On-Ice Report: Calvin Svihel

Your ice fishing been frustrated by cold fronts this season? You’re not the only one!

“The majority of the fish have been relating to passing weather fronts, which has forced me to alter my typical tactics for this time of year,” reports Ice Force Pro-Staffer Cal Svihel.

Still, he’s been able get this winter’s fickle panfish to gorge, punching holes across Minnesota, from the Alexandria and Glenwood area to the Brainerd Lakes and Grand Rapids area.

The key to locating mega ‘gills isn’t as easy as drilling holes and stretching the string. The first step Cal employs is to find a deep basin with a healthy shallow weed base within a few hundred yards. The second key to his success lies in uncharted territory.

“Recently, the word has been out on some of the lakes I have been fishing, so I’ve had to change some of my techniques,” he says. If he finds old holes, four-wheeler tracks, or foot prints on a favorite spot, he’ll pack his StrikeMaster auger back in his Otter sled and search for new areas to set up camp.

Read the rest of Cal’s On-Ice Report here >>> Cal Svihel On-Ice Report #1

I love the swing the transducer tip. Brilliant! I’ve also noticed this year that jigging will get them to take a look, but if you continue jigging when they are on top of it, the basically turn tail and leave. I’ve fished mostly post cold front.

I’ve tried the swing method this year also, but with little success. When you employ this method, do your turn your gain down all the way to only show larger marks or turn it up higher to see marks further away?

Nice little cold front again this weekend coming in. Should be same fishing styles. I think I need to find a different job that works weekend as has like Tues-Wed off…

Cant catch fish if your sitting on the couch, right.

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Nice little cold front again this weekend coming in. Should be same fishing styles. I think I need to find a different job that works weekend as has like Tues-Wed off…

Cant catch fish if your sitting on the couch, right.

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I got Friday off to get out before the front. Might get out Saturday for the challenge.

I kind of wish I could go in a lot earlier so I could hit the ice after work during the week.

Good tip on swinging the transducer. It reminds me of the old days when the Vexilars had the adjustable transducer arm. I moved that thing around in the hole all the time looking for suspended crappies/gills that might be off to the side somewhere.

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I’ve tried the swing method this year also, but with little success. When you employ this method, do your turn your gain down all the way to only show larger marks or turn it up higher to see marks further away?

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I am generally just loooking to see what way the school went, not looking to locate bigger fish just the school itself. Eliminates a lot of time drilling and looking by swinging the ducer to locate the moving school of panfish.
This also becomes harder to accomplish as the ice gets thicker, ideal for first ice up to about 15″ or so.

gotta couch in our shack…

I might tape transducer to a broom handle and create a sort of reverse telescope. Red Green will be proud.

nice report cal

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I’ve tried the swing method this year also, but with little success. When you employ this method, do your turn your gain down all the way to only show larger marks or turn it up higher to see marks further away?

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I am generally just loooking to see what way the school went, not looking to locate bigger fish just the school itself. Eliminates a lot of time drilling and looking by swinging the ducer to locate the moving school of panfish.
This also becomes harder to accomplish as the ice gets thicker, ideal for first ice up to about 15″ or so.

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And that might be the answer to the previous question about the next LX upgrade…side scanning/360 degree imagery in an ice machine.