|
Outdoor Tips
Tip #41
A Slick Solution To Fishin'
Freeze Ups!
  ICE
FISHING is a sport that folks
all over North America engage
in. And not surprising we all
seem to experience the same
problems and challenges
presented us when fishing in
such harsh conditions.
All too often
blowing snow will drift in our
fishing holes causing our gear
to be frozen in and most often
inoperable. And even if there is
no wind or blowing snow, the
below freezing ambient air
temperatures quickly cause ice
to form on the surface of the
hole. We all know that it can be
a tedious chore to tend 5 tip
ups and stick sets when pike
fishing in selected lakes here
in Alaska when the temperature
is zero or below. And most often
our gear will see a build up of
ice on lines, bobbers, and other
components in contact with the
water.
 I
frequently use bobbers when
fishing bait rigs for northern
pike. And to prevent ice forming
on my bobber as it floats on the
surface I'll spray or wipe
silicone on it. This effective
water repellent is most often
used on clothing and also repels
water on the bobber and keeps
ice from adhering. I also
"treat" the shaft of my tip ups
in the section adjacent to the
waterline area to keep the icing
to a minimum on them. This is
most effective on plastic tip
ups and less so on the old wood
style (which I still use too).
And recently I've become a major
fan of "wind jigger" tip ups and
treat the dacron line with
silicone as an icing deterrent
where the line works up and down
at the water's surface.
|
