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The ice is here, and I’m out chasing bluegill and other panfish.  It could be in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Minnesota. Just give me some solid ice, a shallow weedy bay, channel, or backwater, and I’m on my way! Are you catching fish? I’ve been chasing panfish for more than forty years, and it has never gotten old, even though I have.  I’ve learned a few things along the way.  The first and foremost goal is to catch a bunch of fish. There is absolutely no reason to invest in all the gear, expend all the effort it takes to go ice fishing, and be satisfie …

The last couple of years have offered some great ice fishing for me, especially in shallow water less than ten feet deep.  It is here that bluegill, perch, crappie, and pike roam freely and are readily caught, especially at first ice, that is, right now! Flutter spoons for the win!  It is here that old school flutter spoons still produce.  Standbys like Custom Jigs & Spins Demons, 2-Spots, and Rockers, Demon Jigging Spoons, Lil’ Cecils, and Slender Spoons are killer producers in these shallow weedy areas.   Small tungsten jigs are most effective in clear wate …

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 …

With the recent cold snap, ice fishing is in full swing! If it’s not happening in your area, you just have to drive farther North. If the big lake you usually fish on is still not frozen, head to the channels or smaller bodies of water tucked away out of the wind...it’s happening right now! Just do you - choose your experience Ice fishing is great because you can experience it any way you want. You can do it on the cheap or spend thousands on fishing trips, tackle, and gear. If you're happy just catching a few fish and enjoying setting up a camp, cooking some brats, indulging in a few …

There are a multitude of ways to catch a fish through the ice. Once you find the way that works best for that exact moment you are fishing for whatever species you are after, then BINGO, you’ve solved the fish puzzle for one day, because tomorrow that puzzle might change. I can’t tell you how many times that I thought I had it figured out before I got to the lake. I’ll have a plan, a spot, a species that I’m after and when I get there, everything I believed would happen, didn’t. I’d get to my spot and someone was on it. Which jigs do I need? Should I use my favorite lead jigs or try out t …