Ready for Early Ice Panfish?
By: Joe Palermo
This time of year Game Fish get all the attention…people run and gun with tipups and medium/heavy tackle in search of “Pike” and Walleye but don’t forget the “Gills“, Crappies, and jumbo Perch that are easy to find and catch too.
What I love about this time of year is panfish respond to both the novice or inexperienced angler provided you’re not on a lake that gets an extreme amount of pressure. But even the pressured lakes can offer a nice slab or two. You just have stay clear away from the crowds and look for different areas that have weed beds along with moderately deep to shallow depths with a good amount of structure. These are just a few things panfish relate to during the early ice season.
Planning Your Trip:
There are many ways to plan out your next fishing trip without burning up gas and risking your safety. Looking at your local DNR website or stopping in your local bait shop may be good areas to get these reports; there are also tons of websites out there that can provide ice reports, fishing reports, etc. Knowing your local ice reports is key. Safety first! I can’t stress enough that there are too many people who risk their safety for a bucket of slabs, and it’s just not worth it. Remember NO Ice Is 100% Safe.
Location:
Choosing your location is key when you’re searching for that elusive Bull Bluegill or Slab Crappie. When I target Bluegills and Crappies on early ice, I like to look for moderately deep water from 10-15 ft with good weed cover. Panfish, in particular, like to hang around in these areas.
However, around late December moving to deeper water is the key in many cases because the Crappies and Bluegills most likely have moved out of the shallow weed beds, and are hanging off edges and basins, provided the weeds have died off. Although, if the weeds are still alive and green that’s usually a great sign of raised oxygen levels, and fish will tend to hang around longer. (This is where color cameras are a great tool).
Having access to a GPS or a good lake map could also be essential to finding good structure. Soft bottom and stumps could also produce quality panfish it all depends on the type of lake or river system you are fishing.
Key Tactics:
Mobility is a huge key factor; drilling many holes and staying mobile can enable you to stay locked on to a school that is producing good sizes and numbers. In my experience, the bigger fish tend to stick in smaller schools where as the smaller fish are usually in the bigger schools. Pay attention to your flasher and look for the suspended fish that are sitting higher in the water column (where as game fish like walleye, tend to stick more to the bottom) generally fish in a higher water column will be looking for an easy meal and will give up a nice fight. These are just a few key tactics I have learned and still use today.
Baits & Presentations:
Finally, selecting the right bait(s) for the area you are about to fish is critical to providing the right presentation that these fish will want. I like to stick with light tackle that provides a more finesse approach. Panfish seem to respond well to this type of fishing in all hardwater conditions.
In selecting the right bait, whether it be live, artificial, or used in conjunction with one another can be a great tool in bringing fish through the ice. Some fish tend to like a lot of jigging, whether it is fast, or slow can depend on whether the fish have a good oxygen source. Low oxygen can make fish lethargic because it affects their metabolism, which in turn, slow jigging to dead sticking might prove to be more beneficial. When the oxygen levels are good, don’t hesitate to take your bobber off and jig aggressively! Early ice still holds some oxygen in the water, and panfish are still feeding aggressively for the most part. Don’t be afraid to try different presentations. If the bait you are using isn’t producing fish, change up your bait. Use a different jig; try a waxie or even a minnow. The way your lure is presented is very important to landing more fish. Knowing what the fish want and don’t want will help you have great success in the future.
Please be safe when venturing out on to the ice and remember that no ice is completely safe! Always let someone know where you’re going and don’t forget to bring the equipment needed to have a successful and safe early ice fishing experience. If possible introduce someone new to the great sport of ice fishing and help provide them with the tools and expertise so they can have a great experience to.
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Recycled Fish Stewardship Tip: November 15, 2011