Heavy jigs for heavy panfish!
By Mike Frisch
This winter I have added tungsten jigs to my ice fishing arsenal. These tiny baits, while small in size, are heavier than lead jigs of the same size. This is advantageous in several ways. The biggest advantage is that these “heavy” jigs are dynamite fish catchers. In fact, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my best winter of fishing for crappies and bluegills coincides with the first winter I’ve used these jigs!
As said, there are several advantages to tungsten. Panfish like crappies and bluegills typically prefer small baits. This is especially true during mid-winter when these fish can get especially finicky. Mini-sized baits have been used at this time for lots of years, though some problems occurred, problems that using tungsten jigs can now help solve.
First, traditional mini baits are so light that they are very hard to “feel” at the line’s end. This causes problems in knowing when a fish hits and when to set the hook. With a tungsten jig, however, I can still use a tiny-sized jig that the fish will hit, but the jig’s extra weight really aids in bite detection.
Another problem with light baits is that they “hang up” in any slush in the fishing hole and they don’t easily penetrate weed cover that crappies and bluegills often call home. The added weight of tungsten gets the jig through hole slush faster and helps the bait penetrate weeds.
Also, big panfish often appear on sonar in small packs of three or four fish. They hang around for a bit and can often be caught in numbers, provided an angler can get a tiny finesse presentation quickly back down to the fish after catching one. This is one of tungsten’s biggest advantages in this angler’s opinion. One reason I’m catching more and bigger fish this year is because when they come in, I can catch one, unhook it, and quickly get back down to catch another before the pack moves on.
While tungsten jigs do offer several advantages there are some things to consider when using them. First consideration is jig selection. My choice is the new Mooska Tungsten Jig. These tiny heavy weights sink like a rock to get through slush, penetrate vegetation, and quickly plummet into deep water. Plus they come with premium hooks, are coated with a hi-visibility finish, and feature glow-in-the-dark eye balls.
I often start with the mid-sized 1/28-ounce Mooska Jig in fushia pink color pattern. If the fish are especially finicky, I have been dropping down to the miniscule 1/57-ounce size. Fushia pink has been a good color, though I have also had good catches on black onyx, emerald green, and gold nugget colors too.
These jigs can be tipped with a variety of offerings. When the fish are aggressive, I have had success tipping with miniature sized soft plastic baits. The new Impulse Mayfly and Waxy soft baits have both iced aggressive crappies and big bluegills. I really like these baits because, well, the fish like them and, because they are durable so I can spend more time catching fish and less time re-baiting when the bite is on.
When the bite has turned especially finicky, tipping with wax worms and euro-larvae has also been an effective way to fish tungsten jigs to ice magnum panzies.
Regardless what they’re tipped with, tungsten jigs fish best on a durable, yet light line. My choice has quickly become new Bionic Ice Fluorosilk in two-pound test size. This line has the invisibility and higher density of a fluorocarbon line along with the manageability of monofilament. These qualities make it virtually invisible to clear water panfish, facilitate quicker drop rates, and allow it to stay manageable even in cold, harsh conditions.
Cold, harsh winter conditions can be made more tolerable when ice fishing is good. One way to make winter pan fishing better is by using tungsten jigs. These mini heavy weights offer several advantages that help put more winter bluegills and crappies on the ice. As always, good luck on the ice!
By Mike Frisch
Recently I traveled to Red Lake for a couple days of ice fishing with good friend Duane Peterson. Duane is a “fish-head” from Bemidji who spends lots of time on the water and ice. Our two days together reinforced our common belief that lures fished in a jigging or moving fashion often out-produce baits suspended beneath bobbers. While our thoughts regarding moving baits were reinforced, we also learned an important twist regarding how to enhance that movement.
We enjoyed two outstanding days catching walleyes. Targeting the 10-12 foot depth s, we were able to catch several dozen fish. We each started fishing two lines, one a “set line” with a minnow suspended beneath a bobber and the other a jigging lure. The jigging baits out-fished the set lines by at least two to one. The jigs were so much better, in fact, that the second day we abandoned the set lines.
