How do you target Northern, Musky and bass while ICE fishing?

Question

I've never fished for big fish through the ice before. I was looking for some tips and techniques for targeting Northern Pike, Musky, Walleyes, and possibly Largemouths while ice fishing. Thanks

Answer 1

Northerns- Even under the ice Northerns love weed-edges and weedy "flats" areas that are near to deeper water.

Targeting Northerns/Musky isn't too hard! Find a weedy bay, "bottleneck", or "flat" and bait-up with either a "dead sucker/shiner" or live shiner. A good way to fish for N/M is to use tip-ups. Live minnows & larger Rapala-minnow Jigs work well at times.

Hint- Take a cue from spear-house guys and use a decoy to "attract" Northerns/Muskys to your bait. IE-Drill a hole 10-12FT from your fishing hole and dump a decoy about 4-6 FT under the ice. Northerns are curious fish and WILL come to investigate.


Walleyes- A little tougher to target but easier than Bass.

From personal experience, I have found that Walleye (even under the ice) like the early morning-late evening to feed,(evening being "best"). Use minnows/small shiners.

Walleye love sunken islands, rock piles with nearby vegatation, & shelfs/drop-offs.

A good idea is to go where you caught them in the fall and "start" your hunt there. Walleye love to feed on perch, so if you decide to use a Rapala-jig use "perch color" and tip it with a piece of minnow or leech.

Bass- It's really tough to "target" Bass. I have caught a handful of Bass while chasing Bluegills under the ice. So, obviously, shallow-water, weedy, areas are a good place to start. Minnows/shiners would work.

Hope this helps ya? Good luck!

Answer 2

First, make sure the season is open before you keep the fish. I know bass and musky close for the winter here in Wi. The rig I use for Northern Pike is as follows: A tip up with braided 20 or 25 lb "ice" line for the main line. To this I tie a large swivel snap. I then put a loop into an 8 to 10 ft. piece of 20lb monofilament line for a leader. The loop is hooked onto the main line, then I slide a 1/2 to 3/4 oz egg sinker onto this leader. At the terminal end I tie on a 20lb, 10 in. wire leader, then attach a #8 treble hook to the wire leader. I then hook a large golden shiner just under the dorsal fin with one of the three barbs on the hook. Drop this set-up into the water until the sinker hits bottom, then feed out 2 to 4 ft more line. This keeps the minnow within a few ft of the bottom but allows it to swim fairly free. I've pulled Northern's up to 35 inches/15 lbs through the ice with this set-up.

Answer 3

For northerns and muskies stick close to shore in shallow water. For walleyes fish in deep water. There are no largemouths in any water where I fish so I can't help you with them. Live bait works best. Ask at the bait shop. The best traps I know of can be found at jacktraps.com. They will have everything else you need for gear, too. A jigging pole is nice to have. Have fun and stay warm.

Answer 4

Jessica, I am going to stick with my original answer. The lures I mentioned will work for most types of fish. the only thing I will add is that if he does not have a jigging rod, lures are not much use. Some ice fishermen do all their fishing with traps or tip-ups. You can get a nice jigging rod with a reel for about $25 and a few jigging lures will not cost you a lot of money. The tackle box does not have to be filled to the brim. Two or three jigging Rapalas and a couple Swedish Pimples will make him very happy. No need to go overboard.

Answer 5

Fish in shallow water(6 to18 feet). And fish about a 1 to 2 feet of the bottom. With live bait.

Answer 6

erm...with great difficulty i should think! large heater? i'm not sure you will have much success going for large species like that but try jigging, i think this should be a good way to move forward. small jigs and lures lowered through the ice on a wire trace to make sure you dont get bitten off. try braid mainline for improved feel as mono will stretch a lot and you miss a lot of bites