7 Expert Ice Fishing Tips with Pro Angler Pete Maina

Before you embark on your next ice fishing trip, check out these ice fishing tips from professional angler Pete Maina, one of Outdoor Life magazine’s “20 Best Anglers on the Planet.”

Based in Hayward, Wisconsin, one of North America’s best fisheries, Maina boasts decades of experience landing musky, walleye, bass and most other species of fish, both through the ice and from the boat.

Check out his story below.

Video transcript: Company of Enthusiasts: We’re into the Outdoors

[ Music ] I’m Peter Maina, and I’m really into fishing, especially muskies. [ Music ] Well, as far as what I do for a living, I guess it’s been — it’s been fishing essentially all my life because I was literally addicted to it very early on growing up on a resort and was just wired that way. I can tell you if I was in trouble in those days it was because I was fishing when I was supposed to be doing some other chores. I just couldn’t get enough of it.

I caught my first muskie off the dock when I was five, and I actually did my first guide job at the age of 11. I really didn’t have any grand plan other than I want to make a living fishing somehow or, frankly, I just want to fish and somehow have got to make a living while I’m doing it. So I started in summers at the age of 14 and just kept doing the guiding thing, but I had already built a business where I could be selective by the time I was 20. I got so wrapped up in it, maybe the ego deal, the hardest fish to catch, whatever it is, but I got to the point where I said, okay.

I’m just going to guide muskies now for a while. I got kind of pinned the muskie guy, I guess. One of the most interesting and beneficial things that ever happened through the course of my career was I happened to bump into a guy named John Gillespie. He decided to start a fishing show because he loved it.

And I started filming with him 27 years ago now, literally was the guy that did his first-ever fishing show with him and have continued to all the way through. The power of his show is pretty amazing, so it was unbelievable to help my career on the promotional end as well. So many, many stories of his somewhat haphazard approaches to the way things go. There’s quite a few stories of snafus.

Let’s just put it that way. This is a recon boat made right in Iola, Wisconsin. It’s a 2185 model. Basically a big water boat but all-species boat.

I mainly muskie fish out of it. Tons of deck space. Best horsepower. We’ve got the 300-horse Evinrude E-TEC, and I have a 15 hp kicker as well.

Many, many lures in there and of course some scattered around the boat too. I’m not all that tidy. But I’ve never hooked myself in the foot, so that I think is fairly important. The biggest muskie I’ve ever caught I honestly can’t answer that question exactly, but I’m guessing a couple of 55-inchers.

For 20 years, actually, I’ve not measured any of my own personal fish; and I generally don’t and try and encourage people not to. I’ve kind of gotten known as a voice of conservation and proper handling of muskies. Frankly, measuring fish is an unnecessary act. It just provides more time out of the water, more handling.

If you’re going to let it go anyway, in reality, what’s the difference between a 49-incher or a 50-incher. I mean, a fish is a beautiful fish, and the accomplishment is all the same. In the early years, it was more like trying to convince people that releasing any fish was even remotely a good idea. It’s pretty amazing when I get into conservation topics.

I mean, generally people are more excited about, oh, the hot lure, the newest thing that might help you catch more fish. But when you tell people — I look them straight in the eye, especially if it’s one-on-one, and I say, you know, really, you’re only as good as your fish that you’re on. They get it and they’re interested. It’s interesting how you tell people when you are literally addicted to the outdoors and very passionate about the outdoors is that I don’t think they — even if you’re trying to be honest with them, I don’t think they realize how much you mean it and by how much how many hours.

I mean, this sounds really selfish, but I’ve always just wanted to fish. You know? When I guided, things were simple. You just fished every day.

You work on your tackle and your back at night, maybe a little bit the next morning. You go guiding again and you fish every day. It’s simple. I like that.

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Safety first – the most critical ice fishing tip

Before ice fishing, always ensure the ice is safe.

“Unfortunately, I’ve lost a couple good friends falling through the ice,” said Maina. He offers the following guidelines.

Ice-thickness guidelines

• 3” for walking
• 5-6” for ATVs/snowmobiles
• 12” for trucks

Invest in a pair of ice picks, too. They drape around your neck and, if you go through the ice, you use the picks protruding from each handle to gain a purchase on the ice and pull yourself to the surface. They’re only as effective as the person using them, though.

“I bet half the people who go through the ice wouldn’t be able to pull themselves out,” said Maina. For that reason he recommends another safety tool:

“Ropes, ropes, ropes,” he said. “I can’t say enough about the importance of having several ropes on hand if someone falls through.”

Understand water currents

Unsafe ice can be easy to spot. But sometimes water currents erode ice from underneath, making it difficult to determine safety.

Study the system to understand where the current might pose a problem. Ask local bait shops or the DNR.

River systems obviously present current that can make ice unsafe. But lakes, too, have currents that can vary from area to area.

“Whenever you hear about a knowledgeable angler going through the ice, current often is to blame,” said Maina.

Check your reels, lures and line

Check the condition of your fishing line. If you see nicks or weak spots, change it.

Maina recommends changing your leader every year. “Use a good fluorocarbon leader,” he said. “I want five feet of leader on my lines so there’s plenty available for tying on new lures and cutting. When the leader becomes less than two-and-a-half feet, change it.”

Check reel condition and lubricate. AMSOIL MP makes an excellent reel lube. “I use AMSOIL MP for a lot of things to clean and lubricate,” said Maina. Test the drag, too. Pull the fishing line and check for smooth resistance with no catching.

The same procedure applies to your tip-ups as well. In addition to checking the line, lubricate the spool to ensure the line flows easily and won’t disrupt a strike.

Finally, make sure all your hooks are clean and free of rust.

Prepare your electronics

Like every other aspect of life, electronics have redefined fishing. Mapping applications allow you to walk right to structure and start drilling holes even if you’ve never been on the lake before.

Whether it’s your smartphone, flasher or sonar, electronics require charged batteries.

Ensure you adequately charge the batteries before you head out. If you’re using a flasher or sonar, make sure the wires are in good shape, too.

Choose a versatile fishing spot

Set-up in a location that offers ready access to multiple lake features.

Early in the season, Maina likes to choose a spot where he can drill a few holes to fish shallow areas near weeds or rocks. Ideally, the location also provides quick access to edges and drop-offs where he can quickly drill another set of holes.

Moving out a little farther should offer access to deep water.

“Work the shallow edges, then check the deep water,” he said. “I’ll most likely find fish in the early part of the season on top of structure and on the edges. Sometimes I’ll find them suspended maybe six feet down or so over deep water, too. Just set-up where you can access several areas without moving too much.”

Experiment with different types of bait

You never know what bait or presentation will entice the fish to strike on any given day.

Try all kinds of live and artificial bait. “For my stationary lines, I like to use a few different types of live bait. I’ll use different sizes of minnows, too,” Maina said. “If it’s available, use dead bait too, especially for northern pike.”

The bottom line is, prepare your equipment so you can use several presentations – spoons, maggots, jigging baits, a variety of colors of plastics – try them all.

Capitalize on weather changes

Fish are especially finicky in the winter.

Use the changes in weather patterns, when fish are more likely to be active, to your advantage. “Watch for changes in wind direction or barometric pressure,” Maina said. “If the weather report indicates a front passing through at 2:00 p.m., be out there fishing at that time.”

What if the weather remains steady with no changes? “That’s when solunar tables make a huge difference,” Maina said.

“Fish during major and minor times. But weather trumps everything. When abrupt changes occur, that’s when you want to be out there.”

Follow these ice fishing tips and your next trip will hopefully be a success. Sit back, enjoy your time and be safe.