| Matt Johnson Outdoors Inside the Mind of an Ice Fishing Guide |
| Matt Johnson Outdoors |
By: Matt Johnson
Ice fishing is an art. Ice
fishing is a passion.
Ice fishing is what
drives people out onto
the frozen tundra day
after day in search of
a scaly critter. Ice
fishing is very much a
part of me, and if
you’re reading this, then I assume that ice fishing is very much
a part of you as well. We have a wide range of ice anglers.
We have the recreational ice angler, or someone who
ventures out on the ice when time permits. We have the avid
ice angler, which is someone who makes time for ice fishing
and spends time reading articles, visiting tackle shops and
making an effort to make ice fishing a way of life. Then there
is the diehard ice angler. This is someone who lives, sleeps
and breathes ice fishing. They can’t get enough of it, and
when they’re not doing it, all they’re thinking about is ice
fishing. The vision of their flasher sonar unit is imprinted on
their brain and they find themselves setting the hook while
sitting in church. These are the diehards, and they are a
special breed. But what group do ice fishing guides get tossed
into? Are ice fishing guides out there because they love the
sport, or are they out there to dabble in the environment and
learn a thing or two along the way? Being an ice fishing guide,
I can tell you, we’re here as extreme diehards!!
A day in the life of an ice fishing guide is a unique one. We
not only live for the thrill of the catch, but we live for the
excitement that it brings to someone else. Ask any ice fishing
guide and they’ll tell you that the look on another happy angler’
s face is better than the satisfaction of catching it yourself. We
thrive off helping and seeing others catch fish, that’s what it’s
all about. A chance to watch a first time ice angler land their
first fish, or a chance to watch an expert land a new personal
best, either way, it’s always a adventure and a joy to see.
Everyday brings a new challenge, and every challenge is
welcomed with open arms. Our job is to help others catch fish,
and to make sure they have the best time while doing it. So,
let’s take a peek into the mind of an ice fishing guide and see
what kind of planning and thought takes place for a day on
the ice…
It’s a brisk, early December morning and the forecast is
looking like twenty degree weather. I awake before the alarm
sounds with anticipation of the day to come. See, it’s Saturday
morning, and I’m about to embark on a journey of laughter,
excitement, experience and hopefully of catching some fish.
Yep, it’s the start of a beautiful day, and it’s my first guide trip
of the winter. I rise to my feet only to find my fishing gear right
where I left it the night before and everything in place ready to
go. See, as an ice fishing guide, we have to be prepared and
ready for the challenge. So this means we need to dot every
“I” and cross every “T”. We need all the proper equipment to
be rigged and ready for battle. We also need an
understanding of where we’re going to bring the clients when
venturing out onto a lake, and that means prior scouting…
The day before a guide trip might seem like a free day of
fishing, but it’s really nothing of the sort. The day before a
guide trip can be a lot of work and frustration, but the rewards
are well worth it. Punching a hundred holes might seem
extreme to some, but when on a hardcore fish search its
common practice. I like to have five or six spots picked out
where I know there are fish, so come the day of the guide trip I
don’t fall flat on my face. If this means I have to create a nice
block of Swiss cheese over a fresh sheet of ice then so be it.
My goal is to find fish, and find as many as possible. When
approaching a lake I like to break it up into parts by looking at
a lake map. Then once I break it up into parts I approach each
part as a separate lake. Each lake has different
characteristics and spots that look like potential fish holding
areas. I like to spend about an hour on each spot searching
for fish. Once fish are located I’ll keep track on either a map or
a Global Positioning System (GPS) so I can come back in the
future. After one spot is covered I move onto the next one. My
goal isn’t always necessarily to catch fish, but to locate them.
Some days all I’ll bring with me is the auger and electronics.
By electronics I mean an underwater camera for locating
structure and type of fish, and a flasher unit for pinpointing
depths and if there are fish even there. No need for a rod and
reel until I have a pattern down as to where the fish are. Once
I feel confident that I know of several different spots where the
fish are, than I’ll grab the rod and reel and find out what the
fish are feeding on. Like I said, at this stage catching fish isn’t
the most important part, but locating fish is. If I can pick up a
few fish from every spot then that’s good enough for me. I’ll
leave the rest for the following day, when it becomes more
critical that we catch fish.
So, now I have an understanding of where the fish are and
what they are feeding on. I have an assortment of baits and
jigs that are working on the desired target. I now have to make
sure I have all the right equipment for a day on the ice with the
people I’m going to guide. I always like to create a checklist to
make sure nothing is left out…
Do I have enough rods, reels and tackle? Check. Do I have
enough bait? Check. Do I need an extra portable fish house?