Macho Minnow jigging spoons proved to be our best fish producers. What was most prevalent, however, was the fact that baits fished on no-stretch superline as opposed to monofilament line produced the most fish.
Duane had his jigging rods spooled with Bionic Ice Braid superline with a short Bionic Ice Fluorosilk leader tied in between the braid and the spoon. Fluorosilk adds a bit of shock resistance on the hook set and also is nearly invisible to the fish. My rigs consisted of monofilament line entirely.
Over the two days, Duane caught more fish. My fishing buddies would say that is because he is a better angler. That may be true, what we surmised, however, after much trial and error using different spoons and lures is that those fished on the braid out-produced lures fished on monofilament. In fact, when I switched to braid I had more bites and caught more fish than when fishing monofilament.
Why the braid produced more fish is open for debate. The walleyes we caught definitely showed a preference for aggressive jigging motions. Duane and I believed that the lures on braids produced fish better because the low stretch properties of the line made the baits fish with more erratic and violent movements; keying in on the aggressive behavior shown by these walleyes.
Late in the second day, when the action slowed a bit, Duane tied on a Live-Forage Rippin’ Shad. This is a lipless rattle bait like those often used for open water cast and retrieve fishing. Recently, however, these aggressive baits have been gaining much notoriety as ice jigging lures as well. Duane’s switch quickly put four additional walleyes on the ice, once again proving these walleyes preference for action. I also switched to a Rippin’ Shad, but only caught a couple small fish on it. Interestingly, my shad was tied on monofilament again. Had we had more time, I would have converted to superline for that set up as well.
This trip reinforced the fact that aggressive, moving lures often out-produce more stationary baits under the ice. The real lesson, however, is in how fishing line can affect lure action and ultimately fishing success. Bionic Ice Braid will, in fact, have a more prominent place in my winter fishing arsenal, especially when fish show a real preference for aggression. As always, good luck on the ice!
A Sonar+ A Jigging Spoon= Fish!
Often in my writings about open-water fishing, I refer to the “fish-catching equation” of finding fish and then finding the best presentation to catch as many as possible. A recent winter outing where jumbo perch were the target brought to mind a simple winter fishing equation: a sonar plus a jigging spoon equals fish!
This trip included two hours of drilling holes, fishing in each for a few minutes, and then moving looking for fish. Eventually my partners and I located a school of perch with walleyes mixed in. These fish would appear on sonar, a few could be caught in short order and then no action until the next small “pack” appeared. Interestingly, we were able to use an aggressive jigging approach to “call in” packs of fish minimizing our time between bites. Here’s what we did.
We started using a variety of jigging lures trying to locate fish. Eventually we settled on the Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon. This spoon has a brass rattle shell that works best when fished in short, erratic movements designed to activate the rattles creating noise and commotion attracting fish. More subtle baits slither and flutter through the water, this spoon’s noisy action literally screams, “Here I am!” This particular day, aggression was what the fish wanted.
We baited our spoons with minnow heads or wax worms, dropped them near bottom, and aggressively worked them in short, erratic movements. When fish appeared on the sonar, we simply held the spoon above the fish and waited. Invariably, one would swim up and inhale it and the fight was on. The next order of business was landing the fish and quickly returning the bait near bottom. Often we would land two or three fish in short order. Another advantage of the Buck-Shot is that it “fishes heavy” which allowed us to get quickly back to the fish.
When the action slowed, we would go back to aggressive jigging, with one twist. We discovered that we could minimize our time between flurries by letting the spoon crash into the bottom occasionally. This crashing created disturbance on bottom to call in fish from a distance. When they appeared, we simply raised our jigs again, slowed the jigging action, and held on!
On this day we used 1/8-ounce Buck-Shot Rattle Spoons in golden perch pattern. As daylight gave way to evening, we switched to the super-glo perch pattern. Often using a glow lure late in the day will put a few extra fish on the ice and this day was no exception.
