Blog

I've probably never been more excited to go ice fishing! After having missed the entire ice and open water season last year due to health reasons...I'm ready to go! First stop will be to follow first ice in Wisconsin and then move down to Iowa and Illinois. I've got a lot of different lakes and backwaters that I fish each year and I'm an all species ice fisherman...read on to see what I'm excited about!  I’m pretty excited to be using glow jigs again too. Glowing jigs deliver on small lakes As soon as the ice is safe, I'll grab the trusty sled, spud bar, and lightweight electric …

Sorry folks, I can't come up with one single "best ice fishing jig ever". But how about a jig that has stood the test of time for more than 40 years, having caught millions of fish during this time! This is one of THE best ice fishing jigs ever for walleye, crappie, perch, rainbow trout and bluegill! The Demon is one of the most effective, versatile ice fishing jigs ever created. It has a unique design, a dash and dart motion on the lift and a flutter-flash on the fall. The Demon is available in five sizes from 1/100 oz. to 1/14 oz. which covers all species of fish. Th …

Oh panfish. I love panfish. They are fun to catch and good to eat. If you’re new to fishing, you may wonder what is a panfish? It isn’t a specific species. It’s a term that refers to many different species of fish that are small enough to fit in a frying pan but large enough to be legal and fun to catch. Perch, bass, crappie, are all panfish and we talk a lot about how to catch them. Once upon a time the Fox Chain in Northern Illinois was a yellow bass factory. Everyone complained that those pesky yellow bass were infiltrating on their bluegill and crappie fishing, but not me and Popp …

Tungsten jigs are the NEW Hottest Baits Below the Ice! But, they won’t improve your fish catching unless you know how, when and where to use them. Plus, don't put them away when ice fishing season is done. Tungsten jigs are a great addition to your jig box all year long!The need for speed One time Poppee and I were fishing bluegill in twenty feet of water over a weed edge. We were sitting next to each other in the same tent with three holes drilled in front of us. The center hole held the flasher and we could see both of our presentations on the flasher at the same time. Poppee was using …

What if you absolutely had to catch your daily bag limit of fish every time you hit the ice? What jig would you use? What fishing techniques would you apply? Well, here are three pros employing their favorite techniques to catch more fish! Kevin Fassbind and Nick Smyers Kevin Fassbind is one of the top anglers on the NAIFC tournament trail. Along with his partner Nick Smyers, they have won or placed in the top 5 in just about every event they have entered in the past dozen years. Kevin's approach is simple and straightforward when he is after bluegill. He studies a map, drills …