Blog

I was headed to Fulton County in Illinois to fish the Herman Brothers strip pit lakes and I was chasing after my favorite fish through the ice...the bluegill. But not just any bluegill, these were stocked hybrids..these were trophies and like fishing for any trophy, it was a catch, photo, and release deal. In this part of the state, you get one month of fishable ice, then it's over. The water was shallow, under 8 ft. and clear, you could see the bottom or watch the action on the underwater camera. The presentation needed to be precise. Small jigs, light line, no noise and being able t …

A lot of fishermen will identify themselves by the species of fish they target, this is especially true in the open water season. There are bass fishermen, walleye fishermen, crappie fishermen muskie fishermen, and even cat fishermen! While ice fishermen usually aren't as species-specific, we do tend to get pigeonholed into fishing a specific species until the bite wears out and then we're lost. By becoming a better multi-species ice angler you can avoid the "dead bite" and the doldrums of winter! The benefits of multi-species fishing I've had many a trip where the walleye bite …

Color selection is always a hot topic when it comes to any sort of fishing. In ice fishing there are basics that seem to work for many species, but one that is very different, and extremely productive is a selection of "glowing" lures. My first choice for panfish is Custom Jigs & Spins glowing colors of Glow Brite/lime, Glow Brite/pink, Glow Brite/blue and plain Glow Brite. While there are several models in which these colors are available, a good selection would consist of the Ratfinkee, Demon, Ratso, Shrimpo and Nuclear Ant, in sizes 12 through 4. The sizes that I use most are 10 and 8, …

If you’re an avid ice fisherman, no doubt you’ve encountered negative panfish. Bluegills and crappies that you can mark on your electronics, but can’t for the life of you get them to bite! There are many factors in why a panfish will suddenly turn negative. Panfish, unlike walleyes, are very effected by cold snaps. With the invention of portable shelters that go up and break down with ease more and more people are venturing out on those colder than average days, with this, more and more people are encountering negative fish beneath them. Hands down the Custom Jigs and Spins Shrimpo i …

We’ve had many good days on the ice.  We’ve caught crappie, bluegill, catfish, walleye, white bass, northern pikexyou name it, we’ve caught it.  But, we can count days that can truly be called BIG, only a few times. A big day is one, where you can do no wrong.  Every decision you makes, leads to fish.  The weather cooperates to, the wind doesn’t howl, maybe a light snow, but never rain or sleet.  Your gear works right.  Augers start right up, lines don’t twist or break you’re your fish locators battery doesn’t run out of juice. Last year I had a big day …