Lures and Baits

The general all-purpose bait for ice-fishing is the live minnow, although some of the newer scent-impregnated baits can also produce large creels. Minnows can be kept a long time on the ice if you use a styrofoam-insulated bucket, many of which including a nice padded seat for your comfort. For panfish and crappie, we suggest you use the small 1-2 inch minnows or small larvae or grub imitations, and the larger size minnows and imitations for whitefish, trout, walleye and pike. How you dress your offering can mean all the difference in the world.

There are many different types of lures that can be used in conjunction with these baits, depending on the species you're after:

• for panfish and crappie, small (1/32 to 1/8 oz) jigs, Swedish Pimples, Williams and Russian Ice Jigs or Lindy Rigs seem to work best;
• for whitefish and trout, Williams and Mr. Champ shiny spoons and Ice Rapalas are normally called for; and,
• for walleye and pike, all of the above can each have a chance on any given day.

Remember that like open water fishing, you must match your offering to the forage and that different styles and colours will work better at different times. Although colour is not as important under the ice, especially if there is a blanket of snow or a layer of slush blocking the light, it is sometimes necessary to lower an attractor as well as your baits to bring in the fish. Using shiny spoons can help, and some people put down a large minnow, not so much to catch fish, but to cause enough commotion to bring the predators into the area where they'll find the other baits.

As mentioned above, many commercial establishments will provide you with salted minnows for chumming. Blood contains salt, so it is believed that putting these salty morsels into the water will cause a salty taste to permeate the surrounding area, bringing in the fish.

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