Interview With The Godfather Of Modern Ice Fishing: Dave Genz -Part Two

PHOTO: Dave Genz is a leader in the ice fishing industry. His innovations and ideas have turned a hobby into a passion for many an angler.

By Tim Moore
Contributing Writer

In part one of this Weirs Times exclusive two-part article I had the honor of discussing the history and some key components of modern ice fishing with Mr. Ice Fishing Dave Genz. <<CLICK TO READ PART ONE>> Part two deals with some of the tools that help separate the modern ice anglers from more traditional anglers in their quest to catch more fish through the ice.

TM: With all the sonar flashers, fish finders, and cameras on the market today, it seems like there is no limit to how much an angler can spend. Does an angler need expensive electronics to catch fish?
DG: Well, I don’t know about expensive electronics. First of all, it’s amazing how many electronics we have with our cell phones and X Boxes. We already understand how important electronics are in our lives. It’s the same thing with ice fishing. If you want to be better at it and have more fun at it then we need to have some form of electronics. The least expensive ones are under $300 which will definitely increase the amount of fish you catch. Then after you have it you might want to upgrade just. Like your cell phone; you start out with one that all you did was talk into it and now you can get online with it. If you want all the bells and whistles they cost more, but as far as catching fish the inexpensive one works just fine.

TM: Do you fish with tip-ups?
DG: No I don’t. I’m not a tip-up guy. There’s nothing wrong with putting a few tip-ups out, but sometimes they act like an anchor. Once you put that tip-up down, you tend to stick around that area because you have the tip-up down. Sometimes you have to keep moving until you find the fish. I fish one line, in one hole, and I keep moving a number of holes. I’ve been in areas where there are lots of tip-ups, hundreds could even be the number, (on Lake Champlain even,) and it was amazing how we could move around the tip-ups (not making the tip-up fishermen very happy, but you can’t control the entire lake) and we would be able to catch fish, but it wasn’t like the tip-ups were going off. Again, the fish weren’t moving around. The fish has to be moving before the flag’s going to fly.

TM: You are the Ice Team captain. What is Ice Team?
DG: Well, when we started Ice Team its mission was to promote and enhance the quality of ice fishing by teaching people how to use the modern ice fishing equipment that was available at that time. Now it has expanded into teaching ice fishing to the people who want to learn. You can become a member of Ice Team for free by going to IceTeam.com joining. An Ice Team membership will get you newsletters and tips to help you become a better ice angler.

TM: What words of encouragement would you give to someone considering making the switch from a more traditional style of ice fishing to what we do with modern ice fishing?
DG: Hang on, you’re going to start catching more fish. It’s just so much more fun to go catching. I remember my dad taking me ice fishing when I was young and it was a cold thing. We sat around and waited for the fish to bite. When I take young people out, they’re figuring out how to go out there and catch these fish, not waiting for them. If you want to get your children involved with ice fishing, get out some electronics and let them see that it’s a video game with live players on the other end. You can go out in the middle of the day and catch fish. You don’t have to wait for the sun to go down or get up early in the morning (before the sun comes up) just to catch fish.

Dave Genz is a legend in the ice fishing industry. He may be a National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame inductee, but at heart Dave is just another ice angler who loves sharing his passion with other anglers. In many ways, he is responsible for much of my success, both directly and indirectly. If you ever have the good fortune of seeing him in public, don’t be shy and say hello. I’ve never seen him turn down the opportunity to chat about ice fishing.