Another important part of our successes was the use of sonar. Knowing when fish were in the area to slow our jigging strokes and elevate the bait was critical. And, when no fish were around, we knew it was time to go back to aggressive jigging, with occasional bottom crashes mixed in. Not only does sonar increase success, but it adds to the fishing fun as well. The Humminbird Ice 55 unit I use does a great job of showing bottom, my bait, and fish allowing me to call in and trigger fish. Plus, it comes in a soft-sided carrying case which protects the unit when hauled around in my truck or in my portable fishing shelter.
Moving from spot to spot, using aggressive jigging, and closely monitoring our sonar units put several dozen perch and a dozen walleyes on the ice this particular day. Though the mood of the fish will vary, staying on the move, experimenting with lures and ways to fish them, and using sonar will lead to winter success on your trips as well. In fact, a jigging spoon plus a sonar unit equals fish is one equation anglers all across the North Country can use to increase their successes this winter. Good luck on the ice!
Something That Pulls Back!
By Mike Frisch
Okay, so like lots of kids I started out catching panfish like crappies and bluegills and also chased bullheads from the local river near the small North Dakota town where I grew up. As I got older, I graduated to the more sophisticated walleye as my species of choice and, later became intrigued by largemouth and smallmouth bass.
As a fishing guide and now in my new role as youth program coordinator for Let's Go Fishing of Minnesota, I've come to realize more and more that it really doesn't matter what species of fish it is on the end of the line for most anglers. In fact, most just want “something that pulls back”.
For that reason, I have developed more of an open mind when it comes to fishing. Rather than always targeting my “favorite” fish species, I find myself looking at time of year and what particular species is at peak bite for that particular time frame.
For example, early spring is peak panfish time and often my fishing involves simple slip-bobber fishing trips to shallow water areas where panfish congregate to feed. Not only is this easy fishing, but it also offers the first open-water fishing of the year as it often peaks before the actual game fish season opens.
Once game fish like walleyes and northern pike become legal, walleyes are often a focus as they are usually easily accessible in the shallows to mid-depths at this time and often are on a post-spawn feeding frenzy. Fishing a small Fire-Ball Jig tipped with a shiner or fathead minnow is a simple, but lethal way to feel a walleye pull back during this time.
Panfish and walleyes offer good fishing during spring and early summer. Once the water warms and weed growth begins in earnest, these fish are often a bit tougher to find and catch. At this time, however, largemouth bass are often schooled along weedy cover and are fairly easy to catch.
A simple jig-worm combination featuring a small jig and soft worm trailer catches bass during this time. I often write about the jig-worm for two reasons. First, its an easy combination to fish and, second, it catches lots of fish! Not just bass, but big panfish, northern pike, and the occasional walleye will often readily bite a worm fished on a jighead.
Recently, my jig-worming success has been even better. I have been sampling the new Impulse Reactionary Baits ribbon worms on my jigs and have been very, very impressed with how the fish hit these new baits and how long they hold onto them. I've landed lots of bass, a couple big northern pike, and some walleyes as well.
Once summer wanes and fall patterns begin taking hold, walleyes often take the spotlight again. At this time, deep water patterns on big lakes are often peaking. I rely on my Humminbird sonar units a great deal at this time to cruise over likely fish holding spots looking for the tell-tale “marks” indicating a school of walleyes.
I then drop a big redtail chub or sucker minnow on a Roach Rig over that school and rely on the action of that big minnow squirming and wiggling to trigger bites. This is one of my most enjoyable fishing experiences as often I feel my minnow getting excited through my line and rodjust before the actual bite occurs!
The excitement of a fish biting and then pulling back is a big reason many people fish. While some are died-in-the-wool “walleye guys” and others are “bassheads'”, there are those who just want to feel something “pull back”, regardless the species. Keying in on some of the patterns presented here can hopefully help anglers reach that goal. As always, good luck on the water!
A jig, a worm, and a bunch of fish!
By Mike Frisch
There are lots of summer fishing opportunities available to anglers. Walleyes on deep structure, panfish on the weedline, smallmouth bass on rocks, and the list goes on. If you just want to catch a bunch of fish, one good way to do it is by targeting the deep weedline using a simple jig and soft plastic worm combination. While thought of as a largemouth bass technique, this fishing approach will put walleyes, crappies and bluegills, and northern pike in the boat, as well as lots of largies. Here's a look at this simple technique, often called “jig-wormin'.”
