Throughout the summer months, schools of crappies typically concentrate themselves along weed edges, as well as pockets and holes in the weedy cover. In certain situations, fish will push further into the weeds and in others, push out away from the edges, but still remain in close proximity to the weeds. Focus your efforts on these keys areas.

As the season progresses, crappies will also inhabit other areas, often in slightly deeper water. Woody cover – such as man-made cribs or submerged timber – act as crappie magnet regardless of the time of year, but they tend to concentrate fish towards the tail end of the summer.

If you’ve tried to make a major purchase in 2021, you’ve been affected by the global supply chain slowdown.  Materials are backordered, shipping is slow, containers held up; there are seemingly more reasons than ever these days for why you can’t get at what you’re looking to own. 

Marcum Technologies, the undisputed leader in ice-fishing-specific sonar, takes tech to the next level. Their long-held principle is that features are useless unless they help an angler catch fish, and that can be seen throughout decades of innovation. Patented technology like moveable zoom that led to angler’s ability to target fish anywhere in the water column was the first ping heard round the world among the ice sonar community. They followed it up with additional advancements to help distinguish echoes from noise in an interference rejection system so advanced, it’s also patented.

the lakes will be full of life in many forms once again.  Boating enthusiasts will now start thinking of getting the boat out of storage and planning the maiden voyage of the year.  And anglers eager to fill a live-well know that the crappie are heading for the shallows and it’s time to go fishing.  Early fishing brings the big crappies into the shallows. Find where to go and what to use to make your early crappie fishing trip a success.

know.  First off, there are a lot of terms that are used in the ice fishing industry to describe the functionality of ice fishing electronics.  Terms such as high frequency, chirp, live imaging, target separation, target identification, interference rejection, zoom and so on are used to describe the performance of the ice units.  

Tony Roach is no stranger to that game, as he fishes across northern Minnesota each winter, doing his best to put clients continuously on panfish, perch, and walleyes. It should come as no surprise then that underwater viewing systems are a key part of his strategy, and have been since their inception.

His camera and digital sonar approach mimics his now-famous “ice-trolling” concept of roaming select structural elements while drilling holes continuously, in an effort to both locate fish and stay on them. Few have drilled as many holes in the hardwater as Tony, and fewer yet have followed that up with as much underwater viewing as he has either.

The upshot is a 1-2 punch of underwater viewing and sonar that focuses on two main parts; the finding, and then catching, each of which utilizes different strong-suits of cameras and traditional sonar.

Sports fanatics live for it. Athletes push all year for it.  And anglers should continue to pursue their favorite species into the “post-season.”  Fall can be just like that on the water, only a few have survived to make it this far.  So both the fish and remaining anglers get all the attention and action.

Lakes and rivers are wide open for anglers and fish are feeding more heavily as winter is approaching. Not only does your chance at numbers of fish increase but also the chance of catching your biggest fish of the year.  Pike, Bass, Walleye and panfish will all be more apt to hit your offerings. As the water cools it tends to bring fish shallower as baitfish often times will be there as well. Prior to the proverbial “turnover” is the best time to be out on the water. 

Being Mobile On The Ice. Technology has made it so much easier to move around on the ice.  GPS, map…

New Hope, MN (11/18/21) –Based on the growing demand for MarCum products in Eastern Canada, the Minneapolis manufacturer has engaged Raytech Electronics, a warranty and maintenance service center to enable owners to receive service without having to hassle with international shipments. Raytech will be handling warranty and non-warranty repairs for MarCum consumers starting November 17th, 2021. This new relationship is expected to decrease repair service times by at least 5 business days for Eastern Canadian customers.

Panfish, walleyes and other game fish receive the lion’s share of angling pressure throughout the winter months – mainly because they are so accessible. Some of the more neglected targets during the ice season include stream trout species – rainbow, brook, and brown trout more specifically. Fortunately for ice anglers, states like Minnesota and Wisconsin put forth a great level of effort to ensure there are catchable trout opportunities available.

Stream trout are stocked across the Midwest in a variety of lakes and ponds. They are worthy adversaries for any ice fisherman and offer a unique experience. Determining the right combination of preparation, location, and presentation can lead to winter trout fishing success.

Everyone wants to be successful on the water. We all love to post on social media and to talk about the fun we had catching fish and spending time together with friends and family. The old adage says, a bad day fishing is still better than a day of work, but no one really likes having a bad day of fishing.

Once you dive into this worthy hobby you will quickly realize that a bad day is relative. For the beginner it could be not catching a single fish. For the guide it could be not filling out a limit. And for the professional it could be not making a top-ten but catching 40-50 target species fish during the eight hour day.

It could be the most common question found on internet forums, Facebook groups, and among the freshman class of ice’s newest anglers – “Sonar or camera?” Sounds like a simple question. Multiple choice even. The answer has always been straight-forward too, with most experienced anglers leaning towards a sonar first, then purchasing a camera to eventually fill in the knowledge gaps as needed depending upon their species of interest.

Marcum Technologies, the undisputed leader in ice-fishing-specific sonar, takes tech to the next level. Their long-held principle is that features are useless unless they help an angler catch fish, and that can be seen throughout decades of innovation. Patented technology like moveable zoom that led to angler’s ability to target fish anywhere in the water column was the first ping heard round the world among the ice sonar community. They followed it up with additional advancements to help distinguish echoes from noise in an interference rejection system so advanced, it’s also patented.

From the day you get your first flasher, the ice-fishing universe is forever changed. Ice anglers go from simply guessing at bites and what may or may not have been a fish, to tracking them throughout the water column. Not only can you use it to find fish and track how they respond to your bait, but you can also use it to find active fish before a line is even wetted.  At one time, it was considered somewhat odd; almost a novelty. Now, ice-fishing electronics are a multi-million dollar category, and the thought of fishing without one seems pointless.

Midwest angler Joel Nelson knows a thing or two about ice sonar.  As MarCum’s longest tenured pro-staff member and media personality, he’s been running a MarCum since the brand’s inception.  Though he could run any fish finder on the planet, he’s an avid fan of the M1.  “It’s really a sonar that takes me back to some of the original MarCum units that just flat caught fish,” says Nelson.  “You get exactly what you need in an ice locator, ready to fish out of the box.”  Nelson logs thousands of miles across the ice belt each season, fishing and filming for a host of TV and video segments, all while toting an M1.  “I appreciate so many of the MarCum units in the lineup, but I’ll always have an M1,” says Nelson.