Mark Martin relies on deadsticks, jigs and tip-ups for fishing at first ice.

Preparing for another ice fishing season had me thinking: What are my top go-to techniques, no matter the predator species I’m targeting? Three came to mind: Jigging, dead-sticking and tip-up fishing.

The following are a few tips for each tactic that have helped me catch more fish over the years.

Getting’ jiggy with it

There’s more to jigging than just lifting and dropping a lure. First off, it takes the most sensitive of gear to allow you to feel every flutter of a jig, as well the lightest of bites.

Berkley’s Lightning Ice Combo is a great rod and reel for jigging. In general, I’ll use the medium-light power combo when fishing for walleyes, pike and perch. My line of choice is 6-pound-test Berkley FireLine, with the tiniest Berkley Ball-Bearing Swivel tied to its end with a Palomar knot. On the other end of the swivel, I’ll tie on a Berkley Fluorocarbon leader of either 4- or 6-pound test, then the smallest Berkley snap (not snap-swivel) to the end of that.

Small snaps are a must when using lures like Jigging Raps and spoons, rather than tying them directly to the line, as they allow the lure to waggle with all their action.

Once my lure’s hook has been tipped with live bait or Berkley GULP, I’ll lower the offering down to where I’m spotting fish on my Lowrance sonar and start jigging. This is where I see others make one major mistake: More often than not, they jig way too aggressively.

All it takes is a mere 6-inch or less lift of the rod tip, then allowing the bait to flutter down onto a taught line. Strikes usually occur as the lure’s falling. You may only feel the lightest “tap,” or notice that the line never straightened out. Set the hook anytime anything feels different. You’ll be surprised how many hits you were missing in the past because you never noticed them.

Dead-sticking

Dead-sticking is basically still fishing with a slip bobber or other device, in which a fish can grab a bait and swim off, never knowing it’s about to be hooked. And rigging a dead-stick is about as basic as can be.

Berkley Trilene Micro Ice in 6-pound test is the perfect match on a light-power rod and reel. Similar to jigging, I’ll use a tiny ball-bearing swivel with a foot or so of 4- or 6-pound test fluorocarbon, but this time with a #14 Daichi treble hook tied to the end. I’ll also add just enough split-shot weights at least 6 inches away from the hook to allow the live bait to slowly fall into place.

Often, I’ll use a lively minnow, which I just nip under its dorsal fin with the treble hook.

In addition, I’ll have a slip bobber set so that the minnow is suspended just above where I’m seeing fish on the sonar. Once the fish swims off several feet, just close the bail, tighten the line and set the hook with a smooth, sweeping motion.

Tip-up time

Fishing with tip-ups is much like fishing with a deadstick; it’s basically still fishing with live bait. I use tip-ups outside of my ice shanty.

Even if I’m only using one tip-up, I’ll pre-drill numerous holes beforehand. These extend over several different breaklines and water depths so I can move the tip-up hole to hole if I haven’t had a strike. This is another mistake I see anglers make all the time: setting up a tip-up and leaving it in the same hole all day when no fish have been caught. Move it often and you’ll eventually find the fish.

When your tip-up’s flag pops, signaling a strike, don’t run right up to it and set the hook. Just quietly walk over and wait. Yes, wait. Wait painstakingly long. Several minutes, if need be. Then you can grab the line and just tighten it between you and the fish. Again, set the hook with a smooth, sweeping motion, and then hand-over-hand the fish to the hole.

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