Tag: Ice Fishing

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Winter Lure Selections

Lure Basics

When it comes to ice fishing there are many different lures and rigs to choose from. Ice fishing presents opportunities in which a wide variety of lures can be utilized. Depending on the species of fish you after the type of lure you use may vary. Today there are thousands of options when it comes to fishing lures. There are baits from jigs, blade baits, crankbaits, spoons, etc to choose from. A lot of what determines the bait to use depends on what time of year it is. During the cold weather months from late fall to ice up fish become sluggish and unwilling to chase baits due to the colder water temps. Of course, all fish species are different during cold water temps, for example, a trout. Trout are a cold water fish therefor they become more aggressive during the cold water months. Fish like bass and bluegill prefer warmer water temperatures so they will be less likely to hit a fast-moving lure come winter.  Some of my favorite lure options for the cold water months consists of the following:

Blade Baits

Blade baits offer a quick yet slow-moving presentation to cold water fish depending on how you fish it. With a blade bait, you can catch multipe species of freshwater fish from brown trout to crappies. this diverse bait also allows you the option to fish in deep water. these baits are usually dense and have a fast sink rate to trigger sluggish fish into biting. Blade baits also offer a strong vibration in the water that seems to drive fish crazy especially in cold water. I like to fish this lure on 14LB braid connected to about three foot of 10LB fluorocarbon leader.

Spoons

Spoons are one of the most utilized baits during the cold water period and continue to catch fish in most cases. Spoons can be highly effective when the water gets cool due to its flash and subtle wiggle.  Spoons present an opportunity for cold water fish that is hard to resist. I like to fish a spoon on a medium action rod rigged with 14LB Berkly Nanofill braid connected to a two-way swivel leading to a 10LB leader. This set up allows me to fish the blade bait smoothy while the lighter line keeps my bait deeper and in the strike zone for a longer period of time.

Jigs

Finesse jigs are potentially the most popular jigs to use during the cold water months. Easy to use and consistent, jigs seem to catch fish in most situations. Jigs can be used from as small as a pencil eraser to as big as a foot depending on what your fishing for. A jig is also an extremely versatile lure and can be used during warm water temps as well for bass, trout etc. When it comes to ice fishing for panfish, jigs must be the most productive lure to use. I like to use 2LB line tied directly to a small tungsten jig tipped with a spike for winter panfish.

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Ice Fishing Late Season Panfish

When it comes to late season pan fish there are three key concepts to keep in mind, Location, location, location. Pan fish during the late winter ice months can be stacked up in large numbers in many northern lakes. It pays to put in the time to look for these fish during the late seasons. It’s not uncommon to pull up to a lake and see many people congregated into one area in pursuit of pan fish. You can expect to find a variety of bluegills, crappies and, sunfish stacked up in weedy flats of bays or in deeper water holes this time of year. Its important to ice fish with a flasher system this time of year to help coax picky fish into biting. A fish locator is critical when ice fishing, I rarely ice fish without one today. My typical set up when targeting late winter pan fish consist of a small arctic ice rod with as extremely soft tip for these light biters. Pan fish tend to bite extremely soft so its important to have a rod that can detect those subtle bites. When it comes to jigs and bait I prefer to use a tiny tungsten jig tipped with a spike. When it comes to bait there are many of different options to choose from. When pan fish are active you can catch them on most smaller sized baits you drop down to them. Other effective baits I have used in the past consist of small plastic imitating small invertebrates and worms. Pan fish this time of year will feed on freshwater plankton and insects. Matching the hatch is always an important element to remember when fishing. Late season pan fishing can offer some of the fastest action ice fishing you can experience. This is a good opportunity to introduce newcomers to the sport due to the easy going nature of catching pan fish through the ice. It is not uncommon to catch fifty to sixty fish a day on a good day when pan fish are cooperating. Not to mention the excellent table fair that pan fish offer, a dozen nice sized gills and crappie can make for a tremendous lunch for friends and family.

