by Dave Csanda One year it seems that global warming has us wearing shorts and T-shirts until Halloween, and for winter diehards, the impending lack of first-ice means no thanksgiving at, well, Thanksgiving. The next season, ice comes early, thickens to auger-extension proportions, and hangs around long past its welcome, delaying the arrival of open water. Go figure. Thick or thin, early or late, predictably unpredictable at best, ice is a fact of life in the North Country, and the Ice Age is firmly upon us. The growing popularity of ice fishing has outdoorsmen locked firmly in its icy grip. Whether you ice fish for walleyes or other species, certain characteristics apply. Many of the tactics are similar and simple regardless of species-although some are obviously fine-tuned for walleyes. The basic approach to ice fishing, however-mobility, equipment, tackle, clothing-is universal. In essence, you need to get there and back again safely, plus be efficient while at your destination. That means being properly equipped with the correct strategy according to the stage and thickness of the ice. Setting The Stage(s) for Ice Fishing There's the stage of the ice, and then there's the age of the ice, interrelated but not quite the same. While early-ice and thin ice are basically the same, month-old ice isn't always equal from year to year; it could range from perilous to walk upon to tough to drill through, depending on the prevailing weather and local climate. Here's a simple checklist format to help you decide what you're dealing with at any stage of the ice fishing season. Stage 1-First-Ice A lake-wide rim of thin, breakable ice doesn't really count, at least not until your boat can no longer break the rim to reach open water. First-ice begins when you're first able to walk out to reachable offshore structures, often in bays or protected areas that freeze earlier than the main lake. It's the initial cautious stage of careful probing and exploration on foot, across perhaps 2 to 4 inches of new ice. First-ice is the venue of the spud bar, hand chisel, or small hand auger-a cutting tool both light and portable. Portable, in fact, is the key word; you don't want to carry more weight than necessary when on foot. Plus, a spud bar is great for tapping the surface ahead of you every few feet to make sure the ice is safe to walk on. Still, ideally you should have some form of lightweight sled to haul your minnow bucket, tackle, rods, and miscellaneous items. Some sleds double as windbreaks, while others are bases for more deluxe portable shelters. The basic plan when arriving in the desired neighborhood (a hand-held GPS is a modern miracle for quickly locating spots) is to fan out and do some quick testing of the depths to locate drop-offs and weeds. A portable battery-powered depthfinder is key to locating primary structures, while a portable shelter is optional in the milder climate of early winter. On thin clear ice, simply lay your transducer atop the ice and shoot the signal on through to get a good depth and bottom reading. Irregularities in shape along primary structures excel for walleye action at first-ice, since boat anglers have been unable to harass the fish during the inaccessible limbo period between open water and ice.
	Use a jigging rod for aggressive searching, moving from hole to hole, imparting different actions interspersed with pauses. Use a tip-up, dead rod (longer, softer rod) or simple slipbobber rig to suspend a livebait like a shiner hooked just below the dorsal fin, incorporating only the livebait's natural action. Great (where legal) for fishing a second or third line while aggressively working a jigging rod.

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