15° Below Zero: Lab Owner's Perfect Conditions

The pre-dawn sky is clear, the lake is frozen and it’s 15° below zero—perfect conditions for ice fishing, John Gimpel’s favorite winter hobby.

Once the ice is at least six inches thick, it’s safe for Gimpel, who owns Oral Prosthetics by Design in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, to drive on it with his snowmobile, towing his shelter and supplies to the day’s fishing spot. He drills a couple holes in the ice with a propane auger, sets his portable shelter up over the holes, hooks lures up to his fishing poles and drops his lines. He uses a heater to warm his 30-sq-ft shelter to about 30-40° and waits for the fish to bite. On average, he catches six to eight fish a day, mainly perch and walleyes.

Guided by a combination of his 10 years of ice fishing experience and apps on his phone, Gimpel likes to fish in both tried-and-true spots and also find new, untested areas. “You gain experience by simply moving around the bay or lake drilling holes...