Reactivating Panfish
By John Peterson with Noel Vick
The season opened with a
bang. Walleyes were spanking, so too were the pike, perch, and
‘gills. And the annual crappie massacre at first ice went off as
scheduled. (“Massacre,” of course, is used metaphorically to
illustrate hot and heavy action. Only a few eaters were held over,
the rest released. Just so you know.)
Yeah,
those were the good old days. Back when sunfish would swallow a
spoon and perch preferred minnows to maggots. But that’s all
changed. The “funk” is underway. The midwinter blues, so to speak.
“First ice is merely a
continuation of fall,” says Northland Tackle ice fishing expert
Brian “Bro” Brosdahl. “The fish are still binge feeding, packing
it away for the long haul. They know what’s coming.
Prior to the present
funkiness, foragers put an emphasis on baitfish, not creepy
crawlies – they’re for later. And weeds were more important too,
just like in late fall. Find the greenery and you’ll find some
fish.”
But as Bro well knows, the
rapture of first life isn’t eternal. A tide of sluggishness
overtakes the lakes. “By late December, maybe early January, the
tank starts running out. The weeds die off. Oxygen goes to hell.
By mid January, at the latest, the funk is in full force,” says a
disheartened Bro. He definitely misses the ecstasy.
He continues, “In my mind,
January is the toughest month of the year, period. It’s cold,
hard, and dead. But I fish anyway. I’m just more selective of my
targets. I chase big walleyes, perch, and sometimes head down to
the southern edge of the Ice Fishing Belt.”
The doldrums don’t last
forever, though. Long about the time Bro’s ready to trade his
auger for a Sony PlayStation, the awakening begins. “The clock
starts ticking again in February,” says Bro with more vigor in his
voice. “That’s when panfish turn their attention to the mud.”
The mud he speaks of is
the deeper and softer bottom zone where invertebrates dwell. And
the dominant dwellers of the muck are bloodworms. Bloodworms –
also know as Chironamidae and midge larvae – are also one of the
first edibles to rouse and subsequently be guzzled by panfish.
Bro says that bloodworms
are common in natural lakes, squirming in holes and over flats
with floors of clay, mud, and marl. Bro’s most productive midge
beds lie in 19 to 28 feet of water, but he sometimes encounters
bloodworm farms in 40 feet of water and beyond.
“You’ll know right away if
you’re over a bugs nest,” Bro says “because the very first fish
will upchuck bloodworms all over the place.”
The key to finding soft
and potentially buggy bottoms is knowing how to interpret flasher
signals. Bro, using a Vexilar FL-18, watches for the bottom mark
to “thin out,” denoting a change from hard to soft. Bro believes
that it’s crucial to recognize what every flicker and blip on the
screen represents. They’re all pieces to the greater puzzle.
Besides Chironamidae,
panfish also feast on phantom midge larvae (Chaoburus). These
glassy-looking invertebrates rise into the water column during
lowlight periods, having originated from spongy bottoms. On a
flasher, they appear as waves or cyclones of green twinkles that
can range throughout the entire water column. Panfish, as
expected, love dining on them too.
Mayfly larvae – critters
much larger than bloodworms and phantom midge larvae – are also
kicking around in the mud. They were slithering around earlier in
the winter too, but not to the degree seen in February and March.
Certain bottoms can literally crawl with mayfly larvae.
The ever present swarms of
zooplankton must also be acknowledged. They too zing around from
first ice on, but are now in true game-form. The longer days
coupled with higher sunlight angles make zooplankton extra jumpy.
They’ll become more and more energetic as spring approaches as
well.
So bugs are in play.
Panfish – crappies, bluegills, and perch – are focused on slow
moving, but high volume provisions. Schools of fish gather to
graze, and they often linger for long periods of time too. Good
areas evolve into great areas, so long as invertebrates are
abundant.
Once a fertile-floored
area has been established, the next measure is producing baits
that emulate nature’s offerings. And Bro has favorites.
First, he gets creepy. “If
I’m into jumbo perch, or even larger crappies, the Northland Creep
Worm gets the nod. With it, I like using a small minnow.” The
Creep Worm sports a four-piece segmented body that imitates an
aquatic invertebrate with museum-like realism.
For even more universal
appeal – targeting crappies, perch, and bluegills – Bro
ties on a Northland Jiggle Bug. The larvae design entices all
panfish species, and they come in sizes down to miniscule #12. In
stained water, Bro fishes glow blue and red, preferring glow green
and chartreuse in clear conditions. Whichever size and color he
selects, though, a wad of maggots or wax worms cover the hook
shank.
Occasionally, even during
the improved bite of February and March, fish turn pernickety,
shunning the usual stuff. Maybe high pressure shuts ‘em down,
maybe too many anglers on the ice. Regardless of the reason,
though, Bro has solutions. And his hottest contraption of late is
a customized panfish dropper rig.
“First, I tie a #12 or
smaller Mustad Aberdeen hook on the main line and cover it with
maggots. Then, I pinch a couple two or three Hot-Spot Split Shot 8
to 12 inches up the line. Maybe even thread a Buck-Shot Rattle
Bead between the shot for added sound.
The Hot-Spot gives me
weight and attraction, which allows the business end to remain
small and simple. I’ll even change shot colors to see if that
helps. This is the ideal rig for light bites.”
By midsummer, you’ll be
cursing bugs, both the biters and ones that stick in the corner of
your eye and cause that indescribable pain. But now, in the meat
of winter, take succor and pleasure in the fact that bugs are
what’ll bring you to a panfish panacea.
To learn more about
Northland Tackle’s complete lineup of winter and summer lures go
to
www.northlandtackle.com or dial 1-800-SUN-FISH and
request a free catalog.