First consideration when jig-wormin' is lake choice. From this angler's experiences, moderately clear to clear lakes with prominent deep weedlines in depths of 12-20 feet are ideal. Cruising shoreline flats keeping an eye on a fish locator for weed growth and heading out into the lake until the flat drops off and the weed growth ends is a good way to find the deep weedline. Then working down the weedline trying to find any points or turns along it, since these are often spots that concentrate fish, is solid advice. Some anglers do this under power of the main engine watching their sonar, while others simply get on the weed line and start fishing, looking for fish and these irregularities.
Regardless the method chosen, small jigs in the 3/32-ounce to 1/8-ounce shine for jig-wormin'. Simple ball head jgs will work. However, jigs designed specifically for this style fishing work even better. My choice is the Lip-Stick Jig-Worm because it has a weedless design, premium hook, and barb-wire grub holder that does a great job of securing my soft plastic baits to the jig. The jig is also available in several colors. I prefer watermelon or crawfish in most situations.
Jig-worms will produce fish using various soft plastic baits. I often start guide clients jig-wormin' using small, finesse-style worms in the 4-inch size range because these baits will put bass in the boat, but panfish, northern pike, and the occasional walleye will eat them too. Slurpies Shakey Worms and Ringworms are dynamite fish producers in this situation. Plus, they come in a variety of colors. Green pumpkin, watermelon red, and pumpkin chartreuse are some of my favorite jig-wormin' colors. When jig-worm fishing when largemouth are the main quarry, I like a Slurpies Dip-Stick Worm. These “do nothing” stick baits have put several tournament-sized bass in my boat the past several years when fished as a jig-worm.
Regardless the baits and colors chosen, jig-worm combinations work good on medium to medium-heavy spinning rod and reel combinations. These set-ups allow good sensitivity when fishing light jigs and worms, but still have the power to horse a hard charging fish away from the weeds and into the boat.
Loading this rod and reel combination with 8-lb. Bionic Bass Line in green camo color completes my jig-wormin' arsenal. This line is tough for fishing in and around weeds, plus the green camo color does a great job of blending into the weedy environments being fished.
Once equipped, fishing the jig-worm set-up is fairly easy. I like to hold the boat just outside the weedline and cast ahead of the boat and to the weedline. Most bites occur as the bait first settles in. However, one mistake I see those new to the technique make is that they start working the bait before it reaches bottom. I let the bait settle in, hop and twitch it a couple times, and then reel in and start over.
A final tip for anglers choosing to jig-worm this summer involves staying on the move searching for active fish. It is not uncommon to fish down a long section of weedline without catching fish, and then bump into a bunch of biters.
If bumping into a bunch of biting fish is your goal, you should consider tying on a jig-worm and heading to the weedline of your favorite lake. You'll probably get bit by a bunch of fish and have a bunch of fun too! Good luck on the water.
Fishing in Coontail Weeds
by Hannah Frisch
My dad and I have been fishing on a small lake in western Minnesota. We have been bass fishing with Northland Slurpies Shakey Worms. I like pumpkinseed and green pumpkin colors the best. At this lake every cast you either get a northern pike, weeds, or a bass but always something. I am the happiest with bass, of course. I do not like northerns at all so when I get those its dad's job to un-hook them. Otherwise I can unhook bass, weeds, panfish, ext. A few days ago I went there and I got a huge 4 pound bass and one less then 1 pound! So you never know what you have.
What I love about fishing in weeds and using shakey worms is its fun and easy to fish with and the bass love it, unfortunaly so do weeds and northerns. We go to this lake on hot, sunnny, nice days just for fun. Sometimes I pre-fish with my dad when he has tournies and its fun but by far I like fishing at this lake for fun way better! My dad is the funnest to fish with because he always makes it fun because most of the time we do great on that lake but every once in awhile we only get northerns but he always makes it fun. I have a lot of fun memeries of this lake and I still have a little bit more time to make more before school starts. So far my summer is doing pretty good and I hope yours has been too!
