Ice Fishing

Panfish Lures That Rock

By Cory Schmidt

There's so much happening on the panfish scene that you can scratch big bites on literally hundreds of fine jig and plastic pairings without tapping into your spoon supply or livebait. In recent winters, I've watched the rise of smaller lure companies, often hardcore anglers with an idea and a passion for creating stuff that catches fish. Some of the best lures these days come from the minds and out of the basements and workshops of individual entrepreneurs.

Thinking of folks like Darrin Anderson and Brandon and Michelle Young, owners of B-Y Baits; Brian King of Contraband Baits; Travis Krousie of J & S Custom Jigs; Jeff Wenger of Jeff's Jigs; Cory Robinson of Venom Floats, and more. B-Y Baits uses a proprietary injection molding process to produce some of the most refined softbaits on the scene. These real-world engineers and machinists love icing big panfish enough to build baits to their own scrupulous specs.

Similarly, it's amazing to behold the intricate details of King's Contraband Baits. The diminutive sizes and soft, petite anatomies of these panfish baits speak well for the levels of skill and intelligence in our current ice fishing community. These are super smart anglers who understand what it takes to appeal to the visual acuity of big panfish.

In recent winters, I've also palmed a load of good pans, thanks to the killer stuff from J & S Custom Jigs. These guys have taken the concept of micro plastics to whole other levels, all for the good, and with a few truly micro baits measuring under an inch, all the more impossible for panfish to snub.

Bloodworm bites have become a favorite for big panfish, and some of the best midge larvae are Akara Fishing's Silicone and "Live" Blood Worms. Likewise, on the hand-tied jigfly front—one of the best kept secrets in panfishing—Jeff's Jigs Tungsten Blood Worm is a killer, as are his transparent tungsten Zoo Bugs and Copepods. If you haven't fished these amazing jigs yet—especially the Tungsten Shrimp—this is your year to shine.

On a slightly larger scale of availability, Northland Tackle's new plastics, which I'll get to in a moment are fantastic. Of note, too, is In-Fisherman Editor In Chief Doug Stange's go-to option of a Lindy Slick Jig dressed with what he calls the hottest bloodworm imitator of all time, a Berkley Gulp! Eurolarve string. Of course, Berkley offers many other soft options in both their PowerBait and Gulp! lines, ranging from Power Nymphs to Maggots. For many anglers, the 1/2-inch Gulp! Minnow is one of the best tipping options of all time.

Some of the better original plastics included options from Custom Jigs & Spins and Little Atom. Custom Jigs' Finesses Plastic and Wedgee remain two of the best softbaits ever made, with the Little Atom Nuggie certainly in similar company.

But a lot of the realism began with Scott Brauer, founder of Maki Plastics. Brauer, a robotics teacher by trade, sculpted some of the first anatomically correct aquatic insects, including a freshwater shrimp and the original Maki bait around 1998. His panfish baits didn't just look the part, they were designed to mimic the hydrodynamic movements and body positions of the real live critter. Tournaments were won, word spread, and before long, Maki became a substantial business, now partnered with ice giant Clam for marketing and distribution.

Jigs & Jigs-Softbait Combos
The Maki-Clam partnership has yielded a reintroduction of the Maki Bloodi, a 1.5-inch segmented midge larva mimic, and Matdi, blunt-headed with twin tails, also at 1.5-inches. The Jamei and Eggi are two favorites among an impressive array of hand-poured panfish softbaits, all of them imitative of aquatic life.

Most of these shapes pair nicely with a Dave Genz tungsten Drop Kick jig, also from Clam. Genz praises the square edges on the Drop Kick, a design element made to display more clearly on electronics.

"One of the trends we see is a move to larger panfish lures," Genz says. "We've been hearing so much about tiny stuff lately, but anglers would be surprised by the sizes of the bluegills and crappies they'd catch with a little larger plastic and jig pairing.

"That includes the hook, too. The Clam Pro Tackle Drop XL and new Snow Drop XL have larger hooks (up to #4) and bigger line ties, great for cold hands or folks who struggle to see or tie knots with micro lines and jigs. Bigger also means more exposed hook and better catch rates." Genz adds that the heavy, compact XL series shines for punching through slush, penetrating dense vegetation or brush, and plummeting quickly past tiny fish stationed higher in the water column. "These jig hooks are so strong that we've used them to land lake trout."

