Fishing Against the Grain

Isom, a Valentine insurance agent, has finished at or near the top in nine area ice fishing tournaments in the past 10 years, and since 1995, in three Nebraska open-water competitions as well. It was enough to earn him spots on the Jiffy Ice Auger Pro Staff and the Outdoor Promotions Pro Staff.

Early in his ice-fishing career, Isom decided that starting each day’s search for fish six inches off the bottom wasn’t working, even though everyone around him was doing it

Steve Isom unhooks a chunky largemouth bass at a private lake in Cherry County.

that way and had done so for as long as anyone could remember. “Fish aren’t always on the bottom, and most fish look up, not down, to feed,” he explained. “Six inches off the bottom might be a good place to start on some days, but more often the best depth is a foot or two feet or more above that,” he said.

Electronic fish locators have become a big help to winter anglers in determining the depth of the fish, but there are ways to find fish without high-tech gadgetry. “Before I had a locator, I would set my bait six inches off the bottom first thing in the morning, just like everyone else. But I would drop it down slowly, stopping every foot to fish by feel for a minute or two, until the bobber was on the water. Then I’d reverse the process, coming back up. I did that until I found how far down the fish were feeding,” Isom said.

Isom believes that the food in a Sandhills lake is near the surface early in the morning, and that is where he often finds fish. As the sun moves higher and the day becomes brighter, the zooplankton, nearly microscopic animals adrift in the water, move toward the bottom, followed by the insects and prey fish that eat the zooplankton and by the bigger fish that eat the insects and prey fish. In the evening the process reverses, and everything tends to move toward the surface again. Isom has found that the same often applies to ponds, small reservoirs and other shallow bodies of water.

Bluegills make up most of Isom’s catch when he is panfishing, but he also takes yellow perch and crappies. “You can depend on the bluegills and crappies to change depth and follow the zooplankton. Perch might stay a little closer to the bottom than the other panfish, although in Sandhills lakes and other small waters, I’ve caught them shallow, too. But in deep water, like Merritt Reservoir, I’ve never caught perch more than three feet above the bottom,” he said.

Game fish also move deep or shallow, but to varying degrees, Isom said. Northern pike change depth often, probably because they hunt smaller fish that follow the zooplankton. Largemouth bass cruise all depths of Sandhills lakes and other shallow waters, but tend to favor deep water in larger lakes, while walleyes tend to be bottom-oriented and lethargic in winter.

A power ice auger makes it easier to search for fish at several locations on the lake.

Isom explained these and a few other ice fishing theories two years ago at Watts Lake on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, where his twin 9-year-old sons, James and Jacob, were working on an ice fishing story for Trail Tales, a magazine for children published by NEBRASKAland Magazine. A ground blizzard ended that outing after only a few hours, but he resumed his demonstration a year later at a private Sandhills lake in Cherry County.

The day broke clear and brisk, and the day-long blend of sunny skies with occasional high, thin clouds and nearly calm winds made it cozy by ice-fishing standards. Isom appreciated the comfortable conditions, but said the day was “too nice” for his tastes, even though hefty bluegills and perch were biting. “On Sandhills lakes, cloudy days are better. The ‘bite’ lasts longer in the morning and starts earlier in the evening,” he said.

When selecting lures, most anglers follow the maxim “bright colors on bright days, dark colors on dark days,” but Isom has worked out his own formula. It, too, runs contrary to conventional wisdom. “On sunny days I go for dark lures, usually teardrops, in blue, black,

Yellow perch are the mainstay of Sandhills ice-fishing.

purple and dark green. On cloudy days, I’ll pick teardrops in bright colors like chartreuse, glow-in-the-dark, orange, silver and gold. I think the dark colors work so well in Sandhills lakes because the aquatic insects, the predominant natural foods there, are mostly dark-colored,” he said.

The morning sun was still low when Isom cut the first holes at the east end of the lake. When the auger finished its work, the lake was silent, except for a cow bawling in the distance and boots squeaking underfoot in the thin layer of new snow. We had the lake for ourselves until two parties arrived later in the morning.

Isom selected several jig poles, each with a different color teardrop. Then he produced a small plastic bottle from a pocket deep in his well-traveled parka and shot a small stream of fishing scent onto his fingers. “I use this stuff for a couple of reasons. I think it probably covers some of the smells on my hands that fish might not like. At the very least, I know the formula’s oil base protects my hands from the wind, water and cold,” he said.

Isom selected a waxworm and threaded it onto the hook of a purple teardrop, taking more time at the task than might be expected of so practiced an ice fisherman. “I make sure the waxworm covers the hook,” he said. “If the worm is hanging off the hook in any way, fish are sure to grab that part and swim off. When you set the hook, you don’t catch them.”

Bobbers just large enough to support the lure and bait will register the most delicate bites and are one key to Isom's success.

Isom also called attention to his bobbers, dainty little things that most warm-weather anglers wouldn’t even recognize as fishing gear. “Match floats to the lure or bait you are using,” he advised. The smallest possible bobber, one that just barely supports the lure and bait, lets the angler see the lightest bites, Isom said.

Even when the bait is finally in the water, the angler can improve the chances for success. The jigging motion most winter anglers impart to their bait is one of ice fishing’s most important strategies, Isom believes. “After a cold front, when the bite is slow, fish want a slow jigging motion and small bait. On other days a more aggressive motion, a bigger bait or both often attract more fish. Jigging motion is important. Experiment,” he said.

Isom attributes his ice fishing success to attention to details. Understanding how light affects food organisms and the fish that eat them helps him locate fish. The correct jigging motion, carefully selected lure colors and scents help attract fish. The right bobbers and properly baited lures help him catch them.

James (red cap) and Jacob Isom join their father for an ice-fishing expedition to Watts Lake on Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.

The most important advice Isom offers is to keep learning from personal experience and from other anglers. “On unfamiliar water, I ask others about the lake and its structure, the depth where fish have been caught lately and the best lures, colors and bait. Asking questions is important.

“I try to talk to other fishermen as much as I can to learn what works for them,” Isom said. “I know of fishermen who were told that fish were caught on a certain lure or a certain color or at a certain depth or with a certain technique. Then they ignored the information and fished just the way they always fished before. Not me. I like to try something new. Who knows? It might work.