Ice Bass

[Guest]

I know that in the north country it is a fairly rare occurance to catch bass through the ice, but there are times when it is possible to consistantly catch bucketmouths through the ice.

Early ice is best. Bass are still fairly aggresive and actively feeding to put on those couple extra onces of fat to put them through the long winter. The best places to look are areas where the bass can quickly catch a quick meal then retreat to more comfortable areas. Find a nice weedy flat that has a very steep drop to deep water. This spot is ideal because the fish only has to move a short distance to find food. If there is no deep water available, fish near the heaviest cover you can find close to the deepest water you can find. Bass will continue to use deeper reed beds and thick clumps of weeds as long as food and oxygen are still available.

Ice bass can be caught on a variety of different lures. Most ice fishermen are familiar with the gear used to catch walleyes through the ice, many of these techniques are very well suited to catch bass also. Live-bait rigs like shiners or small suckers work very well rigged under either a float or a tip-up. If you prefer jigging, small jigging Rapalas or spoons like the Scenic Tackle Angel Eye or Glow Devil Spoon are excellent choices. If the fish are really finicky (which is often the case in the winter) small teardrops tipped with waxworms will catch bass (and panfish).

It is not impossible to catch bass through the ice, nor is it only a fluke to catch one while fishing for another fish. If you fine tune your presentation, and look in a few specific places, bass can give you yet another way to get you through the winter until you can get your boat in the water. Good luck and Tight lines!

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Adam Johnson
www.adamjohnsonfishing.com

[Guest]

yeah last year while we were fishing on coon lake there were some people who were fishing for sunfish and they were catching 2-3 pound bass. they caught like 10 of them.i had never seen a bass caught through the ice. and i know people who have been icefishing for years and never even seen a bass caught through the ice.

[Nels]

I caught a 3 lb bass through the ice on a tip-up with a shiner. This was on new year's day 2002. It was pretty cool, because the other 2 guys I was with had each caught a hammer handle.

[Crawlerman]

I've catch bass on both tip ups and jigging rods; finding about the same odds as catching a Northern; atleast in a lot of the lakes and ponds I fish where the primary predator species is Largemouth bass; not Walleye or pike. Got a 2 1/2 er off a tipup off school section; another in our party got a 4lber the same way. I've caught numerous smaller bass while fishing for crappies.

[Guest]

drogers, I was on Coon Lake on sunday and saw a few bass like that caught too. Maybe they will be biting on Saturday when we head out there? I guess we'll find out.

Good Fishin, Matt.

[Guest]

MJ5,
we did end up catching a bass that was about 1 1/2 pounds on a shiner to go along with the 12 small northerns.where were you fishing on saturday?i think we got out there about 1.i dont think that i could have found you anyways.there was so many people out fishing that part of coon.not that many people were catching fish.alot of people were missing all of there fish.and the ones that were caught were very small.let me know the next time you are planning on going out to coon or when you go to golden for cats.we have our permanint out so if your out there it will probably have a tarp over the top if my cousin puts it up.its 8x8 and the name on the outside is jesse ruud.but i wont be out until after christmas.

Danny

[Guest]

Danny, I'll be sure to let you know when I head to Golden. I know a few other guys wanna go as well, we can get a group out there and cover a lot of area. I'll keep you posted.

Good Fishin, Matt.

[JP Savage]

I was out on a small lake near Park Rapids catching about a dozen northerns 3-8 lbs,and, also caught 2 bass one 5-5, the other 4even on tip ups, shiner minnows.

[Guest]

Tonka Boy,

What you read is correct, and that is why you don't hear about ice bass too often. That is why it is very important to fish those high percentage areas so you have a better chance of presenting your bait to a bass that is in that narrow feeding window.

Your next best chance is to put your bait in front of a bass and try to coax a reaction strike. The bass is not feeding, it just can't stand that bait in it's face.

It won't be long now until we will be talking about open water bass! I can't wait!

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Adam Johnson
www.adamjohnsonfishing.com

[Tonka Boy]

I was reading an article in "In-Fisherman Magazine" a few years ago which stated a bass' matabolism slows down almost completely in the winter. They only need to feed a couple of time during the winter to survive. Timing can play a critical part in catching them.

That could be the reason you don't hear about them too often after the water gets hard. They are catchable though!