Check. Do I have enough propane for the heaters? Check. Do
I need a lantern? Check… and the list goes on and on. This is
a very important step in preparing for a guide trip. The last
thing I want is to find out that I forgot something when we’re
out on the ice. Remember, I want to make everything as
enjoyable as possible for my clients, and I want them to have
every opportunity as possible to have a successful day on the
ice.
Now, I have my spots picked out, I have the gear ready for the
following day and I have enough energy to wind up a dozen
ten year olds at Christmas. So, what’s next? It’s now time to
contact the people I’m going to guide tomorrow and touch
base. I like to keep in close contact with those that I guide.
This means that I touch base with them at least once a week
from the time they book the trip until the time of the trip. I want
to make sure they know how to get to the lake and to make
sure everything is clear on where we’re going to meet that
morning. Communication between you and your clients is very
important and it can play a huge role in setting the mode of an
ice fishing trip. A guided ice fishing trip can be so much more
than just a day of catching fish…
See, being a successful ice fishing guide doesn’t only mean
that you can catch fish, or that your clients catch fish, it’s
much more than that. You want your clients to enjoy the
experience and walk away with the satisfaction that it was
time well spent when the day is done. And this doesn’t always
mean you have to catch fish. Catching fish is no doubt the
reason why they hired you, but it doesn’t always have to make
or break the guide trip. Make the clients feel they are out
fishing with a friend, make them feel like they are part of “your
team.” Teach your clients about fishing, show them proper
techniques, show them how to use a slip-bobber if they don’t
already know how, show them how to work an underwater
camera or a flasher unit, show them a good time. Make it so
that catching a fish is just a bonus. Too many guides feel that
if they don’t catch fish then the trip wasn’t a success and it
doesn’t have to be that way if you don’t want it to. When the
fishing is slow (and we all know it can be no matter what we
do) show the clients some of the finer points of ice fishing.
Start a conversation, ask about previous ice fishing trips, and
ask them if they want to know anything. Don’t get bothered if
the fish are not biting, it’s going to happen, so make the most
of it.
A day on the ice should be fun, not frustrating and boring. An
ice fishing guide plays an important role. People hire an ice
fishing guide to help them catch fish. People are looking for
someone to show and teach them something new. If the
people who hired you didn’t feel like they could benefit from a
day on the ice with you then they would have never hired you
in the first place. They are willing to learn, and believe it or
not, they want to ask a lot more questions then they actually
do. So instead of dwelling on whether or not the fish are
biting, get your clients involved and show them that an on-ice
seminar is about to take place. Ice fishing is about fun, and I’m
honored to be an ice fishing guide.
Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson
Ice fishing is an art. Ice
fishing is a passion.
Ice fishing is what
drives people out onto
the frozen tundra day
after day in search of
a scaly critter. Ice
fishing is very much a
part of me, and if
you’re reading this, then I assume that ice fishing is very much
a part of you as well. We have a wide range of ice anglers.
We have the recreational ice angler, or someone who
ventures out on the ice when time permits. We have the avid
ice angler, which is someone who makes time for ice fishing
and spends time reading articles, visiting tackle shops and
making an effort to make ice fishing a way of life. Then there
is the diehard ice angler. This is someone who lives, sleeps
and breathes ice fishing. They can’t get enough of it, and
when they’re not doing it, all they’re thinking about is ice
fishing. The vision of their flasher sonar unit is imprinted on
their brain and they find themselves setting the hook while
sitting in church. These are the diehards, and they are a
special breed. But what group do ice fishing guides get tossed
into? Are ice fishing guides out there because they love the
sport, or are they out there to dabble in the environment and
learn a thing or two along the way? Being an ice fishing guide,
I can tell you, we’re here as extreme diehards!!
A day in the life of an ice fishing guide is a unique one. We
not only live for the thrill of the catch, but we live for the
excitement that it brings to someone else. Ask any ice fishing
guide and they’ll tell you that the look on another happy angler’
s face is better than the satisfaction of catching it yourself. We
thrive off helping and seeing others catch fish, that’s what it’s
all about. A chance to watch a first time ice angler land their
first fish, or a chance to watch an expert land a new personal
best, either way, it’s always a adventure and a joy to see.
Everyday brings a new challenge, and every challenge is
welcomed with open arms. Our job is to help others catch fish,
and to make sure they have the best time while doing it. So,
let’s take a peek into the mind of an ice fishing guide and see
what kind of planning and thought takes place for a day on
the ice…
It’s a brisk, early December morning and the forecast is
looking like twenty degree weather. I awake before the alarm
sounds with anticipation of the day to come. See, it’s Saturday
morning, and I’m about to embark on a journey of laughter,
excitement, experience and hopefully of catching some fish.
