Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Flat Land Ice Fishing - Panfish Delights

By Stacy Robinson


Panfish are not a specific type of fish, but just a non-predatory fish that is about the right size to fit into a pan and fry. They include bluegill, small perch, sunfish, and crappie among others. In the Midwest and northern plains, anglers enjoy fishing for tasty Panfish. Using these tips will allow you to have a great time ice fishing for your favorite Panfish.

In the Midwest and northern plains, anglers enjoy fishing for tasty Panfish. Panfish are not a specific type of fish, but just a non-predatory fish that is about the right size to fit into a pan and fry. They include bluegill, small perch, sunfish, and crappie among others.

The next step is drilling a hole in the ice. There are many techniques for this of which most are regulated by local fishing rules. Most states have laws about how large of a hole you can put into the ice. Check the ice fishing regulations before you begin to avoid an extremely expensive fishing trip. A manual ice auger is what most ice angler's use. It drills anywhere from a six inch hole to a 10 inch hole. With a good sharp auger you can cut through a foot of ice in no time. For the beginner, it is best to have a rope tied to your auger on one end and something large and heavy to the other end. That way when you finally break thorough the ice, the auger will not fall to the bottom of the lake.

After creating the hole, you will need a large dipper with holes in it to strain out the pieces of ice that are in the hole. Another tip is once you have cleared out the floating ice, look down at the bottom of the ice hole to make sure it will be open enough to get a fish through it. Begin fishing on the bottom of the lake. Leave the bait just sitting there. If this doesn't work, try jigging the bait up and down a distance of about 6 inches. Movement attracts attention and may be just what the fish need.

The next step is drilling a hole in the ice. There are many techniques for this of which most are regulated by local fishing rules. Most states have laws about how large of a hole you can put into the ice. Check the ice fishing regulations before you begin to avoid an extremely expensive fishing trip. A manual ice auger is what most ice angler's use. It drills anywhere from a six inch hole to a 10 inch hole. With a good sharp auger you can cut through a foot of ice in no time. For the beginner, it is best to have a rope tied to your auger on one end and something large and heavy to the other end. That way when you finally break thorough the ice, the auger will not fall to the bottom of the lake.

After creating the hole, you will need a large dipper with holes in it to strain out the pieces of ice that are in the hole. Another tip is once you have cleared out the floating ice, look down at the bottom of the ice hole to make sure it will be open enough to get a fish through it. Begin fishing on the bottom of the lake. Leave the bait just sitting there. If this doesn't work, try jigging the bait up and down a distance of about 6 inches. Movement attracts attention and may be just what the fish need.




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