First Ice Success: Keys to finding and catching fish early in the ice season
First ice is one of my favorite ice fishing bites of the season. Oxygen levels are still high and fish are still active. Typically, early ice fish are more aggressive and responsive to jigging. So I’m going to give you my top 3 thoughts as it relates to first ice success:
JIg aggressively: I start out with more aggressive presentations and move baits a lot.
Take advantage of fishing set lines. In Michigan, we are allowed three lines each. So we put out a bunch of set lines when we have clients and guide groups with us. But don’t just set them and leave them all day. Make an effort to move stuff around that isn’t getting bit. The goal is to contact as many fish as possible. I like to fish jawjackers this time of year because the fish are much less tentative.
Location is huge. I would highly recommend putting some time in late fall to find the best weeds. These will likely be your best first ice spots.
I highly encourage you to watch this video we put together for fishing first ice. If the video is a help to you, help us out by subscribing