As soon as the ice is safe, I’m out chasing bluegills and crappies. It could be in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Minnesota. Just give me some solid ice, a shallow weedy bay, channel or backwater, and I’m on my way!

I’ve been chasing panfish for more than forty years and it never gets old—even though I have. I’ve learned a few things along the way. First and foremost is to catch fish. There is absolutely no reason to invest in all the gear, expend all the effort it takes to go ice fishing… and be satisfied with getting skunked. 

Second is to always take a few photos of your catch. Whether it’s just a selfie or two or a picture of a fish next to your boot, take a few photo,s for gosh sakes! You’ll be happier when you can relive some of those fishing memories later in life, or just show off to your friends or prove to your wife that you actually caught something for once.

Finally, keep a few fish, clean them and fry them up. You don’t need to keep every fish you catch, every time, but occasionally, keep some fish. The best-tasting fish come from cold water, and water doesn’t get any colder than it is right now!

Sometimes, catching fish is easier said than done. Sometimes it’s just plain difficult. You must have a plan and then be ready to try to figure out where those fish are and get them to bite. If fishing just absolutely stinks, you can always pack up and head to another nearby lake. This has saved the day for me many, many times.

I’ve driven to lakes that I thought were frozen, and then had to move to another lake or a channel or backwater that was actually frozen. I’ve driven for an hour in the dark, arrived at the lake, and then seen folks preparing for the annual snowmobile drag races. I’ve found a good spot, caught some fish, and then had a guide and a dozen clients move right on top where I was fishing… and then told me to get lost. You never know what can happen.

The first ice rule of thumb means traveling light, unless the ice is thick enough to pull a small tent and a little more gear. Must-have items are a 6-inch auger mounted to a battery-powered drill, an ice scoop, a small box of panfish jigs and spoons, some waxworms and spikes, a spud bar, ice spikes on your boots and a few long and short ice rods.

I like longer ice rods for early, shallow-water action. A 40-inch-long rod allows me to stand and fish and quickly move around to different holes. A little plastic reel or a lightweight straightline reel loaded with 3-pound test is all that is needed for panfishing; keep it simple.

Top early ice jigs include Custom Jigs & Spins’ size 12 and 10 Ratfinkees, Size 12 and 10 Demons, as well as small tungsten offerings like 3mm and 4mm Chekai jigs, size 14 Majmun jigs and size 14 JaJe jigs. You can add a Wedgee plastic tail to any of these baits or spikes or waxworms.

A slow fall followed by a stop-and-go, jiggly motion while slowly raising your rod is a great way to get fish to bite. Bluegills tend to stay closer to bottom while crappies can be higher up in the water column—even all the way to just under the top of the ice. The biggest bluegills hang around a foot to 18 inches off bottom, though. In clear water, the fish can see your jig from a long way away, so fishing higher up off bottom will bring them over to take a look.

I like to have at least three rods at arm’s reach rigged up and ready to go. If one style or color isn’t producing, I make a quick change to something different. Whether I’m using a flasher, Livescope or just staring down the hole (in clear water), you always have to be predicting what those fish will do.

I’m predicting another good ice year, so get out there and catch some fish, take some photos, and have a few fish frys!