S9E7 - Mid-Season Ice Fishing Takeaways 2025-26

Jeff and Jason check in on the 2025–26 ice fishing season and break down what they’ve learned so far — what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s been frustrating. They talk recent trips, Red Lake reports, fish behavior, finding the right depth breaks, and how gear and tech like forward-facing sonar are impacting their approach. Toss in some gear talk, cold-weather logistics, behind-the-scenes podcast updates, and a few classic tangents, and this episode is a true mid-season reality check from the ice.

A warm but foggy day on the ice

It was a foggy day on the ice. There was no snow and we forgot our ice cleats and it was super slippery. There were two kids playing hockey on skates. But it was really warm and great to be able to fish outside. We walked out as the ice was not thick enough for cars yet.

A little Crappie

I got a nice little crappie. Nothing huge but always fun to catch. We caught sunnies, crappies and a pike on a tip up that day.

Community Hole

The second lake we covered on the podcast. Only got a few really small perch. This was just after the new year 2026. People were driving on the lake but we rode snowmobiles. It was a great day and i fished outside. There were so many people on this little lake. Again the weather was so nice we were able to fish outside all day.

Lunch

Our host and Patron cooked for us on the ice. We had brats and kraut. It was so good on this.