By Daryl Bauer, Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
OK, I know in some parts of our great state some of you have called an end to your ice season already. Also know that others ain’t done yet. Myself, I am betting I have not pulled my last fish through an ice hole yet this season. Stay tuned.
So, yes, I am going to blog about ice fishing again today. If you are done, you will have to remember this tip for next year. Actually, this is a good tip, one that I am accepting more and more. It has been so good that I should not give it away. Maybe it is nice that you will forget it before you are on the ice again. . . .
Generally, ice fishing presentations are more subtle than most open-water presentations. There is good reason for that. It is true that metabolism rates of fish are lower in the winter and they eat less often. When they do eat, they eat less.
However, predators are still predators. Optimal foraging theory still applies under the ice and that means there is more than a little truth to big baits for big fish. It is all relative.
Something else that has become more and more evident to me is that panfish are bigger predators than you might think. That is especially true for big panfish, specifically yellow perch and crappies, but even big bluegills. They ain’t always eating zooplankton or scuds (mistakenly called “freshwater shrimp”) especially in our fertile waters. I have examined stomachs of Nebraska yellow perch caught through the ice that were full of young-of-the-year sunfish and frogs! Have seen many iced panfish that had stomachs packed with large dragonfly and caddisfly larvae.
I will admit, especially on the ice, when the bite gets tough, the first thing I think of is tackling down. But most of the time, this will catch you more big fish: