Regardless of the amount of experience, everyone has a blast out on the hard water.

As a member of Mark’s pro staff, I have attended a dozen or so of these events and have seen many fine fish, including some that I caught through the ice.

So, what to expect on your first day? We begin on Sunday with a meet-and-greet and then an instructive seminar that not only covers every aspect of ice angling—jigging, electronics, knots, lure and bait selection, etc.—but also includes plenty of time for questions and answers from the participants. Then it is time to go to a local tackle store such as Frank’s Great Outdoors near Saginaw Bay. Each store always gives us a break on live bait, and each provides valuable knowledge as to which species are biting and where.

This is followed by a delicious meal at one of the local restaurants, more meet-and-greet, and stories of great catches, as well as stories from years past. Then, it is time to retire to the motel, such as the River Terrace Best Western in Cheboygan, Mich. (when we fish excellent Mullet Lake), tie up some rigs, gather your tackle, lay out some warm clothes, a thermos and, of course, a camera for taking photos of big fish.

Monday finds us climbing out of bed pretty early to enjoy a full day on the ice. Once again, we meet at a local breakfast restaurant where we pack in plenty of carbs to fortify us on a chilly day, pick up our sack lunches and meet at the launch. With the roar of the quads and the snowmobiles, the billows of steam from the exhausts and the snow-suit-clad fishermen, it looks like we are going to mount an all-out assault on some unsuspecting foe. Nothing could be truer; we are about to attack the local population of walleyes, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappies, perch, brown and rainbow trout, bluegills or any other species that chooses to inhale our baits. No fooling—all the above species and more have been landed during these schools.

Lest you think that we go out on the lake and freeze our #%^&* off, nothing could be further from the truth. The usual ice shanty contains at least one propane heater; indeed, it usually becomes warm enough that I feel the need to shed at least one outer layer and fish in a sweatshirt and bibs. I made up my mind many years ago that either this skinny ol’ farm boy was going to be warm and comfy on the ice, or he was going to stay home and milk the cows.

So, where to start? Mark and his staff don’t get much of a chance to fish themselves because they are going from shelter to shelter making sure that if the students need any help, they can get it. Instruction includes how to use your Lowrance electronics, and your Navionics chip (invaluable), how to properly jig a Rapala Jiggin’ Rap or a Northland Buckshot Rattle spoon, how to “pound the bottom” after a swing and miss by the fish (also invaluable), and so on. There is no end to the valuable hands-on learning.

With the first day under our belts, we retire to a local eatery for another great meal—we always eat well at these events—and then a “show and tell” session where every participant is given the chance to tell what he/she caught, with what lure/bait combo, at what depth, time of day, etc. This is a fun as well as informative part of the day. The stories often get pretty wild and humorous. So do the jokes.

Tuesday is pretty much the same as the previous day, with the exception that everyone is now better informed and ready to try the same productive spots or eliminate the less-productive ones and look for better opportunities. The event wraps up at noon on Wednesday with awards for the biggest fish, the most improved angler, and so forth.

From a personal point of view, I have been ice fishing, off and on for most of my life. One reason I didn’t fish on a regular basis was because I was freezing my skinny &*+ off. Then, I discovered the Clam Ice Armor suit, boots, gloves and hat. No more freezing, and more fun. Happy ol’ farm boy.

When I began to visit Mark’s schools, my knowledge and my catch ratio grew exponentially. I don’t always limit out, but I usually bring home some tasty fillets.

There is nothing in the world of angling to match the excitement of spotting a walleye on your Lowrance unit, watching the fish follow as you lift your lure in the water column, and then feeling the strike as you set the hook of the Tingler Spoon or one of Matt Peterson’s Fishbone lures, into the hard mouth of a golden-hued fish. Bring the fish up through the hole that you drilled with your StrikeMaster power auger (what an arm saver)! Snap a few pictures, put the fish on the ice for all to admire… then drop your lure and catch another. This gets me excited just thinking about it.

But it’s not just the fishing. Every year is another opportunity to see a bunch of old friends and make some new ones. I really look forward to this. 

If you have ever had the itch to do some high-powered ice angling, 2026 could just be the year for you. For more info, go online to markmartins.net and click on his Ice Fishing/Vacation School, just Google Ice Fishing Vacation/School, or contact Mark at 231-740-6427 for dates and locations. But don’t wait; these schools fill up fast. You’ll have a blast on the ice.