

Jeff Nedwick is an outdoor writer and Secretary of the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association. You can follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffsoutdrs.
There are no snow days in ice fishing school – not when the principal is Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame angler Mark Martin. Unusually warm temperatures, wind and rain preceded the Feb 7 – 10 ice fishing class scheduled on Saginaw Bay.
There’s little evidence to suggest Benjamin Franklin was an ice fisherman but if he were alive today and inclined to spend a nice winter’s day on the ice, he surely would see the value in Mark Martin’s Ice Fishing Vacation School.
When the panfish ice-bite slows, it’s time for a change of venue to break free of the mid-winter doldrums. It’s time for a whitefish ice fishing road trip.
For die-hards like Joe Balog willing to chase Lake St. Clair’s jumbo yellow perch late into winter, the best fishing is just beginning.
Predicting the start of the ice fishing season on Lake St. Clair used to be fairly easy. But these in-between ice conditions also provide new perch fishing opportunities for anglers willing to make the necessary adjustments.