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Targeting Winter Trout

When targeting late winter trout there are many things to consider. First, it’s important to recognize just how fickle these fish can truly be. Trout by nature have a very finicky attitude making them a tough fish to catch. During the winter months, trout congregate in harbors and rivers along Wisconsin presenting a great opportunity to target lake run trout. During the summer months, these fish thrive in the deep cool water of the great lakes.  once the water temperatures drop trout start to make there move into shallower water making there way into harbors and rivers. The fisherman from all over the world enjoys the pursuit of hooking these fish during the winter. Although it’s not as easy as it sounds. Trout can be extremely cautious creatures and present a challenge to ice anglers. Understanding trout behaviors are critical to your success on the water. When fishing for trout it’s important to downsize your presentation to increase your odds of getting bit. Trout have great eyesight and sense of smell allowing them to analyze a bait before eating it. If you are using a rig too heavy the trout will not be interested and shy away from your presentation. Having the proper rig is key to your success, I like to use six-pound fluorocarbon when targeting these fish.  Six-pound fluorocarbon allows the line to be virtually invisible underwater. This allows for the trout to not shy away from the rig and be more tempted to strike your bait. When it comes to the fishing rod, I prefer to use a long thirty-six-inch soft tip to absorb the large head shakes from these fish. Its also important to use a high capacity real that is equipped to holding around three hundred yards of line.  If you get lucky enough to hook one of these fish you will experience the long runs these fish are capable of making. The baits of choice for me generally are small golden shiners, shrimp, spawn sacks and jigs. When fishing for trout you want to be anywhere from a foot to three feet off the bottom. Last but not least its important to remember proper fish handling skills. When handling a trout you want to keep your hands out of there soft gills that can tear easily. Trout are fragile fish once out of the water, you want to keep the fish in the water as much as possible unless you are planning to eat it.

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Blog Post 1

My name is Louie Dazzo, I am a student at the University of Whitewater Wisconsin. My goal is to share my knowledge of fishing to you guys. I have been fishing hard for over fifteen years. I have been fishing bass tournaments for BASSMASTERS and FLW for over five years now qualifying for nationals twice. I am also a licensed fishing guide in the state of Wisconsin (multi-species fishing). Let’s expand our success for fishing!

About Pike 

Now that we are nearing the end of winter ice fishing may present some new challenges. Fish will start to be moving into there spring patterns in preparation to start the spawn. One of my favorite fish to target at this time is a northern pike. Late season pike fishing can be an opportunity to land your biggest pike of the season. Northern pike will start there transition into back bays and harbors in lakes where they will drop eggs. My favorite way to target these predators late winter is dead baits. I like to use an HT rigger which allows me to fight the fish on light tackle. I can present a rig to the fish that is subtle and dynamic enough to catch fish. I typically locate a shallow, weedy bay that remains to start my search for the Gators.

Rigs/Bait

The rig I prefer to use for these fish consist of 20lb braid connected to a two-way swivel going to a 12lb fluorocarbon leader. This time of year I like to keep my presentations as light as possible. When fishing deep clear water it’s important to understand that downsizing your rig can make a large difference to the fish. Most of the lakes I fish here in southern Wisconsin have clear water. The key to this is simply to outsmart the fish. Northern pike have a reputation for being extremely aggressive fish although can be tough to understand and catch at times. Late season pike can be lazy and not want to chase down prey which makes dead baits so effective. For my bait rig, i will use a size 4 single hook. The single hooks help me stick the fish firmer while also reducuing damage to the fish itself. When it comes to bait I will freeze my left over shiners with salt brine to add scent. Pike rely heavily on there sense of smell to locate food. I will generally set my dead baits a foot off the bottom to directly on the bottom depending on the mood of the fish that day. Always remember fish handling saftery, big pike (36+) are hard to come by and should be treated with respect. I release the majority of my pike especially the larger ones to pass on the genetics fot the next generation.

Tight lines!

Louie