It reminds me of a bloodworm pattern I came upon last winter, as we found big walleyes grazing on fields of midge larvae. Akara Fishing makes one of my favorite plastics, the Mega Softtail Blood Worm, an inch-long silicone bait that shines on a #12 hook, rigged drop-shot style. Crappies, perch, and sunfish all inhabit basins and hunt bloodworms, but so do pike, walleyes, and occasionally bass.

This season, Akara—the Latvian based fishing company with new offices in the U.S.—unveiled jarred versions of a bloodworm and maggot. Jars of the Live Blood Worm include hundreds of tiny worms imbued in actual bloodworm scent. Live Maggot baits are nearly indistinguishable from active Eurolarvae, and are even packed in sawdust for a novel rendering of the real thing. These baits were hot beginning late last winter.

For minnow bites for perch and crappies, also check Akara's silicone Rippers, a 2-inch baitfish with subtle moves on a jighead or drop-shot. The beauty of Akara plastics is that regardless of size or shape, there's always a tungsten jig in their lineup to match. I can't wait a to hook a few Akara Live Maggots onto one of their Tear Drop jigs in the new rainbow metallic pattern.

The Tear Drop with Hole tungsten jigs in new glow colors will also be a killer paired with a wad of the Live Bloodworms, especially the 3-mm jig size. You need to learn to tie a snell knot and fish some of these "through-head" jigs. It's a solid line-tie system, providing the strongest connection and maintaining a nearly horizontal jig posture. Speaking of colors, Cory Robinson of Hudson, Wisconsin, has a novel coloration system, using a tungsten base and glowing plastic around it to produce a powerful and long-lasting "Inferno Glow."

I mentioned new offerings from Northland Tackle. Brian Brosdahl sketched out several bait and jig ideas on a napkin and Northland made them.

"The soft Skeleton Minnow undulates," Brosdahl says. "It moves exactly like what fish eat—swims rhythmically and puts out vibration. Rig it on one of the new Mitee Mouse jigs. This big-eyed jig moves fluidly, tracks straight, even rolls up and down on the bottom." Other Northland introductions include the soft Water Flea, that works well threaded onto the back of a Bro Bling Jig or Forage Minnow Dart.

Gary Snyder of Snyder's Lures has been designing ice lures for more than 30 years and has overseen tackle companies, ranging from Jig-A-Whopper to Bad Dog Tackle. He mixes classic designs like the Feathered Two-Tone Glow with more exotic designs like the Flying Ant. One should visit his website to get a feeling for the breadth of designs offered.

Sweet little softies from B-Y Baits, Contraband Baits, and J & S Custom Jigs also merit time on the end of your line. From B-Y Baits, compelling critters include the Freshwater Shrimp, Mudbug, and Mayfly—all anatomically accurate. Their Bloodworm is another fine option, offering a bulbous, segmented head for easy hooking, and a long thin tail for action. Contraband Baits has tiny stuff, including the Shrimp, Spider Mite, Crab, and Waxy among a dozen dainty shapes.

Last year, Travis Krousie bought J & S Custom Jigs from Jeremy Lustila (both topnotch ice anglers) and added his 8 My Bait jigs to the mix. The Versamite Jr and IceMite Jr have risen in popularity. Both swim and kick seductively and present fish with wonderful general bug imitations,.

One killer combo is an Ice Reaper jig dressed with a red IceMite. Krousie is a jig paint artist—one of the best I've seen—and his Splatter Blood patterns deserve awards. Additionally, the Ice Reaper employs a red, wide-gap sickle hook that yields high hook-set rates. Other interesting 8 My Bait jigs include the Tungsten Wrecking Ball and Tungsten Teardrop in rainbow metallic, as well as UV coated Snake Belly patterns.

Sweet Spoons
On the bell curve of panfish lures, while jigs dominate up the middle, small spoons compose the outer fringes. My all time favorite flutter spoon is Custom Jigs & Spins' Pro-Glow Slender Spoon. Dressed with maggots or microplastics, the 1/16-ounce size invites attention from big crappies, perch, trout, and more.

Northland's 1/32- and 1/16-ounce Forage Minnow Spoon is another classic, with new UV patterns. And venerable Acme Tackle has added the Rattle Master, a noisy Kastmaster. Check too the smaller spoons from PK lures, especially the Flutterfish and the PK Spoon. And Johnson's SlimFish spoon is worth a look, as a light flutter spoon that falls on its side with a seductive wobble and flash. Tip it with a 1/2-inch Berkley Gulp! Minnow.

Clam Pro Tackle added the Guppy Flutter Spoon, a 1/50-ounce, slab shaped beauty with a free-swinging single hook. Clam unleashed its Rattlin' Blade Spoon last year, and now features Jason Mitchell color schemes for winter 2016—all adorned with a feathered treble hook and a Pyrex glass rattle chamber with stainless steel BBs. And the Leech Flutter Spoon is a curved beauty, with unique dotted complexion and feathered treble, in sizes to 1/16-ounce.

From J & S Custom Jigs, the Demon Tongue is a 1/16-ounce flutterspoon with a twist. A cavity in its center has a tiny secondary blade, flickering like a pectoral fin. It puts J & S on solid footing as an up-and-coming ice company.

Meanwhile, Snyder's Lures introduces the Stripper, a small panfish-style lure with a spinner blade on a shaft atop the spoon body. It falls with a fluttering slide. On the up stroke, the blade rotates for added flash and vibration. They offer  many other options, including Big Shaker and Lil' Rascal Flash.

Small Fry Swimmers
On the other end of the crappie-perch-bluegill bell curve, the swimming lure category continues to expand and increase in popularity (thanks to Rapala's Jigging Rap). Friends and I worked Custom Jigs & Spins' new Rotating Power Minnow for crappies last winter in deep basins on Lake of the Woods and fished circles around folks hunkered over tiny jigs or minnows. Built with a free-spinning line tie and treble hook configuration, the lure moves and swims dynamically, won't twist line, and keeps fish securely hooked.

Akara Fishing offers the Midge, a 1-inch swimmer that weighs about 1/7-ounce. Its slab profile almost matches a baby sunfish or crappie, important in the diets of trophy-class panfish. Two other options: The 1.5-inch Cancan has a thin minnow profile and a flat underside for gliding; the Legioner is  a lively 1.5-inch swimming minnow. Meanwhile, Acme Tackle's Hyper-Glide actually has wings that deploy on the glide. Johnson Fishing has added the Johnny Darter. And there's the Slab Rap, more fluttering ice crankbait than swimming lure. It's a lipless hardbait with a flat minnow profile, offered in 1.5- and 2-inch sizes, 1/8- and 1/4-ounce, respectively. But one of many reasons to budget bucks for the winter's brightest new baits.

*In-Fisherman Field Editor Cory Schmidt, Brainerd, Minnesota, is an avid ice angler and stays on the cutting edge of lure development.

Lake Winnipeg, MAN

The immensity of Lake Winnipeg is impossible to comprehend if you've not seen it for yourself. Stretching 271 miles from north to south, and nearly 70 miles at its widest, this vast vestige of the Ice Age covers nearly 9,120 square miles—roughly 4% of Manitoba's total surface area—making it the world's 10^th largest freshwater lake.

Lake Winnipeg's north basin is larger and somewhat deeper than its south basin, but it's in the south basin—specifically the southern portion of the south basin—where ice anglers come to catch the lake's famous "greenback" walleyes. The beautiful emerald sheen that's unique to these fish comes from the limestone deposits upon which the lake sits. But it's not the only thing that's special about Winnipeg's walleyes; their average size is nothing short of incredible.

In fact, it's a pretty safe bet that more double-digit walleyes have been caught on Lake Winnipeg than on any other body of water. A 34-inch fish, caught in 2015 and estimated to have weighed 15 pounds, shares the top spot in the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame's Catch-And-Release World Record Book.

While commercial fishermen regularly ply the huge lake—winter and summer, little open-water sportfishing occurs. Besides being highly turbid and subject to algae blooms during the warm months, even the slightest wind can build huge waves on this shallow, featureless expanse of water.

