There’s just something about the first few ice fishing trips of the year. Because the fish have had a reprieve of fishing pressure as the first safe ice forms, most anglers are highly anticipating a successful outing. Furthermore, some anglers are brimming with excitement at trying out new gear. Whether you are a trendsetter or simply dusting off the cobwebs from last season, early ice usually does not disappoint.

One of the greatest things about early-ice panfish is that it is usually just an easy walk from shore to find nearby productive areas. Having a quad or a snowmobile helps get to more remote areas, but it really isn’t necessary. In the Midwest, we are blessed with plenty of lakes, pits, reservoirs and bays off rivers. Some parts of the Midwest are covered in lakes within a small geographic area. Within those areas are plenty of lakes with public water accesses that serve as the main gateways onto the lakes year-round.

Scout out these areas and you will see many anglers taking advantage of their easy access to fishing opportunities on the ice. Some lakes will be better suited for nearby crappies, and some will be better for perch and bluegills. If there is a deeper basin close to the access, then it’s probably more suited for suspended crappies. In a lot of lakes, crappies will suspend and roam over deep-water holes.

If there are good weeds along a flat with a break line into the main part of the lake, then it’s likely a great place for bluegills and perch. Another great location for bluegills is a smaller bay off the main lake with decent depth and cover. Bays off river systems are also spots where bluegills and perch congregate, especially if there is minimal or no current. All lakes are different in their own sort of way, but fish have their preferences.

Without a doubt, the fish will be grouped up during first ice. This is what makes it so fun early on. To find them, it is important to move around.

Because you are on the move, it helps to pack light. Use a small sled to pull your gear along the ice. During early ice, there are many options for making a hole through the ice: a chisel or spud, a hand auger, a cordless drill with auger bit, or utilizing one of the many battery-operated ones that exist today, such as the StrikeMaster 24-volt, all get the job done without unnecessary weight. Pack light by bringing maybe a couple rods, your favorite electronics, and stuffing a few extra jigs and some bait into a pocket. The less you have, the easier it is to move around to locate the fish.

Small ice jigs tipped with Euro larvae or wax worms always seem to be the best option. Soft-plastic morsels can also produce results when the fish are aggressively feeding. To maximize bites when targeting bluegills, use the smallest jig possible. The trick is to make sure that you can get the bait down into the strike zone in a reasonable amount of time before the fish lose interest and swim off. Traditional lead jigs have been the mainstay for decades, but tungsten jigs have been getting all the attention lately. Tungsten is 1.7 times heavier than lead, which allows you to use a smaller profile jig of the same weight. For panfish, this makes a lot of sense, due to their smaller mouths and appetites. Jigs such as the VMC Tungsten Tubby or Tungsten Larv Eye jig in 1/32-ounce are perfectly designed for bluegills.

These jigs are considered “horizontal presentations” due to the lure’s profile as it sits in the water column. Often, these can spin below the hole, as the line can develop twist as it is reeled up and off the reel spool. Twist in the line is not good. For one, it makes the presentation look “not real.” And second, once a fish decides to strike, it may hit the wrong end—if it hits it at all. Inline reels work the best at minimizing line twist, but even so, there always seems to be a little bit.

One of the easiest things to stop or reduce spin is to use tiny twitches with the rod to provide a little up-and-down motion to help combat the spin. This helps make the presentation look more normal and does not negatively impact the fish.

The other thing is to use the lightest line possible. Two- to 3-pound fluorocarbon is about as good as it gets. This transfers bites well, is barely visible and provides enough strength to get big bull bluegills to the top.

First ice is one of the best times to be ice fishing. The first few weeks are usually full of hooksets and fresh fish dinners. Be sure to take advantage of it this season—but be safe about it.

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