A GUIDE'S SECRETS TO LATE ICE PANFISHING SUCCESS
Who would ever think that a guy who makes his living battling 30 pound class muskies on 50 pound test could get just as charged up over tangling with 1 pound bluegills on 2 pound sewing thread. But that's exactly what happens to me every late winter just before ice out. I will be the first to admit I get totally crazy over catching panfish. It matters little whether it's crappies, bluegills, or perch. I love them all. If it's quality size, and wants to bite, then I'm ready to catch it. Not to mention sample a few for a good old Wisconsin fish fry, as well.
Fishing for panfish in the late icefishing season, during the months of March and April, has no real big secrets. And surely what I've learned along the way is not any new discovery. Yet it's almost a sure bet that the majority of anglers "pull the plug" on their late winter panfish excursions too soon, and they don't take advantage of …show more content…
What's even more exciting about all of this, is that anyone is able to predict the actual best fishing times on any lake with nothing more than a quick glance from the parking lot. How? Let me step back a bit, to lead you into how I found these simple answers.
Before getting so heavily involved in the TV production part of fishing, I used to guide ice fishing parties quite often. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for me to icefish 4 to 5 days a week during this time. Of course, guiding, no matter whether it's open water or thru the ice, requires complete dedication in order to be successful consistently. Panfishing during the late winter is no different. I eventually developed a real strong set of patterns during the late ice since I was fishing day after day. What I eventually found out was, the surface of the ice could tell me when to fish each
Who would ever think that a guy who makes his living battling 30 pound class muskies on 50 pound test could get just as charged up over tangling with 1 pound bluegills on 2 pound sewing thread. But that's exactly what happens to me every late winter just before ice out. I will be the first to admit I get totally crazy over catching panfish. It matters little whether it's crappies, bluegills, or perch. I love them all. If it's quality size, and wants to bite, then I'm ready to catch it. Not to mention sample a few for a good old Wisconsin fish fry, as well.
Fishing for panfish in the late icefishing season, during the months of March and April, has no real big secrets. And surely what I've learned along the way is not any new discovery. Yet it's almost a sure bet that the majority of anglers "pull the plug" on their late winter panfish excursions too soon, and they don't take advantage of …show more content…
What's even more exciting about all of this, is that anyone is able to predict the actual best fishing times on any lake with nothing more than a quick glance from the parking lot. How? Let me step back a bit, to lead you into how I found these simple answers.
Before getting so heavily involved in the TV production part of fishing, I used to guide ice fishing parties quite often. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for me to icefish 4 to 5 days a week during this time. Of course, guiding, no matter whether it's open water or thru the ice, requires complete dedication in order to be successful consistently. Panfishing during the late winter is no different. I eventually developed a real strong set of patterns during the late ice since I was fishing day after day. What I eventually found out was, the surface of the ice could tell me when to fish each