Yep, it’s the start of a beautiful day, and it’s my first guide trip
of the winter. I rise to my feet only to find my fishing gear right
where I left it the night before and everything in place ready to
go. See, as an ice fishing guide, we have to be prepared and
ready for the challenge. So this means we need to dot every
“I” and cross every “T”. We need all the proper equipment to
be rigged and ready for battle. We also need an
understanding of where we’re going to bring the clients when
venturing out onto a lake, and that means prior scouting…
The day before a guide trip might seem like a free day of
fishing, but it’s really nothing of the sort. The day before a
guide trip can be a lot of work and frustration, but the rewards
are well worth it. Punching a hundred holes might seem
extreme to some, but when on a hardcore fish search its
common practice. I like to have five or six spots picked out
where I know there are fish, so come the day of the guide trip I
don’t fall flat on my face. If this means I have to create a nice
block of Swiss cheese over a fresh sheet of ice then so be it.
My goal is to find fish, and find as many as possible. When
approaching a lake I like to break it up into parts by looking at
a lake map. Then once I break it up into parts I approach each
part as a separate lake. Each lake has different
characteristics and spots that look like potential fish holding
areas. I like to spend about an hour on each spot searching
for fish. Once fish are located I’ll keep track on either a map or
a Global Positioning System (GPS) so I can come back in the
future. After one spot is covered I move onto the next one. My
goal isn’t always necessarily to catch fish, but to locate them.
Some days all I’ll bring with me is the auger and electronics.
By electronics I mean an underwater camera for locating
structure and type of fish, and a flasher unit for pinpointing
depths and if there are fish even there. No need for a rod and
reel until I have a pattern down as to where the fish are. Once
I feel confident that I know of several different spots where the
fish are, than I’ll grab the rod and reel and find out what the
fish are feeding on. Like I said, at this stage catching fish isn’t
the most important part, but locating fish is. If I can pick up a
few fish from every spot then that’s good enough for me. I’ll
leave the rest for the following day, when it becomes more
critical that we catch fish.
So, now I have an understanding of where the fish are and
what they are feeding on. I have an assortment of baits and
jigs that are working on the desired target. I now have to make
sure I have all the right equipment for a day on the ice with the
people I’m going to guide. I always like to create a checklist to
make sure nothing is left out…
Do I have enough rods, reels and tackle? Check. Do I have
enough bait? Check. Do I need an extra portable fish house?
Check. Do I have enough propane for the heaters? Check. Do
I need a lantern? Check… and the list goes on and on. This is
a very important step in preparing for a guide trip. The last
thing I want is to find out that I forgot something when we’re
out on the ice. Remember, I want to make everything as
enjoyable as possible for my clients, and I want them to have
every opportunity as possible to have a successful day on the
ice.
Now, I have my spots picked out, I have the gear ready for the
following day and I have enough energy to wind up a dozen
ten year olds at Christmas. So, what’s next? It’s now time to
contact the people I’m going to guide tomorrow and touch
base. I like to keep in close contact with those that I guide.
This means that I touch base with them at least once a week
from the time they book the trip until the time of the trip. I want
to make sure they know how to get to the lake and to make
sure everything is clear on where we’re going to meet that
morning. Communication between you and your clients is very
important and it can play a huge role in setting the mode of an
ice fishing trip. A guided ice fishing trip can be so much more
than just a day of catching fish…
See, being a successful ice fishing guide doesn’t only mean
that you can catch fish, or that your clients catch fish, it’s
much more than that. You want your clients to enjoy the
experience and walk away with the satisfaction that it was
time well spent when the day is done. And this doesn’t always
mean you have to catch fish. Catching fish is no doubt the
reason why they hired you, but it doesn’t always have to make
or break the guide trip. Make the clients feel they are out
fishing with a friend, make them feel like they are part of “your
team.” Teach your clients about fishing, show them proper
techniques, show them how to use a slip-bobber if they don’t
already know how, show them how to work an underwater
camera or a flasher unit, show them a good time. Make it so
that catching a fish is just a bonus. Too many guides feel that
if they don’t catch fish then the trip wasn’t a success and it
doesn’t have to be that way if you don’t want it to. When the
fishing is slow (and we all know it can be no matter what we
do) show the clients some of the finer points of ice fishing.
Start a conversation, ask about previous ice fishing trips, and
ask them if they want to know anything. Don’t get bothered if
the fish are not biting, it’s going to happen, so make the most
of it.
A day on the ice should be fun, not frustrating and boring. An
ice fishing guide plays an important role. People hire an ice
fishing guide to help them catch fish. People are looking for
someone to show and teach them something new. If the
people who hired you didn’t feel like they could benefit from a
day on the ice with you then they would have never hired you
in the first place. They are willing to learn, and believe it or
not, they want to ask a lot more questions then they actually
do. So instead of dwelling on whether or not the fish are
biting, get your clients involved and show them that an on-ice
seminar is about to take place. Ice fishing is about fun, and I’m
honored to be an ice fishing guide.
Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson
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