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Catch Pike, Crappie, Giant Bluegill and Bass Through the Ice!
Posted by Walt Matan, Chief Lure Designer, Custom Jigs & Spins and B-Fish-N Tackle on Mar 10th 2025
Have you ever been catching bluegill like crazy and the bite shuts down? Have you ever been pounding the perch, and then the pounding just ends? Well, chances are a predator has moved into the area, been attracted to all the commotion, and is looking for an easy meal. The predator could be a walleye, bass, pike, muskie, or catfish.
I’ve known this was true for the forty-some years that I’ve been ice fishing, but I’ve never really seen it happening live and haven’t capitalized on it enough, until now.
Watching for big predator fish with a scope
Livescope, better known as cheaterscope, the enemy and a crutch for anyone who uses one doesn’t know how to fish! Yep, there is a lot of hate out there, but not from me.
The upside is that it helps you find active fish and identify the areas that they haunt. The downside is that it is heavy, cumbersome, and a pain to set-up and move.
It also has a lot of power that chews up batteries, and its high frequency will spook some fish...but not all of them. I’ll sacrifice a few fish just to see how they react to my lures and attack them.
Now how to catch those panfish
Once I find some active panfish, I want to catch them all! I’ll set up the tent and drill three holes with the Livescope pole in the middle so I can watch two lures.
First off, there will be a few fish that will hit right away. Then it tapers off and I’ll wait until a new batch comes by. Usually, as all this catching, attracting, and commotion occurs a screen that once had a few fish moving about and being caught will go blank. This is when a predator has moved in, and it’s time to catch it.
That’s when a larger Slender Spoon comes into play. The 1/8th or ¼ ounce sizes fit the bill. Sometimes, I’ll add a minnow head to the treble hook for added attraction. When nothing is around, a quick lift and slow fall is the way to attract those predators in. When they arrive...it’s time to tease them.
The one-two Slender Spoon punch for panfish and gamefish!
Guys get excited when a big muskie follows the boat, I get excited when a big pike is inches away from my Slender Spoon!
2 rods and the Slender Spoon
So when employing two rods in each hand, I might have a 1/16th ounce Slender Spoon tipped with red spikes on one rod and the larger 1/8th ounce for gamefish on the other.
Sometimes that larger Spoon attracts panfish from a distance, and they move in on the smaller one. Sometimes a gamefish moves in and I quickly remove the smaller one so that they grab the larger one!
Most ice anglers know about the panfish/gamefish connection, and they set tip-ups, bite-me-boxes, hook-setters, or tip-downs a little away from their spot. Then they put an extra-large minnow on a tiny treble hook embedded into its back. These bonus gamefish are great fun plus a great meal.
Personally, I like to use what these gamefish are after, so I’ll keep a few tiny perch or bluegill to put on my deadstick rod. I’ll keep that rod in a hole nearby so that when a predator stops by, she's got an easy meal!
Using panfish for bait is legal on many lakes, provided you didn’t transport them from another lake. However, on some lakes, using panfish for bait is illegal, so check local regulations.
Glowing Demon and plastics
Last weekend I was fishing in a busy area, probably 50 anglers out in the open and some in tents.
I was using a size 10 chartreuse Wonderglow colored Demon with two red spikes. When the action got fast, I put on a red Wedgee and slid it on so it hung horizontally...deadly on the bigger fish.
I was also using a 3mm Chekai with a Red Wedgee. I’ve got a dozen Wedgee colors in my box, but I always seem to put on red!
Big Crappie on the Wonderglow Demon!
Bass, bluegill, pike…pull-em in!
A couple of guys were next to me in a big tent, and I heard splashing, so I knew there was catching going on. They had some tip-ups out, as did everyone else, and they had one right next to their tent that kept going off.
They were getting some big bass that were in the area, and they were using bluegills and being real sneaky about it.
Nobody out sneaks me, I’ve got my head on a swivel when I’m out fishing. The interesting thing was that the only tip-up that was tipping was the one by their tent, and it was the only one in the entire area catching bass.
The rest of the guys were getting flags too, but only skinny pike. It’s kind of like the guys set up in sleeper shacks with extra rods and rattle reels set up in extra holes...those predator walleye get attracted to the commotion.
Catching Perch
Perch are schoolers...if you find one, chances are you will find several. They also tend to school by size, because there is safety in numbers, I guess. Perch like sandy areas, gravelly areas, and rocky areas.
Points, reefs, and shallow (but not too weedy) areas are where you will find them. The smallest perch tend to be shallower, maybe because there are more hiding places for them or because it's a better area to find food for their tiny mouths.
Guide Andrew Hendrickson of Northstar Fishing Adventures targets
giant perch on Saginaw Bay!
Perch are nosy. They like flashy things. Flashy jigs and spoons are best. Even though perch have small mouths, they have a big appetite.
My top lures for perch are Custom Jigs & Spins (CJ&S) 1/16th ounce Slender Spoons and 3mm Chekai Jig. I'll add red spikes for bait. You can "spike up" the trebles on the Slender Spoon or, even better, remove the treble and replace it with a size 14 Pro Finesse Drop Chain. The spoon attracts them in and they will hit the dropper chain with spikes every time.
On my perch trip, I was set up in a tent with Livescope watching the action. It was a perch-a-palooza until something big moved in and they ran and hid.
Rather than hiding myself, I pulled out my perch rod and dropped down a ¼ ounce Slender Spoon on my walleye rod. A few twitches and a fish was on! It was a nice pike that I got right up to the hole, tried to grab by its gill, then the line snapped! Oh well.
Walleye catching
For walleye, I like several CJ&S offerings, and I'll have rods rigged with each. First is the RPM. The RPM is a balance bait that offers flash, crazy action, and a swimming motion away from your hole, when you sweep your rod.
Next is the Slender Spoon. A finesse spoon with a ton of action, whether jigged or jiggled. Then there is the Demon 4, a big glow Demon with a dorsal hooked small perch, which is tough to beat on finicky walleye. A new twist is the Puki. It is a tungsten version of the Demon for a more aggressive approach and because of its heavier weight...a deep water killer!
When you target the perch, crappie or bluegill this winter, you can also target the walleye, bass or pike...a few little fish may lead you to a bunch of whoppers!
Walt Matan is the chief lure designer for Custom Jigs & Spins and B-Fish-N Tackle. For more information on ice fishing and to see Custom Jigs & Spins full line-up of tackle including the NEW Puki ice jigs log on to www.customjigs.com or call 1-800-831-5535 for a FREE 2025 “Tips & Tricks” catalog!