Fishing promoter, former competitive angler and Team Northland member Chad Maloy has been traveling to Lake Winnipeg in search of giant greenbacks twice a winter for the past several years. During that time he's seen the fishery's popularity grow large enough to sprout a small guide/outfitter industry, and a quick Internet search bears it out. One benefit of using a guide is that they are in tune with where the schools of walleyes have been. Many anglers, however, still prefer the DIY approach, he says, and are very successful in their fishing—especially those who have been to the lake before, or are in the company of an experienced angler.

First-timers, though, will benefit from heeding some pre-trip insights from a veteran.

1. First and foremost, "be prepared," he says. The weather in Manitoba can be harsh in the winter. Travel in pairs or small groups in case someone breaks down or gets stuck. When the temps are 30 below zero for a few days in a row things break. Also, make sure to have back-ups for your GPS (a necessity when you can easily travel out of sight of land). Download the Navionics USA & Canada app on your cell phone; it could save your life. Finally, bring extra batteries for your phone, hand-held GPS and other important devices.

Lake Winnipeg's southern tip is just an hour's drive from the city of Winnipeg, and during the summer months its beautiful sandy beaches attract tourists from far and wide. The story is different during the winter. "This isn't like Lake of the Woods," he says. "You don't have big tourist towns that are open in winter. There are no resorts, rentals or plowed roads on the lake; just a handful of guides who cater to ice anglers. It's somewhat primitive."

Anglers can use the Internet to find lodging in Winnipeg, Scanterbury and elsewhere during the winter, but he recommends making arrangements well in advance of the trip. Maloy typically headquarters in Scanterbury and fishes along the eastern shore because access points at Patricia Beach Provincial Park, Balsam Harbour and Balsam Bay are a convenient drive from his hotel.

The lake itself is virtually void of identifiable underwater structure. Moving a mile across the ice might result in a depth change of just a few inches to a foot. There are no spot-on-a-spot areas. The fish here are very nomadic and are basically chasing schools of emerald shiners around the lake.

"It can be different from year to year," says Maloy. "There have been times when we started fishing and never had to move—we stayed put and let the fish come to us. On other occasions, we had to work hard; the fishing was lights-out for a half-hour or so, then just died completely. We'd move a couple hundred yards, pop more holes and be into fish for 30 or 40 minutes, then had to start all over again.

"From time to time the Red River belches dirty water into Lake Winnipeg. If the water is very turbid, we like to move until we can get into water with better visibility. It doesn't need to be gin-clear, but the fishing is better when walleyes can see their prey."

If you can't find an active school, keep moving until you intercept them and make contact, he explains. That can mean drilling lots of holes. Given the size of the lake, some anglers won't even consider moving less than a mile at a time in pursuit of active walleyes, but that's a matter of personal style.

The one exception here, Maloy adds, is where you find a pressure ridge, or ice heave, that forms when the ice expands and contracts. Pressure ridges allow light to penetrate and also for fresh water and oxygen to enter from above. "Baitfish like to use the structure below the ice heave as protection from the predators, and the walleyes can often be found right behind. It's not uncommon to see fishermen lined up along a ridge for a couple of miles," he says.

"Regarding techniques, Lake Winnipeg ice fishing is different from anywhere else," says the angler, "and it's really changed people's thoughts on how you can catch fish." Over the past several years, he explains, fishermen have refined the use of lipless rattlebaits, using them to attract walleyes from long distances in the clear, milky-green water.

"We refer to it as 'hog calling,'" he says. "We rip the lure aggressively—touching the bottom and giving it a hard 3-foot rip. I'll slow down when I see walleyes on sonar. You can fish two lines on Winnipeg, so I actually like to have a couple of rods ready; one with a horizontal presentation—a Rippin' Shad—and one with a vertical presentation, like a Buck-Shot® Rattle Spoon or Macho Minnow tipped with a salted minnow head."

He recommends using the 5/8-ounce Rippin' Shad in Glo Tiger Shrimp, Glo Firetiger, Gold Black or Glo White Tiger, along with a 3/8- to ½-ounce spoon that has some blue, silver or pink. "When the fish are really aggressive you can fish the Rippin' Shad naked," he says. "Other times you may need to tip the bottom hook with a minnow head or even a full minnow to entice a strike. In either case, I also like to rub a little scent on the lure for added attraction.

