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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 …

What fish packs a lot of fight for it’s size? White bass of course. While there are a lot more glamorous species out there like crappie, perch and walleye, none of those will fight near as well as the white bass. White bass lakes are traditionally dark or stained water. Whites will tend to school up heavily on points, shoals, flats and sometimes around brush piles. Once you find a school, you are in business. The problem arises when the school moves. At this point you can stay mobile and try to relocate the school, by drilling nearby holes or you can stay put and wait them out. Mor …

Ice fishing is a sport of camaraderie. Whether it's two guys like me and Poppee sitting in a tent, a dozen anglers huddled on buckets or a winter village set up on the ice. Take a look at "Grumpy Old Men" for gosh sakes; you can't get more fun on the ice then that! While all of this merry-making is great fun, if you get a little more serious and team up with a few pals... you will all be rewarded with a lot more panfish than usual. The Search Begins The search is one of the most exciting parts of your time on the ice, so don't skimp on spots. If I'm only fishing for three hours, I migh …

Ice fishing is a simple sport. You drill a hole and catch a fish. But somewhere between the hole drilling and the fish catching, millions of dollars is spent on equipment. I know because I have extensively supported the ice fishing product economy and am one of many willing to shell out for every new gadget that hits the ice market. One thing I've learned over the years is that it's better to invest in quality gear. But even getting started with the best gear will cost you surprisingly little. Here's a list of items to get started with: BASIC panfish ice fishing gear Warm clothes and b …