Ice Fishing

Both bluegills and pumpkinseed can be taken in winter by slowly jigging tiny spoons, jigs, or yarn flies. Using a small float provides the required subtle action and precise depth control. Small grubs and tiny minnows also work. Anglers should fish the drop-offs beside weedbeds and be flexible with small bait or tiny lures. Knowing the whereabouts of spring holes and the mouths of creeks helps when locating winter fishing. Chumming a hole with oatmeal or small grubs will often bring in a school of bluegills or pumpkinseed. At that point, the angler is in for a good afternoon of fishing and a delectable meal to follow.

A bait which is readily available nearly all winter is the white grub which inhabits the galls of goldenrod. Locate a stand of goldenrod and collect several dozen of the bulbous galls from the winter-dried plants. A gall with an obvious hole from the outside does not have a grub in residence, having been removed by a woodpecker or other bird in all likelihood. Carefully split open the galls and remove the half-inch-long grub. Store them in a bottle of rolled oats or oatmeal in a cool place until you are ready to use them. Use small hooks with a single splitshot on the line to fish these grubs in pan fish water. The grubs are fairly tough and should catch several fish.

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