"If walleyes come in but won't commit, you might have to throw a change-up with something that's a little more subtle. That's when you want to go with a spoon-and-minnow-head or a jig tipped with a salted shiner."

His go-to jig is a 3/8-ounce Rock-It Jig with a whole shiner threaded on the shank with the hook point coming out of the baitfish's side. "I like this jig because it has a very sharp hook and a long shank with a baitkeeper," he says. "Hooked sideways, the shiner has a little more action when you jig it, plus it helps the jig glide."

Maloy has two final pieces of advice. First, trust your sonar. "I've learned to have faith that my electronics are telling me the truth. Often I'll see flickers on the Vexilar, but they're not just random flickers—they're baitfish swimming buy. At times the bait may be just under the ice and walleyes will use the ice to corral their prey. So, make sure you cover the entire water column from just below the ice to the floor of the lake."

Lastly, bring enough auger for the job. "In January you might not need an extender for your power auger," he says. "But in March you might need two extenders. It depends on the year, but we've had to drill through 3 to 5 feet of ice."

Lake maps courtesy of Navionics. For more information, visit: Navionics.com

Vital Stats

Lake Winnipeg
Size: 9,170 square miles
Max Depth: 118 feet

Ave Depth: 39 feet (29.5 feet in the southern basin)

Shoreline: 1,087 miles
Species Present: Walleyes, Lake Whitefish, Saugers, Emerald Shiners, Ciscoes, Rainbow Smelt, Goldeye, Burbot.

WALLEYES ON SPOONS THROUGH THE ICE

by Bob Jensen

Another ice-fishing season is underway across many parts of the Midwest, and many of the anglers that hit the ice this winter will be after walleyes. Walleyes will eat a lot of different presentations. A plain hook and split-shot under a bobber works, as does a jig like we would use in open water. But perhaps the most popular presentation for walleyes involves a spoon: Walleyes really like spoons. Keep these spoon ideas in mind and you'll increase your odds for walleyes under the ice.

There are a bunch of different types of spoons available to walleye anglers. Although they may look similar, there are some differences, and there are a few things you should consider when you're deciding what spoon to tie onto the end of your line. Here are some of those considerations.

Is the water clear or cloudy? In cloudy water, a noisy spoon like a Buck-Shot® Rattle Spoon is the way to go. The rattling noise coming from the spoon will help walleyes find the bait easier when their sight is limited.

In clear water the rattling noise isn't as necessary, but it still doesn't hurt. However, if you're fishing clear water and see fish on your sonar come in and look at your lure but not eat it, and if you're using a rattling lure, switch to a spoon that doesn't rattle. A quiet lure, at times, will be more productive, especially in clear water.

Consider the color of the spoon. Again, clear or cloudy water will have a bearing on what color to start with. Clear water: Something natural in appearance.

Cloudy water: Go with something brighter, something that will be more visible in limited visibility conditions. If you have a "glow" lure, give it a flash of light and put it down there. I've seen lots of times when a "glow" lure out-produced anything else.

And, again, if the fish are looking but not eating, try something else. Sometimes bright lures perform very well in clear water.

If you're fishing walleyes that have been getting a lot of fishing pressure, try something way different. Fish become conditioned to a particular presentation. If everyone is doing the same thing and it's not working, try something else.

Think about the physical size of your lure. In stained water a larger spoon will be easier to see, so a large lure will often be more productive. Maybe go with a bulkier spoon made of metal, something like the Buck-Shot® Flutter Spoon. This bait flutters as it falls, so it falls slower and puts out more vibrations, making it easier for the fish to find.

When the fish are finicky, a spoon that's smaller in appearance will often be better.

Also consider the line you're using. In deep water a no-stretch line like Bionic® Braid in about 8 pound test will provide outstanding sensitivity and hook-sets.

In shallower water 6 pound test Florosilk in very good. It's invisible and has very low stretch, so it also provides good sensitivity and hook-sets.

Something that adds taste and smell is usually hung on the spoon. A minnow or an Impulse Minnow Head will usually increase your bites.

Spoons catch walleyes as well was perch and crappies and pike. Give them a try this winter. If you haven't tried spoons, you'll maybe find a new friend.

