By Mike Frisch

By this time of winter, much of the ice fishing for walleyes is about done for the season. The good bite has passed on most lakes and, in addition, the game fish season is about to close meaning walleyes won‘t be legal game again until open water arrives.

The good news, however, is that anglers who target panfish like bluegills can get in on some of the best ice fishing action of the year during late winter. Not only do bluegills usually bite good during this time, but the season for these fish doesn’t close meaning that anglers can continue to ice fish for panfish as long as safe ice remains. Here is a look at some tips for finding and catching late winter bluegills.

Deep water basin areas often hold good numbers of panfish in mid-winter. As winter progresses to late winter, however, the bite often heats up in the shallows. Remnant weed lines and weedy flats will often hold panfish as late winter arrives.

A key to catching these fish is finding them. In fact, drilling lots of holes and staying on the move until fish are found rather than waiting for fish to come to you is usually sound advice for anglers chasing bluegills. A reliable auger that starts easily and cuts holes quickly is important to this fishing style. The new Jiffy Stealth STX auger I’ve been using fits the bill perfectly.

Once fish are found getting them to bite becomes the obvious key. Often these fish are fairly aggressive and getting bites isn‘t that tough. A small panfish jig like a Spider Ant or Doodle Bug tipped with a Gulp! Maggot is often a lethal combination. Gulp! baits smell and taste like live bait, plus they’re very durable often allowing me to catch several fish without having to re-bait.

Small jigs and baits fish well on light line. I prefer FireLine Micro Ice for most winter ice jigging situations. When it comes to panfish, the 4/1 size is my preference. This superline has the strength of four-pound test line but with the diameter of only one-pound test monofilament line. Plus, because it’s a low-stretch superline, it’s very sensitive allowing me to detect light bites and has the strength to effectively battle big bluegills.

A sensitive rod paired with a reliable spinning reel completes my winter bluegill set-up. I use an ultralite action Lightning Rod ProLite Ice Rod paired with a Cardinal 100 spinning reel. This fast action rod is light and sensitive and the reel is responsive and reliable making for an effective winter bluegill jigging combination.

For those who still want to do some winter jigging, the game fish season is about to close. However, panfish like bluegills are fair game as long as safe ice lasts. Not only that but they can be very active biters at this time. Following the tips just provided will hopefully help anglers wanting to get in on some of that fast fishing action this late winter.