Piggybacking Ice Spoons for Bull Bluegills

By Jason Durham
Bluegill fishing is about balance. Each trip is a constant trial and error to figure out if the fish want a tiny speck of an ice jig – the flash, vibration and, meaty profile of a jigging spoon, or any presentation that falls in between. Each presentation has its strengths and weaknesses so [...]

Small Ice Fishing Jigs

By Nick Simonson
It’s the evening of the first day when the temperature has stayed well below freezing and I’m sitting in the not-quite-bright-enough light of the living room, squinting as hard as I can in an effort to thread a wisp of one-pound test through the eye of a 1/64 ounce Genz worm in preparation [...]

Pall Mall Payback

Our Outdoors
Nick Simonson
On a recent fishing trip to a small, virtually featureless lake, save for one giant point that separated the body of water into two halves, I began to wonder where to get started. It was a sunny day with unseasonably warm temperatures and a slight wind. My friend Adam and I began our [...]

Scud: An Ugly Word for Freshwater Shrimp

By Brian Brosdahl
 

 

 
A system is only as good as the weakest link. That’s a profound statement and applies to everything from a football team to stereo systems. Think about it. Well, in fishing, it also pertains to the freshwater shrimp – or scud as they’re referred to on the ice.
They’ll never make it into a [...]

Fishing with Spring Bobbers

Our Outdoors
Nick Simonson

 

 
I  cannot recall how many times I have watched fish rise up on the Vexilar as I work my lure in the water column only to have the fish pause at my offering then head back to the bottom. Be it a small jig with a wax worm or a spoon with a [...]

Ice Fishing at Night

By Mark Strand
During ice fishing season, the sun often sets before you can wrap up the workday. Because of this, an awful lot of people don’t even think about going fishing except during daylight hours on the weekends.
If you can miss the boat when lakes are frozen over, you are missing the boat if you’re [...]

Bluegill Ice Fishing Tips

By Mark Strand
Depending on where you live, ‘early ice’ can be a brief period right after the ice forms or an ongoing phenomenon as fishable ice comes and melts, comes and melts.
In general, bluegills are good biters during this time, but you must locate them to be successful. No matter what you might read or [...]

Winter Crappie Tips and Tactics – Q & A Session

Crappies are one of the most frequently-chased winter fish. So it’s no surprise that the subject of crappies comes up constantly when the Power Sticks gather at sports shows. We put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) when it comes to crappie fishing, followed by solid answers, built from an informal poll of [...]

Crazy for Crappies – Crappie Ice Fishing Tips

By Chris Hustad
I  really don’t care where you live in the upper Midwest, you’re in driving distance of a quality crappie fishery. I’ve caught crappies in small ponds, large lakes, rivers and variations of the three. But finding and catching crappies on these systems can vary, especially during the time of day. Here’s a few [...]

Ice Fishing for Panfish – The Right Ice Rods

By Jason Mitchell
More ice anglers are discovering that the tip of the rod we are using has as much influence on our presentation as the actual motion we put on the rod while fishing. A rod with a fast tip for example will give the lure a distinct flash and pound that is more abrupt, [...]

Bluegill Ice Fishing Tips

By Mark Strand
Depending on where you live, ‘early ice’ can be a brief period right after the ice forms or an ongoing phenomenon as fishable ice comes and melts, comes and melts.
In general, bluegills are good biters during this time, but you must locate them to be successful. No matter what you might read or [...]