The time has come in Alberta’s north! There has been just enough cold weather over the last few weeks that we have just enough ice to safety explore smaller ponds. Ice safety is essential at first ice, on this trip I am travelling with a small group and we are…
The Helix line of fish finders (flashers) are powerful, multi-purpose tools that really shine when put on ice. I’ve been using the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp SI G2 on my kayak for years but this is the first season I’ve put it to use for ice fishing. I can’t believe…
Spring is definitely in the air! The last few weeks have been unseasonably warm but, personally, I’m not quite done with winter yet. My last few trips have been for walleye and whitefish but since I’m tired of getting skunked, I opted to chase rainbow trout. Although I like finding,…
As a Canadian ice angler, a heater for your ice fishing tent is as important as any of your other gear. There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to finding a heat source but the most popular by far are propane catalytic heaters made by…
Hasse Lake is fire! If you’ve been a follower of the local fishing community you likely know that for years Hasse Lake has been the running joke. Whether it was a trout, perch, pike or walleye, every time someone caught a nice fish it was caught at Hasse. Thanks to…
I never thought I would need a product to keep my ice fishing hole open, but when I first saw the Ice Defence Pro in action on In-Depth Outdoors TV I just had to have one. For $140 CAD it kind of feels like a frivolous accessory, especially when you…
My Dad has had a Vexilar FL-8 SE on the shelf in his garage since I was just a kid. Growing up, I had no idea how to use it, so I never did. Once I started ice fishing again as an adult, I quickly realized the value that a…
For the last two seasons I’ve been using circle hooks exclusively for my quick strike ice fishing tip-up rigs. The idea has been around for quite a while but I didn’t hear about this technique until last winter while I was reading the winter edition of Outdoor Canada. Tip ups…
I see on social media that there are a number of places that have yet to see their first signs of hardwater. I can’t even imagine what that’s like. Here, in the middle of Alberta, its about 8 weeks from the time the weather is too cold for open water…
Ice fishing season has arrived, and I’m so glad it’s here! Before this trip, I was going through some serious withdrawals. I hadn’t been fishing since early October and it was starting to show; I was irritable, couldn’t sleep, and I was always thinking about fishing. Like most early ice…