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I looked around and it was dark       ...time for crappie. We moved more towards the weed edge, and sure enough the crappie appeared suspended up on the Marcum locator face. If we lowered our jigs to right above the suspended fish, we started to catch a few. We had made the switch to larger sized jigs (since crappie have bigger mouths). By 10 p.m. we had caught enough. We had one of our more successful days/nights on the ice. By nature Poppee and I prefer ice fishing in shallow water. But when the fish are biting in deep water in the middle of winter, then that' …

Live bait is like a security blanket’ you feel lost and all alone without it. Time was when I never ice fished without live bait. But times have changed. With the recent advances in plastic, lure and scent technology, I feel confident traveling on nearly any body of water without bait. In fact, I think anyone can learn to ice fish without bait. Much as you fish for bass, walleye and panfish in the open water, the same principle applies to ice fishing. Fishing without live bait Fishing without live bait is a weaning process. At first it's best to take little baby steps. You should fis …

Panfish are the sport fish of the ice fisherman! Armed with the proper gear, one can get a great fight out of the bluegill, crappie and even a perch. Plus, you've got the best tasting fish of the year. Nothing beats fresh caught panfish through the ice. Let's go over some of the methods to panfish madness that will turn you into an ice fishing machine! BALANCED TACKLE  Balanced tackle is no longer a dream. Gone are the days of $2.00 poles with 10-pound line. Today's ice angler uses mini spinning combos with ultra sensitive tips.  For traditional jigs like Custom Jigs …