To see all the new and old episodes of Fishing the Midwest television, current articles and articles from the archives, and fishing tip videos, visit fishingthemidwest.com

Souped-Up Spoon Hacks for Walleyes

By Joel Nelson
 

Brad Hawthorne has amassed more time on the water in the past decade than just about any ice-fishing guide out there. With stints on Minnesota's Mille Lacs, Upper Red Lake, and Lake of the Woods, there are few stones he's left unturned in terms of ice presentations that work for walleyes, especially during tough bites.
 

I've come to appreciate that need to produce, as with necessity being the mother of all invention, new ideas spring forth from difficult bites.
 

Let's face it, no matter how much we love fishing, there are days when most of us would prefer not to fish. High fronts after a spiked barometer and blistering wind events after a snowstorm, guys like Brad are out there, putting clients on fish. Perhaps more importantly, they're devising new ways of thinking on old tactics that flat-out produce when the originals fall short. This enviable creel of tweaks have evolved on some of the most heavily pressured walleye waters in the state, thus requiring them to be proven and re-proven each and every season, no matter which forage 'eyes are keying in on.
 

Spoons are a staple in any walleye angler's box, and constitute the bulk of ice walleye baits on the market, such that Brad's primary focus is manipulating all aspects of the way they fish.
 

"At first I started tinkering with creating some separation in my baits, mostly on account of seeing certain bites where walleyes focus so heavily on whatever you tip your spoon with. At that point, your lure is like a dumb waiter that drops food below the ice. A bait delivery method," says Hawthorne.
 

"Long dropper chains that work well for perch can be utilized, but are oven overkill and present their own problems. I found pretty early on that by adding just one more split ring between the existing split ring and hook on most spoons, I could dramatically increase the number of fish I'd convert on my flasher when 'eyes were heavily keying in on bait. The action was just incredible, and the freedom that extra split ring gives the business end of your lure and bait are well worth the price of admission."
 

"This is a go-to for lethargic fish. With stamped metal spoons that flutter or wobble on the drop, the effect can be even more impressive," notes Hawthorne.
 

"Most of these spoon types have a bend in them, creating that wiggle. Add another split ring to these baits, and you can still get that motion, but dropping on a tighter line causes the same bait to coast off past the edges of the hole, gliding like a manta ray and enticing fish that aren't directly below you," says Brad.
 

"I really like these baits when fishing new areas or scouting. Just multiply the extra couple of feet you cover off to the sides by the number of holes you cut in a day, and you're really getting at more fish in the same water."
 

Even neutral-to-aggressive fish can be targeted more effectively with some spoon hacks.
 

A simple one is just a treble hook with a single drop of glow epoxy where each hook bend meets the hook body. By switching out factory hooks with some of these new glow-resin trebles out there, you can help to prevent fish from eating your spoon and not your hooks, a problem more prevalent than you might think.
 

Ever check out your spoons on an underwater camera and notice how difficult it is to see the hooks in certain water clarity and conditions, especially without bait? Ever see fish on camera swing for the top of the bait (where the eye usually is painted) and miss? Ever hook them on the outside of the face or miss a sure bite altogether? Aggressive fish coming in for the kill often focus on the eyes of the bait, and especially if you've jigged your hook clean of bait, this happens more than you might think.
 

Hawthorne says, "I used to get these in Canada before they were available in the states, and have long since made use of them."
 

He notes an example from one of Minnesota's great walleye lakes, "Everyone knows that gold is a great color on Lake of the Woods, however, it's far less visible, and just isn't as good early and then again late in the day. Adding a glow-resin treble to that same bait extends your bite window, making that same bait more effective for longer. Especially on the lakes with a bit of stain or poorer water clarity, I'm convinced that these visual aids put more fish on the ice for my clients."
 

Some spoons come pre-packed with willow-leaf or small Indiana-style blades, but Hawthorne cautions to study their action before putting them to use. A few baits in particular react well to this additional blade, but others can kill the action of the spoon, causing the bait to roll, or even prevent solid hookups by covering hook gaps. Of course the net gain is potentially extra flash, a little more noise, and a fish-triggering design. Again, careful observation wins out, and is especially useful when the bite is on.
 

