does any one have any tips on ice fishing for bass?
June 19, 2009
Ive been out ice fishing a couple of times on this pond that has bass, perch and trout. I catch some trout every now and then, and the perch are almost a nuisance. Im really trying to catch the bass, but its very slow. anyone have any tips?
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What bait/lure are you using? Minnows or Shad should catch some Bass in a short amount of time. Bass will readily take Beetle Spins, Curly Tailed Grubs and Plastic Worms through the ice. For bait, i would stick with minnows or shad. You could use night crawlers also, but if they're bluegills in the pond they'll get 'em before the bass.
Hope i helped ya out.
I haven't really tried to fish for bass during ice season but I have seen them caught on a northern rig such as tip up with a larger minnow, kind of depends on the size of the bass that are present, if they are large like upwards of 4 lbs. you can use suckers, but if you haven't seen any that large use large fathead minnows, also make sure that the rigging is brightly colored.
Bass are slow moving in the Summer and even slower in the Winter. Try using shiners and jigs you may get lucky.
Here's a secret tip for Bass, (that also works for a number of species of fish):
Years ago, when I wanted to target Bass under the ice, I began to experiment with a variety of ways to attract them.
Here's what worked (with consistency) for me:
Soak a rag with Berkley Attractant and send it down (on a weight) near a hole where your fishing. (Use the Bass attractant for Bass, Crappie attractant for Crappie, ETC)
This works great if you have a favorite ice fishing spot. You can sink a rag near your fav spot and leave it. Believe it or not, it will continue to draw fish through-out the ice-fishing season. Use a bio-degradable rag.
Try it! It works!
Good luck!
In NH we use 2-4 inch shiners/ minnows on tip ups or on a jig rod. If the area is shallow fish 18inches off bottom. Try rigging a snelled bait hook in place of a treble hook on a swedish pimple, feed the shiner on and bounce lightly off bottom. Or try Silver Buddies fished slow they are the go to for cold water in NH. good sets and tight lines!!!