Consistent ice fishing success is dependent on several basic entities. Warm clothes, head-to-toe for comfort and all-day endurance; a dependable snowmobile to explore away from the shoreline crowd; and a sharp, well-tuned ice auger to ease the work of finding water make every outing more enjoyable. A pack basket full of sturdy traps, simple to set out and operate and easy to see, with plenty of strong line and a sharp hook on each reel will fill the bill for basic gear.

All the right equipment and a promising lake full of fish should be everything required for an action-filled winter angling adventure. Unfortunately, one other item, one that many experienced ice drillers consider paramount to constant success, is often just glossed over. Between the house and the lake, that short 15-minute stop at the bait shop often determines just how good the day’s fishing will be.

I can’t tell you how many times I’m in bait shops across the state when a winter fisherman arrives at the counter and says, “I’ll take a couple of dozen minnows. Whatever you’ve got in that tank is OK.” And then the neophyte pays, grabs his bait pail with all sizes of dace, chub, shiners, and possibly several other species of minnow and heads for his favorite waterway, happy as a clam.

A good many veteran ice anglers tend to be far more particular, and oddly enough they seem to regularly catch more fish. Some of these seasoned winter fishermen point out the exact minnows they want to the owner using the dip net, while others opt to actually net their own bait. Experience on specific lakes with certain game fish dictates the size, species, and even the color of baitfish selected, and of course a healthy, active minnow is crucial.

Best bait

With few exceptions, smelt are the most productive ice fishing bait for salmon, togue, and most of the trout species. This is a logical theory since smelt comprise the natural food source for game fish in most Maine lakes. It’s also a proven conclusion, regardless of the month, time of day, or weather conditions when an equal number of smelt baits and minnow species are set out, time and again the smelt catch more and larger fish. If smelt are so effective, the question is: Why doesn’t every winter angler use them for bait? In truth there are several smelt shortcomings that lead sportsmen to turn to other baitfish.

First and foremost, smelt are expensive, averaging $8.50 a dozen compared to $3.50 to $4 a dozen for various minnow species. Due to the high price, bait dealers stock fewer smelt, so availability can become a problem, especially in out-of-the- way locations. Smelt have fragile constitutions and are difficult to keep healthy and lively in bait tanks, and even more so in pails, buckets, and other travel containers during transportation to the lake and during daylong outings. If 20 percent or more of a dealer’s smelt die, that’s bad for the profit margin, and if 20 percent or more of an angler’s daily smelt supply die before it can be used, that’s very bad for fishing results and a waste of money.

Keeping most of your smelt alive and lively during a daylong outing requires extra attention compared to minnows, but it can be done. Keeping them healthy once they’re hooked up and set out on tip-ups is quite another matter. A smelt’s constitution is nowhere near as strong as a shiner or chub, for example, and if there are no strikes for a couple of hours, smelt often become lethargic, unhealthy, and often die. If a game fish strikes a smelt, but then refuses to eat it, the smelt often expire from the injury, whereas a shiner often remains active.

Despite the price, and the travel and physical shortcomings that require half again as many smelt as minnow per trip, knowledgeable ice anglers buy smelt whenever possible. Some even set out only four traps so they can hand line for smelt with the fifth line. It’s hard to beat fresh-caught smelt from the very lake you’re fishing to attract indigenous game fish. It’s also cheap and easy if there are fishable smelt populations. Five- to seven-inch smelt are the best all-around size for most game fish. Whether you buy and carry in smelt or catch smelt on location, these shiny silver darters will provide more action and larger fish on a regular basis.

Minnow options

When it comes to selecting bait fish other than smelt, the size, shape, color, and species of minnows is extensive, and choice is dictated mostly by personal preference. Pearl dace, silver shiners, creek chub, and golden shiners are the most popular species and readily available at bait shops. All of these baitfish are very resilient with a very low mortality rate due to transfer, travel, and hookup, and they maintain very good activity levels once hooked and set out.

Golden shiners in the 4-inch range have always been very productive for me on brook and brown trout, as well as on pickerel and larger white perch. Salmon and togue, however, show a definite preference for pearl dace and silver shiners, and splake seem to have no preference, devouring whatever minnow is handy when a feeding mood strikes. Larger minnow species, although not as dependable as smelt, do produce more strikes and survive better than smaller baitfish.

Winter anglers can eliminate the middle man and have a wide selection of bait on hand all the time by trapping their own minnows. I’ve seen everything from old bathtubs to soda coolers to huge ice chests fitted with inexpensive aerators used to keep hundreds of bait fish alive and kicking all winter long.

Only lakes open to ice fishing can be trapped for live bait, and it’s imperative to learn the species since spiny-backed minnows aren’t legal to transport and use as bait for fear of introducing uninvited species into a waterway. Procuring your own bait supply is a bit of extra work, but you’re never short of minnows and you always have your favorite specimens on hand.

Hooking up

In addition to the running debate on favorite baitfish, there’s also a good deal of discussion and disagreement on how to properly hook on a minnow to assure the best results. To many cold-weather anglers, proper presentation is every bit as important to success as species, size, and depth. Some swear that a game fish grabs a minnow and then turns it to be swallowed head first, therefore hooking the bait upward through the lower and upper jaws will assure a better hookup percentage. Lip hookups with small hooks certainly allow free natural movement as the minnow swims about, and does no physical damage to shorten life span.

Perhaps the most popular method of attaching a minnow is placing the hook through the back muscle behind the dorsal fin. This option is particularly popular when using smaller baitfish, which are often grabbed from the side by a larger quarry and swallowed as the fish turns to swim away. I prefer this option, especially when using circle hooks, and am rewarded with a high hookup to flag ratio. Care must be taken not to push the hook into the spine or any internal organs as either error will incapacitate or kill the bait.

A few anglers use the unique technique of hooking the baitfish near the tail. This hookup won’t damage vital organs, but will impede swimming ability, giving the look of an injured minnow, which supposedly entices a game fish to be more aggressive and grab the bait. No matter which hookup tactic is used, I suggest allowing the fish to run and not touching the line or setting the hook until the fish stops. Then gently remove the trap, take the line in your fingers, and slowly take up slack until the fish can be felt. Note the direction the line has played out and set the hook with a long, firm pull in the opposite direction. Keep a steady pressure during the tug of war, allowing no loose line, and if a partner is on hand, have him respool loose line so it won’t pile up, freeze, and tangle. Your percentage of fish on the ice will increase.

Lively bait

No matter what lake you fish or how good your gear is, it’s ultimately the baitfish that determines results. Species and size are important, as we have discussed, as is presentation, but above all else an active, healthy minnow or smelt is most important. Use a large aerated container for transportation and storage during the outing and transfer a few bait into smaller pails for checking and setting up traps. This way a spill only affects a few minnows.

Aeration or regular water changes are crucial when several dozen bait fish are in one container, and a few anglers even add a special liquid often used to keep bass healthy in live wells during tournaments. Do not subject minnows to extreme temperature changes by setting uninsulated pails in the snow for long periods or adding fresh water that is too cold.

By checking tipups at least every 30 minutes and replacing lethargic or injured baitfish, fishing results will improve notably. By the way, after years of freezing my fingers grabbing for bait and hooking it on, a small $2 goldfish net has made the process faster, simpler, and far more comfortable. It’s also easier on the minnows.

When I hear an angler at a bait shop say “Give me a dozen of whatever you’ve got … bait is bait,” I think, beef is beef, too, but I’ll take Porterhouse over hamburger every time. It’s a safe bet that game fish have a preference as well, so fresh, top-quality baitfish do make a difference, and I’ll take every edge I can get.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com