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

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

I fish on south center lake in MN here and when i put a tip up, up for a the elusive pike. I seem to always catch a bucketmouth. Everyone ask me how i do it. I am not sure i just fish for northerns and get the bass.

[Guest]

I find it quite annoying pulling a bass and having spleash everywhere when i'm trying to bring in eyes. Must be in the wrong spot

[Guest]

I've caught a lot of them with a jigging Rapala. Lot of fun, but no good when you're looking to fill a frying pan (they're out-of-season during the ice season here in Michigan).

[Guest]

Whenever I catch bass through the ice I am typically fishing for panfish using light tackle. Bass become lethargic during the winter months and their metabolism slows which in turn causes the feeding patterns to change. Early ice can be a different story. Bass are still in search mode looking actively for food before the their bodies slide into their "hibernation" period.

Two winters ago during first ice I fished Coon Lake (Anoka County) and got into a school of bass. I used small Kastmasters tipped with crappie minnows. Caught several before I had to move to find them again. Action was pretty fun once you were on fish. It took a few holes before you got back on fish but they were still there. Biggest one might have been around 2 pounds but still fun.

Last weekend I was out Coon Lake fishing with a few fellow fishingminnesota members and we witnessed a few nice bass caught. All of which were taken off of medium sized minnows (ie: shiners, suckers, fatheads). I thought it was pretty interesting because all three bass where caught within 30 minutes of each other and they all followed the same pattern of the lake, almost as if they were on a certain road and stuck to it. Same depth, all in allignment using the channel as the origin, and same method (tip-up, or stationary bait, and minnow).

Just thought I'd share that experience with all of you, I though it was pretty interesting.

Good Fishin, Matt.

[This message has been edited by MJ5 (edited 12-05-2002).]