Tweaks like these are the difference between a good day and a great day, and are best tested in a target-rich environment. In other words, when the bite is hot, tinker with these small differences to see how fish react to them.
 

Action-killing additions that get in the way and prevent bites when fish are active then, need to be avoided when fish are negative. Still, learning what doesn't work well together is an important part of the process that's different for each bait and size.
 

Novel approaches like these have earned Brad a living as an ice-guide, and for you, they present an opportunity to get the most of the days we do get to fish. They also offer us the chance to fish with something that you just can't buy straight out of the box, which may be just the look you need to impress walleyes that have already seen it all.

7 Ice Fishing Facts To Help You Catch Early Season Panfish

Are those early ice fishing panfish eluding you? Have you ever wondered why crappies and sunfish, during early season ice fishing, aren't in the same locations as they were the previous year? Maybe you had an experience where you were on an awesome bite one day and the next everything was gone.

What happened?

Here are some clues and a number of facts that may help you. Factor them into your ice fishing equation, and maybe these pieces of the puzzle will make your ice fishing season more productive and enjoyable.

1.  When ice fishing, crappies, sunfish and blue gills will primarily feed on zooplankton. Crappies have large baskets for mouths with finely evolved gill rakers to trap the plankton. That is why you often catch them in the evening, because they just have to swim and strain. Bluegills have excellent eyesight for daytime use and, along with their smaller mouths, that is why you rarely catch sunfish after dark.
2. Zooplankton generally rise to the surface during low light levels to feed on light-loving phytoplankton, and then drop back to the bottom during brighter periods. This is important to understand, because there are a number of things that affect light levels. Dusk and dawn are generally an important time for massive zooplankton movement because of their instinctive behaviours. They are generally slow moving, so your window of opportunity can be longer, depending on the types of zooplankton moving below your water column.
3. Sharper breaks into deeper water will provide low light faster as the sun passes by. If you've ever been traveling between skyscrapers you've likely seen this effect. Panfish instinctively react to this, and utilize sharp breaks during ice fishing season because of the extended feeding opportunities, with plankton rising earlier in those spots. Panfish expend less effort moving out from the break as the dark shadow slowly falls further away from the sharper breaks. Utilize this knowledge and drill holes in the direction the shadow will fall, so you can move out as the panfish move further away from the sharp break.
4. Temperature varies from year to year. If everything else is the same, the longer it stays warm the more crappies and blue gills will stay shallow around green weeds. If the ice comes later, the panfish will generally be shallower later. But remember daylight gets shorter so there is less energy feeding the lake and weeds each passing day until December 21st in the northland.
5. The time between ice formation and the first significant snowfall will determine light penetration, as well as the ability of ice to form a seal on the lake. Heavy snow will push thin early ice down, causing a flow of water on top of the ice. Snow is like an insulator and will keep water on top of the ice for extended periods, if not an entire season. The water, which is heavier than ice, will keep seeping downward and can keep large cracks and pockets in the ice open. The wind blows, forcing the snow and ice down with a plunging effect. This does move plankton around. While you may have low light, causing fish to seek deeper water where untouched plankton starts migrating up to find light, you also have water being pushed around, causing warmer pockets where plankton and fish take advantage of the extra energy in those warmer pockets. Light is also lower, allowing zooplankton to stay up feeding on phytoplankton longer. Sunset and Sunrise's low light effects will be muted, and zooplankton's migration time up and down the water column is generally extended. So find water a degree or two warmer than the surrounding area and you may be in for a treat… BUT the sledding can be very tough.
6. You can easily see some zooplankton - like copepods - and some you can totally miss or hardly see at all. If you can match the larger little animals (zooplankton) swimming under the ice, you can take advantage of crappie and bluegills' tendency to target a slightly larger meal, that more resembles what they are currently feeding on. It also means you may want to try and mimic their movement pattern (jigging) to induce more bites. Study them and how they move, especially if they are up swimming in your ice holes.
7. During daylight hours, most zooplankton will be near, on or in the bottom of the lake. If you can identify the types of zooplankton your target species is after, you can try to copy stragglers. Every species has them. I'm betting you've often heard folks tell you to pound the bottom with your lure. Panfish come to check it out for the zooplankton that have been stirred up and dislodged for an easy meal.