With early ice starting, at least in Northern Minnesota, I am nothing short of anxious to get out on hard water once again. This weekend will be my first ice adventure of the season and I cannot wait to see how it all kicks off. With that in mind, I started thinking of my personal goals for the year. Last year I accomplished most of the goals I set for myself and went out of my comfort zone more than I thought possible. Let's see what I can do this time around.
MN Steph's Ice Fishing Goals 2020-2021
Catch my First Tip-Up Pike
Can you believe I haven't done this yet? Last year I speared my first pike through the ice, but somehow I have never caught one on a tip-up. I've always targeting panfish and perch on jigging setups... This is definitely going to be changing this year.
Target Walleyes Through the Ice
I've caught two Walleyes on ice in my lifetime. The first was a beautiful 20 something inch walleye that I caught accidentally while fishing for jumbo perch on Leech Lake back in February of 2013. The second was last year on a small local lake but it was just a baby that couldn't have been more than 5 inches long. It's fair to say I'm not exactly skilled in targeting walleye on open or hard water, but this year I plan to expand that skill set and work harder on targeting more Minnesota gold through the ice.
Find Jumbo Perch in Northern MN
One of my all-time favorite parts of Minnesota ice fishing is heading up to Northern Minnesota for late-season jumbo perch fishing on the ice. The size of these little fighters is outstanding and is hands-down some of the most fun I've ever had ice fishing. My husband has never gone up north to target these jumbos, so this year we are definitely making it happen.
This year's goals are pretty simple and to the point, but I still think it's very important to set goals for yourself and to work at exceeding your own expectations.
What are your goals this year?
Stay tuned for this year's first ice adventure, coming next week on the blog!