Ice Fishing Question?
 

I am fairly certain we will be ice fishing by the end of the week here and the pond we will most likely go to is full of hybrid bluegill and normal bluegill. i was wandering what is the best lure for them. we normaly go to a lake and we use kastmasters to catch walleye, white bass, wipers, and stripers but i think the kastmasters are to big for bluegill. Any info is greatly appreciated.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

In Michigan people generally have 3 different lures/methods.

First would be a plain hook with bait, this is the least effective in my mind.

Second would be a teardrop, which is like a very small jig, tipped with bait. This is very effective and adds weight to the line so it will get you back into the fish quicker.

Third, something that few use, is called in general, and "ice fly". These can be very effective but I have little information to give you about them. I have bought a few and hope that I never lose them.



PENDING ON THE LAW OF YOUR STATE, my favorite method is to tie a "ice fly" and leave about 3 foot of slack line in the knot, and tie a tear drop below it. This will get my bait into the fish quicker, and gives me double the chances.


Good luck.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

Try small rocker type jigs size 8, 10 or 12 hooks in different colors. Works well for sunnies, gills or crappie. Tip them with a couple of spikes (maggots) or a wax worm.



Another good one is a demon size 8, 10 or 12 and tip them the same as a rocker.


Use real light action micro jig poles 24 to 30" with 4 pound test or lighter.
You can getlures at http://www.customjigsandspins.com/among other places.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I have another question will they hit small marabou jigs (1/64 to 1/100 oz) i have a few of them and i was just wandering?

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

I haven't had much luck with anything other than small jigs tipped with spikes or waxies. Colors that work well here on Champlain for gills are orange, chartreuse, and white with red or blue or greentip. I have hundreds of different lures and keep them in metal fly boxes. The clips keep the jigs from getting scratched and keeps the colors together. The colors really matter and when the bite turns finicky I switch colors and they usually hit better. I use quick clips on the line soI can change lures without tying on each time. I like the Mustad clips in #3 (small) for flat fish and #1 for perch.
Might as well get used to using spikes because without live bait they usually don't hit all that well. Keep your hands out of your mouth after handling the spikes because the juice thy give off is pretty nasty. Most of the bait shops and even grocery stores here sell them in the winter. They come by the hundred in a tube or vial.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

1.) You need live bait with a jig (As stated by C.I.)
2.) Smaller the better in most cases.
3.)Weather, cloud cover, etc.often times decides color.



In my personal case, I have never had luck with marabou jigs.

I would really go out and purchase 5/6 different color small jigs and 2 dozen spikes or maggots. Costs about 5 bucks and you will be in the fish!

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

Rat Finkees in green tipped with waxies always work for me.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

i believe that castmasters do come in small sizes too.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

i have a question to add to yours how deep should i be to go for blue gills and also how thick does the ice have to befor me to go out on it on my pond?

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

Around here the gills are always in water from 3' deep to about 12'. Most average they are in about 6-8'. I will go on 2" of clear black ice. If snow covered I like at least 3" since I can't see the bad spots. I need at least 6" for me to take my wheeler out on it and 10-12" before I use the truck.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

i also have question to add. being a father of 3 i don't get to fish as much as i used to when i was single. as a matter of fact i haven't ice fished in 2 years. well i have some friends comming up from kentucky the end of the month to go ice fishing. well wouldn't u know it i can't seem to find my tackle box for ice fishing anywhere. if anyone could be a little more specific as to the types of jigs i should buy would would be greatly appreciated. thanx.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

If you are fishing for perch then use some of these if you can find them. We call them bibbets here in Vermont and they are just painted lead jigs and you fish them bare without any bait. Fish them from right on bottom to about 5' up for most perch schools. When they bite they really take them. I have had days of close to 200 pounds of large perch using these lures. The barbs are removed so when you get the perch up through the hole you just dunk them in a bucket or on the ice and they come right off so you don't need to handle them. To get a big catch your cycle speed of hookup to getting back to the bottom is important. Perch are schooling fish and getting the lure back down to them keeps them there. Color really matters and most perch like orange and white or chartreuse and white or any other combo of bright colors. I use a quick clip on my line so I can change lures without retying.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

thanx champlain thats very helpful. it seems i had a dozen or so just like that. i'll probably go buy basically what i had before. seems things havent changed much. i was hoping there might be something new i should get. i'll just wander around the ice fishing section until i see something familiar.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

Thanks for posting them CI, I do not fish for yellow perch or sunfish as we call bluegills and the like. But, I think some of those may work well on whitefish up here..

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

I do rarely catch a whitefish on the perch bibbets but they would probably be caught better using minnows I suspect. The perch bibbets are quite large, round like a minnow, heavy andprobably on a #2 hook or something similar and have no barbs. You let them go right to the bottom then work them within a couple of feet of the bottom. You fish them bare without bait. I heard Dave Genz the famous ice fisherman and inventor of Fish Trap portable shelters was in town doing some seminars. He met some of the guys out on the ice and they said he never knew about perch bibbets before. Must be a Lake Champlain thing. I bet if someone took some to the Great lakes they could clean up on slab perch. The perch slam them and I am not kidding. I buy the blank lures or strip the paint off old ones that don't work and then paint them myself with vinyl paint. The bluegill lures are smaller, light, flatso they flutterand are usually on a 8, 10 or 12 hook and are tipped with maggots.

RE: Ice Fishing Question?
 

Whitefish up here eat mostly snails and with the small paper like mouths they are sometimes hard to catch. Minnows will work some but mostly you will end up with stolen bait. I normally use a few smelts cut up in about 1/4 inch chunks. A small number 8 hook as well as a small sinker and jig it next to the bottom. So when I was looking at the bibbets you have posted. I would think some of them would work great on them. Now whenI am fishing for white perch, well you know, live bait all the way.