bass through the ice

[evinrude19]

i was looking at the bass ice lures topic and i realized that i have never caught a bass through the ice!!! i was wondering how people find bass during winter and what should i look for. any info would be helpfull. might try this weekend maybe.

thanks

zach

[TonkaBass]

One thing that really helps is if you fish them on a lake that has a high population. Normally I have caught them in the same areas as a guy will catch sunnies.

[Geppy]

i have caught a couple on my tip up with a sucker fishing for pike and have caught them with a waxie while fishing for sunnies. and they were pretty big too

[snoozebutton]

I usually get them early in the season and again later one like March and April. Caught 4 of them a week ago fishing for walleyes on a lake near Hayward.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Like stated a lake with a good population helps (chisago area lakes comes to mind). First ice is good but last ice is your best chance I think but you cant target them they are just bonus fish when fishing panfish.

[Deitz Dittrich]

As stated above, lakes with good populations help.. I look for where the gills are, the bass are not usually too far away. My Avitar pict is a fish I caught last year. IT was in about 14 feet of water off a weed edge.. Caught on a Lindy Flying spoon I think if I remember right.

[gritsnham]

I would also look into finding a lake were bass are the only top predator. I fished a 70 acre lake by my house that didnt get deeper than 11ft and used to nail nice bass jigging and with tip ups all day. Other than that only the random couple here or there when sunny and northern fishing.

Good LUck

[jwhjr]

One of my favorite lakes to fish is great for bass in the summer, but in the 10 yrs or so I've been fishing it I've never caught a bass through the ice. We're generally much deeper than in the summer through the ice as far as where we're fishing, so maybe that's why.

[FishOn!]

there are lakes that have strong populations of bass, but you just dont catch them. and others where they stay pretty active under ice. the only thing i can think of is oxygen. maybe springs or weeds or something. the lake that comes to mind for me is green in chisago. for big bass through the ice, ive never seen a lake compare. shallow too. 5 or 6 feet of water.

[pikedreams]

I catch several each year while pike fishing Minnetonka with tipups. Usually on shiners with a single hook in 12 to 14 fow on weedlines. The strange thing is though that unlike pike which remain very active under the ice and love to make runs and peel off line Bass just sit there.

They're a warm water species and get really lathargic in the cold water. Typical scenario is the flag goes up, you run out to check it, you look down the hole and see your line marker 6 inches off the spool and no movement. You figure it was the wind or a hyper shiner so you reset it and walk away only to have it trip again. Don't expect much of a fight either they pretty much roll over. At least that's been my experience here on Minnetonka.

[EBass]

I've only caught a couple through the ice, but tipups and a shiner minnow or jigging spoon tipped with minnow head.

[BuckKiller]

fish in 5-6 FOW on waconia and you will get some

[fishlakeman]

I've found that an extremely downsized presentation seems to work well in the wintertime. I'll be fishing metro lakes with good bass populations, and always tie into a few when fishing for sunnies, and the funny thing is that we'll have a few tip-ups for northers out in similar depths, and have yet to catch one on a sucker or shiner minnow.

I caught the biggest bass of my life last december, and it was a complete fluke. Was fishing sunnies in a West Metro lake with a 1/64 oz teardrop jig with 2 spikes on it, I was in 17 feet of water right off a weed flat. Big blip comes in on the vex and she inhaled it. A 22 1/2 inch pig!!! Was fun trying to bring in with the ultra light and 3 lb test. I got pictures but only on my old phone, so there kind of worthless.

[BuckKiller]

usually bass will go for smaller baits it the winter such as crappie minnow or wax worm... been my experience anyhow

[mngirl]

I have been told you can't really catch bass ice fishing, but I got one last year on Crystal Lake down in Burnsville. Tiny little guy though, we were going for crappies and sunnies.

[wakeguy]

We've done good this year on tipups with a shiner. We caught 10 bass in the period of 4 hours one day. All of the fish were caught in a shallow bay 4-6 feet right in the weeds. I suspect they will shut down as the winter moves on but as of last weekend the bite was still hot.

[AugieAngler1010]

I would agree with several of the past comments - I've caught a lot of bass early ice in the Chisago area fishing bluegills and crappies with small presentations. This year I've been going to those spots and jigging a chubby darter. If you want to target bass specifically - find some weeds where the gills are and jig a chubby darter. You'll catch fish.

[fishuhalik]

Hey tonkabass, how ya doing? Long time no see, it's jeff lynch. we use to work together at gander. I was out fishing w/ charlie a couple of weeks ago and he said this was yer user name.

[TonkaBass]

Hey jeff! Nice to hear from you! email me at [email protected] and we'll catch up!

[icefishing21]

i get them all the time on my tip ups on marion in the south metro

[Jigging55]

Well I go to a small lake about 17 ft. deep at the deepest part i set up along a weed bed and I drop down my camera down the hole and watch the action unfold we would catch fish after fish fun as it gets. All I was using was fake wax worms and something called Crappie Nibbles

[Raider4ever]

I catch SMB through the ice every year in our lake in NW WI. I seem to do better toward the end of ice. I fish a small hump that comes up from 25 fow to 13. I usually catch the bass in about 16 fow usually within a foot of bottom. I'll fish the 25 ft. basin for crappies.

Some days you drop the minnow down and the bobber just keeps on going down. A 2-3 lb smallie on those perch rods and 4lb test is a blast.

A buddy of mine and I each caught an LMB ice-fishing up in Grand Rapids. Again, minnows just off the bottom on a down slope.

Paul

[slurpie]

Found smb while drilling a 40 hole looking for crops and ound Lmb where i catch sunnies like previously stated. For lures caught them both on small jigs and waxies. First smallie really had me thinking this is one huge crappie.

[paceman]

I have caught quite a few over the years ice fishing. A few approaching 7 lbs. I know a good summer bass lake and I will make a trip or two there in the winter to catch a few. I do target the shallow humps for them. A shiner has been the ticket. Great fighters and IMO they taste delicious in the winter.

[ikeslayer]

7lbers probably taste alot like 40 inch muskies