Now, for the 2023 ice fishing season, MarCum raises the bar once again, introducing two new models that cater to different angler preferences and budgets.

There is just something about seeing it happen with your own eyes.  Imagine a jumbo perch roaming through a weed bed in search for an easy meal with its eyes going to and fro looking for its victim.  They casually swim the edge of the cover until they catch a glimpse of the bait hovering just above the top of the weeds.  Because you are fishing amongst the weeds, underwater cameras simply give you the best opportunity to be successful.  Flashers and depth finders will often pick up the weeds making it hard to see fish and your bait.  Underwater cameras allow you to see where the fish are and where your bait is.    

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.

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.

After a long winter, there is nothing like the unbridled anticipation of hitting the open water once again.  Spring and summer is a special time of the year and soaking up the sun on the water is the best way to recharge the body and soul.  The last thing you want to have is maintenance issues going to or on the water.  Be sure to follow these quick tips to ensure a greater chance at a fun-filled day on the water. 

Mist from the baitcast reel erupted into the morning air as the crankbait rocketed toward the conspicuous riprap that hugged the edge of the river. As soon as the lure hit the water it was brought to life with a few cranks on the reel.
Instantly the wobble of the lure going back and forth could be felt in the rod tip. It didn’t take very long for the lipped crankbait to start digging in the rocky bottom. Tick, tick, wham! Fish on as the lure got to the edge of the swifter current and it feels like a good one as the fluorocarbon line is being stretched by the bull-dogging fish in the current.

There is no doubt that underwater cameras have had a huge impact on the growth of ice fishing.  With a stable platform of ice to set up on, a camera is a perfect tool to be able to peer into the underwater world below.  There is nothing better than being able to literally watch fish behavior and watch the fish strike your presentation.  There is so much to learn from this simple viewpoint that children to veteran ice anglers get mesmerized while watching the screen.

It’s midwinter. Lakes are locked up with a solid layer of ice. Shanty towns dot the landscape – filled with anglers that are willing to trade long rods for those of a shorter variety. Panfish – crappies in particular – are some of the most targeted species throughout the hard water season.  Knowing how to find them and which tools to use will ultimately make for a more successful day on the ice.

Whether you’re ready for it or not, the ice season is coming to an end sooner than later. For many of us anglers, it was an odd season riddled with less-than-ideal conditions – including lack of ice and excess amounts of snow and ice. With snow melt in full force and deteriorating ice conditions, we can’t help but think of what’s coming next.

No one can deny how much the sealed lead-acid (SLA) 12v battery has had an impact on ice fishing.  This battery has been the dominant player in the game and has been used extensively for decades in flashers, digital units and camera systems throughout the ice belt. 

The “dog days” of summer mark the end of the early summer feeding binges that most fish including bass go through. Not only are lakes really warm but they are chock full of food including insects, frogs, crawfish, baitfish and fry from all species. Suffice to say that fish have plenty of food and cover available to them. So consequently it can make it just a little tougher to entice a fish into taking your presentation.

A lot of anglers will set their minds on fall when temperatures will cool down and fishing will generally be a little easier. However you don’t have to leave the boat in the garage until then, simply refine your strategies to start catching fish again.

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.

Finding and CatchingEarly Ice Walleyes It’s been a few years, but I’ve always been a big fan of full-moon fall…

Water temperatures that build into the high 60 and 70 degree marks will definitely get fish moving, and that usually coincides with a few hatches.
Bugs crawling out of the deep mud get rafted against the main-lake structure, and signify some of the initial pushes to offshore humps, bars, and reefs. It’s often when casual walleye anglers, or those who see early mixed bags of walleyes with crappies and gills, stop catching them.

Anglers don’t always follow, sometimes because they’re not required to. This is a dynamic time of year as the summer food chain ramps up production. That means anglers don’t always have to look deep to find fish, and several patterns can be going at the same time.

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.