Whether you’re on the ice or in a car, every morning and afternoon brings that special time known as “Rush Hour”. Actually, you can use the frustration of sitting in a car going nowhere on the freeway to help catch fish? How do you ask? It is quite simple. Look at it this way….

You’re driving down the highway doing 70 mph and suddenly you see a plethora of red lights up ahead. First thing you do is start to slow down. Next, it’s a slow crawl and then finally you’re stopped on the freeway perfectly still. A few seconds pass and then back on the gas pedal for a few hundred feet, only to come to a complete stop again. Stop and go driving. Everyone is in a hurry to get to work on time or get home for dinner all at the same time.

I use that same analogy of driving when fishing in the first or last hour of daylight. When fish feed they are constantly moving around stopping here and there for food, usually during the first and last light of the day. Because of the rapidly moving fish, my thoughts are to sit tight and let the fish move towards me rather than both of us moving; chasing each other all over the place. I have caught far more fish with this tactic than I have drilling a bunch of holes - which spook the fish - and constantly moving around. In some instances moving is good. Let’s say there is a drop off that fish move up on as the night progresses. There I will have my holes pre-drilled and ready to fish far earlier than when it comes time to actually fishing them. This pre-drilling will eliminate the excess noise in the area during the peak period, and give you a game plan to move with the fish as the sun light setting or rising moves the fish along the break, and you with them.

There are a couple of other benefits to sitting in one place that makes your fishing time a lot more efficient, especially when it’s cold or windy. In those conditions I have my Frabill Ranger set up with the heater inside along with my Marcum OVS-560. Each time I want to move it takes a few minutes to do so. Depending on the length of the move, that could be 5 to ten minutes for just one change of location. If that is done more than once, that is serious fish catching time that is being wasted, especially if the new spot is no more productive then the last one. Personally, if I am comfortable sitting inside a nice warm shack, I will have the patience to sit a minute or two waiting for the next school to come through. Also by being comfortable, I can concentrate more on catching the fish rather than concentrating on keeping warm. It’s a lot easier to try new baits and techniques when the fingers are not froze and the teeth are not chattering!

Cars or fish are always moving during that rush hour. Rather than both you and the fish burning gas, sit tight and idle for awhile. Let the fish come to you. You will have more time with lines in the water and you can stay warm and comfortable rather than sitting out in the cold chewing icicles off your rod tips.

Good Ice'n

Mr.Bluegill