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Tonka Boy

[frozen toes]

In my part of the world 9West Central Wisconsin), I have been pulling many many Bass through the ice for 3 weeks now. Once in a great while a northern. We are using tip-ups with a shiner. there is a weed line on this lake, if you get right on the edge you can catch LM almost all day. Only problem is, these people have been taking their limit home every day. This is going to kill the Spring fishing. Out of one little hole, I have watched 28 bass go into coolers in 2 days. I did keep a 5 1/2 pounder for the wall. It was a beauty. So they can and will bite in the winter.

[Shorthair Guy]

Was out on Billesby in Dakota Co. just after new years with my Dad. He was jigging a waxie and caught a 3.5 pounder on an ultralight rig. Boy that baby had that stick doubbled over. We took a snap shot and released it but it was fun. An older fello fishing a few houses over caught a 6 lb. smallie there that same day. That was a nice pig. He threw it down our hole after he came over and showed it to us.

[Steve Foss]

I've been spending the last couple weeks fishing a clearwater flowage (well, clear to 8 feet, which is clear for a flowage) in NW Wisconsin. It is late February, the ice is nearly 3 feet thick, and the bass are fat and healthy.

I've been using tip-ups only. Bait? Four-inch live shiners, 6-inch live suckers, dead smelt. I've caught nearly as many largemouth bass as pike. Pike on all three baits, largemouth only on the shiners. My line is heavy braided line, but I use a two-foot leader I tie myself from sevenstrand wire (30 lb), which is nearly invisible in the water.

Those bass aren't shy about heavy line/leader in winter. Biggest bass 3 lb, although this flowage (St. Croix, also known as Gordon, Flowage) is known for bass to 7 lb. Most bass in one day? Seven. Most pike in one day? Nine.

Bass hit my tips differently than pike. The bass pop the flag and the spindle turns a few times and then stops, just like when you get a wind flag and the sinker drops the bait to the bottom and then stops. But you'd better check, because every tip-up bass I've caught does it this way. No fast runs, no steady runs, no runs at all. Just flag, slow spin, stop.

Flowage is only 15 feet deep in river channel, and vast majority between 5 and 10 feet. Lots of aquatic vegetation. I'm fishing a point at a bay entry where the 10-foot line comes in close to shore, with tip-ups from 6 to 10 feet. The whole bay has vegetation.

Caught a couple 13-inch crappies on the same tip-ups, wire leaders and 4-inch shiners, too.

Also, all pike and bass I've cleaned have sunnies in their bellies.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 02-26-2003).]

[frozen toes]

I have the same observations as stfcatfish. These bass do not run very far usually. We have had an occasional smaller one run for a long ways, but most hit and sit. We have also been having real good luck just under the ice. Between 3 inches and a foot under has produced the best. Went out this morning and 2 of us caught 11 Bass and 1 hammer handle. Took pics and off they went. Weather has been perfect here, sunny and upper 30's. Feels like Spring!!!!

[Guest]

I haven't tried it for my self, but I have heard that the bass in Wisconsin bite quite regularly in the winter compared to the bass in Minnesota. I'm not sure why that would be?

The other difference I've noticed is that the bass here tend to run steady when caught on tip-ups. Not fast, but steady and they will run forever! That's weird.

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Adam Johnson
www.adamjohnsonfishing.com

[Guest]

I have had good luck catchimg bass through the ice, and go often when the time is right. Since bass are relatively inactive in the winter I wait until fish activity peaks. Often when there is a full moon, or right before a cold front. I like to use tip ups because the action is relatively still except for the minnow. If you have a flasher. I have had good luck pimping with a do-jiger, it has a slower action than a sweedish pimple and may be the key on getting those inactive bass to strike.

[Guest]

I went last Sunday here in Ma. in the pouring rain. The ice was getting soft on the top 4 inches but the 10 inches under was still hard. Got started late (10:30 am) baited my first two tipups with shinners and by the time I got to my third hole the first flag was up. Got a nice 14 inch LM Bass. Re-baited and when I tried to setup my third hole again the second flag was up. Got another LM Bass 13 inches. Later in the day I got a HUGE 27 inch Pickerel nice fight! Still later, I got a real nice 13 inch Crappie and a same size Smallmouth Bass! Only fished for four hours, got soaked to the bone but had lot's of fun! I have a nice picture of the Crappie but don't know how to post it here? Does anyone know how to post a picture?

Wishin2BFishin

[Guest]

See how effictive tip ups can be on winter bass.