Fishing Fundamentals

Another ice fishing method is the use of shorter and lighter rod/reel combinations with a good quality 2-4# test line.  Light, small diameter rods are used for the smaller light biting fish like perch, crappie, sunfish and bluegill.  I prefer the real small diameter tippet end for distinguishing bites as opposed to the spring and floating bobber.  With continual use, the spring bobber will eventually get damaged.  Light foam or cork bobbers are also another alternative.

After ice out, it's time to focus on crappie fishing again.  After the ice has left the lake, drifting with jig/minnow combination works well.  As the water warms, they start to school up and can be found in schools throughout the spring and early summer.  The hardest part of fishing for crappie is locating them.  Once found, they will easily succumb to jig/minnow combo, attractor lures like a beetle spin and hook and bobber dressed with a minnow.  The crappie makes for some awfully good table fare because of their size and firm white meat.

When the water starts warming up, the bluegill and sunfish start moving into the shallows to spawn.  If you have considered flyfishing, this is the time to learn.  Flyfishing for spawning bluegill and sunfish doesn't require a lot of finesse.  Beginning flyfishing combos can be bought for a very reasonable price.  When these fish are on their beds, fishing can be fast and furious.

Along with the movement of the panfish into the shallows, the largemouth bass will be following.  Its at this time that the largemouth bass will fall for the topwater lures that resemble a surfacing minnow or terrestrial.  When the water starts warming and the bass are feeding, this is the most exciting freshwater fishing available.  I prefer to fish topwater either early in the morning or early through late evening when the water is laying flat.  Twitching the bait across the surface and the bass porpoising up and out of the water as he takes hold of the lure.  That is pure excitement!