It isn't that this is a new concept or anything. It happens on an annual basis. Take out the old and bring in the new. For now, the new is ice fishing.

I am sure you have heard it all when it comes to the latest ice fishing strategies. I myself have read numerous articles on these new strategies. We hear things like be portable, avoid crowds, move often, use light line, drill lots of holes, buy better equipment, use lively bait, and make use of your electronics.

The truth is, this new concept in ice fishing is not all that new. It has been around for many years. It is a philosophy that has been tried and proven. However, it is also a fishing philosophy that has fallen on a lot of deaf ears.

Each year I have an opportunity to do numerous seminars on ice fishing strategies. For the most part, these seminars are very well attended, which is good. On the flip side of this, I am amazed at the number of anglers that have no clue about the new concepts in successful ice fishing.

It is very hard to change the thinking of people that are set in their ways, which pretty much includes all of us. As a general rule, change is not something people get excited over or readily except.

Yet, change is often good. It forces us to analyze what we are currently doing. It makes us examine the positives and negatives of the habits we keep.

The new concepts in ice fishing are just like that. If what you are currently doing is working well than there is no reason to change to something different. However, if you find that ice fishing is often a spectator sport for you, maybe it is time to rethink your methods.

Mobility is such an important concept in ice angling that I am really surprised it is such a tough sell. During the summer months anglers are constantly moving in search of fish. However, in the winter, moving is not done on a regular basis. Part of this reluctance to move is the fact that it is often not very easy.

The Dave Genz Fish Trap really changed the way many anglers thought about moving. These portable one and two person ice houses make a switch in location very simple. They allow anglers to go to a hot lake or try new areas on their old reliable body of water with little pain involved.

But moving can still be hard work if you consider the number of holes you need to drill to keep yourself mobile. That is where today's modern augers come into play.

Last winter I helped out at a local ice contest by drilling holes. I did the first 100 by myself and then did the next hundred as a two man operation. This was all done in less than an hour. My auger was a lightweight StrikeMaster Lazer. Drilling holes is not a problem with the right equipment.

A couple of years ago I did a story about an angler I met on the ice. We were both working the same area of the lake for panfish with no success. His philosophy was to sit in one hole and wait them out.

That was not my philosophy. I moved throughout the area in search of fish. After an hour of looking my Vexilar had told me there were very few fish in the area. He could wait them out if he wanted to, but I was going to go someplace else that had fish. A half hour later, I was jerking crappies on another lake. I couldn't help but wonder how the "wait 'em out" guy was faring.

I am not going to profess to be the ice guru that I know many others are, but I do know one thing for sure. Once I bought into the new ice age philosophy, I started catching a lot more fish. I also started to really enjoy ice angling much more than in the past.

Change is tough. However, the next time you read an article that preaches the merits of the new ice fishing concepts, read it and believe it! Those people know what they are talking about.

By following the suggestions of the new ice age anglers you will catch more fish and enjoy your outings more.